Bexhill pay price for individual errors

Kevin Barden was on target for Bexhill United in their 3-1 defeat away to Crawley Down Gatwick

The Pirates were beaten 3-1 away to second-placed Crawley Down Gatwick in their first Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One match this month.

Bexhill manager Munday said: “Two errors have cost us (the first two goals) and it’s set the tone. We’ve worked so hard to get goals and the type of goals we concede is really disappointing.”

Munday was forced into a last minute reshuffle after Jordan Woodley failed to turn up, which meant Jamie Morgan coming into the side for the first time this season.

“That (Morgan) was my main plus out of the game,” Munday continued. “He looked fit and sharp, and I was really impressed with his performance.”

Despite the pre-match upheaval and lack of recent activity, Bexhill made a fast start and spurned two clear chances in the opening minutes against a Crawley Down side which has won 11 of its 13 league games so far this season.

A mistake at the other end, however, allowed Crawley Down to take a fifth minute lead against the run of play through David Houlders.

Bexhill put that setback behind them and Munday felt they were the better side for the next 40 minutes, but just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. A decent effort from Morgan was well saved in one of their best moments.

The visitors continued to look fairly strong at the start of the second period and Andy Garman called the home goalkeeper into action. But a bad handling error from Bexhill goalkeeper Yankuba Camara presented Sam Cane with a gift to make it 2-0.

That moment really took the wind out of Bexhill’s sails. Crawley Down dominated thereafter and could well have won by a far wider margin.

That said, Bexhill pulled one back on 72 minutes. Kevin Barden’s shot from near the byeline on the left squirmed under the home goalkeeper, who had pulled off some good saves prior to that.

Bexhill were by now playing a 4-3-3 formation and their efforts to salvage a point from the game gave Crawley Down plenty of space to exploit. Myles Pitt put the result beyond doubt with the hosts’ third goal after a ball came across the box with no real pace on it.

Bexhill: Camara; A. Cooper, Cruikshank, Elliott-Noye, Ottley (Burgon); Garman, Munday, Aston, N. Tudor; Morgan (A. Tudor), Barden.

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