Anvils moved up to 8th position in the Table with a win over former Ryman side Shoreham. The Anvils generally dominated but missed chances always gave Shoreham hope that they could get back on terms. In the end Anvils had most of the play but Shoreham did work hard to get back on terms. The Anvils win 3-2 was less than they deserved but those missed chances have to go in more regularly to ensure dominance counts.

Match report by Donal Barrett

Crawley Down continued their unbeaten start to the League season with their first win, overcoming recently relegated Shoreham. The home side had the better of the early exchanges creating a number of chances which were not taken. Shoreham after surviving the early scares then started to assert themselves with influential striker Andrew Dalhouse orchestrating almost everything for the visitors.
After 25 minutes the Anvils went close when a Mike Spence cross was headed narrowly wide by Sam Cane. Three minutes later the pressure eventually told when Michael Belli surged down the right and fired a superb cross shot past the keeper that went in off a post. It was the Anvils first goal from open play this season and there was a collective sigh of relief both on and off the pitch. However, it only took 2 minutes before the home side were brought crashing to earth. A long clearance by keeper James Broadbent led to some confusion in the home defence with the ball eventually falling to Andrew Dalhouse. He had the simple task of placing the ball past a helpless Andy Greaves to continue his impressive early season scoring record.
The Anvils regrouped after this setback and again took the game to the visitors. Just before half time Josh Martin made amends for his part in the defensive mix up that led to the Shoreham equaliser by coolly finishing off a great lightning quick counter attack, involving Oli Leslie and Michael Belli, to record his first ever goal for the Crawley Down first team. The home side continued to exert pressure at the start of the second period. This eventually paid off 12 minutes in when Sam Cane finally made the breakthrough scoring his first of the season with a good finish from close in. If the Anvils thought that at 3-1 they were in for an easy ride the visitors had other ideas. They continued to threaten with twin strikers Andrew Dalhouse and Kai Bichard very prominent. After 76 minutes they got that vital break when a foul just outside the box led to Bichard finding the net with a superb unstoppable free kick into the bottom corner. Inevitably this led to a helter skelter and slightly scary last 10 minutes but the Anvils were not for turning and indeed Oli Leslie had a great chance to restore the two goal cushion but he was thwarted, not for the first time, by keeper Broadbent. It finished 3-2 to the home side and it felt that al last Crawley Down had got some just reward for the excellent football they have played this season.

Team: Andy Greaves, Dan Sullivan, Lee Thomas, Josh Martin (Marc Pelling) Sam Packham, Andy Goodwin (Sonny Barton), Mike Spence, Michael Belli (Toby Hill), Sam Cane, Oli Leslie, Ciaran Steers