Down are boxing clever

AT THE start of the season newly-promoted Crawley Down could not buy a win for love nor money, but on Boxing Day the Anvils celebrated their fifth consecutive Ryman League win by thumping Burgess Hill Town 5-0.

The run has seen the Anvils, who won the Sussex County League last season, move from three points adrift rock bottom of Division One South to 17th.

And manager Darren Guirey was even forced to blast his in-form team on Boxing Day for complacency in their first half display at Burgess Hill.

"We weren't great in the first half, there was a bit of complacency," the manager explained. "We went in a goal up at half-time. It was a cracking goal actually; Luke Blewden getting on the end of a string of four or five passes.

"But I knew we could play better than that so I gave them a rollicking at half-time."

And the hair-dryer treatment worked well for Crawley Down with Jamie Cade bagging a second half brace and Fraser Logan and Anvils stalwart Tom Burton grabbing a goal each.

"I was very pleased with the second half," Guirey said. "We showed the quality I know we have and we absolutely smashed them. I don't think our keeper had a save to make.

"From the start of the season until now has been a vast improvement, but I always knew we had it in us."

The next match will be a huge test for the Anvils' winning streak as they travel to title-chasers Dulwich Hamlet on New Year's Eve.

"It will be a difficult match on Saturday, we all know that. Dulwich Hamlet are a very good side," Guirey pondered. "We will go there looking to get something out of the game though because we are in great form.

"If we were to win that would be great but if we got a draw out of the game then that would be good as well.

"Dulwich didn't have a game on Boxing Day so you never know if we're lucky they might be a little bit sluggish."