Crowborough Athletic 3 Erith & Belvedere 0

Match 91/21/1955 - Tuesday, 1st February 2022 - SCEFL Challenge Cup 3R

Crowborough Athletic (1) 3 Duncan 33,85 Lambert 74
Erith & Belvedere (0) 0
Attendance: 121

Admission: £4
Programme: £1
Mileage: 44/4,965

Groundhoppers fondly refer to the Thud and Blunder of Step 5 football and this SCEFL Challenge Cup game lived up to its billing in a first half, high on endeavour, low on quality that brought about a niggly encounter. But, one player stood head and shoulders above the mediocrity, Crowborough’s Jacob Lambert, a young man who, if his club isn’t receiving seven-day approaches on a weekly basis, then I’m amazed.

On a blessing of a mild evening, and the recent dry spell, the Crowborough pitch seems to have recovered well from the Christmas encounter with Tunbridge Wells when it was very heavy going.

The opening minutes were a signal of what was to come with some heavy challenges, mostly mistimed and leading to endless free kicks, from one of which Crowborough fashioned the first chance with a header from Lucas Murrain that wasn’t too far wide.

For a side that sits fourth in the league, Erith & Belvedere offered very little up front, Richard Jimoh indicated that he could be a threat but he lacked support and was mostly well shackled by the Crows central defenders, Tom Boddy and Josh Fermor.

Eventually, a little bit of quality emerged and Lambert set up Elliott Duncan to fire into the bottom corner after 33 minutes.

The two combined well again a couple of minutes before the break but Duncan’s effort cleared the bar.

Duncan, who impressed in my last visit, forced the Dere’s goalkeeper, Tom Way, into a good low save within a couple of minutes of the restart, and after five minutes of the period, Erith had their one and only really chance of the game but Cameron Hall smothered well at the feet of Jimoh.

Unfortunately the tetchy nature of the game continued and the referee responded with a couple more yellows.

Crowborough continued to dominate with a drive shot from Ollie Hyland saved before, in the 74th minute, Murrain crossed from the right bye line for Lambert to tuck home at close range.

With five minutes remaining, the spectre of extra time (is this the only competition in which this still exists) was removed when Murrain doubled his assists for Duncan to record his brace.

I used to comment whilst watching Tonbridge Angels Academy games for free that I would pay money to watch Lambert and now I do, albeit the princely sum of £4, and it’s worth every penny.