HOCKEY: Crawley men win top of the table clash

Fuller had a couple of early chances from short corners and was unlucky not to make the breakthrough.

Visitors Holcombe tried to sit back and soak up as much pressure as they could.

They did have a couple of dangerous moments on the counter-attack but the defence was alert to it and broke up the play.

Another couple of chances came and went for Evans and Seb Watson before Fuller stepped up for a short corner and put it past the ‘keeper to give Crawley the lead.

The pattern of the game was the same for the rest of the half as Crawley looked very dangerous through the wide areas and couldn’t handle the pace of Maccaoilte or Evans when the home side moved the ball quickly.

Half-time came with the score still the same and with Crawley sensing the game was there for the taking they discussed keeping the pressure on the Holcombe defence and not allowing them to distribute the ball from the back and not to let them settle when they get on the ball.

The visitors came out in the second half quicker and were trying to move the ball through the middle of the pitch more but Wright and captain Alex Watson were there to break up the play on what seemed like every opportunity that Holcombe had.

Crawley dropped a bit deeper and played more counter-attacking hockey for much of the second half but looked dangerous every time they committed to go forward.

As the home side started slowing the game down and running the clock down the game became fractious and people were being sent to the sin bin on both sides.

Crawley and Holcombe found themselves with 10 men for a minute spell as a Holcombe player and Ahmedi were sent to the sin bin for roughing.

But having learnt their lesson the last few weeks Crawley got the ball in to the corners and ran the clock down for another victory.

Crawley: Jamie Westwood, Baz Ahmedi, Adrian Bettesworth, Mark Brightwell, Carl Wright, Dan Evans, Alex Watson (C), Reece Banton, Seb Watson, Kieran Fuller, Brendan Maccaoilte.

Subs: Steve Innes, Rob Gate

Complete Tyre Services Man of the Match: Alex Watson

On Sunday Crawley gained revenge against last year’s quarter-final vanquishers and reigning champions Camberley & Farnborough 4-2 in the Men’s Pensions Vase.