fixtures and results  |  home page

WHYTELEAFE 0 - 1 CRAWLEY DOWN
Saturday 10 December 2011
Ryman League Division 1 South

Whyteleafe went down by a narrow margin to a much improved Crawley Down side who have brought in several experienced players following a disastrous start to the season in which they suffered eight straight defeats. The side at Whyteleafe today were one of the stronger outfits to have visited Church Road this season and were good value for the victory.

Whyteleafe had the first shot of the day from Jerson Dos Santos which went just wide, but had to thank captain for the day Dan Aldous for keeping them on level terms when he did well to block an fifth minute shot from Hulusi Mustafa. In the 11th minute Mustafa hit a terrific shot from 30 yards that went just wide.

Danny Dudley was next to save Leafe, clearing a 22nd minute shot from Fraser Logan off the line.

The visitors won a series of corners and one in the 30th minute resulted in a goalmouth scramble that eventually fell to the feet of Tom Burton whose shot was saved by Paul Smith.

Whyteleafe went close to taking the lead in the 33rd minute. A free kick from Elliott Mitchell found Dudley on the far side of the area. His header across the face of goal found Kwabena Agyei and his shot on the turn was just inches wide of the target.

Crawley Down were putting together some good moves and following a series of passes in the 36th minute. Luke Blewden's shot went across the face of goal and beyond the far post. Mustafa was close from another 30 yard effort in the 39th minute and on the stroke of half time, Logan was just off target with a 25yard free kick.

The only goal of the game came in the 50th minute. The visitors won a corner and found Burton unmarked in the box and he headed into the net. Blewden had a chance to increase the lead in the 63rd minute when a through pass sent him clear but Smith was alert to the danger and came out quickly to clear. Two minutes later Smith made a good save to deny Logan.

Leafe battled on and in the closing stages looked as though they might find an equaliser. The nearest they came was in the 73rd minute when a free kick from Bajrush Halili on the right found Aldous in the box but his shot bounced back off the post and was cleared to safety.

Hassan Nyang escaped with a yellow card when he hauled down dos Santos on the edge of the area in the 83rd minute but Dos Santos hit the free kick wide. Jamie Cade should have made the game safe for the visitors when he was found unmarked in the box in the 86th minute but shot wide of the open goal. His mistake didn't prove expensive however, as the visitors held on to claim the points.

Whyteleafe: Smith, Brown, Henry-Brown, Aldous, Dudley, Mitchell, Dos Santos, Douglin, Smith, Batchelor (Halili 58), Agyei. subs not used , Borrett, Garrick, Wedderburn.