Men's football news
Written by: Jack
A second-half equaliser from Marcus Sablier saw Lewes come from behind to earn a hard-fought point against local rivals Whitehawk in front of a HUGE crowd at the Pan.
There were few chances of note for either side in a quiet first half, the first of the half-chances created falling to Joey Taylor, who saw his powerful strike from a tight angle saved by Nathan Harvey.
Lewes’ best chance of the half came from a set-piece, as a deep Sablier corner from the left picked out Arthur Penney at the far post, and he saw his header deflected behind by a combination of Mitch Walker in the Whitehawk goal and a covering defender.
The visitors were pressing high and making it difficult for Lewes to play their usual patient passing game at the back.
This high press led to a presentable chance just before the break, with Charlie Harris winning the ball on the edge of the penalty area and Rob O’Toole scuffing his effort straight at Harvey.
Whitehawk took the lead four minutes into the second half, as Charlie Walker saw his powerful strike from just outside the box take a wicked deflection and loop over Harvey but just under the bar to spark jubilant scenes among the away fans behind the goal.
Lewes equalised almost immediately, Mitch Walker getting down low to his left to turn an Ayo Olukoga strike round the post.
Harvey was called into action at the other end minutes later to keep Lewes in the game, making a superb stop to deny Charlie Walker at the end of an incisive counter-attack, before keeping out Hamish Morrison’s attempt on the rebound.
The introduction of Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala had immediately given Lewes more of a cutting edge going forward, but it was Chris Whelpdale who came close to an unorthodox equaliser, seeing his overhit cross from the left touched over the bar by Mitch Walker.
Walker was then forced into a double-save of his own minutes later, reacting superbly to turn a deflected Lumbombo-Kalala strike onto the post before denying Whelpdale from a tight angle on the rebound.
Lewes finally scored the equaliser their pressure had been threatening on 74 minutes, as a spell of possession ended with Lumbombo-Kalala firing a powerful cross-shot in from the right for Sablier to apply the finishing touch from close range.
Both sides pushed for the winner they could justifiably claim their spells of pressure at different stages of the game had deserved, with Harvey making another fine save to tip a long-range strike from Harris over the bar, before substitute Walter Figueira crossed for Sablier to volley wide at the other end.
Lewes came closest to finding an equaliser late on, hitting the post from close range deep into injury-time, but were forced to settle for a point that was arguably a fair result on the balance of play.
Next up for the Rooks is a trip to Cheshunt on Saturday, kick-off at 3pm.
Lewes: Harvey, Ming, Elliott, Penney, Oguntayo, Olukoga, Pritchard (Tamplin 55), Sablier, Gondoh (Lumbombo-Kalala 56), Ogunwamide (Figueira 68), Whelpdale.
Unused Subs: Vint, Briscoe.
Booked: Whelpdale.
Whitehawk: M. Walker, Morrison, Taylor, Brewer (Worrall 25), Tennent, Cocoracchio, Daly, Harris O’Toole, C. Walker (Nandhra 86), Kayani.
Unused Subs: Jennings, Malins, Lambert.
Booked: O’Toole.
Attendance: 1,975