Crowborough Athletic 3-2 Punjab United - I don't think the club can expect promotion again or play-offs because we don't pay a lot of money, says midtable aiming Crowborough Athletic boss Sean Muggeridge

Crowborough Athletic 3 – 2 Punjab United
Location	Crowborough Community Stadium, Fermor Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 3BU
Kickoff	05/08/2025 19:45

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC  3-2  PUNJAB UNITED
The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 5 August 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Alderbrook

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC manager Sean Muggeridge says you have to saviour these nights in The FA Cup after reaching the Preliminary Round for the second successive season.
 

Chipie Sian’s side were 2-0 up inside the opening 24 minutes in Gravesend at the weekend before newly-promoted Crowborough Athletic forced a replay and they booked a home tie against their new Isthmian League South East Division rivals Deal Town on Saturday 16 August after winning only their third FA Cup tie in 13 attempts over the past eight years.

Steve King’s side were also 2-0 down going into the 90^th minute at minnows Hilltop at the weekend before scoring two last-gasp goals and they also took advantage of being at home, finishing off the job with a 4-1 replay win on the Kent coast.

Crowborough Athletic striker Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle drilled in an opening goal after only 180 seconds before Punjab United were gifted an equaliser through winger Alfie Moynes.

The Crows took just 82 seconds to score in the second half through attacking midfielder Harry Forster before Punjab United restored parity for a second time through a clinical finish from striker Roman Campbell, 25.

Crowborough Athletic ran out deserved winners, courtesy of a close-range header from central midfielder Alfie Lambden, as all five goalscorers opened their accounts for the new season, as Punjab United have now lost half of their 12 FA Cup ties since making their debut in 2019, losing to a single goal in a televised clash against Broadbridge Heath.

“Both games were very, very stressful, is what I can say,” revealed Muggeridge.

“Today’s game, I think we could’ve been more up in the first half.  They’re very, very good at set-pieces, which we knew they were and I think we actually defended as a team brilliantly.

“To take a team and limit a team to chances with their set-pieces, I thought was tremendous. We could’ve been a bit more clinical but I think overall we were the better side tonight.

“I’m great friends with Punjab, they’ve got very, very good coaches, very good behind the scenes and it’s nice to see them again but obviously you want to win. I think over both games, I do think we deserved to win on both games.”

Punjab United assistant manager Jason Powell said: “Tough night.  I think we played well.  I thought both teams matched each other. I didn’t think we were out played at any time.  I thought they were just better at set-pieces and conceded three goals because of that.  We just lost our markers, corners and that’s unlike us really.

“When you come and play a Step Four side – we’re Step Five – we’re progressing every season and I think we’ve held our own to be honest.

“I think at the end there we were playing five up front, so we threw the kitchen sink at them and fair play to them, they held out and I wish them all the best.

“You can see how well we’ve played, we’ve been clapped off and that doesn’t happen often in football and that’s great to be clapped off like that.  All my boys can go home tonight with their head held high and me and Chipie are proud of them.

“We’ve given a game over two games. To be fair, the first game we should’ve won and we should’ve lost and tonight, exactly the same. If we come away with a draw, again no one could say it wasn’t (deserved).  I thought we’ve held our own against them all night.”

Crowborough Athletic got off to a dream start, as Punjab United centre-half Jack Barry switched off at a quickly taken free-kick.

Right-back Jack Mayhew’s quickly taken right-footed free-kick was played in behind Barry and Samuel-Smirkle – who scored 24 goals to help the club win promotion via the Southern Combination League Premier Division play-offs – clinically drilled his right-footed shot past the keeper from 15-yards.

“We’ve been working on that (laughed Muggeridge).  It was not down to us. Jack did it on his own accord. We do actually tell them to play quickly. We scored so many goals by doing that last season, so I always tell them to do it but I didn’t tell them to do it tonight, so it was a great finish from Rush, a great finish.

“He’s scored a couple in pre-season. We have been working on him on his finishing, so it was pleasing that he’s took it.  Natural goalscorers just score goals, they don’t even think about it and I think that’s what he did tonight – he just hit it in the back of the net.”

