SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2008

Blue Square South

As if to show how emotions can contrast in football, County fans’ exhilaration at the victory against Cardiff City five days earlier was followed by the desperation of seeing their side comprehensively outplayed by a Lewes outfit who reached the top of Blue Square South with as good a display as any from a visiting team at Spytty Park in the last few seasons.

And yet as the match drifted several minutes into injury time, County looked to have a point secure in their grasp.  If the encounter had finished all square, it would have been very hard on a Lewes team who played with greater technique, tactical awareness and passion all over the park.  However, having rescued an apparently lost cause, County could and should have held on to the point that seemed theirs for the taking.

The superiority of the visitors in all departments provided a chilling spectacle for the County faithful.  Their team are at their best when they play a high tempo passionate game, but Lewes, as Peter Beadle afterwards stated, won the battles all over the pitch with County regularly outwitted as well as outfought.

Beads decided on a central midfield of Lee Fowler and Andy Gurney again, leaving fans’ favourite Nathan Davies on the bench, and replaced striker Charlie Griffin with Julian Alsop.  In the opening period though, Lewes carved their way through the County midfield like the proverbial knife through butter with little resistance across the width of the pitch.  Dale Binns was free on the left to attack Steve Jenkins, while Damon Searle had his hands full on the opposite flank dealing with the threat of Andy Drury, supported by the equally impressive Simon Wormull.

Most of the early threat was from Lewes who a couple of times sprang the County offside trap, but Alsop forced a goal line clearance from Gary Holloway after 10 minutes before the Rooks resumed command.  Binns was a constant source of danger on the left with his non-stop running and County breathed a sigh of relief when Mark Dodds, the star of the Ninian Park triumph, used his pace to good effect to deny the predatory Paul Booth. 

The goal Lewes deserved arrived in somewhat strange circumstances in the 34th minute when Binns won the ball on the left to set up Booth whose crossfield ball looked like going out of play only for DRURY to squeeze it somehow between Glyn Thompson and the post.  Craig Hughes was cautioned presumably for remarks to the referee before play resumed.

Jason Bowen then burst through the Lewes defence but Steve Williams raced off his line to prevent an equaliser before a moment of farce when the corner flag snapped before referee Adrian Matthews called time on a first half in which County were flattered by the 0-1 deficit.

Beads resisted the urge to change the team at the start of the second half though a move was soon forced upon him when Dodds pulled up, apparently with a hip injury, and the County boss juggled the pack by moving Gurney back into defence and introducing Davies into midfield.  Almost immediately County mounted some sustained pressure for the first time with an Alsop header just off target after a good cross from Richard Evans, before Davies hit a superb ball to pick out the overlapping run of Steve Jenkins.  The full-back’s cross was met by Alsop’s header but Williams was quick to get down to save.

Between these efforts Lewes produced a high quality move of their own down the County right flank between Anthony Barness, the inevitable Binns and Hamid Barr but, with the goal at his mercy, Booth could not get good contact and Thompson was able to save.

The match was looking more of an even contest with Davies continuing to impress with some good blocks and passes while Searle became the second County player to be carded after a foul on Drury before two more substitutions as County swapped Hughes for Griffin and Lewes replaced Barr with former Dorchester striker Matt Groves.

Searle made a great block to deny Booth before a lovely forward run and shot from Fowler which drew a save from Williams.  County were starting to look capable of matching the quality of Lewes though referee Matthews had to intervene to calm some high feelings when Bowen produced a late challenge near the dug-outs and Fowler became involved.  Both County players were cautioned to bring the card tally to 4-0 though the match was generally played in a good spirit and Matthews deserves much credit for that because his calm authority was just what was needed.

There were further comings and goings from the bench with Jermaine Clarke replacing Alsop while Lewes goalscorer Drury, who was clearly struggling from the effects of Searle’s challenge, gave way to Tom Davis.  Clarke showed great determination to draw an 82nd minute foul 25 yards out and Andy Gurney’s free-kick was glided into the net by the head of GRIFFIN for an equaliser that was celebrated with enthusiasm by a crowd two short of Spytty’s biggest league gate of the season.  The momentum however quickly switched to the other end, and Lewes set about regaining the lead with a great determination and spirit though Groves overstepped the mark with a challenge on Thompson which earned him a booking.

Binns, who was giving a virtuoso performance on the left wing, fired inches past the post with Thompson beaten and Wormull looked certain to score but missed the target with a close range header but County should have kept their shape and hung on.  A throw-in on the right, four minutes into stoppage time, should have presented no more than routine problems but the ball was crossed and DAVIS restored the Rooks’ advantage with a close range header.  HOLLOWAY then gave the score a fairer reflection of the superiority of Lewes from the penalty spot after Jenkins had tripped Binns.

The success was richly merited and full credit to Lewes for their outstanding display.  At the end their small group of supporters in the stand accepted the handshakes and best wishes of the County fans in close proximity.  Football of this quality should ensure that Lewes will be a credit to the higher grade of the Conference Premier and we extend our best wishes to them, in the hope we may yet join them there.

Man of the Match:

County:  Nathan Davies (County only became competitive after his introduction).

Lewes: Dale Binns (Fantastic high energy display).

Special mention:                 Special mention: Charlie Griffin (17 goals this season).

© Colin Jeremiah