I thought maybe we had turned a corner after winning at Gravesend. Looks like I was wrong.

It’s a long, long way to Crawley and it’s even further coming back after another poor performance and terrible result. This was the night we finally arrived back in “Non-League”; Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium is not a bad ground, covered on three sides and a long open terrace reminiscent of Hednesford’s Keys Park, but the lights are the worst we’ll see this season – there were large dark patches all over the pitch where they didn’t reach – and we were able to change ends both before kick-off and at half-time.

It was while we were making our way to the far end of the stadium that the night started to go downhill; most of us missed the build-up but turned round just in time to see Daryl Burgess send the ball past John Danby to give the home team the lead. On the back foot already and only three minutes on the clock.

You would have thought that the early setback would have sparked a reaction from Harriers but it was not forthcoming and we only had a couple of shots throughout the first half that never really looked like finding the net. Even though Harriers were rubbish (or stronger words to that effect) Crawley were worse; in the same way that Harriers had gone through the game against Halifax Crawley didn’t manage one until a few minutes from the end when the left winger popped up on the right to score their second goal.

To rub salt into the wounds Harriers couldn’t even keep eleven men on the field as Terry Fleming was sent off late on. You can accept a sending off if the player makes a last ditch “professional foul” or handball to stop a goal and win the game but on this occasion neither circumstance was true. Pratt is a mild description for Fleming who was sent off for two bookable offences – both for dissent.

All in all not a good night and it’s a bloody long way home from there when you’ve lost.

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Right next to the ground at Gravesend you can find The Plough, unfortunately the proximity to the ground is its best feature.

There had been at some point some Real Ale but it was off so all that was on offer was bog-standard rubbish. Not only was it rubbish but it was icy cold, too, so cold in fact that it was almost impossible to hold.

The pub was a grim little building also, so we ended up standing outside on the pavement. The locals wre friendly enough, however, and so there was no problem with us taking over their local.

All I can say is roll on Halifax, York, Morecambe, anywhere in fact!

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After two terrible home defeats it wouldn’t be difficult to improve, so to win at Gravesend for the first time in over 50 years can’t be too bad.

It was a half decent performance, too. Although, again, that wouldn’t have been difficult. At least this time we saw commitment, apllication and hard work and generally good performances all round.

Particularly pleasing to see were the form of Iyseden Christie who bagged his fifth goal in as many games and John Danby who made a string of top-drawer saves. It wasn’t all perfect, though, as later in the game after The Fleet had pulled one back, huge gaps appeared in the heart of midfield and the home team pushed us further and further back. Our lads started to look as though they were scared to make a mistake, and this lack of confidence in themselves actually led to errors creeping in.

Anyway, they managed to hold out against the longest sustained period of pressure any side has put us under so far this season and grabbed three vital and fully dereved points. We just need to build on this now starting at bottom club Crawley on Tuesday night.

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If you were going to pick two home games that you would expect us to win Forest Green and Halifax would be high in your list.

It appeared that the players thought so too and that all they had to do was turn up and the points would be theirs. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that, hard work and commitment are what are needed and both were is short supply in both games this week.

“Fortress Aggborough” stood firm for just three games, then, before the walls came crashing down. I have still yet to see us go through a season undefeated at home.

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The plan for Grays had always been the same: go in the social club at the ground.

Grays is the only club in the Conference whose social club is in the Good Beer guide so we knew straight away that that was where we were going, which saved us plenty of time walking.

A nice little club that overlooks the pitch was staffed by friendly locals and we were made to feel very welcome. There ws a good selection of beeres and they even had one named after the team, although rather disappointingly they only had Strongbow for the cider drinker in the party (ie me!).

Unfortunately it’s against the law to serve and consume alcohol within site of the pitch during a game so we had to go outside and back into the ground otherwise we would have stayed there all afternoon.

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