Southern Counties East Football League
Croydon FC 2
Lingfield FC 3
IN theory this should have been a comfortable home win for the Trams, with Croydon having a perfect 3-0 record so far this season and the visitors Lingfield having had a nightmare start - losing all three of their matches.
However, the hypothesis was tested to destruction as Lingfield played out of their skins and won the match by a one-goal margin that could easily have been greater but for some heroics from Croydon keeper Francis Ameyaw.
The Trams started brightly enough and had three decent chances before Harry Simtim burst down the right in the eighth-minute and put in a cross shot that bounced out of Ameyaw's clutches and fell invitingly for Brendan Kiernan who tapped in from close range.
It was Ameyaw's first mistake of the season and he made up for it later with some fine blocks and saves.
Lingfield were rampant and Kiernan scored again in the 13th and 33rd minutes (the latter a penalty).
While the visitors were worthy winners, tearing Croydon apart down the flanks, especially in the first half before Simtim limped off, the home side stuck at it and came back into the game through an 18th-minute header from Steve Cox and a long shot from Karl Douglin in the 70th.
But the Trams' revival wasn't sufficient and even though the match was more evenly balanced in the seceond half, Lingfield had done enough to deserve their first victory of this campaign.
Croydon: Francis Ameyaw; Junior Mitchell; James Jordan (Jamie Atkins 44); Adam Allen; Justin Hemmings (Lauris Chin 53); Marvin Hong (Ben Mankelow 45+2); Tristan Toney; Steve Cox; Dan Jupe; Karl Douglin; Badar Mohammed.
Subs not used: Catalin Meresciu; Rhys Martin.
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