Firstly best wishes to the young Lewes player Marcel Macintosh who sustained a serious leg injury. Never a pleasant thing to witness, the injury occurred right in front of me, everyone at Cray Valley (PM) wishes him a speedy recovery. Lewes have confirmed that he was taken to Lewisham hospital whereupon x rays were taken with further results awaited.

Well done to referee Kane Dempster who made a prompt and correct decision to abandon the match, putting the welfare of the player first with all parties acknowledging that the player couldn't be moved until the ambulance and the paramedics arrived. This took some time and abandoning the game in the circumstances was the only option.

The league will now decide if, as seems likely, the game will be replayed at a later date. The last time Cray Valley (PM) were involved in a similar situation was back in October 2019 at home to Whyteleafe in the Isthmian South East. Jack Sammoutis sustained a serious injury just after the hour mark with Valley leading and the match had to be abandoned with the game being replayed at a latter date.

PITCHING-IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
MATCH ABANDONED AFTER 77 MINS
SCORE AT THE TIME - CRAY VALLEY (PM) 0 LEWES 2 - 7 DEC 2024 - ATT 214
Goals: L - Bassett 45+1, Botti 55

Match Report by Steve Chapman
Lewis were denied a smash and grab victory at a wet and windy Artic stadium when winger Rooks Marcel McIntosh sustained a bad injury in the 77 minute which left referee Kane Dempster no option other than to abandon the match.

The Sussex outfit didn’t have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes until skipper Danny Bassett put them ahead in added time with the last kick of the first half. Centre forward Gianluca Botti doubled their lead after the break.

As expected, the atrocious conditions brought about by storm Darragh influenced the quality of the play and the wind frequently took the ball away from its intended direction. Valley still controlled the match from the kick off but they failed to take their chances with Freddie Parker, Tom Beere and Michael Ademiluyi all having excellent chances saved by keeper Toby Bull who kept the visitors in the game. Parker did manage to get the ball over the line but his effort was disallowed for a foul on the keeper. Despite having the majority of possession Steve McKimm side fell behind when ex Miller Matt Warren found the unmarked Bassett 10 yards out and he calmly slotted the ball past Max Ovenden.

Botti doubled the visitors lead in the 55 minute when he executed an excellent move but they were denied the chance to hold on for victory when the injury to McIntosh forced the game to finish early.

Tom Beere was shown a red card for the challenge although many who witnessed the incident felt he was unlucky as he intercepted the ball cleanly out wide on the touchline and got there just before the Lewes player although that is not to detract from the unfortunate injury sustained by McIntosh.

Millers: Ovenden, Williams (c), Tumkaya, Bowry, Asiedu, Ademiluyi, Black (Anau 75), Beere, Waldren (Vigor 60), Shomotun (Coker 60), Parker, Subs not used: Gayle, Coombes
Dismissal: Beere 77 (Rescinded on appeal 12/12/24)

Rocks: Bull, Puemo, Warren, Sablier, Bassett (c), Botti, Allsopp, Ekpiteta, Muirhead, McIntosh, Mundele, Subs not used: Morris, Ladapo, Ghannam, Hutchinson, Allen
Cautions: Bull, Puemo, Sablier

Referee: Kane Dempster
Assistants: Krystian Kaczala and Christopher Cannon