Dulwich keep up with leaders as they win 2-0 at home to Lewes

Dulwich continued their unbeaten start to the season, beating Lewes 2-0 in the Ryman Premier League. 

Nyren Clunis, a graduate from Dulwich Hamlet's youth side, gave them the lead after 59 minutes, scoring from a tight angle after a throw in on the right hand side of the Lewes penalty area.

Another youth team product Xavier Vidal, doubled Hamlet's lead with virtually the last kick of the game, with Lewes throwing everyone they had forward for a corner, Dulwich broke allowing Vidal to score a tap in at the other end after a great pass by Abdul Mansaray.

Lewes were proving hard to break down, a performance completely different to their 2-0 defeat to Tonbridge mid week. The Rooks could have taken the lead in the first half when Terry Dodd found himself through on goal after a defensive mistake, however, the man who scored over 30 goals for Bognor last season some how put the ball wide of the goal. Anyone at Tonbridge on Tuesday may have expected Dulwich to destroy Lewes, however Jack Dixon coming back in to the side seemed to make all the difference for the team playing in orange.

Dulwich were limited in the first half to a couple of chances on the left wing, Steve Brinkhurst at first unable to keep up with Vidal who put in a great ball early on, however no one was there to meet it. Another chance, again created by Vidal was blasted over the goal. Lewes had their own chances on the break, George Branford marly opened the scoring when his cross went a lot closer to the top corner of the net than Phil Wilson was expecting in the Dulwich goal.

Terry Dodd took a shot from range that only just went over the cross bar causing Dulwich fans to silence for a moment. Dulwich continued to have a lot of the possession, however a well drilled Lewes back four kept them from creating any real chances.

Lewes started the second half well, Nick Wheeler creating space before firing a shot well off target and out for a throw in. Luke Blewden also had a chance on the right hand side but blasted the ball wide of the goal.

Despite Lewes pressing, the break through goal eventually came in the 59th minute when a throw in was won on the tight hand side of the Lewes penalty area. A short throw in to Ashley Carew was drilled in low, Clunis got to the ball first and was able to flick it past Rikki Banks giving Dulwich the lead.

Lewes brought Elliot Romain on to replace Terry Dodd and the former Three Bridges striker showed some impressive touches running forward on the right hand side. Lewes would not have been fortunate to get a goal as they pushed forward time and time again in search of an equaliser. First a ball in from Romain nearly found Luke Blewden who just couldn't get to the ball ahead of the goal keeper. George Branford struck the post from range through a crowded area, a shot that had the keeper well beaten. Elliot Romain again caused trouble as Dulwich failed to clear a Lewes corner, Romain's blasted shot was well held by Wilson.

The final chance for Lewes came in the 94th minute, youngster James Fergany making his return had done well to win a corner. Everyone went forward for the corner, including goalkeeper Rikki Banks. However, the ball was cleared out of the defence, Nathan Crabb was able to do just enough to delay the ball for Rikki Banks to get back in goal,however a second clearance saw Abdul Mansaray through on goal. Mansaray was one on one with Banks and produced moans from the crowd as it looked like he had wasted the chance and dragged it wide however actually he had seen Vidal to his right and placed the ball past the keeper for Vidal to run on to and blast in to the empty net, doubling the Dulwich lead and sealing the victory.

Dulwich remain in third place having won four games and drawn one. They will travel to Leatherhead on Monday whereas Lewes who are still to pick up the first win are down in 19th place and will face league leaders Margate at the Dripping Pan on monday. Margate will surely be a tough test as they have a 100% record in the league so far having won all five games.

Fans Corner

@Gingeraction "Despite the defeat, loads better from @Lewes_CFC today, probably best display so far."

'LinesmanIan' "Tough game against Lewes who always look a well drilled side, neither keeper making a save of note."

'Pink Panther' "With better finishing Lewes may well have recorded their first win of the season."

Lewes 0-2 Billericay

Lewes's poor start to the Ryman Premier League continued as they had no response to Billericay's two first half goals.

Lewes were never in the game, once again going behind within the first ten minutes in what was a frustrating day for Garry Wilson against a well organised, strong Billericay side.

Neither side had any real chances before the 8th minute when Garry Elphick was judged to have jumped unfairly with Ricky Sappleton on the edge of the Lewes area. Sappleton took the free kick himself placing the ball in to the left hand corner of the goal beyond Rikki Banks' reach. It was only ten minutes later that Lewes found themselves two goals down as their former midfielder Callum Dunne slotted the ball past Banks again.

