Report by Kevin Salter

Levy Green Whites looked to build on last weeks emphatic win with another home match against Crawley Green Ladies, but this wasn't to be the a repeat of the thrashing the Whites dealt out to Crawley earlier in the season when they won 12-2.

Crawley were a much more organised outfit than earlier in the season and on the back of a very impressive nil nil draw with St Martins last week, they were predictably difficult to break down.

After a great opening when Levy Whites took the lead on just 4 minutes with Pru smashing home a great combination effort between herself and Cally, the game became very scrappy. Levy struggled to adapt to a pitch that has gone almost overnight from a waterlogged surface, to a hard bouncy, bobbly pitch and that, coupled with a succession of injuries, including a serious looking ankle injury to a Crawley player, saw a disjointed and frustrating performance from the normally free flowing Whites.

A 1st half full of effort but lacking in quality was capped off with a second goal worthy of a far better game when Mia Hickey broke up play and laid the ball in to Natasha who created room on the run and fired home from a tight angle to double the lead on 42 minutes. The problems mounted up further when Ellen Salter succumbed to a back injury and had to be withdrawn from the game.

The second half saw Levy Whites kicking down the slope and dominate possession, although a lack of composure and some powder puff finishing ensured that Crawley were very much in the game in the opening exchanges.

On 53 minutes the result looked assured when the hard working Anna Novelli burst down the right hand side before unselfishly playing the ball across the 6 yard box for a close range tap in from Leigh Burrows.

Levy continued to give themselves problems at the back, failing to clear the ball when under pressure and Cally Salter had her hands full in the middle of the park having to withstand some very late challenges which ultimately resulted in a Crawley booking.

Whilst the result looked assured from early on in the game this was far from a vintage Levy Whites performance, however the scoreline could have been far greater if some of the chances created were converted and if an Anna Novelli shot which appeared to cross the line after deflecting off the cross bar had been awarded. Leigh also hit the bar & post and Cally hit the post with further efforts.

Other positives included the league debut of Claire Brown for the Whites and an all too rare clean sheet.

Thanks to both Sophie and Frankie for putting on the gloves and looking very assured in goal and Anna Novelli getting player of the match for an exceptionally hard working performance which deserved a goal.