Match Report
The Anvils interest in the SCFA RUR Charity Cup is over for another year following a 2-1 defeat to Hassocks on Saturday.
After some superb performances in pre-season and early season games this was a strangely low key and almost lethargic performance at times.
The home side started brightly and definitely seemed more up for the contest. They have a good mixture of youth and experience and their constant pressing, energy and movement all over the pitch goes well for a much more successful season than their struggles of late.
Prolific striker Phil Johnson has rejoined from Horsham YMCA and he was a constant menace up front. Barely five minutes had elapsed when he opened the scoring although it must be said that he looked decidedly offside.
The Anvils kept going and gradually got a foothold in the game. They unfortunately lost Ciaran Steers to injury after half an hour. It was really good to see substitute Harry Petty back in the thick of things after a season long injury that looked at one point to threaten his further involvement in the game. The other key incident in the first half was the disallowance for offside of what seemed like a perfectly good equaliser from Sam Cane. Marc Pelling appeared to head the ball back to the onrushing Cane but even if the header was forward as claimed by the officials the striker had to burst past at least two defenders to put the ball past the keeper. There seemed to be simply no way that he could have been offside. Hassocks led 1-0 at half time.
The half time team talk worked for the Anvils who were much better in the second
period. Sam Cane had two good chances but the normally reliable target man put both over the bar when well placed. Marc Pelling, who was superb throughout, was also agonisingly close with a header from close in, that skimmed the post. The longer the game went on without a Crawley Down
equaliser the more it looked as if it was not going to be their day. There was a sense of inevitability when substitute Liam Benson put the home side 2-0 up in the 80th minute. However The Anvils continued to
press forward and eventually got some reward when Sam Cane pulled one back after 94 minutes.
There was barely time for the game to restart before the referee blew the final whistle. It was a strange game. There is no doubt that Hassocks deserved their win but one has to wonder what the outcome might have been if a seemingly offside goal had been disallowed and a seemingly perfectly good goal had not been ruled out.
Tight margins, funny old game!

Crawley Down Gatwick: Andy Greaves, Connor Baston, Billy Wraight (Josh Martin), Mike Spence, Sam Packham, Marc Pelling, Dan Sullivan, Lee Thomas, Lewis Croal (Oli Leslie), Sam Cane, Ciaran Steers (Harry Petty)
MOM: Marc Pelling