Crawley Down stage fine fightback to beat Sidlesham

Southern Combination League
Oakwood V Crawley Down Gatwick (Pic by Jon Rigby) SUS-151025-195224008Oakwood V Crawley Down Gatwick (Pic by Jon Rigby) SUS-151025-195224008
Oakwood V Crawley Down Gatwick (Pic by Jon Rigby) SUS-151025-195224008

Division Two

Sidlesham 3

Crawley Down Gatwick 5

By Mike May

Not a match for the connoisseur of the beautiful game, this in layman’s terms was life in the raw when players like Norman Hunter and leather studded boots first strode the earth.

Sidlesham went in front on four minutes when Tom Bayley took advantage of hesitant defending to open their account.

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They soon went further in front when from a fumble by keeper Andy Greaves the ball ran loose to Tom Jefkins to slide home.

Oli Leslie curled a glorious shot over keeper John Pope’s head into the top corner for 2-1.

This Anvils fell further behind on the half hour when more defensive woes left Bayley time and space to put the homesters further in front 3-1 Sidlesham.

Crawley Down were back in the game again when a Sonny Barton free-kick found Trotter who in turn found Sam Cane to stab the ball home.

Oli made it 3-3 from the penalty spot.

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Leslie was given the freedom of the Rec to run through and notch up his own third for a 4-3 lead,

Leslie scored his fourth goal to enable the Anvils to seal a 5-3 victory on 78 minutes as Down signed, sealed and delivered the three points.

Top of the table Crawley Down Gatwick travel to Midhurst & easebourne this Saturday, December 19.

Crawley Down Gatwick: Andy Greaves, Blair Cooney (Andy Goodwin), James Lovett, Mike Spence, Steve Dixon, James Day, Sonny Barton, Lee Thomas, Oli Leslie, Sam Cane (Josh Brown), Luke Trotter (Ben Brooker)

Man of the Match: Oli Leslie

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