In our Feature Game of the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Round 1, we visited The Crouch where Seaford Town took on Crowborough Athletic. 

It was a wet and windy night in Seaford, but the feeling of Cup football was around the place with both teams getting off to competitive starts. 

With many challenges going in early doors and plenty of battles, it took until the ninth minute for the first real half-chance of the game when Sam Murray of Crowborough tried his luck from distance but the angle was against him and it didn’t trouble Seaford’s Josh Measor. 

The home side were starting to find gaps high up the pitch and when Jack Langford beat the offside trap, he took his chance too early and sliced a half-volley wide of the mark.

It started to become a feisty affair which clearly rattled Crowborough who looked to state their mark on the game. Following a corner they came close with May Carbune volleying over from the edge of the box. 

Only minutes later they caught Seaford on the counter; Ehis Izokun took on the Seaford defence and teed off Rory Salter who drove a hard strike across goal that just drifted wide.

The Crows pressure soon paid off, however, when midfielder, John Sinclair, opened the scoring with a driven shot from distance striking the post and ‘keeper Josh Measor along the way. 

Seaford almost found an immediate reply with Matt Ford heading over from a corner but The Crows continued to pile the pressure on. 

Crowborough were certain they had a penalty when referee Paul Saunders pointed to the spot, but after consulting with his assistant, a free kick was awarded the other way.

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The visitors wasted no time in pushing for the killer goal in the second-half and found it less than ten minutes in when Alex Kendall ran the ball to the byline and put it on a plate for Ehis Izokun who curled it in via a deflection to double The Crows’ lead.

The second goal certainly put some life into Seaford who started to gain control of the ball a lot more but they just couldn’t gain a meaningful chance.

An entrance of Jack Funnell for Crowborough started to trouble Seaford once more and the forward came close to a spectacular goal with a half-volley from distance that forced a superb, last-ditch, save from Measor to keep the cup tie alive for Seaford. 

Town did everything they could to get the ball forward but all to no avail and were caught on the counter with Funnell played clean through on goal, dinking a beautiful effort over Measor to grab a third for The Crows and send them into the next round.
Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Round 1 Results

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