Tough place to go.
There's no doubt that our current winning run and flavour for scoring plenty of goals has made teams that play us try to find ways of stopping the juggernaut that is the Crows at the moment.
Having played Ashford United and Shoreham FC recently, they both decided to try the physically strong tactic and aggressive mode, utilising long balls to clear their lines and relying on set plays for their chances.
Other teams prior to those two tried to match us in football terms but soon found out to their cost that this probably was not such a good idea in the end and went down by quite a few goals. The one thing our squad has proven this season more than any other is that if you want an aggressive game, you'll get one, if you want an expansive game then we'll accommodate you as well, our players are more than capable of doing both if they have to.
On Saturday at Martyn Grove it was an unusual game and an unusual performance from us, it was not an overtly physical game but then it was not an open, exciting game either, whether that was down to Lordswood thinking they don't have the physical armoury to compete that way and they didn't seem to have the attacking flair either, although we didn't hit our straps in football terms as well.
Therefore, the match became rather a nutritional affair throughout and whilst the Crows never really looked like losing the game, they did find it hard work to breakdown a very hardworking if unexciting home side.
Lordswood have been on a bad run of results of late and therefore, were determined from the start not to give any easy chances away and avoid making silly mistakes at the back which have cost them dear of late according to their manager in his programme notes.
The conditions probably played their part in the type of match we, the supporters, witnessed, the pitch was uneven in places, slippery on top and there was a biting wind blowing across the pitch which seemed to freeze any exposed extremities to the point of making them ache throughout the game, the winter is fast approaching us.
In all the statistical areas the Crows had the better figures, except the yellow card count that is, and big Dan in the Crows goal didn't have a direct shot to save all game. His work being mainly to come and collect balls into the area from corners and free kicks and bark orders to all his outfield team mates.
The first chance of the game arrived in the 10th minute, Carrington firing in a shot which was high and wide but it was a shot nonetheless. Prior to that all there'd been to see was a few free kicks awarded to both teams by a referee who was being observed.
The Lordswood goalie, aptly named Harry Potter, was seeing plenty of the ball in the first 20 minutes but in the 22nd minute his magic waned as a 25 yard shot from Dan Perry flew past him and in to the bottom corner of the net and it was 1-0 to the Crows.
It was not all good news for the Crows as Tear was shown a yellow card for what appeared to be a good tackle against McIheron in the 26th minute, although to be fair, McIheron had to be replaced by Hooper some 4 minutes later.
The home side's first effort at the Crows goal didn't arrive until the 39th minute but the shot was high and wide from 6 yards out and really should have been taken but it wasn't and the score remained 1-0 to the Crows.
The half time break at least gave the spectators a chance to grab a warm drink and something hot to eat so the cold could be banished for a period of 15 minutes whilst the players from their respective sides got their instructions in the dressing rooms.
The second half was mostly one way traffic with the Crows putting more and more pressure on the defensive unit of the host side. Potter still remained the busiest goalie throughout and in the 50th minute he had to make a smart save from Muggeridge to keep the score at 1-0 at the expense of a corner.
The continued pressure led to Blanchard seeing yellow after disputing a decision given by the referee in the 51st minute. From the resulting free kick, Barton's shot seemed to be heading goal wards but a deflection from Carrington, with his head, saw the ball rebound off the cross bar and to safety.
The Crows were not as fluent as they have been in games recently but were still playing well enough to create plenty of chances, the most notable one coming in the 61st minute, Barton heading wide when well placed. I'm sure he felt he really should have scored and made it 2-0.
In the 64th minute Attwood hit a great shot which brought out a great save from Potter and the resultant corner came to nothing.
The 66th minute saw Danny Smith get a yellow card for Lordswood but the home side were literally thrown a lifeline only 2 minutes later, Tear adjudged to have fouled a Lordswood player as they both jumped for a ball in the area and the referee awarded the home side a spot kick. The award was not obvious to practically everyone in the ground but David Smith popped up to make it 1-1 in the 70th minute.
The Crows restored the lead only 4 minutes later, a through ball was chased down by Perry and Attwood and the ball eventually reached Attwood to have one of the easiest chances he'll have this season as he made it 2-1, tapping the ball in to an empty net from 6 yards out.
In the 79th minute Attwood was replaced by Treleaven and in the 80th minute Dixon was shown a yellow card after bringing down Treleaven it appeared to me in the penalty area. Treleaven took the kick himself and buried it past Potter and even his magic wand couldn't stop it being 3-1 to the Crows.
McArdle, a new signing, came on for Appiah in the 82nd minute as the Crows looked to freshen up the engine room of the side and that was quickly followed only a minute later by Shea replacing Crabb at wing-back.
If the Crows thought the scoring had finished, the referee had different ideas, awarding the hosts yet another penalty in the 85th minute following a tackle in our area. An interesting note was that neither of the Crow players adjudged to have committed fouls in the area were booked but their player, Dixon who gave away a penalty was, a decision which was to prove costly only a minute later for him.
David Smith took the kick, scored and it was 3-2 with 5 minutes to go but then Dixon committed a foul near his own area in the 86th minute and was shown a second yellow card and then a red so he had to reluctantly leave the field.
The Crows immediately went on the offensive again and made it 4-2 when a Muggeridge corner was headed in by Perry at the near post with Potter beaten all ends up. Uings then saw yellow for a late challenge and it became 10v10 in the 91st minute as Treleaven had to limp off, the Crows having already used their three substitutions, Treleaven being one of them.
Eventually then game finished in the 90+5th minute and Dan Tear was awarded the Crow's Man of the Match award for his overall performance throughout the 90+5 minutes.