GREENWAYS 6 – 4 CROYDON FC
A bad day at the office for Croydon, with a disappointing first half that could not be recovered despite the team’s bets efforts. Usually, games involving Greenways are high scoring, and Croydon tend to do well and score four goals (4-1 Croydon win and a 4-4 draw most recently). However, with Halloween on the horizon, it was more like a nightmare for Croydon on the day.
Only eight minutes into the game and Simon Walton made a run down the left wing and put the home side ahead with a short tap in past Tiwa Fujamade, who was outside the box at the time. Then seven minutes later after a short run towards goal, David Green equalised past opposition keeper Dan Stevens, who for a large amount of the game, could sit back and enjoy the first half action. A subsequent cross from Green, saw Khayrie Harris about to score but for a challenge to bring him down.
Croydon’s defence lost its shape so it only took five minutes for Greenways to regain the lead thanks to Marcel Brown, with another short tap in. The lead extended four minutes later, and when a cross went to Jake Lovell who also scored. Ten minutes passed and Tom Rearden put the ball behind Fujamade, who was caught off guard, to make it 4-1. Only two minutes later and the Croydon team froze when Jack Jeffrey’s goal appeared to be offside, but Greenways’ fifth was given, ten minutes to half time.
There was still time for Harris to take a corner that was caught by the keeper before Ashley-Paul Robinson passed the ball to Green, who cheekily tried to score with a back heel but went wide of the post. Green’s final touch of the game before his substitution got to Mason Seagroatt but his shot was caught by Stevens.
Changes had to be made, and the half time team talk from manager Tyler Chambers might have done the trick, but it probably came just too late. A chance came at the start of the second half when Harris hit the near post but then Croydon conceded an own goal, following a cross. Ryan Burrell-Grant stopped a possible seventh Greenways goal, and when Greenways got a corner, Jevontae Hylton made a clearance.
Then Ulrich Fischer doubled Croydon’s goal tally when he scored in the 65th minute with a short tap in near the post. Very soon afterwards, Jevantae Hylton scored, but it was disallowed for offside. With 25 minutes to go, a rejuvenated Croydon tried to make the most of any chances possible. A ball was played towards Fischer only for the keeper to reach the ball first. Then Hylton’s pass to Harvey Lavender went out for a goal kick. An improving Hylton had an attempt only to be cleared by Greenways.
Lee Peacock scored in the 80th minute when a shot from Hylton came off the keeper and Peacock put in the rebound. With five minutes to go, Jordan Mbola got a free kick, but Peacock just missed the target. There was still time for Jorden Mbola to score in the 90th minute but the final whistle blew soon after. Previous games had significant extra time added which may have made a difference but wasn’t to be today
Croydon’s next matches are both at home, firstly vs Tooting Bec on Wednesday 2nd Nov. in the Surrey Premier Cup, with kick off 7.45pm and then hosting Snodland Town on Saturday, 5th Nov. KO 3pm
Croydon: Fujamade, Beckles (Myrie-Smith 85), Hylton, Beauchamp (Bakhit 45), McCarthy, Burrell-Grant, Harris, Seagroatt (Lavender 62), Robinson, Peacock (Mbola 77), Green (Fischer 45)..
Subs: (not used): None.
