PITCHING-IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE SE DIV
LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN 0 CRAY VALLEY (PM) 5 - 23 DEC 2023 - ATT 230
Goals: CV - Waldren 17, Coombes 35 (pen), Lisbie 47, Barrington 58, Ekpiteta 67

The Millers started their Christmas campaign with a dominant performance against the Marigolds - scoring five goals, with five different scorers and a clean sheet at the other end to boot.
In only their 12th league game of the season, they remain unbeaten - winning all six on their travels so far – moving Valley into 4th place on 30 points, seven behind leaders Ramsgate with two games in hand.
Next up is the Boxing Day visit to the Artic Stadium of Phoenix Sports for a 1pm kick off.
Valley opened the scoring in the 17th minute - a long pass forward from Arthur Lee finding Denzel Gayle who headed the ball into the path of Danny Waldren. Waldren’s low strike from just outside the penalty area went in off the inside of the far post for his first goal for the Club in his fourth game outing.
Max Ovenden in the Valley goal made a vital save from a long range effort --diving low to his right - but it was Valley who looked more likely to add to their tally, doing so in the 35th minute.
Kyrell Lisbie got the first touch on Barney Williams through ball and, under close attention from defender Jordan Clark and keeper Jordan Hawkins, was brought down inside the area. After referee Daniel D’Urso showed Clark yellow, Adam Coombes duly dispatched the resultant penalty.
Unfortunately on the stroke of half time Coombes had to be helped from the field of play after being caught by a shocking late tackle by Marshall Ball, who deservedly received a straight red. Marcel Barrington, a more than able replacement, replaced the unlucky Coombes who looked in a great deal of pain.
Down to ten men, the task for the Marigolds was made even more difficult when Lisbie added a third two minutes after the re-start - firing home from inside the area after cutting inside and beating the defender for his 20th goal of the season.
Just before the hour mark, a Williams pass found Barrington who exchanged passes with Lisbie before calmly slotting past the keeper for the fourth.
Calvin Ekpiteta, on as a substitute added a fifth with a fine low, hard strike from the edge of the penalty area

Millers: Ovenden, Williams, Oshilaja, Lee (c), Chambers, Gayle, Black (Anau) 72), Walden, Vigor, Combes (Barrington 45),, Lisbie (Ekpiteta 58), Subs not used: Tumkaya, Ademiluyi.
Cautions: Chambers

Marigolds: Hawkins, Astle, Ball, Gaskin, Clark, Short (Middleton-Tozer 59), Layton (Packer 50), Chester (Yoro-Thomas 50), Jarvis, Bobomurodov, Starkey, Subs not used: Dolaghan, El-Hage
Cautions: Chester, Clark, Layton, Bobomurodov
Sent Off: Ball 45 minute

Referee: Daniel D'Urso
Assistants: Wootten, Price