Lewes can have no complaints after being defeated by Billericay. The Sussex side were poor all over the park, being outmuscled and outfought for the majority of the game. Every chance Lewes did create, the Billericay back four did a good job of mopping up right up to the final whistle.

Lewes failed to show the spirit that was with them on Wednesday night when the came back from two goals down to draw with AFC Hornchurch, and despite a better last twenty minutes and a potential penalty shout, Lewes failed to hit back at all.

Not a very good game.

The Dripping Pan 

It was the first Saturday home game of the season, for many the first time they had been at the Pan in the sunshine for a long while.

Many were trying out the new food company, sampling a Rooks burger, or watching Manchester United lose to Swansea inside the Rook Inn. The two goal comeback in midweek and given fans a sense of optimism for the day. If Lewes could perform how they did in the final thirty minutes of that game then they would do well today.

The team sheet went up and there was a good reaction that Elliot Romain would be making his first start after signing in the Summer from Three Bridges. Romain had provided the necessary spark on Wednesday night and fully deserved his start. Romain came in to the side for Ebbsfleet loanee Jordan Sanderson.

Left back Sam Cole was still suspended for Lewes and so that meant a debut for young left back Jerome Jibodu while Steve Brinkhurst have his knee a rest. Key midfielders Jack Walder and Jack Dixon were also ruled out through injury/suspension meaning Byron Napper and Fraser Logan were once again in charge in the middle of the park.

Last season Lewes drew with Billericay at home, a result they were hoping to better to pick up their first three points of the season.

First Half 

Right from the off it was clear that Billericay's tactics had not changed. From the moment their back for got the ball there was only one target, and that was to launch the ball down field towards Ricky Sappleton, a big lad, who was superb in controlling and keeping hold of the ball.

However, this was not Billericays only threat, with a couple of tricky wingers and Callum Dunne performing excellently in midfield, Billericay appear to have put together a very well organised outfit that could well be challenging for promotion again this season.

The chances Lewes did manage to create were weak, a wayward shot from Nicky Wheeler and a soft header from Terry Dodd were about the best Lewes could muster.

It could not be said that the work rate was not there. Napper, Romain, Blewden and Dodd in particular worked tirelessly chasing balls down, but the service from the back and midfield was just not good enough for Lewes to get past the Billericay back line.

On the eight minute Billericay took the lead. Another long ball from the Billericay keeper met its target in Sappleton, however, Garry Elphick won the ball in the air but was penalised for having his arms laid on the Billericay strikers back. A free kick was awarded and taken by Sappleton, placing the ball beyond Rikki Banks in to the top corner.

Lewes tried to get a goal back quickly, winning a couple of free kicks in dangerous positions on the left hand side, however, Nicky Wheelers effort was far from goal bound.

Sure enough just ten minutes later Billericay had found the net again. This time a ball in from the left hand side should have been comfortably cleared by Jibodu, however he failed to clear the penalty area, allowing former Rook Callum Dunne to slot the ball underneath Rikki Banks before running off and celebrating with the noisy away support.

Neither side really threatened again in the first half with both teams becoming able to deal with long balls.

Second Half 

Many may have been expecting with another earful from Garry Wilson, Lewes might come out and show something else for the second half, however the game continued as though it had never stopped, both sides unsuccessfully launching long ball towards each others box.

Fraser Logan was quickly replaced after a performance he is likely to forget quickly. The former Crawley Down man did not look in the best of moods having been taken off, striding towards the dressing room rather than warming down. George Branford came on replacing him in a bid to give Lewes a more attacking edge.

Alex Malins was also brought off on the hour, being replaced by Steve Brinkhurst, and while Brinkhurst did get forward more than Malins, he could not make a huge difference to the game.

Billericay edged the majority of the half, however neither side created much in the way of chances, both defences seeming to be cleaning up everything that came their way. Man of the match Garry Elphick had gained control of Sappleton, meaning Billericay had become much less of a threat despite the wind being behind them.

For the final twenty minutes Lewes gained control of the game but were not able to carve open Billericay as they would have liked. The best chance came to Nathan Crabb in the Billericay area where he was just about to pull the trigger before appearing to be sliced down by a defender. The referee waved his hands indicating no foul, much the frustration of the Lewes fans in the Philcox stand.

