Lewes
v Eastleigh
SATURDAY
5th APRIL 2008
BLUE
SQUARE SOUTH
Champions elect Lewes,
took another step towards the Blue Square South title with this odd goal in
five victory over Play Off chasing Eastleigh. With skipper Andy Harris
having passed a late fitness test he took the role of centre back to cover
the suspended Ashley Vickers, whilst Adam Everitt earned a recall at left
back.
It was a cagey opening
quarter to the game with both sides knowing the importance of the three
points at stake for the afternoon’s fixture. There had been very few
openings by the time Eastleigh notched the opening goal of the afternoon on
fourteen minutes. Karl Murray intelligently laid the ball into the path of Anthony
Riviere to eave a challenge before burying a low strike down past Lewes
goalkeeper Michael Jordan from the edge of the box.
The Spitfires lead
lasted only four minutes. A free kick from the Lewes left flank from Simon
Wormull arrived at the far post for captain Stephen Robinson to place
a firm header into the roof of the net for his second goal in two weeks (his
only two of the season).
Murray had two half
chances inside a minute to restore Eastleigh’s lead but Jordan saved the
first attempt whilst the second flashed across the face of the Lewes goal.
As the game started to open up, play switched to the opposite end where
Lewes were attacking down their slope with the wind behind their backs. Luke
Byles saw an attempted clearance hit Dale Binns in the back and fall
invitingly for Matt Groves. Groves early shot was well saved by Jason
Matthews.
With twenty-nine
minutes played Lewes took the lead. Binns’ wind assisted cross cum shot
swerved onto the top of the Eastleigh bar and as the ball came back into
play Paul Booth fired home the loose ball. The final attempt of the
opening half fell for Chris Piper who exchanged roles at full back to a
midfield berth with Riviere, but his long-range effort was off target.
HALF
TIME – Lewes
2-1
Eastleigh
Three minutes into the
second period Peter Adeniyi returning to one of his former clubs saw a shot
saved by Jordan. Kevin James has another attempt on goal that produced a
double stop from the Lewes keeper. It was Eastleigh that were enjoying the
majority of the possession for the second period. They deservedly netted an
equaliser on sixty-seven minutes. James skipped past his defender on the
right flank and sent a low cross into the area where Andy Forbes
diverted the ball into the net.
At that time you would
have given Eastleigh the advantage and the favourites tag to go on and win
the game. Groves was clear on a Lewes breakaway but his lofted shot over
Matthews carried no power. On seventy-two minutes the game started to turn
against the Spitfires. Adam Everitt's caution worthy challenge on Andrew
Drury saw a melee of players on both sides. After all had calmed down,
referee John Magill from Colchester, after consultation with his assistants,
dismissed Adeniyi for alleged violent conduct.
Paul
Sales saw a snap shot saved on seventy-nine minutes by Jordan and two
minutes later Lewes grabbed what proved to be the deciding goal. Poor
defensive play from Eastleigh never cleared a Lewes corner and Ian
Simpenda had the easiest of chances to fire home a shot from inside the
six-yard box. The final chance of the afternoon fell to Drury who curled a
shot wide of the target but Eastleigh were left to reflect a week in which
they had played three of the top sides in the division and only had two
points from the games to show for their efforts.
FULL
TIME – Lewes
3-2
Eastleigh
RAY
MURPHY