Powell admitted: “Obviously we switched off.  We thought we was going long and that’s probably the levels that they’re at.  They’re at Step Four and we’re Step Five.  Just that little bit of clinical finishing in that area so fair play, he took it well.”

As expected, Punjab United were a threat from set-pieces and left-back Stephen Ratcliff launched the first of five long throws into the Crowborough box.

The ball was flicked on by the towering Roman Campbell at the near post and dropped at centre-half Robert Curtis, who stabbed a deflected shot across the keeper and past the foot of the far post.

Crowborough Athletic’s left-back Harry Reed played Samuel-Smirkle charging down the line before left-winger Tom Pearson cut inside and looped the ball into Owen Bushell’s midriff from outside the corner of the penalty box.

Dominant Crowborough Athletic should have doubled their lead with only eight minutes and 33 seconds on the clock.

Pearson was inside his own half and volleyed his clearance upfield and it flew in behind Jordan Campbell to release Forster, who latched onto the long ball and dragged his right-footed shot across Owen Bushell and flashed past the far post.

“At the end of the day, you always ask our players to hit the target.  Fozzie is a tremendous striker of the ball. He’s probably should’ve done better with that. I think on another day he’ll put it in the bottom or top corner,” added Muggeridge.

Owen Bushell flew to his right to push aside Marcus Goldsmith’s drilled angled drive as the home side looked to press home their advantage.

However, Punjab United were gifted their equaliser when it arrived with 16 minutes and 12 seconds on the clock.

Roman Campbell hooked the ball forward and Crowborough goalkeeper Charlie Holmwood rushed towards the edge of his penalty area and failed to gather the ball as right-back Mayhew knocked the ball back with his head.

Moynes accepted the gift, nipped in and intercepted the ball and swept his right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner of an empty goal to convert from 16-yards.

“Well, you’ve got to gamble haven’t you and try to win your flick-obs.  I don’t know what happened. They’ll probably look at the veo and probably be quite surprised that he has gone through and scored like that,” said Powell.

“Listen, I’m proud of the boys tonight, I am and Chippie would be. Sometimes it is meant to be and sometimes it ain’t.”

Muggeridge added: “I’ll have to look at the veo because you never blame anyone. The two just got mixed up.  I don’t know, Charlie should’ve stayed in goal, Jack should’ve headed it back or Charlie should’ve dealt with it in the first place. I’ll have a look at the veo but I think it’s a great credit to them two how well they played afterwards.  To make mistakes like that and to come back – Charlie’s only a young goalkeeper. They way he dealt with things after that was brilliant and Jack, it won’t bother him anyway.”

Punjab United then controlled the game as it took the home side quite a long time to get the manner of the equaliser out of their system.

“I did (think we controlled the game then) as well but that’s football isn’t it.  We’ve given them a game and I think they know, you can tell by the way we was clapped off,” added Powell.

Muggeridge added: “They came on top. To be fair there’s different kinds of being on top. There’s teams playing around you, football, they didn’t do that but they took control of the game because they’re very experienced players on there and they were going for free-kicks, corners and throw-ins and they’ve very good at that and they’re very good at what they do and I think that’s how they controlled it.”

Crowborough centre-half William Puffett fouled Punjab winger William Johnson-Cole and holding midfielder Arun Suman swung the ball in and Roman Campbell got in front of his marker to nod the ball past the near-post.

Moynes hit a speculative right-footed drive harmlessly wide of the near-post from 35-yards, as Punjab United continued to control the game.

Muggeridge revealed that holding midfielder Josh Turner hobbled off with an ankle ligament injury, while Mayhew suffered a slight hamstring injury, while Punjab United’s players came out of their FA Cup exit unscathed.

Punjab United were to be denied six minutes before the break, courtesy off a free-kick from the half-way line.

Right-back Wayne Bushell drilled his right-footed free-kick into the box and the threatening Roman Campbell hooked his shot towards goal from six-yards and goalkeeper Charlie Holmwood made emends and spread himself well to make a vital block.

“He did make a good save, yes. Roman’s very dangerous in those situations and we work on those sort of set-pieces and things like that,” added Powell.