The game was beginning to open up for the final ten minutes and Billericay nearly added a third when Sappleton broke free of his shackles, knocking Byron Napper to the ground before barging through the Lewes defence and in to the penalty area. A last ditch block/ challenge from Ollie Rowe saw the ball fall to another of Billericay's attackers but his shot cannoned back off the post.

Lewes continued to press for a goal in the last few minutes but apart from a couple of soft headers towards goal, they did not get a look in.

Disappointment is the word that would sum up the mood around the Dripping Pan after the game.

Lewes 2-2 AFC Hornchurch - A Point Each On Opening Game At The Dripping Pan

With neither side having won their opening game of the season, both teams came to The Dripping Pan hoping to gain their first three points. However a come back from Lewes meant that in the end, both teams had to share the spoils in a game decided by refereeing controversy.

Whisper the name 'David Spain' quietly in Lewes, for he is not very popular with supporters of the Rooks. Before the game started fans were taking a look at the back of the programme and browning as they saw the name of the man in the middle. Why such a disliking towards Mr Spain? Well, two years ago Lewes first encountered his 'unique' refereeing style when they played in an away fixture to Hastings Utd. Mr Spain awarded Hastings a penalty early on after a Lewes clearance struck another Lewes player in the chest outside of the penalty box and then failed to award the Rooks a stonewall penalty after Steve Brinkhurst was brought down through on goal.

Now, this first poor game could go down as just another poor performance from a referee, however it was not long later that Mr Spain was terrorising Lewes again. Lewes were in the depth of a relegation battle and high flying Kingstonian were paying a visit to the Pan. Kingstonian controversially went ahead when Mr Spain failed to give a blatant foul on the keeper, allowing the K's to score in to an empty net. Lewes fought back and equalised, however in the 93rd minute yet another foul on the keeper was not given, this time an elbow to the head and yet the referee allowed the K's to have 5 (five) shots on goal while the keeper was on the floor with a head injury, not only stupid but plain dangerous.

Added to his poor performances in front of a Lewes crowd, Mr Spain also has many other mentions if you search his name online for dodgy refereeing. He once sent off a player for escorting a streaker off the pitch when the stewards weren't able to. He has been criticised by several managers saying he is not up to refereeing.

Anyway, enough ranting about what Mr Spain has done in the past and back to the game at hand. Both sides seemed intent on playing a long ball game with the first seven minutes passing without anything in the way of an attacking threat. Therefore maybe David Spain awarded Hornchurch a free kick to the left of the Lewes area out of boredom? For there appeared to be very little other explanation. However, Lewes fans bemusement about this decision was quickly gone as the free kick was swung in and caught by Rikki Banks, David Spain blew his whistle again. What for? Everyone wondered, must have been a foul and a free kick to Lewes somewhere. Lewes and Hornchurch players alike started jogging back in to positions for a Lewes free kick, Rikki Banks layer the ball on the floor to take it, however, Hornchurch number 5 Omar Beckles must not have heard the whistle as he took the ball and put it in to an empty Lewes net. David Spain pointed towards the half way line, he had given a goal.

As you would expect pandaemonium erupted in the Lewes dugout, stand and on the pitch, no one could believe what was going on. Lewes players and management protested to the referee and his linesman, however Mr Spain was having none of it, claiming he had blown the whistle before the free kick was taken.

For the rest of the half the Lewes players looked shocked, they struggled to compete with Hornchurch dominating the game as it progressed. Eventually Hornchurch made Lewes pay and added a second goal on the half hour mark when Lewes static defending allowed a ball along the box to be firmly met by Martin Tuohy, doubling the Essex sides lead.

Lewes were offering little in the form of attacking threat, their main strategy to pump the ball forward towards their striking partnership of Terry Dodd and Luke Blewden, however the tall Hornchurch defenders were quickly mopping up everything that came their way.

The second half didn't start much better for Lewes, their tactics needed changing and despite a grilling from manager Garry Wilson, there did not appear to be many changes made. The game swung on the sixtieth minute when Lewes injected some pace in to the game, adding Nathan Crabb and Elliot Romain. Lewes grew in confidence and started running at the Hornchurch defence causing them all sorts of problems, however, it wasn't until Lewes scored that they created any real chances.

Lewes pulled the first goal back on the 73rd minute. Rikki Banks played a long ball out wide to Elliot Romain who took the ball down well sprinted past the left back before stopping, turning a defender and blasting away again. Romain put a low ball in to the area finding its way all the way across the box and to Nick Wheeler who smashed the ball home in to the top corner from the edge of the area.

