Green lose eight goal thriller to Hadley

SSML Premier Division: Crawley Green 3 Hadley 5
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Crawley Green conceded two goals in the last six minutes to lose this eight goal thriller with Hadley on Saturday.

Both sides created chances galore as the visitors went close early on as Hesham Benmansour shot wide after being set up by Niyazi Yusuf.

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Green came close through Henry Mungwira and Ashton Grant as they did take the lead on 11 minutes, when Kevin McManus turned in a Grant cross.

Bilal Sanchez shot wide for Hadley, who were on level terms three minutes later when Benmansour finished calmly.

Back came Crawley with a long range shot from Aarron Browne which went over the bar, although they retook the lead on 20 minutes when Grant’s corner was headed home by Tom Barnett.

Green keeper Dean Bull tipped Benmansour’s effort away, while Aaron Browne was inches away from making it 3-1, his shot cannoning off the bar with Charlie Mann well beaten.

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That was to prove crucial, as Hadley levelled once more on the half hour when Estavo Angel-Tamayo’s dipping shot was well saved by Bull, only for Benmansour to make it 2-2.

Mungwira had two more attempts saved before the break, with no let-up in action during the second period, Dean Dummett heading over from a Browne cross.

Benmansour was off target after being set up by Sanchez and Ivan Machado had a shot well saved by Bull.

With eight minutes of the half gone, Hadley took the lead for the first time, with a stunning strike from Benmansour, smashing an unstoppable drive beyond Bull.

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Crawley responded with a Browne free kick which was cleared, Mungwira’s header that went wide and two Liam McGovern efforts, before they equalised on 69 minutes as Kevin McManus fired home.

Hadley’s Machado had a couple of efforts cleared and Bull saved well from a Tyrone Mulholland free kick, while Crawley’s Mungwira and Grant then both had shots blocked by the Hadley defence.

However, the visitors took the lead once with six minutes to go when Green gave the ball away and Machado curled a peach of shot into the top right hand corner.

Crawley powered back in search of a late leveller, Mungwira’s header falling agonisingly wide and Hadley clinched all three points when Sanchez set free Benmansour who slotted home.

Crawley host Hertford Town this weekend.

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