Greenways 2 Crowborough Athletic 3

Match 82/21/1946 - Monday, 11th January 2022 - SCEFL Challenge Cup 2R

Greenways (0) 2 Reardon 59 Austin 90+2
Crowborough Athletic (1) 3 Tyrie 45 Lambert 65 Murrain 107
After extra time
Estimated attendance: 50

Admission: £3 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 28/4,391

The Government seem to be implying that Covid is going away, but once more it is the virus that brings another postponement and another change of direction. Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s game at Chatham Town fell victim to the protocols with cases in the Tonbridge camp, so it was off to Maidstone, and specifically, Cobdown, the strange present abode of Greenways, whose natural home is Gravesend. The attraction being the presence in the Crowborough squad of several past and present Tonbridge Academy lads, of which Ben Hermitage has been added.

Suitably wrapped up to face a cold evening, I probably ended up slightly overdressed as it was nowhere near as cold as I expected. However, my knowledge of the SCEFL Challenge Cup rule book was found to be wanting as the game found its way into extra time rather than going straight to penalties as I had wrongly assumed would be the case.

First clear chance of the evening fell the way of Crowborough’s Joe Tyrie, whose header from a corner cleared the bar.

The game drifted rather aimlessly through the first half-hour with neither side particularly threatening to break the deadlock.

A few minutes after, the referee showed the first of what was to be far too many yellow cards as a spot of handbags followed a robust challenge.

On 36 minutes, Greenways goalkeeper, Daniel Stevens, produced a decent save to turn away a shot from Elliott Duncan at his near post.

On the stroke of half-time it was the visiting Crows that opened the scoring when a corner found its way to beyond the far post from where Tyrie steered the ball home. Stevens made a desperate attempt to claw the ball back from the line but the linesman ruled it had crossed the line.

Greenways, who occupy a place in the lower reaches of the First Division, a level below that of their visitors, started the second period positively but, nine minutes into the half, it took a save from Stevens and the crossbar to deny Jack Funnell.

The referee was being kept busy with some heavy challenges that took the home side’s yellow card count to four by the 55th minute with Crowborough adding a couple to his paperwork.

But, on the hour, Greenways fashioned an equaliser that it would be hard to deny that wasn’t coming. A poor defensive clearance saw the ball recycled to Tom Reardon, who picked out the top corner with a really good strike.

Greenways parity was only to last six minutes when a piss-take of a goal from Jacob Lambert restored the Crows lead. Jinking his way across the edge of the box evading tackles before finding his path blocked; a pass wide returned as Lambert had moved into space, beat a couple more and a shot into the bottom corner. My £3 entrance money completely repaid!

In fairness to Greenways they didn’t give up the ghost and after having a goal disallowed and forcing Grant into a good save, they found an equaliser two minutes into time added. A corner was poorly cleared to the edge of the box from where Lucas Austin fired in a shot that took a wicked deflection, wrong footing Grant.

As referee and linesman hurried from the pitch at full-time, one was left to wonder what was happening but as it turned out they only had a pressing appointment with the Gents before embarking on the extra half-hour!

Crowborough dominated the extra half-hour and their greatest threat was a floodlight switch-off after 10 minutes. The Cobdown lights are on a timer that switches them off automatically at 10 o’clock and the stadium was plunged into darkness. After six or seven minutes, that seemed so much longer, lighting was restored.

Two minutes into the second period of extra-time, a Lambert corner was met at the near post by substitute Lucas Murrain to glance past the advancing Stevens.

The game was seen out with relative comfort by Crowborough although Lambert took another heavy challenge to earn the home side their fifth caution of the evening.

A long way from a wasted evening, even if it took a good deal longer than expected!

Greenways 2 Staplehurst Monarchs United 1

Match 17/21/1882 - Monday, 9th August 2021 - SCEFL 1

Greenways (1) 2 Abioye 44,63
Staplehurst Monarchs United (0) 1 Pallet 70
Attendance: 83

Admission: £3 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 26/823

Two teams without a point on the board following the opening two rounds of fixtures fought out a feisty encounter at Cobdown with the home side, Greenways emerging as the winners on the night.

With potentially three clubs to be relegated from SCEFL Division 1, I fear that my home town club, Staplehurst Monarchs’ stay in Step 6 might be a short one. But I am also inclined to think that Greenways might be similarly looking over their shoulders.

At half-time the game was evenly poised and Staplehurst were more than a shade unlucky to go into the break a goal down, but come the finish, wasteful finishing from Greenways denied them a clearer margin of victory.

A decent crowd of around a 100 had very little to enthuse about in the opening 20 minutes before Staplehurst brought the first real save of the game from Greenways goalkeeper Dan Stevens.

A free kick saw the Staplehurst central defender’s header go marginally wide after 28 minutes, quickly followed by Stevens saving at Peter West’s feet. After 34 minutes a free kick from the right clipped the far post with the Monarch’s cursing their misfortune.

After dominating the half, the visitors fell behind in controversial circumstances a minute from the break. Greenways swung in a corner from the right that was met with a downward header that goalkeeper Steve Lawrence parried low into the path of Rhys Abioye who touched home from close range with the Staplehurst defenders claiming offside.

Greenways were more of an attacking force in the second period but Abioye was wasteful when sent clear and shot wide two minutes into the half and James Austin shot over after 55 minutes.

Abioye scored his second of the evening after 63 minutes when he slotted in from close range but a tight angle.

Staplehurst got themselves back into the game after 70 minutes when a long through ball sent Kieran Pallet clear to score with a very good finish.

This did set up a tense finish that on a couple of occasions threatened to boil over with a couple of naughty challenges bringing recriminations from both sides.

As the Monarchs desperately sought an equaliser, going closest seven minutes from time, Greenways also had a couple of chances on the break. And thereby lies the tale, both sides need to be much sharper in front of goal or a long, hard winter is going to follow.