Muggeridge added: “I think that Roman is an absolute handful and we’ve done really well against him and it was a good save from Charlie.”

Forster floated a free-kick into the Punjab United box where Puffette rose above Barry to knock his header towards the roof of the net, plucked comfortably out of the air by Owen Bushell’s raised arms.

“He didn’t get any power on it, that was the problem,” admitted Muggeridge.

“I think the cross didn’t help. I think it was good that he won the header but I don’t think there was no power on it and it was right at him as well, so it was never going to beat him.  Either side it would’ve beaten him but I don’t think there was much power in the cross or the header.”

Both manager’s were asked their thoughts going into the interval at Alderbrook.

Muggeridge said: “As a manager you can rant and rave, rant and rave. I think if you do it all of the time it loses its impact. If you do it now and again, when you should do, when the players’ are not working hard enough, then I do go mad a little bit but I think this group of lads are honest enough and I don’t think it’s anything not to do with them not working hard.

“That mistake, like you said, I think it just threw them back a little bit but I think we were dominant.  I think we could’ve been two or three up to be fair and the goal they scored, I think we gave them really, so there was not much I could really have a go at them about at half-time.

“I said ‘look, you were 2-0 down at half-time on Saturday, it’s one-all now, let’s get that mistake out of you and just go for it!”

Powell added: “just do the same really. It’s a tough night to come to Crowborough, it’s a tough night.

“These will probably be midtable, I would’ve thought next season. I think they’ll hold their own in the Isthmian League.

“I’ve been Isthmian League two or three times – I was assistant manager at VCD Athletic – it’s a tough league. There’s no weak teams in that league so they’re big and strong. They play Steve Smith at the back, who’s very good in the air, plays with his heart on his sleeve so they’ll do ok, do you know what I mean?”

Crowborough Athletic produced a well-worked move to take the lead for the second time, 88 seconds into the second half, courtesy of some calm playing out from defence by striker-turned-centre-half Stephen Smith.

Smith kept composed as he played the ball out before drilling a long ball forward to release Goldsmith down the right, who poked the ball past Ratcliff, before sprinting past him outside the box before putting in a great cross towards the far post.

Forster – who scored 26 goals last season – hooked his left-footed volley looping over the keeper, who got a touch to the ball but it dropped in over the man on the line (Curtis).

“If you watched Smithie, what he was doing tonight, coming out of the backline – he’s just an absolute handful when he does that, as long as he’s covered behind,” said Muggeridge.

“Fozzie does that all day long, it was a good cross, I can’t remember too much about it. Didn’t the keeper save it or flick it or something? Fozzie sort of volleyed it and the guy tried to stop it on the line.

“Sometimes with us they go over the bar or hit the bar. I think it was just a tremendous goal. Steve done it, Marcus crossed it and Fozzie put the finishing touches to it.”

Muggeridge was full of praise for Smith’s contribution at both ends of the pitch.

“Steve manages his games. He came on Saturday. We were worried that he couldn’t play on Saturday because of his ankle but he said ‘he’ll play’ and we strapped it up and he came on and changed the game on Saturday and he’s done the same again today.

“You can’t keep getting him man-of-the-match because it’s what he does. He just wins every header. I don’t think opposing teams like him, which is good. I wouldn’t want him against me, that’s for sure.

“I don’t think people realise how good he is on the floor as well.  The passing for the second goal and his shooting is tremendous. He scored on Saturday with his head. He could’ve scored a couple tonight. It’s just his all-round game and he’s very good with youngsters and very good with the team in the changing room. He’s very position and I can’t say anything bad about the boy really.”

Powell said: “Poor defending really but at that stage we’re sort of chasing the game a little bit, I think in certain areas.  Not playing percentages. Sometimes when you’re not concentrating, you lack in defensive abilities sometimes.  I thought Rob (Curtis) was outstanding tonight, Rob and Jack (Barry).”

The Crows then created a couple of chances to increase their lead when Pearson reached the by-line before cutting the ball back for Reed (now playing in a holding midfield role) to stab his shot straight at the visiting goalkeeper.

