There’s a reason why Lewes fans aren’t anxiously refreshing their phones the day the Isthmian League fixtures come out, gagging to know when we get to visit Aveley. Actually, there are several reasons, but chief among them is the sodding Dartford Crossing.
On a wet Saturday afternoon, you can add an hour to your journey time, with everyone pouring into Bluewater and Lakeside to boost the inflation figures. And yesterday afternoon was wetter than an otter’s pocket. Guaranteed gridlock.
Consequently, few of our supporters were full of the joys of summer when they finally arrived at Aveley, past the bedraggled Union Jack flags hanging off the lamp posts. Despite our recent good form, “I’ll take a point” was the agreed position of the pre-match pint drinkers, still waiting for that mythical day when the opposition’s delegation arrive to negotiate the outcome of a match that has yet to kick-off. One day, fellas. One day. We’ll be ready for them when they want to talk.
It turns out that would have been a hasty compromise, as we very much carried our improving August form all the way to Aveley. The big pre-match news was the return of the Smiling Assassin, Ryan Gondoh, who just a week ago was poking one past Louis for Whyteleafe. Apparently a few of our number got in his ear in the bar after last week’s game and, lo and behold, he’s a Rook once more. That’s how transfer negotiations are carried out at Non-League level; an arm around the shoulder and a pint of Harvey’s sealed the deal.
Gondoh’s arrival on the right wing prompted a reshuffle, with Noel Fisher being tucked inside and Alfie Allen redeployed as a right-back. A few terrace sages, myself amongst them, worried that Pitts had picked his 11 best players rather than the best team, but what the hell do we know? We were still high on the exhaust fumes.
The first 20 minutes were fairly even, with the Rooks showing this wasn’t going to be our annual nil pois in Essex. But the game definitely turned when Aveley’s captain, Ryan Henshaw, received a straight red for scraping his studs down Danny Bassett’s leg. The initial reaction among the mob I stand with was that red was a bit harsh, but then again we’re old enough to remember Bremner and Hunter cutting players in half for a booking. Even “Young Rob” is 58 next Thursday.
The Rooks took a while to readjust to the new ten-man formation Aveley switched to, hoiking a nightclub bouncer off the bench to shore up the back line. And it took almost an hour before we were in front. Alfie Allen had come inside from his right-back berth to slip a lovely ball through for Danny Bassett, who breezed past the aforementioned doorman and slotted low past the keeper to give us a deserved lead.
After that, it became The Battle of the Long Throw, the Big Benders causing them issues, and exocets from the bouncer causing us problems at the back. So it was something of a relief when Gondoh settled it with just a minute on the clock, with a near identical goal to Danny’s opener, sub Brian Garzon supplying the through ball this time.
Gondoh of course came to get his post-match hugs from the fans behind the goal, telling everyone who cared to listen he was “home”. You might be, mate, but we’ve still got to get over the sodding Dartford Crossing again.
Lewes: Rogers, Allen (Mundele), Spinks, Bender (Hamstead), Enkh, Briggs (Muirhead), Fisher, Owen, Gondoh, Unwin (Newson), Bassett (Garzon)
Supporters Club player of the match: Given he was playing out of position, Alfie Allen did exceptionally well at right-back and yet still managed to claim an assist from midfield.