Crawley Down Gatwick overpowered by Shoreham

The visitors certainly showed they meant business by going 2-0 ahead in the first four minutes.

Jack Hartley found Scott Packer who in turn found Andy Pearson to tap home, the same player minutess later was yet again in the right place to tap home the second 0-2 Musselmen.

For the first 20 minutes it was all one-way, with next a Charlie Pitcher freekick testing Andy Greaves in the Anvils goal, another chance on eight minutes with a Packer free-kick being headed wide by Kevin Keehan.

It took the Anvils a good 20 minutess for their first venture into the Musselmen’s half, with Oli Leslie firing into the side-netting, around about this time one of the assistant referees pulled up lame.

After treatment he carried on but soon had to come off completely, meaning a ten minute break in play to find a suitable replacement, which was finally filled with the Anvils vice chairman Mick Martin taking over.

On 40 minutes James Day was booked as the Anvils continued to keep the Musselmen at bay and they did come near on 40 minutes when a thunderous shot by Rob O’Toole was brilliantly turned away by keeper Andy Greaves.

The same player had another chance, but headed over as the half ended. HT 0-2 Musselmen.

Any chance of a customary second half revival were quickly dampened when Day was sent-off for a receiving a second yellow card for a poor tackle.

thus leaving the Anvils with a bigger than ever mountain to climb, Sullivan then tested keeper Jack Hayburn.

George Gaskin threaded a pass through to O’Toole who could only fire over, before Crawley Down substitute Blair Cooney then took the legs of a Musselman player which resulted in a penalty, driven home inside the righthand post of keeper Greaves goal by O’Toole to give Shoreham a 3-0 lead.

A neatly weighted pass from O’Toole found Scott Packer in space to fire home past an open defence to increase Shoreham’s lead to 4-0.

After a couple of Down’s chances went close, it was game set and match for the visitors with eight minutes to go when another slip in the Anvil box let in Davante Davis to add Shoreham’s fifth goal.

Down: Greaves, Sullivan, Barton (Brown), Hutchins, Goodwin, Day (Cooney), Greig, Cane, Boylan, Leslie (Lovatt), Pitt.

Attendance: 55

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