The goal gave Lewes the lift they needed and despite a scare when Hornchurch hit the cross bar, it was Lewes who were creating the better chances. They nearly equalised through an own goal when a free kick was out in to a dangerous area and a Hornchurch head forced the keeper in to a flying save to deny Lewes a point. However, this was not the end as in the 88th minute another free kick was sent in to the box, a tussle inside the box away from the ball saw a Lewes player felled down to the ground. The linesman spotted the infringement and Lewes were awarded a penalty. Luke Blewden calmly stepped up and smashed the ball in giving delight to the Lewes fans and management alike.

Lewes should not kid themselves, despite rescuing a point from an unlikely position and some very dodgy refereeing, they did not play to the standard that they should be at. They will need to improve if they ant to meet their ambitions and challenge for a play off place.

Premier League 2014/15 Predictions

With the 2014/15 season of the Premier League only a week away, now seems the right time to make some predictions for the campaign which will either make me appear to be a mystical genius or a complete idiot.

Let's start with the big one:

Winner: I have Manchester City down as my winner. I fully expect the Champions to hold on to their title. Two years ago it was predicted that City would be almost impossible to stop after winning their first title. However, Manchester United won the league the following season running away with the title. I do not expect City to make the same mistakes again this year, and despite the league being arguably tighter than ever at the top, I think City have the best squad and so will come out on top.



Remainder of the top 4: Following on from Manchester City I have Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. Arsenal are notorious for finishing in fourth place, however this season I feel that a push for the title is on the cards. My reasons for this feeling are that for 8 years, Arsenal had the burden of not winning a trophy. Last season Arsenal put all that to bed by winning the FA Cup and it appears to have done their confidence and belief a world of good. Wenger has not been afraid of spending this summer and has said that he is not finished despite high priced moves for Alexis Sanchez, Debuchy and Chambers.

Manchester United did not have a great season last year. I think it is clear to see that David Moyes made some huge mistakes: getting rid of the back room team, buying Fellaini for such a high price tag etc. Van Gaal has come in after a fantastic world cup for Holland and he has filled United with confidence and almost given them back their fear factor which they lost so quickly last season. I do not expect United to be a real title contender, however I feel that a finish of third or fourth will allow them to push on for a title challenge again in 2015/16.

I have Chelsea down as the final team in the top four. While Chelsea are many bookies favourites for the champions, I do not share this thought. New signing Cesc Fabregas will surely add something to the team, however, getting rid of the old guard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole could prove costly in my opinion. Yes they were getting older, however, they have gone back on their move and brought back Drogba, showing they made a mistake letting him go. To Mourinho's credit however, he clearly has a plan and has found replacements for all three departures of Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Romelu Lukaku as well as Demba Ba. I think there have been a few too many changes at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea to mount a title challenge straight away, and while I feel they will be up there for the majority of the season, I think they will slump towards the end and finish third or fourth.


I do not think that Liverpool will be able to hold on to their Champions League place. It will be a lot tougher for them this season, first of all without Suarez and secondly because they will be playing a lot more games, a huge advantage they held over the other teams at the top last season. Liverpool claimed they would not do a Tottenham, however they have been freely spending. Origi, Lambert, Lallana amongst many others have been brought in to try and make up for the loss of their top goalscorer, however I think too many changes have been made and they will struggle to gel for the first half of the season, ultimately meaning they will miss out on the champions league.

Relegation: Now on to the other key battle at the bottom. I have Burnley, Sunderland and QPR to all go down to the Championship. Burnley were promoted after coming second in the Championship. I feel that Burnley will put up the best fight out of the three teams I am predicting to go down, however, ultimately I feel they will not have enough defensively to beat the drop. Sunderland came very close last year to going down, becoming only the second team ever to stay up having been bottom of the Premier League at Christmas. Gus Poyet did a good job keeping them up, however he has admitted himself that he has had a frustrating summer. This time around I expect Sunderland to struggle and eventually head down to the Championship.

Many people will disagree with my QPR assessment considering their playing budget is greater than Champions League runners up Atletico Madrid's and they have 'Arry Redknapp in charge. A couple of seasons ago QPR really struggled in the Premier league setting the record for number of games without a win. I think the problem with QPR is they are not as good as they think they are. A number of them thought they had an automatic right of passage back to the Premier League, but the reality is they should have walked that league with their budget and spending. I think QPR could be in for a bit of a shock once they start playing, if they start badly I think all morale will go and they will get fed up and slump, this is why I have predicted them to finish bottom of the league.

