BRIDON ROPES 1 – 1 CROYDON FC
Croydon remain in eighth place after a trip to Charlton’s Bridon Ropes. It appeared from the outset that Bridon – flying the “Under new management” banner – were more up for this game and whatever they missed in finesse, they more than made up for with effort and not letting Trams settle and dictate.
They have recently had a change in team management with Lee Roots, son of Kelvin Roots who was a member of “the Invincibles” half-a-century ago, had been replaced in the hot seat by former CWFC manager Uche Ibumere.
The Ropes went close early on and our blushes were only save by a timely headed clearance from Keiran Rufus on three. Within a minute, we thought that they had taken the lead through Neil Spencer only for him to be thwarted by an offside flag.
But on eleven we found themselves one down when an attack failed, Bridon sent the ball down the left flank and a failure to defend well enough let the Ropes score past the exposed goalkeeper
Croydon’s crossbar was rattled on fifteen which culminated in Kanan Fitton being flattened. Rufus headed wide on seventeen and a hard won corner wasted with the ball trickling through to the keeper. The remainder of the first half saw neither team make much headway.
Even after the restart, there was no spark with Ropes content to sit back and let us try and break them down, something that for long periods, looked challenging
There were one or two green shoots with the home team skying a clearance over their own bar and on sixty-three, Rufus headed a Barton corner over the target.
But on sixty-six, the landscape altered with the hosts losing a defender to a double caution following a trip. Barton’s curled free-kick found its way the wrong side of the far upright before Pat Ward had an effort disallowed for offside – it looked as though it was going to be one of those days.
Relief came on eighty-four when following a fast charge down the right, substitute Ward snapped up the equaliser from close range and from then, there was a frenetic finish with a long spell of pressure with the home goal leading a charmed life.
The home goalkeeper earned his corn as did the woodwork as Bridon defended desperately to, in the end, cling on to a point. Definitely two points lost for us, something that we can ill afford.
UPDATE: The London Senior Trophy draw sees Croydon confirmed away to Wimbledon Casuals on February 28th – kick off 2.30pm – in the semi-final. The final will be against the winners of AFC Greenwich Borough v Tooting Bec. Details TBC.
Croydon: Taylor, Friend, Rufus, Smith, Clark, Spencer (Ward 73), Dwyer (Macmillan 61), Fitton, Eldridge (Barton 43), Dale, Riches Subs (not used): Jenkins, Walters
Subs (unused): None
