Lady luck had a day off for the Crows.
On a day which started so well for the Crows, it was the visitors who took home the spoils in the end due a spirited and determined fight back in the second half where they were definitely helped by Lady Luck, although I'm sure they'll say that you make your own luck in the end.
The Crows were 2-0 up by the 10th minute, Barton heading in a Muggeridge corner in the 7th minute and Treleaven slotting home from the edge of the area in the 10th and people's minds drifted back to when the Hoops were beaten at the Community Stadium 7-1 in September of last season.
By the time of the second goal the Crows had already had a Crabb shot cleared off the line and an Attwood effort, when clean through, rebound off a post and go out for a goal kick. Perhaps we should have known then that the luck was not with us in this game.
The goals were no more than the Crows deserved at the time as they started the match like a bullet train going through a station, full of pace and power, cutting the visitors defence apart with some neat one touch play and movement.
The visitors did pull a goal back in the 15th minute when there was a period of head tennis in and around the Crows goal and when our defence failed to clear the ball McDermott rose above everyone else to nod the ball home from a yard out.
Still the Crows went forward with the score now at 2-1 and following some great play down the Corinthian left in the 26th minute it should have been 3-1 unfortunately, Unwin's ball in to the box found Treleaven six yards out but his shot was rather tame and the ball was gathered by Prall in the Hoops goal.
As the half wore on chances came and went, notably from Crabb and Muggeridge, both of whom had great efforts which just went wide or over. The Hoops didn't have a shot of any kind until the 44th minute, Housego making Di Bernardo make his first save of the game. By then Jamie Billings had become the first player to receive a yellow card from referee Marriott for a tackle.
There's no doubt that the Crows performance had tailed off in the last 15 minutes of the half and that the away side were making it more difficult for the Crows to carry on as they were, a pattern that carried on throughout the second half.
The second 45 minutes still saw the Crows looking to attack more however, their play wasn't as fluid as it had been and the ball retention was not as good as before, whereas the flicks and one-twos were coming off in the first half, they weren't anymore.
In the 57th minute Phipp became the second player booked and Large was replaced by Reardon for the Hoops. A minute later it was 2-2, the away side having a slice of luck when the ball looked to be going out but it hit the corner flag and rebounded back in to play. This led to an almighty goaline scramble with both attackers and defenders hacking at the ball, eventually, it seems Hurcomb was the man who poked the ball over the line.
Hurcomb was replaced in the 65th minute by Tanner as the Crows looked to restore the lead, Phipp putting an effort just wide and in the 70th minute it should have been 3-2 to the Crows, Treleaven with a great chance from eight yards out but he hit his shot wide of the upright.
That miss was to prove crucial as two minutes later Corinthian scored what turned out to be the winner, the away side hitting the Crows on the break and Bewick firing the ball in to the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the area.
By now the Crows had already hit the bar and further heartache was to come when Crabb sent a curling shot goalwards in the 79th minute only to see it bounce against the upright and rebound in to the 'keepers arms as he stood rooted to the spot unable to save the initial effort.
As time was running down, White and Treleaven went off to be replaced by Carrington and Pearson and there was still time for Tanner to be booked and then Walder, Barton for the Crows and Bewick for the Hoops also incurred the wrath of referee Marriott for a scuffle on the half way line.
Defeat was harsh on the Crows but you have to give the opposition credit for their determination, resolute defending and never-say-die attitude which eventually saw them over the line and taking the three points with them.
The Crows will play worse and win in future games, although they'll need a bit more luck than they had on Saturday.