Potential Upset: My team with potential for upset this season is Aston Villa. If you head back a fair few years, Villa were challenging for the Europa League, now under Lambert it appears they are fighting off relegation every year. I have a feeling that will not happen this time around. Villa actually have some very decent players in their squad, Christian Benteke and Ron Vlaar to name their best two. If these two can stay fit and the new Villa signings play well I think they could have a very good year.

Disappointment: Tottenham. Too many managerial changes at Spurs have caused them to have absolutely zero consistency. I do not believe that the ex Saints boss is a genius as everybody claims he is, Southampton had some brilliant players last season and I think they finished where a team of their class should have finished. I expect Spurs to have a difficult season having made no stand out signings and the majority of the players they spent the 'Bale fund' on turning out to be flops.

Predicted Final Table:

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester United
5. Liverpool
6. Everton
7. Newcastle
8. Tottenham
9. Southampton
10. Aston Villa
11. Swansea
12. Crystal Palace
13. West Ham
14. Leicester
15. Hull
16. West Brom
17. Stoke
18. Burnley
19. Sunderland
20. QPR


Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero. With Suarez out the way I expect Aguero to take the golden boot. Sturridge was the runner up of this award last season, however without Suarez's assists I cannot see him scoring as many as he did last year. Agero belongs to a team that is getting better and better and providing he stays fit, I can see him scoring a lot of goals. Other contenders could be Robin Van Persie, Daniel Sturridge and Diego Costa. 

Witham 1-1 Lewes

The Ryman Premier League has come around again for another season of excitement. This match was to be Witham Town's first ever game in the Ryman Premier after being promoted from the Ryman North last season. The sun came out to brighten up the occasion, although the Witham pitch could have done with a watering (and some levelling) as the teams played out a 1-1 draw on a bumpy surface.

Lewes could have been a goal up within the first twenty seconds, Nick Wheeler played a one two pass with Luke Blewden before smashing the ball towards the top of the goal from a tight angle, forcing a superb reflex stop from Martyn Guest in the Witham goal.

Lewes looked solid at the back for the majority of the game, Alex Malins in particular having a good game, his ability to head the ball, making the right decision, got Lewes out of a couple of potentially sticky situations. Gary Elphick was making his debut for Lewes and put in a good performance. Steve Brinkhurst had to fill in at left back for Lewes with Sam Cole suspended from the end of last season. Brinkhurst did not disgrace himself and showed he can be versatile when called upon.

As is often the case when Lewes have visited Essex sides, Witham through themselves in to every challenge, playing fiercely and often aggressively. Brad Stropher was cautioned first for a lunging challenge on Nick Wheeler in which he appeared to jump over the ball but fortunately not catching Wheeler full on, meaning the Lewes winger escaped what could have been a nasty injury.

Witham continued to play rough through the half and only a couple of minutes after Stropher had his name taken, his partner at the back, Lee Townrow, also had his name written in the book. This time the challenge was certainly worthy of at least a yellow card as Ross Treleaven crossed the ball in from the right hand side an extremely late challenge by Townrow caused Treleaven's knee to swell up so much that he needed to be taken off. Nathan Crabb replaced Treleaven on twenty minutes, despite Crabb not playing a minute of pre-season, suffering from an injury himself.

There were very few real chances for either side during the first half, Lewes just edging the play but not being able to cut through the Witham defence. Every time Lewes looked like creating a chance a foul by Witham quickly put an end to any danger, with Fraser Logan wasting the majority of set pieces by looping the ball in to the area, making it easy for the Witham centre backs to head the ball away.

There was yet more controversy in the first half to come from Witham's tactics as Lee Townrow, having already been cautioned caught Terry Dodd late in a challenge that nine times out of ten would see a yellow card produced. However, in the words of sidelined captain Jack Walder, the referee "bottled" the decision and settled with giving Townrow a talking to for the offence.

Debutant Byron Napper was filling the hole left by Jack Walder who is still recovering from an injury suffered at Thamesmead towards the end of last season. Napper put in a brilliant performance, tackling all over the pitch and breaking up the Witham play, hassling his opponents. Fraser Logan showed his versatility, playing alongside Napper in midfield while Jack Dixon sits out his four match ban from a red card at the end of last season.

