Thursday 11 August 2011

Lewes Look Like Force

Dwayne Lee
On wednesday evening Lewes were preparing for their final home friendly before the game up at Lowestoft on saturday the 20th. Their pre season form so far had been average having already had three games resulting in 3-2, Lewes being on the right scorline of two of them. However, against Crawley Down, the rooks looked like a proper team playing beautiful flowing football that has not been witnessed in red and black at the pan for some time.

Lewes again scored three goals in a game that saw Tom Lyons return to the pan for Crawley Down, but this time Lewes kept their first clean sheet of pre-season as Crawley were comprehensivly beaten.

The Rooks needed a few minutes to get into the game with a few balls pumped up field by Malvin Kamara not finding anyone up front, however it did not take long before Lewes clicked and were one up within four minutes courtesy of a Wade Small strike after being played through on goal where he made no mistake of smashing the ball into the top corner, giving good first impressions of the trialist from league 2 side Aldershot.

Crawley Down never looked like getting back in to the game and Lewes had numerous chances that could have resulted in goals. Their attacking play was execptional and with three players up front Lewes players were not short of attacking options when going forward, something Rooks fans may be unused to.

Nic Ciardini nearly created the next chance after the strong and powerful Hakeem Adelakun won the ball in midfield and immediatly picking out Ciardini who played a neat one two with Lewis Hamilton allowing Ciardini into the box where he squared the ball only for Crawley to clear.

The game was full of beautifully worked moves like this in which it was clear to see that Lewes had been practscing away on, promising delightful football this season.

Lewes could of had another when it was Michael Malcolm who was this time slipped through only for a vital block from Crawley stopping him from getting his shot away properly.

The second goal did come for Lewes though and once again it was Wade Small who stepped up to the mark when the ball was played down the left hand side and cut back across by Lewis Hamilton where it eventually found its way to the feet of Small who yet agin blasted the ball into the top of the net making sure there was a two goal cushion between the sides at half time.

After the break Lewes didn't let up and immediatly added a third when Nic Ciardini was sent running down the left and got away from his marker who slid rashley in the boc, bringing Ciardini down, giving Lewes fans a chance to see who would be taking penalties this season. The answer was Ciardini himself, having scored a few goals already in pre season, he took the spot kick confidently down in the bottom left beating the keeper despite going the right way.

After going 3-0 up Lewes gradually made change after change, breaking the sides flow a bit. Substitute Jed Wallace, a centeral midfielder from Farnborough, was in position to create a couple of great chances, but on both occasions failed to make the pay, the first he intercepted a sloppy pass near the box but managed to smash the cross way over the goal. The second chance was even better when he was played down the left hand side where he used his pace to get in past the defence and cut into the box but tried smashing the ball towards goal rather than squaring it across which didn't work out for him as he sent the ball wide.

Lewes kept pressing and Jamie Cade had a glorious chance to stake his place in the team when a clever exchange in passes between him and Paul Booth lead to him clean through only for him to smash the ball way over the bar and out of the grounds.

Lewes kept up their attacking style of play, but Crawley Down did have one good chance in a game Lewes dominated when a ball was played in from the right giving a Crawley striker a free header but Mark Zawadski was well placed to catch the ball and keep it out.

So Lewes next make the trip to Withdean to play against Whitehawk where they could face a selction of old faces including Chris Winterton, Sami El-Abd, Any Pearson and Joe Keehan, however one problem they will have to sought out is offsides and sloppy set pieces in what will surely be a tough test before they head off to Lowestoft for the first game of the season.

Lewes: Mark Zawadski, Malvin Kamara (Max Hustwick), Steve Robinson, Dominic Sterling, Lewis Hamilton (Jordan Lang), Hakeem Adelakun (Jaime Cade), Dwayne Lee (Jed Wallace), Matt Somner, Nic Ciardini (G.Lambu), Michael Malcolm (Ian Draycott), Wade Small (Paul Booth)


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