Lancing almost pilfered an unlikely point but despite a late Will Berry goal fell agonisingly short of salvation.

Will, on as a half time sub, poked in untidily from a corner 13 minutes from time to set up a frantic finish but, despite several chances, an equaliser was not forthcoming. 

The Lancers can take huge credit for their second half spirit and endeavour in which every player in Yellow and Blue gave unstinting effort for the cause. Lancing will, justifiably so, feel they were worthy of a point but ultimately paid the price for a slow start in which we were 2-0 down in the blink of an eye. 

We had, of course, already knocked Down out of the FA Cup but they made their second trip to HQ in the space of five weeks with league points and positions this time at stake. 

Despite the tight Saturday-Tuesday turnaround, there were only two changes in personnel from the midweek cup win at Infinity. Blu had kept the gloves warm in deepest, darkest Sussex last time out, but – fresh from his heroics in our previous Culver Road outing – Jordan returned in goal. Ellis was also restored to the XI in place Gabe Robinson.

But whatever the game plan studiously put together by Messrs Cox and Carlberg, conceding after merely a minute certainly was not in the script.  

Straight from kick off, Crawley Down launched the ball forwards, Tyrese couldn’t complete the clearance and George Falzon swept in his first senior goal.

The dust had barely settled when the Anvils forged out a two-goal lead in the seventh minute.
It came from the boot of Jacob Todman who, like Falzon, got off the mark in Crawley colours when he latched on to another ball into the box and finished well beyond the advancing Jordan.

Lancing were forced into a reshuffle with not one but two first half injuries as wingers Marcos and Ramon were replaced in quick, injury-enforced succession. Neil Munday and Rhioui were introduced with Zachariah out wide and Munday moving through the middle. 

The substitutions, as early as they were, did seem to bring a sense of urgency as Lancers began to climb their way out of the hole they had dug for themselves.
Munday’s free-kick was well saved by the hitherto untested Oban Sawle, and Kane then did well to find himself free in the area but he was crowded out and the chance was gone.

The Lancers had a further let-off when Leslie found himself one on one with Brown. Jordan lazily stuck out a boot and sent the forward tumbling to the turf and receiving a yellow card in the process. Leslie dusted himself down to take responsibility for the kick but the ball could only kiss the post on its way wide – an aberration met by a roar of relief and encouragement.

The Lancers injury jinx struck again with a third early withdrawal at the interval. Berry was introduced in place of Belal with Jack reverting to right-back.

Lancing set about their recovery mission with energy, desire and spirit. New signing Szymon danced his way through the defence to set up Munday for a chance, but his shot was too close to Sawle. 

Six minutes further on, Szymon again fashioned a chance for himself, in Lancing’s best effort of the game. Having collected the ball 30 yards out, he drove at the backpedalling defence, cut inside and fired on goal. Sawle did well to save but the effort was met with a renewed sense of belief with those in Yellow and Blue urging on a determined and youthful squad of players to turn the tide in our favour.

To say the visitors were under siege would perhaps be over-egging slightly, but this was definitely the Lancers brightest passage of play. Sawle suddenly found himself a goalkeeper in the firing line and produced another excellent stop to tip wide from a low Louis shot. 

Jed was next to try his luck when he chanced his arm from distance but saw a good strike go narrowly wide of the target.
The Anvils remained an intermittent threat and the Lancers needed Berry to be alert as he scrambled a Michael Spence snapshot to safety off the line after a quick counter-attacking foray.

Lancing’s persistence finally paid off when Will, having stayed up from a corner, bundled the ball over the line after first Szymon, and then Mthunzi, saw efforts blocked.
The Culver Road crowd came again and lifted the Lancers for one final push in pursuit of a precious point.
Ultimately, it was not to be, although Collier almost produced one final moment of magic when his last gasp free-kick looked to be heading in only for Sawle to save. 

There were a number of standout showings in the Yellow and Blue. Ellis, as ever, was Lancing’s diminutive pocket rocket at left-back. Zach impressed in his substitute showing, and Will brought experience and leadership in an excellent second half performance. Despite a slow and disappointing start, we grew into the game and this young Lancers side did themselves proud. 

We spoke to Lancing’s assistant manager, Steve Carlberg, after the game: “It’s a cliché, but it really was a game of two halves. They won the first comfortably and we just didn’t get going until the second half. The two early goals completely changed the outlook and everything we’d prepared and said beforehand. We showed spirit and self belief to get back into the game but just left it a little bit too late.”
On the side’s Saturday/Tuesday schedule: “I’m not going to moan at the fixture list but it only gives us Thursday to warm down, recover and train so it’s a tight schedule but we’re looking to only make a few changes to keep the rhythm.”

Lancing’s hectic schedule continues apace as we host Horsham YMCA on Tuesday in the RUR Cup.