Forster then whipped in a great cross from the right towards the penalty spot where Pearson dinked his right-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post.

“The first one and Reedy, I’m not, how can I say it politely? He’s not a goalscorer! He could’ve controlled it, he could’ve hit it. I think it just bobbled off his shin and went to the keeper.

“It was coming, we could’ve won more comfortably than we did really,” admitted the Crowborough boss.

Punjab United showed great character to restore parity for a second time with seven minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

Right-back Wayne Bushell launched a long ball forward straight down the middle of the pitch to put Roman Campbell through on goal and he clinically placed his right-footed drive into the bottom left-hand corner to add to the 17 goals that he scored for the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division play-off semi-finalists.

“Roman’s scored a good goal and brought us back to 2-2 and then I thought it was tit-for-tat for probably 30 minutes in the second half,” said Powell.

“It was a good move but Roman in front of goal is going to score you….He hasn’t done much training as such, we’ve got to monitor his knee a little bit but he’ll get you goals, he’s a prolific goalscorer in front of goal. Eight times out of 10, he’s going to score.”

Muggeridge said: “That’s what’s good veo is about because it looked like a terrible mistake from us really. I think we missed a header. I think it was flicked back by one of our players, we flicked it on and it went straight through the middle and Roman sort of put it in the goal.

“It looked like a terrible goal to concede from us but he will put the ball in the back of the net if you give him a chance.

“They (were clinical like that on Saturday). One was a set-piece and one was a good finish from their winger (Johnson-Cole) and that was probably the only two chances they had on Saturday and tonight it was more through crosses and throw-ins and all that lot and they didn’t really open us up and they didn’t really have a lot tonight.

“I don’t think and that’s not me being disrespectful to them because they are a good side. I think they’re very good at what they do and I think as a team we defended superbly tonight against a good side.”

Crowborough Athletic sealed the deal, however, scoring following their fourth of six corners, timed at 20 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock.

Forster swung in a sublime corner from the left towards the back post and it was on a plate for Lambden to bury his header into the bottom right-hand corner from close range.

“They kept putting it on our keeper on corners and I was just mucking around saying ‘put it on their keeper’ and they did,” said Muggeridge.

“Alfie’s very, very good in the air. I mean people don’t realise how good he is in the air. He looks quite gangly and he’s quite tall as well. He does win a lot of headers in midfield. He’s had two tremendous games by the way. I mean he’s only 19-20 and he’s got a massive future.”

Powell admitted: “Hard to defend them when those balls come in like that. You either concede a goal or the goalkeeper tries to hook it over, so they’re very, very hard to defend against.”

Owen Bushell dived to his left to keep out Smith’s drilled right-footed free-kick from 30-yards and Samuel Girt’s offside flag was raised by the time that Aaron Hopkinson tried to convert the rebound.

Lambden released substitute Hopkinson down the right and his whipped in cross was beaten away by Owen Bushell and Samuel-Smirkle controlled the ball at the far post before hitting his right-footed half-volley over the crossbar.

Powell threw on 41-year-old striker Paul Vines in the 86^th minute and they threw the kitchen sink at their hosts towards the end of the tie as FA Cup glory has evaded Gravesend’s second club.

Roman Campbell drove a poor right-footed free-kick harmlessly wide of the goal from 35-yards but he had a glorious chance to force extra time (47:36).

Wayne Bushell launched a long diagonal into the box, the ball was knocked clear and fell at Roman Campbell, whose left-footed half-volley trickled towards the bottom far corner, only for Holmwood to dive to his right and gather at the second attempt.

“We stuck Vinsey on, he hasn’t done no pre-season whatsoever – he’s getting on, stuck him on.  We threw everything at them and we’ve come unstuck,” admitted Powell.

“Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t, so it ain’t meant to be tonight – but we go again.”

Muggeridge said: “I mean we have to learn as a team because we had quite a lot of youngsters on at the end. I think we have to learn when you’re in those positions, you don’t give set-pieces away, you don’t even give free-kicks in their half.  You just got to get it into their corner, get a throw on and get it in their and take some pressure off us but we just continue try to score another goal, continue to try to play and sometimes it’s own downfall and we’ve got to learn a bit more than that.  We had opportunities tonight when we had three-on-one at one point, when we really don’t make anything off it and we should’ve either gone in the corner or scored a goal – but we didn’t do either.

