Lewes take heart from defeat (From The Argus)

Lewes take heart from defeat

6:14pm Saturday 2nd August 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Lewes 0, Havant and Waterlooville 1.

Lewes completed their pre-season with a good run-out in a 1-0 defeat at home to Havant and Waterlooville.

The only goal of the game was a fortunate effort from former Lewes defender Ian Simpemba on 66 minutes.

Brett Poate floated a ball into the penalty area which Lewes goalkeeper Dean Ruddy punched straight on to the head of Simpemba and back into the net.

Despite the scoreline, Lewes could take positives from the game, most notably the performance of James Fraser, who was making his debut after signing on loan from Bristol Rovers.

Fraser was at the heart of Lewes’s best moments. He curled a free-kick past the far post on 52 minutes, then saw his shot touched round a post for a corner after the move of the match involving Shabazz Baidoo and Scott Taylor on the hour mark.

Another lung-bursting run from midfield ended with appeals for a penalty on 62 minutes following a challenge by Jay Conroy inside the area and Fraser also picked out Taylor with an astute pass 19 minutes from time only for goalkeeper Kevin Scriven to make another good save.

In the first half Matt Geard and Anthony Barness went close from long-range efforts while Rocky Baptiste wasted Havant’s best opportunity.

As well as a first outing for Fraser, Lewes gave a bow to trialist Baidoo, the former Queens Park Rangers striker who came on at half-time.

Havant included three players from the Rooks’ title-winning squad of last season – Simpemba, Gary Holloway and Conroy.

Manager Kevin Keehan used 19 players and will take heart from the performance just a week before the Blue Square premier opener away to Kidderminster.

Lewes: Banks (sub Ruddy 46), Barness, Wallis-Tayler, Cullip, Richards (sub Elliott 75), Breach (sub Graves 73), Standing (sub Cox 82), Keehan (sub Davis 82), Fraser (sub Rowland 73), Taylor (sub Fenelon 75), Geard (sub Baidoo 46). Sub not used: Lyons.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)