Mens Ones
Mens Ones held to a 1-1 draw at home to Mid Sussex 2s. Both teams started confidently with equal shares of possession and opportunities created. Some exceptional work in goal from Mikey Orchard and Mid Sussex’s own keeper kept both teams off the scoresheet for most of the half. Oscar Wakelin finally broke the deadlock calmly slotting the ball into the side netting. The second half was just as competitive with both teams creating chances. Crowborough conceded an equaliser midway through the half via a penalty stroke levelling the game which is how it stayed. Player of the match went to Mikey Orchard.
Womens Ones
Womens Ones lost a well fought battle against East Grinstead 3s. Despite the Christmas break, Crowborough's performance was superb. Using the width of the pitch, angles between passes, and top quality marking meant that EG had to fight hard for the result.
Despite keeping pressure on the EG defence, Crowborough we unlucky not to convert penalty corners and attacking drills, whilst EG successfully converted a goal in each half. The game ended in a 2-0 loss. Player of the match was shared between Alice Webb and Rosie Rawlings.
Mens Twos
Mens Twos won 3-0 against Crawley. It was a lovely game and the opposition were reportedly "so nice"! The game came accompanied with a good teas which was an added bonus! Goals came from Alex Seath and Hamish Marr. Player of the match was Charlie Ralph.
Womens Twos
Womens Twos played at home against Burgess Hill at 10:30am. The game started well with the sides being quite even and equally determined for the points. Crowborough scored from a short corner, the amazing Charlotte Richardson slotting it in. The game as a whole showed some great teamwork, some excellent shots and some top-notch defending. Unfortunately the opposition were just a little stronger and were slightly more well-drilled. The game ended in a 3-1 loss with player of the match going to captain Vicky Dennett!
Mens Threes
On a freezing cold evening, the Threes had a late game against Mid Sussex. Earlier in the season, Crowborough just edged a close game, and in the early exchanges, a similar game emerged with both sides sharing early possession. In the moments where Crowborough got their passing game going they looked dangerous, but Mid Sussex had the better chances of a tight first half. A diving save off the line by Graham from a short corner kept the scores even at the break. Second half started tight, with some good play from both teams. Crowborough somehow managed to survive four short corners in a row with some great goalkeeping and another goal line clearance from Andy. With three minutes to go, Mid Sussex scored a contentious goal from short corner, and the match finished with an unlucky 1-0 loss for the Threes.
Womens Threes
Womens Threes played Phoenix Ones at Littlehampton with 15:30pm pushback. Borough continued to bed in the new formation on a bouncy pitch in freezing temperatures. Bethy Catling moved up front and was immense - setting up several chances in the D, and repeatedly challenging the goalkeeper. Amber Valentine worked relentlessly alongside the midfield to move the ball upfield. New Threes member Claire Kentish Barnes fitted in perfectly and, despite a 20 year break from playing, managed to find the back of the net after a frenzied passage of play involving Amber Valentine, Vicky Dennett and Jennie Turner. Wingbacks Sophia Dennett, Alison Youlton and Jo Alker athletically and skilfully kept the ball moving, and at one point Jo Alker took an amazing shot on goal that missed by millimetres. At halftime it was 1-1. The second half saw Borough step up their marking in an effort to get ahead, and Jennie Turner, Rachael Catling and Lottie Ikeson were impressive clearing the back line alongside some outstanding saves from Jess Ikeson. There were several last minute opportunities for Borough just before the final whistle but sadly they weren’t able to be converted. The final score was a 1-1 draw, and player of the match was Amber Valentine.
Boys Youth Academy
A cold morning start at Eastbourne saw the two sides start with high energy and enthusiasm. Crowborough put on the most pressure from the start, moving the ball around the pitch away from the opposition who were constantly chasing. Both sides were evenly matched size and age wise providing a much better competition.
Despite 20 forays into the D only 2 shots hit the mark in the first 30 min. A flurry of activity in the final 5 of the half saw the score go from 2-0 to Crowborough to 3-2 to Eastbourne.
A half time talk about ball speed, marking and less dribbling saw the Crowborough team take to the pitch with new vigour and after ten minutes the score was 4-4. The opposition started to tire and the Crows managed to slot away 2 more. Final score 6-4, ironically same result as first clash at the start of the season.
Girls Youth Academy
Girls lost unfortunately lost 5-0 this week, a great result considering the opposition had six 15 year olds on the team sheet when Crowborough played with 11 to 14 year olds! A valuable learning experience.
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