Guirey insists he was so right to believe in players

Ryman League Division One South

Crawley Down 4

Merstham 1

DARREN Guirey has been confident all season that his Anvils would turn around their form, and now with five wins from their last six matches, the rest of the league are starting to believe him.

A goal down at half-time, a brace from Jamie Cade plus a goal each for Tom Burton and Luke Blewden saw the Anvils see off mid-table Merstham.

"I did say we would turn it around and we have," manager Guirey explained. "The players have gelled really well now and we have sorted our defence out. We are scoring and keeping the goals out at the other end.

"On Saturday, Merstham probably deserved the 1-0 lead at half-time but then in the second half we absolutely blitzed them. We scored four and had another two goals disallowed."

The Anvils fielded an unchanged side with Gaby Odunaike, Matt Hollyoak, Jack Lyons and Charlie Dodd warming no doubt a frozen bench.

The Moatsiders made strides, and the first chance fell to Fabio Saravia but was gathered easily by Anvil keeper Mark Zawadski.

By the quarter of an hour mark, the Anvils started to claw themselves back into the match, with Jack Page putting in a cross that found Luke Blewden. But Blewden's header was safely gathered by keeper Joe White.

With the first half coming to a close the Anvils were rocked on 40 when a foul gave the visitors yet another free-kick and from this Saravias ball seemed to penetrate a forest of bodies leaving keeper Zawadski unsighted and the Moatsiders one goal to the good.

Although behind at half-time, the Anvils had the feeling that with the wind and slope in their favour all was far from lost.

Down got the second half off to a flying start with crosses from Blewden and Jamie Cade troubling the visitor's defence.

On 57 minutes the home side got the breakthrough they were looking for when Cade was felled in the area. Cade slotted the penalty home for the equaliser.

The visitors, on their few isolated attacks, had a Harry Ottaway shot just off target, followed by Roscoe Dsane turning quickly but not quick enough to beat Zawadski.

The Anvils attack sensed a win and on 65 minutes, the double act of a Fraser Logan corner and a Tom Burton header bore fruit yet again to give a 2-1 lead to the Anvils.

The Anvils continued to attack and Blewden was next to add his name when bursting through he coolly lobbed White.

The final curtain was finally lowered on 80 minutes with a Blewden cross that found the hard grafting Cade who nodded home for the Anvil fourth.

Crawley Down travel to Burgess Hill Town on Boxing Day.

Crawley Down: Zawadski, Page (Hollyoak), Mitchell, Jones, Nyang, Burton, Logan (Odunaike), Mustafa, Cade, Blewden, Swetman (Dodd).