“I think you reminded me earlier, we don’t really always have FA Cup runs because I don’t really prioritise them – not go and win them – but I think Saturday’s more important than tonight coming up. It’s lovely to have a Cup run. We’re not going to win it. We’re not going to get anywhere near the first round proper or anything like that, I would’ve thought.

“The money’s nice (Crowborough Athletic scoop £1,125, Punjab £375 in sponsors’ prize money). I think these nights you have just to savour in the FA Cup because it’s a tournament that you’re never going to win.

“I think tonight we showed the character. It showed that we’ve got a bit of hardness about us as well.  Two or three years ago we might’ve drawn or lost that to be fair.”

Looking ahead to the visit of Deal Town in the next round, Muggeridge said: “I know the manager Steve King. He’s a very good manager, a very good team, very good friends of mine and it would be nice to see them come up here. I know we’re going to be in a real battle because they’ve got everything in that side. They’ve got pace, power , they’ve got people who can finish and they can defend.  They’ve got a good all-round team and a good set-up.

“It will be nice to see them. It will be nice to beat them but it’s going to be very difficult.

“We’re going to give it a go like we normally do but I think I’d prefer Hilltop, if I’ll be honest with you because I knew as soon as Deal scored those late goals on Saturday, they’d win tonight because we were the same on Saturday we were 2-0 down and sometimes in a first competitive game it takes a while to get going. It will be a good game and winning tonight makes sure we’ve got a game on that Saturday.

“Deal have got every chance and so have we, so it’s going to be a good tie.”

Sian is expected to be back from his summer holiday for the home league game against Larkfield & New Hythe on Saturday, having opened their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division campaign with a 2-1 defeat at title-favourites Whitstable Town.

Punjab United are in fourteenth-place in the pecking order after one league outing, while Fraser Walker and Tony Reid’s men sit in tenth following their opening 1-1 home draw against Erith & Belvedere.

“We’ve had a difficult start.  We played Whitstable last Saturday, they’re probably favourites to get promoted. I think we held our own against them, narrowly getting beat 2-1,” reflected Powell, who drafts Kyden Lewin Thomas back in the squad at the weekend.

“We played these on Saturday and we drew two-all and to be fair tonight, I think a draw, no-one would’ve been saying anything if it was three-all, four-four, five-five, that’s how that game went tonight.  Sometimes it got sloppy, sometimes it didn’t.

“I don’t know much about Larkfield. We’re going to get together on Thursday night, re-group, do a stretching session, go over a bit of pattern of play and then we’ll go again on Saturday.”

Punjab United finished in fifth-place last season and lost 2-0 to VCD Athletic in the Play-Off Semi-Finals last season and Powell was asked what his aspirations are this time around.

“Just to compete, that’s all we want to do.  We don’t pretend to be anything what we aint. We’re an Asian football team, community based. We’re building from the ground upwards.  Chipie’s done a great job.  I support him in everything he does.

“If we can compete every week, that’s our job. We’re happy about that. If we finish top 10, we finish top 10.  If we finish top four, we finish top four and whoever we play, we give everything, as you can see tonight.

“Like I said to them, they’ve given everything and as you can probably tell, they did give everything.  I’ll be disappointed if I thought we lost on us playing poorly but I don’t think we did, so they can’t ask for no more than that.

“Like I said on Saturday, we should’ve won it and we should’ve lost it and it was probably the same tonight. We could’ve won it but we lost it, so that’s the level sometimes in football.”

Crowborough Athletic kick-off their Isthmian League return with a trip to Broadbridge Heath on Saturday, before hosting fellow promoted side Hassocks here next Tuesday night.

The Sussex outfit have played at this level once before, finishing bottom during the 2008-09 season, winning four, drawing four and losing 34 of their league outings as they found that campaign extremely tough.

