Rooks turn on the style, as Robins wings are clipped

The sound system at The Dripping Pan was blaring out ‘Rhythm of the Rain’ by The Cascades as the turnstiles opened for tonight’s match between Lewes and Carshalton Athletic, and if it had been planned to inspire the weather gods then it had worked, as Sussex had today received its first rain for weeks. Puddles still littered the newly laid walkway at the bottom of the Pan’s famous grass bank, and the pitch was so green you almost needed sunglasses to gaze upon it, but the sky was blue, dotted by a few little white clouds, and the setting was quite perfect.

Last weekend we announced the Dripping Pan as the favourite ground amongst our supporters for the sixth year in a row, a result which, we explained, was as much a certainty as death and taxes. Over the summer the Rooks have spent money making it better still- the reason the pitch is so green had nothing to do with today’s precipitation and everything to do with the fact that it is brand new, and beautiful. The bar, always lovely, has also had a refurb, and as a new talking point the ground had acquired a statue, which depicts two female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who “escaped poverty in England and Ireland by dressing as boys to join pirate ships.” The sculptor, Amanda Cotton, aspires to make her subjects “as famous as their male counterparts.” It is rather fitting that her work is being hosted by the first football club anywhere to insist on equal pay for its male and female teams; and it will be a blow to any club hoping to take the Rooks ‘favourite ground’ title.

Tonight’s sides were out on the pitch warming up forty five minutes prior to kick off. The Rooks, who started their campaign with a draw at Wingate & Finchley on Saturday, have kept the majority of the side who came close to making the top five last season, and added Ronan Silva on loan from Crawley, former Kingstonian and Worthing centre back Alfie Young, Marcel Elva-Fountaine on loan from Aldershot Town, Deon Moore from Dulwich Hamlet, Henry Muggeridge from Whitehawk, Jack Skinner and Tom Champion from Woking. The Robins, under new management with former Tonbridge Angels promotion-winner Steve McKimm now in charge, have done more major refurbishment work to their first team squad with the likes of Vance Bola coming in from Margate, Walter Figuera from Kingstonian, former Rook Iffy Allen, Calvin Ekpiteta from Potters bar Town, Sam Mvemba formerly of Welling United, Bobby Mills, another former Rook in Gus Sow, Liam Beech, Crossley Lema, Darryl Harrison- so many new arrivals we’ve just about lost count, but quality from end to end. You’d have to think, with such line up’s, that both would expect a top five spot at season’s end. Athletic had already picked up a win, defeating Brightlingsea Regent.

The Robins, it would appear, won the toss, because they made the Rooks attack their own fans, on the large covered terrace, in the first half. They also dominated the opening ten minutes, forcing a save from Lewis Carey early on and Gus Sow later firing just over. That prompted the first home attack, which brought a scrambled clearance from in front of Liam Beach’s goal, but the home fans were restless, as the ball was spending far too long at- from their perspective -the wrong end.

The Rooks gradually eased themselves into contention, and fashioned their best chance so far on the quarter hour, a cross from Elva-Fountain just too long for Will Salmon at the back post. Immediately at the other end the Robins got an indirect free kick from five yards out which cannoned off a defender, the entire Lewes team on the goalline, and then a goal- and it came to the hosts. A fabulous run from Razz Coleman De-Graft ended with a pinpoint cross, and Deon Moore couldn’t miss.

We’d had twenty minutes fabulous entertainment, which were followed by an error ridden five minutes from both sides. Lewes gave the Robins an unnecessary corner, then at the other end Carshalton returned the favour, Will Salmon heading just over after meeting it at the back post.

Next, super work down the left from Jack Skinner twice opened up the visiting defence, but a deflection and an offside flag got in the way of a perfect end to his efforts. At the other end, an effort from Hamblin skidded past the post as the Robins tried to turn the tide, but we moved into the last ten minutes of the half with the hosts in control. Another header just over, and two dangerous free kicks, but no further damage done from a Carshalton perspective. Silva and Skinner were dominating the midfield, and the Robins, for all their effort, were failing to get to grips with them.

The referee added on one minute, the ball remained in the visitors half, and Carshalton must have been delighted to be only one down- and far from out.

The second half started as the first had ended. Silva fired past the post for the hosts with not a minute on the clock. Two minutes later and Rhys Murrell-Williamson almost found the bottom corner, drawing a fine save from Beach. A fabulous run from Elva-Fountaine, a ball out to Murrell-Williamson, a return pass, another save from Beach. Moore through on goal, and Beach was there again. The Rooks were rampant- but still, it was only one-nil.

Carshalton tried to attack, but again the next chance came at the other end, Coleman De-Graft firing across the goal and wide. And then it was the Beach show once more, saving from Murrell-Williamson from point blank range, Skinner from the rebound. “How are we not at least three-nil up,” came a voice from the back of the stand. We were all thinking it.

The next chance came to Silva, on sixty three minutes. This one was deflected wide. The traffic was so one way you could almost imagine a policeman directing it- but still, it remained one-nil. Lewes were scintillating to watch, but would they get their reward? They did, finally. A hint of offside, but the ball through to Moore was put away, beautifully. Finally- finally- the Rooks had given themselves a cushion. The home faithful hoped they wouldn’t get too comfortable on it, as there were twenty four minutes left.

As you might expect, Athletic began to see more of the ball, but were able to fashion little with it. The Rooks were still having the lions share of the opportunities, even if they tended to be creating them on the break, moving the ball swiftly from back to front. Another mazy run from Skinner- who surely deserved a goal, such had been his performance- another Beach save to thwart him. A run from Silva mesmerised the visiting defence, and his cross was good, but Moore- who had been given his easiest chance of the night- failed to claim a hat trick.

Picking a man of the match would be difficult. The Rooks had Skinner, Silva and Elva-Fountaine, particularly, in magnificent form. For the Robins, without Beach they could easily have conceded five or more. The eight hundred and three who turned up to watch had been superbly entertained.

It’s too early to be predicting the outcome of the campaign. You’d expect Carshalton to be there or thereabouts- they have some excellent players who, tonight, just weren’t allowed to play. The Rooks? Perhaps the best thing to be said about them was that they resembled the Worthing side who romped to the title last season after dominating the Premier Division for three years (albeit two sadly unfinished). That’s not to say that the season will have a similar outcome- one good performance does not a champion make- but it would not be hyperbole to suggest that there is enough talent on display in this side to make them serious contenders.

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