Men's football news
Written by: Stuart
An Ollie Tanner brace helped Lewes to a 4-2 win over Haringey Borough in an entertaining game at the Pan, moving the Rooks up to third in the table, reports Tom Harper.
Tony Russell made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 at East Thurrock in their previous game, with Mitchell Nelson, Ayo Olukoga and Iffy Allen replacing Matt Weaire, Freddie Parker and Razzaq Coleman De-Graft in the starting line-up.
The visitors started brightly and saw Andronicos Georgiou go close twice early on, first seeing a cross-shot from the right drop just wide of the far post before stinging the palms of Lewis Carey with a powerful strike from the edge of the area.
The Rooks created their first chance of the game minutes later, as good play down the right ended with Taylor Maloney forcing a smart save from Jonathan Miles with a close-range header and Joe Taylor seeing his effort on the rebound cleared off the line.
Haringey made the most of this let-off by taking the lead on 16 minues through Ade Cole, who cut in from the right before sending a low strike from just outside the area past the wrong-footed Carey and into the bottom corner.
Lewes responded well and equalised just three minutes later, as an incisive passing move ended with Ollie Tanner playing in Tom Carlse to shoot across Miles and into the far corner.
The Rooks remained on the front foot and took the lead on 26 minutes, as Tanner beat Scott Mitchell to a ball down the left and cut inside before finishing past Miles from a tight angle.
There were few chances of note for the remainder of the first half, with Lewes seeing plenty of the ball without forcing Miles into any further action.
The Rooks could have doubled their lead just before the break, but saw Tanner have a strike deflected wide after a powerful run from just inside the Haringey half.
Lewes started the second half well and made it 3-1 just two minutes after the break through Joe Taylor, who scored with an inch-perfect chip on the follow-up from a difficult angle after Allen had seen his initial effort blocked at the end of an impressive counter-attack.
To their credit, Haringey responded well and pulled a goal back just three minutes later, as a low Anthony McDonald cross from the left took a wicked deflection off Mitchell Nelson and looped over Carey before nestling in the bottom corner.
The Rooks continued to look a threat going forward though, and went 4-2 up after 54 minutes, as the impressive Tanner applied the close-range finish to an outstanding passing move involving Taylor, Bradley Pritchard and Taylor Maloney.
After three goals in the first ten minutes of the second half, it was perhaps unsurprising that there were fewer opportunities for much of the remainder of the game, as Lewes kept the ball well and restricted the visitors to half-chances that were dealt with relatively comfortably.
Taylor came close to adding a fifth for the Rooks late on, sending a close-range effort over the bar, and they saw out the closing stages comfortably to return to winning ways.
Highlights from today’s game thanks to Your Instant Replay can be found here.
A copy of the Progcast can be read online here.
Lewes take a break from league action on Tuesday with a trip to Littlehampton Town in the Sussex Senior Cup second round, kick-off at 7.30pm.
Lewes: Carey, Yao, Carlse (Colombie 82), Nelson, Salmon, Olukoga, Pritchard, Maloney, Tanner, Allen (De-Graft 65), Taylor (Moore 86).
Unused Subs: Weaire, Parker.
Booked: Pritchard.
Haringey Borough: Miles, Djamas, Ismail, Richards, Mitchell, Owen, Cole, Aresti (Woods 90), Bessadi (McLeod 70), Georgiou, McDonald (Filip 66).
Unused Subs: Beth, Effah.Booked: Mitchell.
Attendance: 717