Muggeridge who was without his son Henry (not registered in time) and holding midfielder Connor Pring (holiday) tonight, left one-club man Tom Boddy on the bench as the centre-half missed most of pre-season through family reasons.

Muggeridge revealed he is working with the lowest playing budget in the ninth-tier division this season.

“I don’t know much about them. I think it will be a free hit. They were probably here tonight, maybe to watch us, so they’ll know a bit about us.

“Saturday is going to be very tough for us because they’re at home and it’s their first game of the season, so it’s going to be very tough, they’re all going to be.

“Did you see the Isthmian League table predictor? We’re bottom. We’re absolute rock bottom, so I’ll let everyone judge whether we’re going to be.

“I’m 100% so happy that’s come out like that. Sittingbourne were top, Hastings second and third were Margate who get promoted via the play-offs. We’re bottom, which is fantastic for us because I’ve shown the players that, so that’s motivation.

“It’s going to be very difficult. I really don’t know until we get going, what’s it going to be. I’m hoping to be midtable, top half.

“I understand the teams that have gone up, they have struggled like Lancing have gone back down (after two seasons), Phoenix went (straight) back down as well, Steyning went straight back down, so the three teams that have went up, have gone straight back down, so it’s going to be difficult, we know that, especially with the lowest budget, probably going to be the lowest budget in the league, so it’s going to be difficult for us.

“But I think we’re going to get through games with that togetherness as you saw tonight.  I can’t really predict how we’re going to be finish but I’m hoping midtable.”

Muggeridge knows he has to make Crowborough  – a 20-30 minute drive away from Tunbridge Wells - a tough place for teams to come to this season if they are to exceed expectations and beat the drop at the end of this season.

Muggeridge said: “You’ve got the benefits of locations like that with people having to travel all the time to you but you’ve also got the negatives you can’t get any players in because of the budget you’ve got.  They won’t come here.  We had four trialists that came in that were very, very good, very decent but we just couldn’t match what they wanted, so we’ve got local players so we have to use this as a fortress and make it a fortress because we have to win a lot of home games if we want to do anything in this league.

“Forty three points would be nice. It’s really hard as a manager not to say too high or two low because if you say too high it looks like you’re over-confident. If you say too low it looks like you’re negative but I think realistically 50 points would be a great return for the first time in the Isthmian League in 16 years.

“I don’t think the club can expect promotion again next year or play-offs. They can’t really be because we all know what we are as a club. We don’t pay a lot of money. All we put on the pitch is generated from the club, which they work hard and I think that makes it a special club because they’ve got a manager that’s been here for a while and they’re all working behind the scenes to put the team on the pitch like we did tonight.

“I don’t think there’s any expectation from the club. Whatever we do next season is going to be a bonus and I think they’re all excited that we’re going to e play different teams in different stadiums and just giving it a go really.

“If we go down we go down. We know we’re going to have the same sort of players if we go down to try it again – but I’m not talking about going down anyway.”

Crowborough Athletic: Charlie Holmwood, Jack Mayhew (Aaron Hopkinson 57), Harry Reed, Josh Turner (Mohamed Zabadne 34), Stephen Smith, William Puffette, Tom Pearson (Leo Vowles 64), Alfie Lambden, Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle, Harry Forster (Harry London 81), Marcus Goldsmith.
Subs: Tom Boddy, Harvey Killick, Harrison Mayhew

Goals: Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle 4, Harry Forster 47, Alfie Lambden 66

Booked: Stephen Smith 45, Harry Reed 86, William Puffette 90, Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle 90

Punjab United: Owen Bushell, Wayne Bushell, Stephen Ratcliff, Arun Suman (Harnak Cheema 70), Robert Curtis (Paul Vines 86), Jack Barry, Alfie Moynes (Ethan Okechukwu 70), Jordan Campbell (Hudson Scudder 90), Roman Campbell, Terlochan Singh, William Johnson-Cole.
Subs: Lee Kidman, Louie Belsham

Goals: Alfie Moynes 17, Roman Campbell 53

Booked: Arun Suman 31

Attendance: 210
Referee: Mr Matthew Pollington
Assistants: Mr Samuel Girt & Mr William Levett