Recap

Croydon Athletic 0-1 Three Bridges
Saturday, 17th November 2024 | Isthmian League

Croydon Athletic were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Three Bridges in their first match under the management of Keith Millen, as the visitors claimed a hard-fought win in a tightly contested Isthmian League clash.

The first half saw both sides create limited clear-cut chances, with Croydon looking to impose themselves early. Walter Figueira had a great opportunity inside the box, but his strike was blocked. Three Bridges came close when a low free-kick was whipped across the Croydon penalty area, but no one could get a touch to convert it. Croydon’s Omilabu was lively in attack, first seeing his strike from the edge of the box well-blocked by the defence and then curling a shot just past the post 10 minutes later. Despite the lack of goals, the hosts were growing into the game and looked confident going forward.

The second half began with Three Bridges winning a free-kick that was well defended by Croydon, who quickly launched a counter-attack, resulting in a dangerous cross that was cleared by the visiting defence. However, the game took a decisive turn in the 77th minute when Three Bridges were awarded a penalty. With no clear equalizer to come, Croydon’s hopes of salvaging a point faded, despite a late rally that saw them push forward in search of a goal.

It was a spirited performance in Millen’s first game at the helm, and Croydon will take positives from their performance, especially in the first half, where they showed attacking promise. Though disappointed by the result, the focus now shifts to next Saturday’s trip to Sittingbourne, where Croydon will look to bounce back and continue their push for the play-off spots.