Witham should have taken the lead in the first half as Ryan Blackman found his way in to the penalty area down the right side of the pitch, his initial shot forced Rikki Banks in to a fantastic stop, however the rebound fell back to the man in white however he managed to smash the ball over the goal and out of the ground from the six yard box.

Despite the pitch not allowing Wheeler to play to his advantages, he was still causing the Witham defence mayhem as he danced his way down the left wing. Lewes fans were treated to some brilliant link up play between Wheeler and Blewden, one such occasion nearly seeing Wheeler score a chance similar to that in the first minute. Guest again providing another key save from a curling Wheeler effort from just outside the area.

Luke Blewden and Terry Dodd's partnership is still very much a work in progress, however, the two are starting to learn each others strengths. Terry Dodd worked as a target man, holding the ball up trying to feed Blewden or Nathan Crabb through on goal. Blewden worked tirelessly as usual running the channels.

Approaching half time it was looking more and more likely that a Lewes goal was only a matter of time and it nearly came when a long ball by Byron Napper found its way to Nathan Crabb who managed to control the ball expertly on the bobby pitch. Crabb's shot was stopped well by the keeper down low, denying Lewes a half time lead.

The second half started as the first one ended, with Lewes pushing for a goal. However, the game was cagey with many niggling fouls and long balls as neither side wanted to lose on the opening day of the season.

Despite their growing dominance, Lewes had to wait until the 68th minute to take a well deserved lead. A Witham corner was headed away by Ollie Rowe and met by Byron Napper. Napper, making his debut for the club after signing from Horsham, charged down the right wing before playing a ball across the box. The initial cross was too long, however Nick Wheeler was on the left to meet the ball before cutting inside and chipping the ball towards Terry Dodd in the six yard box. Dodd controlled the ball with his chest before firing at goal. The ever present Guest parried the first shot, however, Luke Blewden hit the ball home from close range, continuing his goal scoring form in to the new season.

Witham's chances in the second half were reduced to corners, however, they did earn a lot of them, with Lewes seeming more than willing to kick the ball out to give Witham a chance from the set pieces. Byron Naper gave away a corner in the 75th minute and the pressure told as Lewes lost striker Lewis Godbold, allowing him a free header which he planted past Rikki Banks, equalising for Witham.

For the final 15 minutes, Witham grew in confidence, their goal boosting their morale and it showed. They almost took the lead not long after equalising, Leon Antoine heading the ball just wide of the Lewes goal. However, despite late pushes from both sides, the match finished in a draw, the sides sharing the points on the opening day of the season.

Goals: Witham: Lewis Godbold (75)     ----------  Lewes: Luke Blewden (68) Assist: Terry Dodd

After the game Lewes manager Garry Wilson criticised the Witham pitch saying: "The pitch condition didn't help us, it was difficult"

When asked about positives Lewes can take from the game, GW replied: "I think the new lads coming in to the team did well. Byron Napper had a smashing game for us today and one or two others that have just come in. It's going to take a little bit of time and I think a point away from home is still a good point. The first games of the season are really difficult games."

"Ross Treleaven has quite a big swollen knee now so I think he might struggle for a week or two."

With two tough games coming up for Lewes against AFC Hornchurch and then Billericay, GW remained positive: "We are at home and I think we can play against anyone at home, they will both be hard but I think we will look to get our first three points on Wednesday night. Every game is a challenge in many different ways but they are there to be beaten and we would love to get the three points on Wednesday."

Garry Wilson also conformed that new Lewes signing Henry Muggeridge currently has his foot in a cast and needs to go to hospital to have a scan on his ankle to see the state it is in before an estimation can be given as to when he will be available to play.


Lewes Ratings:

Rikki Banks 7
Alex Malins 8
Gary Elphick 7
Ollie Rowe 7
Steve Brinkhurst 5.5
Byron Napper 8
Fraser Logan 6.5 (George Branford 6)
Ross Treleaven 5 (Nathan Crabb 6.5)
Nick Wheeler 7
Terry Dodd 6.5
Luke Blewden 8 (Elliot Romain 5.5)

Why Replacing Lampard with Cesc Makes Sense

While Frank Lampard has been the heart of Chelsea's midfield for a number of years, he is finally moving away from Stamford Bridge, probably to America to take up a new challenge, and I believe now is the perfect time for him to do so.

