Lordswood’s season got off to the worst possible start at the Croydon Sports Arena as they lost 5-2. The day did not start well as manager Kevin Phillips got caught in the traffic and as he had the kit, Lordswood had to borrow Croydon’s away kit.

The game started well for Lordswood when in the 2nd minute a cross into the near post saw Danny Barham stab his shot just wide. This seemed to be the wake up call for Croydon as in the 6th minute Ben Yiadom in on goal saw his shot with the outside of his boot pushed around the post by Mirislav Oravec for a corner. From the resulting corner into the area Dave Waters headed in unchallenged. In the 18th minute Yiadom controlled the ball and shot from 25 yards out, but Oravec saved. A minute later Yiadom on the right passed inside to Bronek Dabrowa who turned and shot but Oravec palmed it away. Two minutes later, a corner into the area saw Waters unchallenged again, but he headed over this time. Croydon doubled their lead in the 29th minute when Dabrowa turned in the area and shot home.

The second half started with Rowan Arnott replacing Oravec in goal, and he was called into action straight away as Dabrowa was put through in the area but Arnott blocked his shot. Two minutes later that man Yiadom raced onto a ball but his shot went across the area. Lordswood finally got a lifeline in the 49th minute when Buster Beaney’s free kick into the area was met by Steve Wade and his header squirmed through the Keeper’s hands and into the net. In the very next minute when concentration should be at its highest, Croydon got their two goal advantage back when Yiadom in the area twisted and turned, and saw his low cross stabbed home by Ray Freeman on the far post. In the 56th minute Lordswood had another chance to get back into the game when Stuart Thorley’s corner was met by Tony Ritrovato, but he headed wide. Three minutes later Freeman on the left wing crossed low for Yiadom and his shot was saved by Arnott’s legs for a corner. Croydon increased their lead in the 63rd minute in bizarre circumstances when Wilfred Gnaly saw his cross headed towards his own goal by Ritrovato. Arnott made an instinctive save but unfortunately for him it landed at Gnaly’s feet and he stabbed home. Two minutes later a free kick into the area saw Yiadom’s flying header go just wide of the post. In the 77th minute Lordswood got a goal back in a rare attack when Martin Anderson passed out to Scott Gillman who, from 20 yards, saw his curling shot beat the keeper. In the 79th minute Yiadom was put through into the area but from 8 yards his curling shot went wide of the post. In the 80th minute Croydon added insult to injury when Mark Tompkins, formerly Manager of Erith Town, saw his deflected shot from the edge of the area loop over Arnott into the net.