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Haywards are still
turning the tables
Pilgrims v Crawley Ath 14/1/12
IT WAS a proud day for AFC Haywards on Saturday when they booked a place in the final of the Mid Sussex Junior Charity Cup.
But they needed nerves of steel in a penalty shootout away to Division 5 Crawley side Furnace Green Galaxy after extra time had failed to separate the teams in a 1-1 draw.
Newly-formed Haywards have won all 11 league games in the bottom division and clearly are set on major promotion at the end of the season. They had reached the last four by hammering Division 3 Wisdom Sports II 10-1, edging out Division 2 East Court 4-3 and beating County League reserve side Forest 3-2.
But on Saturday the hosts started the better and went ahead on the half hour mark when Haywards keeper Paolo Ciambrello was given no chance by a curling effort into the top corner.
It was not until the second half that Haywards got into their stride and it was their leading scorer Simon Bristow who put them level when he swivelled in the box and struck a shot past the home keeper.
The last 20 minutes were tense, with the referee adding to his yellow card tally of 12, a figure both teams felt was excessive and unnecessary.
It was equally tight in extra time when Haywards went closest to scoring as sub Harry Fisher struck a post from James Holman’s cross.
Ciambrello was then the hero of the shootout to take the Division 11 side into a major final. They have the chance to reach another final a week on Saturday when they play their Tester Cup semi final.
In the league, Polegate Town suffered a 4-2 defeat away to Championship leaders AFC Grinstead.
They played well to deservedly lead 1-0 at the break after James McConnell’s strike but the performance tailed off in the second half.
McConnell grabbed hissecond to give them a lifeline at 2-3 but not even the efforts of MoM Lee Lock could save them in the end.
Poelgate 2nds had a much better day as they also faced the leaders. They won 4-1 at Division 5 pacesetters Horsted Keynes.
Top scorer Barrie Poole hit two, one a superb curler from 25 yards, after they turned around trailing. MoM was Paul Critchfield.
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Weather for Haywards Heath
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
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