Why? Many Chelsea fans will strongly disagree with me on this point and were far from happy when the news came out that Frank was leaving Chelsea. However, I feel that this season, Lampard has struggled. Lampard made 26 appearances for Chelsea last season, a very decent amount for someone who is 36 years of age, however, when you compare this to his peak years when it was very rare for Lampard to miss a game, it is not many, especially when many of these appearances have been from the bench. Lampard also only managed six goals this year, again not bad considering fewer appearances and his change of role to a deeper position. However, in his peak Lampard was scoring 20 plus goals per season. With Manchester City having Yaya, Liverpool having Gerrard, Arsenal having Ozil and Ramsey, Chelsea need a midfielder who is going to score goals to keep up with the rest of the top four, unfortunately Lampard could not fill that role any more.

When Frank was only given a one year contract to remain at Chelsea last season, it was always likely that he would be leaving this summer. While he could continue this season, he would become a passenger to the team, other players would have to be doing two jobs to make up for his lack of pace, and his goal scoring threat in the Premier League is diminishing. Surely it is better for a Chelsea legend to leave before he gets to this stage so that there are no memories of Lampard being the slow lump in midfield, being carried by his Chelsea team mates to prolong his time with them? Look at Rio Ferdinand at Utd, he has stayed on a season too long and is now not seen to be as much of a legend as he would have been had he left before he became too slow and unable to play to the level Manchester United expect.

With Lampard going, it was essential that Chelsea did find a replacement this summer. There is no point in Frank leaving if no one is here to fill his boots. In Cesc Fabregas, I feel Chelsea have found the perfect replacement. Cesc has wonderful ball control as seen by some of his goals for Barcelona and Spain where he has been able to manoeuvre himself out of tight positions and away from defenders. One of Lampards best features was his ability to pick out players with his passing, and Fabregas has shown at Barcelona that his long and short passing is superb, and Barcelona is certainly not a bad place to learn and show his passing trade. Most importantly however, Cesc scores goals.

For Arsenal in the 2009/10 season, Fabregas scored twenty goals, remarkable for a midfielder, and something that Frank Lampard used to do. This was when Fabregas was only 22, now at 27 he is likely to be hitting his peak and I fully expect him to score at least ten goals this season followed by a season of at least 15 but possibly reaching the twenty mark. The brilliant thing about Fabregas is that playing for Arsenal, he has vast experience in the Premier League and so it should not take him too long to adapt back after playing in the La Liga for a few years.

Mourinho knows what he is doing and would not have taken the decision lightly to move on his great player and friend Frank Lampard. Mourinho will get the very best out of Fabregas who, when partnering Matic in the centre, could get Chelsea back to having the best midfield in the Premier League again. Oscar has long been seen as the ideal replacement for Lampard when he leaves, however, he really struggled in the second half of last season and has shown so far at this world cup that he plays at his best while out on the right wing, therefore it was essential for Chelsea to buy Fabregas to fill the void left by Lampard in the centre.

Chelsea fans need to remember Lampard for the player that he used to be, but also, not forget that he is no longer that great player, it is for the good of the team that Chelsea do now have a better option in midfield. Yes, it is true that Chelsea will miss Lampards presence in the dressing room, he surely had a big personality and great leadership qualities, his experience will help his next team to no end. However, in my opinion, while it may be difficult to hear, Fabregas's quality outweighs Franks experience at this point in time.

Miami Heat: England 2-2 Ecuador

The temperature in Miami didn't rise to the levels that Roy Hodgson and his team would have wanted it to in order to test his players, however the game did not disappoint and was about as entertaining as you could expect from a pre season friendly. A draw with Ecuador means that England have lost their 100% record over the South American club. Surprisingly, England have only ever played Ecuador once officially, a game which England won 1-0, Beckham's free kick his last ever goal for his country, and in fact, England's last win in a knockout stage of a major competition (hopefully not ever).

The England line up was experimental, it is a guarantee that the starting eleven tonight will never be used in a world cup game. Wayne Rooney was placed on the left of the attack, making way for Ross Barkley to gain his first international start along with Luke Shaw. It is clear that English "soccer" does not bring much excitement to American's as the stadium was only quarter full with empty seats a plenty.

England's first big test of the day came before the game had even kicked off. Lining up in red it was time for the England national anthem. Did Oxlade Chamberlain belt it out as loud as he could? Did James Milner open his mouth? Can Wayne Rooney even read? No, no and probably not. Hodgson had made it clear that he wants his players to sing the anthem loud and proud, however, today they were unsuccessful.

