Croydon 4-7 Guernsey

CROYDON 4-7 GUERNSEY
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division
Wednesday 13^th February 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Croydon Sports Arena

GUERNSEY will fly back to the Channel Islands tomorrow with three points in the bag after winning an eleven goal thriller against bravehearts Croydon.

The Green Lions – who have beaten Erith Town and Erith & Belvedere in the FA Carlsberg Vase this season – climbed up a couple of places into sixth-place in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division table with 42 points from 17 games after winning this amazing game at Croydon Sports Arena.

Title favourites Guernsey are fourteen points behind leaders Epsom & Ewell but they have nine games in hand, but soon face a grueling fixture back-log of playing on Friday nights and Sunday for the rest off the season as they bid for promotion into the Ryman Football League at the end of their second season in English football.

Eleven goals were scored by only three men and you have to feel sorry for Croydon striker Claudio De Almieda who was on the losing side after scoring four, which took his tally for the season to fourteen.

But Guernsey’s prolific striker Ross Allen grabbed the headlines with five goals and right-sided midfielder Nigel Hutton helped himself to a couple as both side’s defences went missing.

Ninth-placed Croydon started the game full of promise and a through ball from skipper Jensen Grant played in De Almieda but his right-footed angled drive from fifteen-yards sailed over after only 124 seconds.

And John Fowler’s side almost opened the scoring when a penetrating run out of his left-back position by Keimon Robinson then produced a raking 60-yard pass for central midfielder Karl Douglin to crack a right-footed shot towards goal, which was pushed away by Guernsey’s keeper James Hamon and De Almieda’s follow up shot deflected for a corner.

But Guernsey – who brought with them good vocal support – grabbed the lead with a clinical counter attack – totally against the run off play after eleven minutes.

A long ball from inside their half from central midfielder Scott Bradford released Matt Loaring in behind Croydon right-back Tom Pratt and his shot was blocked by advancing Croydon keeper Francis Ameyaw, but the ball fell at Allen’s feet and the striker swept home into an empty net with his right-foot from ten yards.

Guernsey doubled their lead with their next attack just 139 seconds later.

Once again it came from another long ball from Bradford, which wasn’t cut out by Pratt or Jordan Binns and striker Dominic Heaume sprung the offside trap before sweeping the ball across the face of goal for Allen to steer his right-footed shot into the empty net from six-yards.

Croydon keeper Ameyaw dived low to his right to thwart Bradford’s right-footed drive from 25-yards, before seeing Guernsey left-back Joe Alvarez crack a left-footed angled drive narrowly over from 25-yards after Loaring cut a corner back to him.

Croydon called Guernsey keeper Hamon into action, making a save low to his left when Douglin tried his luck with a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Then Croydon’s Taylor Smith swung out a corner towards the far post where central defender Jason Thompson sent his towering header sailing over.

Guernsey increased their lead with Allen’s hat-trick with 28:11 on the clock with a quality strike.

Loaring floated over a cross from the right towards the middle and Allen took a touch before hooking his left-footed shot into the left-hand corner from 12-yards.

Croydon, who suffered an 8-0 humilation in Guernsey on the opening day of the season, were destined to suffer again tonight.

Ameyaw produced a flying save high to his left to thwart Bradford from scoring with a left-footed half-volley from 25-yards, the Croydon keeper tipping the ball around his post with his outstretched left hand.

More good work from Loaring carved a chance for Hutton at the near post, but his volley on the turn from six-yards bounced wide with the Croydon keeper rooted to the spot.

Croydon were punished for unprofessionalism as Allen helped himself to his fourth goal only 27 seconds into the second half.

Referee Peter Conn started the half with only ten Croydon players on the pitch because skipper Grant was late to re-emerge from the home dressing room.

The midfielder was waved on before the ball was played forward to Allen, who shrugged off Binns on the edge of the box and the hit-man stroked home a low left-footed shot in off the goalkeeper to find the bottom left-hand corner.

