Preview:
Ewell hosted Crescent Rovers Reserves of JD1 in the first round of the Junior League Cup in what promised to be a tough test. However, the prospect of facing opposition from JD3 or JD4 in the second round meant that the home side needed to make the most of the draw.
 
The Match:

12

GOAL

Clancy –   Assist: Chipperton. After making a lightning start to the game and carving   their opponents apart on several occasions, Clancy opens the scoring with a   mazy run from the half way line. Having waltzed past 3 or 4 men, he keeps his   composure when slotting home.

18

GOAL

Bullock –   Assist: Clancy. Clancy turns provider on this occasion as he squares for   Bullock, who shifts the ball onto his left and guides it beyond the keeper   with a stroked finish.  

26

GOAL

Ewell’s   confidence and composure suddenly desert them and a glanced header offers the   visitors a lifeline, when they could and should have been dead and buried with   half an hour on the clock.

32

GOAL

The scores   are levelled through a lapse in concentration. A simple Rovers throw-in on   the half way line results in a tidy cross and back post finish, leaving the   hosts reeling.

40

GOAL

Hodge –   Assist: Webster. Hodge collects the ball on the edge of the area, tees   himself up and instinctively unleashes an arcing volley that catches the   keeper cold – a fine strike.

HALF TIME –AFC Ewell 3 – Crescent Rovers Reserves   2

50

CHANCE

Bullock is   unfortunate not to have doubled his tally for the afternoon as he places a curling   effort into the bottom corner, only for the ball to rebound off the post and   into the keeper’s grateful arms.  

58

GOAL

Crescent   Rovers benefit from a large slice of luck as Ransom, exiting his area to head   away an over hit pass, is left stranded by the ensuing bounce and the   invitation is consequently accepted.

64

GOAL

Another gift   for the away side as Ransom’s attempted clearance is unsuccessful and the   resulting air shot leaves the opposition’s striker with an open goal.  

72

CHANCE

Chipperton   passes up a glorious opportunity as he attempts to curl the ball into the far   corner from inside the 18 yard box, but his effort glides beyond the post.

77

GOAL

Ewell are   hit on the counter attack and Williams N. is forced into making a desperate   intervention following a drilled cross, leading him to inadvertently direct   the ball beyond Ransom.    

FULL TIME –AFC Ewell 3 - Crescent Rovers Reserves   5

 
The verdict:
Ewell were made to rue their inability to kill off the game after they started brightly and created a number of promising openings. A collection of sloppy errors and unfortunate bounces consigned them to a defeat against a team who they should have punished more ruthlessly. Whilst the disappointment will undoubtedly rankle, they return to league duties and will have a chance of revenges (of sorts) against next week’s opponents, Crescent Rovers ‘A’.