Once a month we take a look at how our chosen grass roots club for this season Croydon FC have been getting on.
The last feature took us up to what was to be an interesting period of fixtures for the club in both the league and cup competitions.
Unfortunately, cup fever did not hang around long at the Croydon Arena. A high scoring draw at home to Phoenix Sports in the FA Vase was followed up by a loss in the replay. Interest in the FA Cup qualifying was to end shortly after with a narrow 3-2 loss at home to Burgess Hill Town ensured that the Trams were left to focus on the league.
There was a quite a hangover from the early season cup endeavours as it took the team a while to adjust back to league duty. A home loss by a single goal to Ashford Town was followed up by a trip to Greenwich Borough and another loss for Croydon.
With nothing to lose, they travelled to league leaders Erith & Belvedere and returned with a very creditable draw which set them up nicely for a home game against struggling Woodstock Sports. A 2-1 win is likely to have given the Trams some confidence ahead of a run of games against Tunbridge Wells (4th), Holmesdale (10th), Colliers Wood United (cup) and Canterbury City (8th).
A return to form of late has seen them up to 15th place in the Southern Counties Premier on 11 points.
We encourage Palace fans to take a trip down to the Croydon Arena whenever the Eagles are not playing at home as we know that all will be welcome in support of the Trams.
We got on touch with marketing director Steve Hutson who told us more about the opening month of the season;
September will be remembered by the supporters of Croydon FC for the team’s exploits in the FA competitions.
Firstly the Trams comfortably dispatched of the nomadic Epsom & Ewell in an FA Cup replay at the Arena running out 4-1 winners in front of a bumper crowd. Three days later and Croydon were in FA Vase action when high flying Phoenix Sports were the visitors. Though Croydon will be the first to admit that they did not perform to the best of their ability on the day, they were literally seconds away from progressing to the next round when a needless free-kick was given away on the edge of the box and Phoenix took full advantage to tie the game at 3-3 and force the Trams to return to their venue for the replay four days later. In a very competitive game where no side was giving an inch in midfield, it was a solitary goal from Phoenix striker Alex Nelson just before half-time that meant that Croydon exited the competition at the first hurdle.
The following Saturday and Croydon were back at the Arena on FA Cup duty as they hosted Ryman South League leaders Burgess Hill Town who were unbeaten. Our biggest crowd of the season were to witness one of our best performances as the Trams twice came from behind and were ten minutes away from taking their highly fancied visitors to a replay. Unfortunately a lapse in concentration in defence allowed Burgess Hill to retake the lead but the Trams never-say-die attitude meant they pressed for an equaliser right up until the final whistle. Skipper Steven Cox shot just over the bar in the last minute with the Croydon fans on their feet in anticipation of a certain goal.
With eight games crammed into one month, our league form has suffered as a result with defeats on our travels to Crowborough and Greenwich Borough and a narrow home loss to Ashford Town but it appears that the Trams are finally back on track as they finished the month with a very satisfying draw at top of the table Erith & Belvedere. There is now an air of optimism that October will see Croydon steadily climb the league and be in a position which our entertaining football deserves.
A number of players have stood out this month but the switch of Tristan Toney from winger to his more accustomed centre forward role has paid off with three goals in September and plenty more to come in the months ahead
You can find out more about the division that Croydon are competing in this season by going to the official FA website here or go direct to the Croydon FC site here.
