“With my age now, my experience, I do try and hammer that into the younger boys. You won’t play in a better competition.” – Charlie Walker
Little tip for you, Charlie. When you’re giving them this speech, make sure they’ve taken their headphones off first.
Let’s be frank, for the first 90 or so minutes of this one, we were ragged. After two massive hits last weekend, Pitts put out an experimental jazz album of a side: no captain Briggs, no Noel Fisher, no Jack Enkh.
We went one down to a free header from a free-kick, two down to a long boot upfield from the keeper that the striker dinked over a stranded Louis Rogers, and we barely laid a glove on them. So much so that this rook sagely decided that the safest place to perch for five minutes in the second half was the Cray goal.
I might be wrong (my other half tells me it happens occasionally frequently every six minutes or so), but I don’t think we had a shot on target before announcer Tim declared there would be eight minutes added on. I drifted up to the top of the bank to collect the commentary gear, to find Irish Stu shaking his head so vigorously I was Googling “good neck doctor”.
Hang about. Charlie Walker had been drafted off the bench, making his first appearance since a bout of knee knack at St Albans. Andrew Briggs, also yanked off the bench, launched a hopeful ball clear, the defender lost it in the breeze and Charlie lobs the keeper to give us a glimmer.
Two minutes later, Ben Mundele hooks a cross in from the right, Charlie gets his bonce to it and it looks like it’s been cleared off the line, only for linesman Dmitri Khaslnikov to put his flag up, awarding the goal.
Although it doesn’t look in from this angle, Charlie said it was a yard or two over in his post-match, and given the Cray boys barely waved an arm in protest when it was given, I’m thinking the Russian lino probably got it right. No wonder Charlie get his own stickers these days:
And if that’s left you feeling peckish, why not book a place at our upcoming Curry Night? A fabulous set menu for only £26 per head. Click the image below to book a place on Wednesday 7th October.
So we live to fight another replay, which will be at Flamingo Park (yes, really) on Tuesday, the first of at least three visits we’re going to make this season, given both Cray and Whyteleafe are playing there this season. The magic of the Cup, eh?
Lewes: Rogers, Mundele, Spinks, Bender (Hamstead), Cox, Muirhead (Briggs), Allen (Walker), Owen, Gondoh, Unwin (Fisher), Bassett (Newson)
Supporters Club player of the match: Ben Mundele was going to get it for a very solid performance at right-back, but Charlie Walker has snatched the Amazon voucher (provided by Brian the Badge) out of his hands.
Video highlights from Your Instant Replay:
Boyesy’s brilliant photos:
