Kent Premier League
2nd February 2008
Lordswood 4 Croydon 2
Lordswood recorded their first win in 7 games and they did it the hard way as
they dominated the first half but were one down and then came back in the second half. The game
started with Lordswood on the front foot and in the 3rd minute Mark Vernon put Scott Bucklen in
and as he rushed onto it the Keeper John Henry came rushing out but Scott beat him to the ball
and his stabbed shot went agonisingly close as it went just past the post. In the 5th minute
Lee Dawes making his debut found himself on the right wing and his cross from the corner forced
Henry to tip over the bar for a corner. Nine minutes later another chance came when Darren
Marsden on the edge of the area picked up the clearance and his volley from 20 yards went just
past the post.
Lordswood were dominating proceedings but as in the past they find it a problem
hitting the back of the net. Then in the 29th minute against the run of play Croydon scored
when Matt Knuckley was put clear on the left and he went into the area and shot past Rowan. In
the very next minute Mark Vernon saw his volley go just past the post but Croydon then seemed
to up their game and in the 37th minute they maybe should have doubled their lead when Adam
Douglas and Ben Ashdown in the area gave the ball away to Julian Appiah and his shot from 12
yards was saved by Rowan’s legs and then in the 43rd minute a Croydon breakaway saw Harlish
running towards goal and he went into the area but Rowan came out and blocked his shot when it
seemed that all he had to do was pass sideways for another Croydon forward to side foot in and
this was probably the turning point of the game.
The second half saw Croydon dominating possession and in the 51st minute a long
ball forward saw Knuckley volley over Rowan from 20 yards but it went over the bar then against
the run of play Lordswood equalised in the 67th minute when a short corner to Darren Marsden on
the edge of the area saw him chip into the area and Adam Douglas on his own headed in from 6
yards. Lordswood were now in the ascendancy and in the 70th minute Martin Difede got to the
by-line and his low cross was deflected which caused the keeper to scramble the ball away for a
corner and from the resulting Lewis Taylor corner to the middle of the area saw Ben Ashdown
unopposed rise but his header went over the bar. Lordswood finally took the lead in the 76th
minute when a free kick on the edge of the area saw Darren Marsden curl the ball round the wall
into the back of the net. Lordswood did not sit back and in the 83rd minute a Darren Marsden
free kick to the back post saw Ben Ashdown head just past the post. Then in the last 4 minutes
madness occurred, firstly Lordswood went three one up when Rowan’s long clearance was flicked
on by Scott Bucklen for Lee Farrell who flicked it forward and chipped over the keeper, then in
the very next minute Croydon got a goal back when a long ball forward saw Harlish latch onto it
and he went into the area and slotted the ball past Rowan now the nerves were jangling as
Lordswood were pushed back and in the 89th minute a ball into the area saw an Appiah header
come back of the post but in the 90th minute Lordswood calmed everyone’s nerves when Scott
Bucklen’s cross was headed back towards his keeper by Shane Franklin but Lee Farrell nipped in
and shot past the startled keeper.
Attendance 48
MAN OF THE MATCH - No ONE
1. R.ARNOTT
2. A.BAGSHAW
3. L.TAYLOR
4. D.MALONE
5. B.ASHDOWN
6. A.DOUGLAS
7. D.MARSDEN
8. L.DAWES ( 73, DEBUT )
9. M.VERNON (55)
10. S.BUCKLEN
11. A.LING (62)
12. L.FARRELL (55)
14. M.DIFEDE (62)
15. M.CONVEY
16. G.HOLMAN ( 73)
17. S.WILCOCK
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