Wands Cast A Spell

Saturday 10th October
Langney Wanderers 3-2 Crawley Down Gatwick

A rather fiery encounter at times, allied with some odd refereeing decisions help to keep the temperature high through out, as the hosts took advantage of the blustery conditions to pump high balls upfront thro out and at the same time negating any chance of the Anvils being able to settle into their usual neat passing game.

Anvils were the first to open up the home defence with Sam Cane feeding Ben Brooker in the box but the strikers shot was taken by keeper Joe McLoughlin, come 15mins and the Anvils went in front when Brooker was bought down just outside the box, the striker himself taking the freekick which sailed past McLoughlin to give the Anvils the lead. 0-1 Anvils.

The Wands were quick to reply with Wayne Wilkinson driving across the face, just after Kyle Feneron set up Shane Saunders with a header taken by Andy Geaves, the homesters kept up the flurry of long balls into the Anvil box which in the swirling conditions caused problems, but the Anvil defence held firm, as both Steve Hickman and Paul Rogers went close.

The Anvils kept battling forward with Brookers shot being palmed away, and a Luke Trotter cross being scrambled clear, and the same player just after heading over from a Harry Lowe corner, young winger Miles Pitt then set up Cane but the strikers shot was cleared.

With a spring in there step from this and with just minutes remaining the Anvils suffered a double whammy with both Del Gaudios and Simon Catt finding gaps to punish the Anvils, the formers shot looked to have been deflected, but as they say they all count. HT 2-1 Langney.

A possible defining moment of the game came at the start of the second half with Sam Cane, (whom had taken a boot in the face during the first half) was replaced By Oli Leslie, this a real blow as he had been in brilliant form with a four goal haul to his name in his last game, but the Anvils fell further behind on the hour mark when from a Paul Weatherby cross danger man Paul Rogers was on hand to nod home the homesters third 3-1 Langney.

Anvils with nothing to lose fought back with Josh Alcock replacing Myles Pitt, come 63 and a Trotter run that left a couple of Wands for dead, finished with a cross that just evaded the far post, but he gained a just reward on 86 when a quick Anvil break found him in space to nod home the Anvil second, thereby setting up an interesting last few minutes. Trotter has another clearcut chance having gone through - the keeper clatters him as he pokes the ball around him, Trotter stays on his feet (just) but can’t get around the ball enough and hits the side netting. FT 3-2 Langney.

Team: Andy Greaves, Sonny Barton, Harry Lowe, Tom Agate, Steve Dixon, James Day, Myles Pitt (Josh Alcock), Mike Spence, Ben Brooker, Sam Cane (Oli Leslie), Luke Trotter.

MOM :-James Day