Attwood the star of the show.
The Crows home game against Hollands & Blair was one of only a few matches played in either the SCEFL Premier or the SCFL Premier due to the cold snap that has affected the South East of the country over the last week or so.
Credit for the game being on must go to the groundsman and volunteers for the work they've put in, not just this week but since the end of last season as there's still plenty of grass cover in all areas rather than bare patches you see on many grounds this time of year which contribute to many games being called off due to safety concerns.
Both clubs deserve credit too for wanting the game to be played, it's easy to call games off early when, in fact, if time was allowed they might be played, especially if the sun is shining as it was prior to this match all morning. I fully appreciate that opposition travelling time has to be taken in to account however, sometimes you have to be brave and go with the gut feeling that given enough time, the pitch will be playable.
A positive attitude from the clubs, players from both teams and especially from referee Jack Hill and his assistants, Jerry Annandale and Steve Tunnicliffe, made sure that we saw a game of football and 323 people had some entertainment on a Saturday afternoon instead of having to do something they would consider more of a chore I bet.
As for the match itself it was a competitive affair, especially in the first 15 minutes in which the visitors could have been in front however, both chances went begging and the Crows made them pay in the 19th minute, a great cross by Treleaven out wide was flicked on by Attwood and Carrington tapped the ball home past Forde and it was 1-0 to the Crows.
It could have been 2-0 right from the kick off as a poor clearance from Forde went straight to Attwood some 25 yards out however, his shot went inches wide with Forde well beaten. For the next 15 minutes it was mainly one way traffic towards the visitors goal but the only downside for the Crows during the day was the number of chances they created but didn't ultimately take.
Eventually, the second goal did arrive in the 36th minute, a flick on by Treleaven set the impressive Attwood free and using his speed and strength to break free from his marker, he raced towards the goal before firing the ball past the rather exposed Forde.
Sometimes when the pitch is on the "difficult" side referees either hand out yellow cards left, right and centre, or they use common sense and take the circumstances in to consideration, referee Hill used the common sense approach, in the first half anyway, and the only yellow card awarded was to Simon for a late tackle on Walder.
Carrington, Vickers and Attwood had further chances to increase the lead before half time but most of the crowd were happy with what they had seen and the score as the players went to the warmth of the dressing room and they headed to the tea bar or for something stronger.
The second half was one of Crow domination throughout and the only downside of the afternoon happened in the 49th when, following a barn-storming run by Crabb saw him upended in the area and referee Hill correctly awarded the penalty however, Attwood's effort was saved well by Forde.
Whether something was said to referee Hill at half time I don't know, he was being observed but from being reluctant to hand out yellow cards in the first 45, he couldn't hand them out quick enough in the second 45, Brown, the visitors captain and Walder, the perceived Crow assassin, both getting cards for a "handbags" incident.
Hadley for the visitors then became the next recipient of a yellow card in the 57th minute and when you take in to account there were only 20 free kicks awarded in this game whereas in some games this season we've seen more than that given in the first half alone, the number of cards issued in the end, 7, seemed rather excessive, not every foul should be a yellow card.
Substitutions then became the order of the day, Tear going off with what appeared to be a slight knock, Boddy coming on in his place for the Crows. Vickers then saw yellow for dissent and then the visitors made a substitution of their own, Healy going off and Ascheri replacing him in the 66th minute. Carrington then became the next to see yellow, harshly I thought, in the 70th minute when he was adjudged to have fouled a player he never even got near to.
Attwood then had a great lob from out wide after another poor Forde clearance which hit the top of the net then Clarke received a yellow card in the 73rd minute under what seems to be a totting up procedure match officials use these days.
Hollands then took off Hadley, Adgie came on as his replacement whilst Crows took off Walder probably to protect him as the opposition seemed determined to get him a second yellow card, Appiah coming on as his replacement.
Chances came and went for the Crows with very little of note coming from the visitors, although due to the substitutions and free kicks the flow of the half was somewhat disturbed and was not helped in the 81st minute when both teams made substitutions, Blake off, Webb on for Hollands, Treleaven off, Perry on for the Crows.
The rest of the game passed without note and at the final whistle it was 2-0 to the Crows, back top of the table and 32 games unbeaten in all competitions. The team now head towards two successive home cup matches against Newhaven FC on Tuesday night, frost permitting, and then Coleshill Town on Saturday in the Buildbase FA Vase 5th Round.
Our Match Sponsor, Paul Carr, from Carr's Driving Tuition, voted Zac Attwood as the Man of the Match, a deserved award for his total contribution throughout the match, although Sam Carrington must have run him close for the award as he too had a great game.