England started the game on the attack, a seemingly different mentality to the game against Peru in which they were not quick to get forward. Frank Lampard had a glorious opportunity to show Chelsea fans what they would be missing next season. Rikki Lambert slotted the ball in to the path of the onrushing Lampard after some good work by Chamberlain. However Lampard scuffed the shot sending the ball a long way wide.

It has been suggested these two would do a
better job than Jones and Smalling. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly for England fans, Ecuador took the lead after a string of England attacks. A Enner Valencia header, who bears no relation to Antonio was smashed in to the English net after he had got away from the centre back partnership of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, neither of whom could do anything other than stand there looking confused.

Despite going behind, England did not look like they had lost hope unlike many England fans had on twitter, although how some people are only just realising England won't win the world cup is beyond me…

Rooney was delighted with his tap in

It was not long before England were level. A lively Chamberlain, or as people like to call him 'The Ox', whipped a ball in to the area from the right hand side. New Liverpool signing chest (handled) the ball before attempting a back heel in to the goal. However the ball rebounded off the post and before Lambert could tap in the rebound, Rooney was on it like a kid in a playground who was desperate to score a goal and kicked it in before celebrating as though he had scored a goal actually at the World Cup and not a tap in against Ecuador. Still, there is nothing wrong with passion.

Despite being placed on the left wing, it was clear that Rooney was not playing in that position. The United striker was constantly coming inside and playing almost alongside Rikki Lambert up front which did not do too much good for the shape of the England side, however this is not Rooney's fault, the man is not a winger.

Half time came about and England would have mixed feelings about how they had played. Having been on top for pretty much the whole half it was surprising that it was England who had to come from behind. Although not that surprising, this is England.

The second half also started with a good tempo, however this time the attacking threat was coming from both sides. The Ox provided the danger for England, while Antonio Valencia was whipping in some good balls at the other end. One particular stand out was Phil Jones producing a Terry style salmon dive in order to head the ball away, good effort, but a bit of a copy.

Two individual moments of class put England ahead in the 52nd minute. Ross Barkley charged forward, nutmegging an Ecuadorian. Everyone was waiting for a finish similar to his goal against Newcastle and it looked as though he was shaping up to hit it that way, however he laid the ball off to Rikki Lambert who struck the ball first time with the outside of his boot fizzing the ball in to the bottom corner from a reasonably tight angle. £4million? Bargain.

Despite being in front, there was bad news for England as Roy Hodgson's nightmares were met. Alex Oxlaide Chamberlain went down injured after winning the ball back for England. It is thought that he may have ligament damage meaning he would miss the World Cup, now how will we win it!? To make matters even worse, the referee gave Ecuador a free kick for the challenge. The Ox will have a scan on Thursday to assess the full extent of the damage.

Things were getting worse and worse for England as what can only be described as tactical genius from the Ecuador manager, saw Arroyo score a terrific goal just moments after coming on. Despite Clive Tyldesley's claims that England gave the man far too much space, in truth James Milner didn't give him that much room for manoeuvre, however, the Ecuadorian did not need much room, nudging the ball an inch to the right before shushing the ball past the helpless Ben Foster to level the score once again. When Paul Scholes said England should play like Liverpool, I am not sure he quite meant defensively as well.

The goal seemed to give Ecuador a boost. Antonio Valencia was the constant target on the right to try and get balls in to the England box. On one of this occasions Raheem Sterling flew in with a challenge, going straight over the ball but not really catching Valencia. A challenge probably worth a yellow card. However, Valencia took huge offence to the challenge, getting straight up and grabbing Sterling by the back of his neck. The referee seemed to deliberate for a bit before very proudly lifting two red cards in to the air, sending the Liverpool and United rivals for an early shower. But don't worry you Ecuadorian fans, Valencia will not be suspended for the world cup. And unfortunately England fans, neither will Sterling.

Full time and the score was 2-2. The game will have taught England a few lessons. The main one being that James Milner is not a very good right back. He is only marginally better than Glen Johnson, without being too harsh on Milner. Wayne Rooney got his goal, Lambert, Barkley and Chamberlain played blinders. Let's just hope that The Ox is not as injured as Hodgson fears, as I don't think Ben Foster is a good enough back up keeper.

COME ON ENGLAND!