Football: More gloom for Salvation Army

AFC Crowley 4 Salvation Army 0

The misery goes on for Salvation Army as they crumbled to an SIL Division Two defeat against a team they had beaten comfortably only two months earlier.

Army fell behind after only seven minutes when Joe Allum's through ball set up Kieron Morley to fire in but the visitors thought they had equalised soon after, only for an offside flag to rule out Darren Pleasance's strike.

Pleasance had another chance to add to his five-goal tally for the season after 20 minutes when Kevin Folkard's poor clearance went straight to him on the edge of the penalty area but he shot straight at goalkeeper Daley Youngs.

Visiting keeper Dale Watling pulled off a fine save to deny Morley when he broke through after 35 minutes but he could do nothing to stop Folkard adding a second for Crowley just before the interval. A long bouncing ball was not cut out and left the No 10 in the clear to chip home.

Ten minutes into the second half Allum had a fine chance to add a third for the hosts when he found himself unmarked at the far post with the ball at his feet but Watling combined with a defender to bundle the ball away.

Daniel Frappell came close to pulling a goal back when his looping shot caught Youngs off his line but the goalkeeper recovered in time to catch the ball under the bar.

Crowley went ahead with a Route One goal. A long punt through the middle allowed Dale Crozier to outpace two chasing defenders and he placed the ball past Watling.

Morley almost scored the goal of the season after 72 minutes. The home winger collected the ball on the edge of his own penalty area from an Army corner and set off on a mazey run the length of the field before shooting against a post from the edge of the other penalty area.

But it was Morley who completed the scoring, ghosting in at the far post to force the ball in, despite Watling managing to get both hands on his shot.

Watling was left to thank Patrizio Pascarella for saving his face in the last minute when a long-range shot squirmed out of his hands but the Italian full-back was on hand to clear off the line.

AFC Crowley: Youngs, Skinner, S Allum, J Allum, Boon (Brittain 66), Brown, Upson, Morgan, Rozier (L Barker 84), Folkard, Morley.

Substitutes (not used): R Barker, Oxborrow, McCall.

Goals: Morley (2) 8, 84; Folkard 42; Rozier 66.

Salvation Army: Watling, Pascarella, Grocott (Harvey 61), Blower, Rushbrook, Ramsey, Stannard, Westcott (Dickie 69), Pleasance, Gunton (Cross 57), Frappell.

• See more pictures from the match, here.
• Read the Salvation Army report of the match, here.