This was an entertaining 0-0 draw as both sides tried to win by playing football. Bearsted would probably say they had the better chances & should have won while Crowborough would say they deserved something out of the game.The game took a while to get going & the first half chance of the game came in the 16^th minute when Danny Powell’s snapshot from the edge of the area was saved by Scott Andrews. In the 22^nd minute Bearsted had their first half chance when James Belsey-Saldanha put Reece Collins in & his low cross evaded everyone.

Two minutes later a ball forward for Collins to chase down saw him try to chip Ryan Burbridge from an acute angle but it hit the side netting.  Crowborough came back in this topsy turvey match in the 29^th minute when the ball into the area was half cleared to Jack Funnell who from 20 yards saw his shot come back off the crossbar.  In the 33^rd minute David Baranowski running forward tried his luck from 25 yards but his shot went wide.

Three minutes later some great defending by the Bearsted defence which saw three to four shots blocked & then the ball came to Adrian Stone who from 18 yards saw his shot go past the post. A minute later Sam Flisher on the edge of the area received the ball & took aim only for Burbridge to parry it away. Half time arrived & both side’s managers would have work to do for either side to win this game.

The second half saw Bearsted have more possession & more chances. In the 52^nd minute Lucian Scarlat running towards goal let loose from 25 yards only to see Burbridge parry it away.

Crowborough were relying on breakaways, in the 71^st minute the ball again was blocked by the Bearsted defence on a few occasions, it then came out to Luke Leppard who took aim from 18 yards but it went over the bar. In the 83^rd minute another breakaway saw James Hurst running towards goal & from 15 yards his shot was saved by the onrushing Andrews.

In the last minutes of the game Baranowski had three chances to win the game when firstly in the 85^th minute a long diagonal ball from Rob Lyall found Baranowski who cut inside and from 25 yards shot over the bar, then in the 3^rd minute off added on time on the left he cut in and the same result but in the 5^th minute off added on time his 20 yards shot was parried away by Burbridge.

The full time whistle went and both sides had to make do with a point which pushed Bearsted up a place while Crowborough dropped a place.

 

Bearsted:

1. Andrews 2. S.Flisher (74)  3. G.Sheminant ( Debut )  4. A.Foster  5. R.Lyall  6. J.Rogers
2. J.Belsey-Saldanha 8. M.Hathaway (69) 9. R.Collins   10. D.Baranowski   11. L.Scarlat

Subs Used:  12. R.Croucher (74)  15. M.Weller (74)

Subs Not Used:  14. M.Garner   16. C.Croucher

Bookings:  M.Weeler (78)  R.Lyall (78)

Crowborough Athletic:

1. Burbridge 2. H.Killick  3. J.Funnell   4. T.Boddy   5. J.King  6. M.Carbune  7. A.Janneh  (56)
2. L.Leppard 9. A.Stone  10. O.Wellbourne (66)  11. D.Powell (74)

Subs Used: 12. A.Gonnella (56)  14. C.Lawal (66)  17. J.Hurst (74)

Subs Not Used: 15. T.Masikini   16. G.Achempong

Bookings:  L.Leppard (60)  J.Funnell (81)

Referee:  Mr W.James

Assistants:  Mr B.Baruch & Mr F.Empson