Croydon were now facing an uphill struggle, in fact the Trams were faced with a catastrophic derailment – but give Fowler’s side credit for a spirited second half comeback.

They pulled a goal back in the 52^nd minute when right-back Pratt clipped over a cross through a crowded penalty area and the ball fell to De Almieda at the far post who clinically caressed his right-footed volley into the top left-hand corner from six-yards.

Confidence began to grow from the men in sky blue and De Almieda’s right-footed drive from 20-yards brought a comfortable save from the Guernsey keeper.

Allen’s final contribution came when he won himself a penalty after he was tripped by Binns on the left-hand side of the penalty area.

He scored his fifth goal of the night in the 64^th minute, sending the keeper the wrong way with a right-footed penalty which he rifled into the roof of the left, just left of centre.

Guernsey were denied a sixth goal halfway through the half when Loaring was given time and space to crack a right-footed driver from 30-yards, which forced Ameyaw into diving to his right to produce an excellent one handed save and Allen steered the rebound against the outside of the near post from eight-yards.

But when Guernsey’s headline maker was substituted this clearly inspired Croydon to make a game off it.

Croydon pulled a second goal back in the 71^st minute when Jose Lino Goncalves was left in acres of space to loop a right-footed curling shot high to the keeper’s left, which clipped the far post and De Almieda brought the ball under control before placing his shot across Hamon to find the bottom far corner.

Another precise pass from Guernsey’s Bradford released Loaring racing down the left and he played the ball across the face of the penalty area to the unmarked Hutton, who sliced his right-footed shot wide from 15-yards.

The Croydon faithful were on the edge off their seats when their side scored their third goal in the 78^th minute.

Lino Goncalves whipped in an excellent cross from the left, which sailed into De Almieda’s range, who hooked his right-footed volley past the stranded Hamon to find the bottom right-hand corner.

Croydon’s fourth goal came just 81 seconds later when Thompson’s drilled free-kick flashed across numerous bodies to find De Almiedo lurking at the far post and he stuck out his left-leg to poke the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

But Croydon’s comeback appeared to be killed off when Guernsey made the score 6-4 just 53 seconds later.

Loaring was provider once more, this time for Hutton, whose right-footed shot from sixteen-yards sailed into the right-hand corner past Ameyaw’s outstretched left arm.

And Guernsey made it 7-4 in the 86^th minute when Alex Le Provost delivered a free-kick in from the right towards the far post and a header from skipper Heaume sailed across goal and was touched home by Hutton.

Guernsey created one final chance when Bradford wriggled his way along the by-line but was denied by Ameyaw who caught the ball at the near post.

Croydon substitute Josh Cover was denied by the keeper’s legs when he was played in behind the Guernsey back line, before a big clearance by Ameyaw found De Almiedo, who kept his composure when Hamon lost his by rushing out of his penalty area, but the striker’s right-footed chip from 20-yards dropped agonisingly into the side netting.

Croydon: Francis Ameyaw, Tom Pratt, Keimon Robinson, Karl Douglin, Jordan Binns, Jason Thompson (Oliver Hunt 84), Ryan Fowler (Josh Cover 49), Jensen Grant, Claudio De Almieda, Jose Lino Goncalves, Taylor Smith (Mason Cornish 60).
Sub: Cavell Poleon

Goals: Claudio De Almieda 52, 71, 78, 80

Guernsey: James Hamon, Simon Geall, Joe Alvarez (Naro Zimmerman 65), Alex Le Provost, Jamie Dodd, Kieran Mahon, Nigel Hutton, Scott Bradford, Dominic Heaume, Ross Allen (Carl Wallbridge 69), Matt Loaring.

Goals:  Ross Allen 11, 13, 29, 46, 64 (pen), Nigel Hutton 81, 86

Attendance: 84
Referee: Mr Peter Conn (Farnborough, Hampshire)
Assistants: Mr Rob Pizzy (New Addington, Surrey) & Mr Doug Merrick (Purley, Surrey)