Weather – there’s been quite a lot of it at The Pan this week.
Tuesday’s game was scrapped about ten minutes before kick-off when the arse fell out of the sky. Reminder: due to the unique way our water companies are funded, Sussex is still under a hosepipe ban.
The weather was also a factor yesterday, too, although this time it was the wind wreaking as much havoc as the rain. The blowy conditions caught out Supporters Club stalwart PJ, who recklessly left his Golden Goal bucket unmanned on the table near the entrance, only to see the wind whip said bucket off the table, sending Golden Goal tickets sprawling all over the Philcox.
Supporters Club volunteers and stewards leapt into action, grabbing handfuls of tickets before they blew away, in what looked like a low-budget reboot of The Crystal Maze.
It also meant that, for the first time in the Golden Goal’s storied 45-year history, punters could not only pick a Golden Goal ticket out of the bucket, but an empty packet of Wotsits and a discarded bus ticket.
The heavy weather and our notoriously direct opponents also seemed to have an effect on Pitts’ team selection. Some of the more tippity-tappity footballers were left on the bench, the more physical specimens promoted to the starting XI, most notably Charlie Walker playing wide on the left and Lucas Franzen-Jones operating through the middle. Christian-Law was back to add heft in the middle, while new lad Alex Kpakpe at left-back isn’t one to leave a Shredded Wheat lying in the packet, either. When he first came back, Pitts said the side needed more big, strong boys, and it was probably games like this he had in mind when sent the scouts out looking for lads who are among the first to know when it’s raining.
Dartford probably edged a goalless first-half on points. Neither side had much in the way of goalmouth opportunities, but the visitors were looking the more dangerous. Bobby Unwin’s low prod from distance and Charlie Walker trying to sneak one it at the near post were about as close as we came, while a couple of good saves from Louis Rogers kept our sheet cleaner than the rain-sodden Golden Goal tickets.
Half-time pessimism was high, what with Dartford having the strong wind behind their backs in the second half. But if anything, the Rooks played better kicking into the breeze, if not dominating the second half, certainly creating the better opportunities. Christian-Law had a howitzer sent just wide of the post and the enormously hard-working Walker had a couple of decent opportunities to put us ahead, before we arrived in the final few minutes with the scorers still untroubled.
It felt like either side could nick it as the game became very end-to-end. We’ve got Louis Rogers to thank for letting it be us, with two brilliant low saves to prevent Dartford heading back to the tunnel with all three points.
It felt like we’d passed up our chance to steal it in injury time, when Bobby Unwin was set free, but the combination of the heavy pitch and a great covering challenge blocked his effort on goal. But our persistence paid off in the end, with a whipped cross finding Walker at the back stick, nodding it back right across the goalmouth for Unwin to score from point-blank range. Glorious.
All of which added an extra dollop of conviviality to the Lewes FC Supporters Club Volunteers Christmas Party (try saying that after three sherries) in the Rook Inn after the game. Thanks to Pitts and the players for popping in, thanks to Liam and the bar staff for staying for an extra-long shift, and thanks to all the brilliant volunteers who’ve collectively put in thousands of hours (no exaggeration) of their time over the course of this year. You’re all as smashing as last-minute winners.
Lewes: Rogers, Bernal, Burchell, Hamstead, Kpapke, Allen (Hamouchene), Muirhead, Christian-Law, Unwin, Frazen-Jones (Bennett), Walker (Watson)
Unused subs: Morgan, West
Supporters Club man of the match: Charlie Walker put in a hell of a shift, both wide left and through the middle after Frazen-Jones went for first dibs on the Radox, but he was just edged out by Louis Rogers and his tremendous saves.
Video highlights from Your Instant Replay: