Rooks fall to heavy defeat to title challengers
LEWES fell to a 3-0 home defeat to high-rising Dover Athletic this afternoon.
A Rooks side that clearly missed the presence of, Chris Breach, Ross Sutton and Marc Pullen were undone by a Kent side that has high hopes of promotion this season.
A Rooks side made up of many young hopefuls more than matched their opponents until a freakish own goal from defender Anthony Barness, which saw his header from just inside the box float agonisingly over keeper Chris Winterton's grasping hand and just under the crossbar (think Paul Parker and Peter Shilton circa Italia 1990).
To be fair to the Rooks captain, he had the Hobson's choice of allowing an excellent cross from Harry Baker fall to the feet of Adam Birchall - who would still have had much do do it must be said - or throw in a desperate head to a ball of which he never was going to have any control.
Then strikes from Elliot Charles and teenager Harrison Crawford - newly signed on loan from Southend United and believed to be a hot prospect by his parent club - finished off any Lewes hopes.
Lewes' best chance came from second half substitute Tom Murphy when he drove into the Dover box but saw his drilled shot palmed over by Dover keeper Ross Flitney.
Lewes boss Steve Ibbitson admitted his dismay at the cost of all three goals but pointed out the makeshift pattern of his still injury ravaged squad, while quite insisting the scoreline flattered the Rooks' opponents.
"I didn't think it was a 3-0 game," said Ibbiston.
"The first 20-25 minutes we said to the players what we can't do is what we did at Woking and give them a two-goal start. The first five minutes at Woking we weren't at the races and we were 1-0 down.
"In fairness the first 20 to 25 minutes i think we we the better side we were brighter, we got the ball and we moved it
"Barney's (Anthony Barness) usually Mr Cool (but) he heads it back to the goalkeeper and he's headed it straight into the top corner, probably the one place where Chris (Winterton) couldn't have got near it. It was a terible first goal to give away.
"But as we say to the players, if we go a goal down, or a goal up, if we're playing well, we don-t change the way we play - keep going, particularly at that satge when there's ages to go. But we stopped playing for 10 or 15 mintues.
"But then wecame back into the game towards end of first half and the game became reasonable competitive.
"Like a lot of the teams in this division they have two very strong playes up front who moved our defenders out well, but we gifted them the second goal, and the third for that matter. All three goals were poor to gived away.
"I'm not saying we deserved a 0-0 draw but 3-0 flattered them.
But we had three key players out; all three had fitness tests in the morning and all failed them. So we've gone out again with an even more makeshift side, so there are positives to take out of it ahead of Monday."
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
