Profligate Crawley Green held to Wodson Park draw

Crawley Green squandered a potful of chances and needed a late Jamie Warne penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw against struggling Wodson Park in Molten Spartan SML Division One on Wednesday night.

James Sturgeon performed heroics in the Wodson goal with a number of stunning saves.

As early as the third minute he turned over an effort from point-blank range by Henry Mungwira.

From the corner Mungwira shot wide as the scene was set for the rest of the evening.

Crawley took the lead after 12 minutes when Mungwira laid the ball back to Craig Savage and his right-foot shot deflected in off the bar.

The hosts failed to add to their early lead though as they let Wodson back into the game.

Daniel Burke had an effort saved by Dean Bull in the Crawley goal, before Wodson equalised after 35 minutes when Chris Harvey was penalised for handball and Jack Riddle sent Bull the wrong way from the spot.

Straight from the kick off Jamie Warne burst through, but lobbed the ball wide of the open goal as it finished all-square at the break.

Early in the second half Jack Stingemore and Brandon Lloyd both had efforts saved by Bull, while the Maroons replied with another shot from Craig Savage which cannoned off the bar.

John Butler saw his header from Warne’s cross saved on 57 minutes, while Warne and Peter O’Donnell then set up Adam Reid who shot wide.

With the pressure mounting Butler had an effort tipped over by Sturgeon and this was quickly followed by a shot from Mungwira which hit the post, with Warne firing into the side netting.

Crawley paid the price for their missed chances as the visitors took the lead on 71 minutes when Riddle headed in from a corner.

The hosts poured forwarded looking to get back in the game and Sturgeon made another outstanding save from O’Donnell’s effort.

Nicky Nolan had a header deflected wide before the referee let Crawley back with a soft penalty award for handball and Warne stepped up to fire the ball past Sturgeon to make it 2-2 with five minutes to play.

In the closing minutes Crawley pounded the Wodson goal, as Sturgeon denied Butler before acrobatically turning Adam Mead’s free-kick past the post as Crawley failed to make their pressure count.

Crawley travel to Langford on Saturday.