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Search forFirst-half horror show rocks Crowborough
Friday, October 31, 2008, 09:00
The Crows conceded three first-half goals, all down to defensive errors, to leave them very much in a dog fight at the wrong end of the table.
It's difficult after a performance like this to pick out individuals, but it was no surprise to see centre-haves Andy Boyle and Dave Adams hauled off at the break. Quite simply the Crows miss inspirational skipper Justin Harris as joint-boss Harry Smith is only too aware.
"When Mr Harris is not there we look like a bunch of schoolboys at times," Smith said. "We shouldn't be. We should be able to stand up to it. It's not just Justin's presence. It's his organisation. He gets people in the right positions and we miss him big time.
"It was shambolic defending on Tuesday. When you defend like that you are going to get punished. As soon as they got one they just cut through us like a knife through butter. Dave's (Adams) head went down straight away – you can't make individual errors like that at any level."
With Steve Hunt arriving late from work Adams went into the starting line-up along with new signing Luke Fontana, who took his place up front alongside Gavin Gordon.
The Crows didn't start too badly but it took 17 minutes before the first meaningful effort on goal. Kieran Wilson ventured down the left and teed up Luke Gedling whose effort from 20 yards was theatrically saved by Russell Tanner in the Town goal. This is the closest they would come to scoring all night long.
Four minutes later disaster struck. Adams, trying to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal-kick, was robbed by Danny Leach. The Town front-man then calmly picked out Jamie Salvidge who had the easiest of finishes.
The Crows haven't come from behind to win a game all season and it wasn't about to change tonight. Another Adams blunder allowed Liam Baitup in but this time Mark Oldroyd came to his centre-half's rescue. Simon Catt saw a shot whistle over before Baitup made it 2-0. A Danny Simmonds free-kick from the right was flicked on and Baitup, no more than a yard out, tapped the ball home.
It would get worse.
Leach then lobbed Oldroyd, only to see the ball hit the far post before the Crows keeper acrobatically palmed the ball away. However the keeper will have to look at himself for the third goal on the stroke of half-time. Leach again got in behind and his shot went straight across Oldroyd into the far corner.
Three-nil at the break and it all honesty it could have been five or six, not because Town were doing anything special, Crowborough were simply awful.
Gedling probably woke up with a sore neck on Wednesday morning after watching the ball fly over his head time and time again in the centre of the park, Andy Ducille did little other than give the ball away, while Wayne Clarke, when he wasn't being hacked down, ran down blind alleys.
You had to feel sorry for Gordon and Fontana up front – they had no service and no change out of the Eastbourne centre-halves.
The second-period passed without any real incident. Peter Featherstone rattled the bar from 40 yards for the visitors but that was the closest either side came to scoring.
The Crows at least showed some character after the break and will take that into Saturday's game at home to Godalming Town.
Smith admits new faces are needed but the club simply can't afford the wages being asked.
"I'm desperate to get new faces in to bolster it up but everyone wants three figures," Smith said. "We want players who have played at this level before but we are just a small town and people aren't going to come for £50 or £70 a week – that is a fact of life."
Something is going to have to give – sooner rather than later.
LACKING DIRECTION: Strikers Luke Fontana and Gavin Gordon wonder what is going on as they take yet another kick-off; right, Kieran Wilson in action
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