Recap

Croydon Athletic 4-2 Regents Park Rangers
Match Report – Resilient Comeback Sees Croydon Athletic Continue Perfect Run

Croydon Athletic produced a dramatic second-half turnaround to extend their perfect start to the season with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Regents Park Rangers at home. The game was full of twists and turns, with the hosts showing tremendous resilience to recover from a two-goal deficit and claim all three points.

Athletic started brightly, applying early pressure and looking the more dangerous side in the opening exchanges. However, they were denied an early breakthrough after a promising shout for a penalty was waved away by the referee. Moments later, they had another chance, but a shot from 10 yards out flew narrowly wide.

Against the run of play, it was Regents Park Rangers who took the lead. A deep free-kick into the box took a deflection off a defender’s head, wrongfooting the Athletic goalkeeper and finding the back of the net. Despite the setback, Croydon continued to push forward, and they came close to an equaliser shortly after, but a chance from a similar set-piece opportunity was scuffed wide.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 35th minute in unfortunate circumstances for the home side. A defensive mix-up at the back allowed Rangers’ Maeda to pounce on the loose ball and tap into an unguarded net, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb heading into the break.

However, Croydon’s response in the second half was nothing short of impressive. The team emerged from the dressing room with renewed energy and, just minutes after the restart, they halved the deficit. Forst was the scorer, taking advantage of a well-placed ball to slot a tidy finish past the Rangers keeper.

The momentum continued to shift in Athletic’s favour, and they drew level just after the hour mark. Kabadaki was the heroine, capitalising on a poor touch from the visiting goalkeeper to steal the ball and calmly slot it into the bottom corner, making it 2-2.

From that point on, Croydon were firmly in control, dictating the tempo of the game and pushing Rangers deeper into their half. The pressure finally told in the 75th minute, when Athletic took the lead from a corner. Lawrence showed great composure, controlling a bouncing ball before finding the net through a crowd of bodies, much to the delight of the home crowd.

The comeback was completed in style in the dying moments, as Kabadaki sealed her brace and the victory. A long ball from midfield sent her clear on goal, and after holding off the last defender, she expertly angled her shot past the keeper to spark jubilant celebrations around the ground.

Croydon’s incredible spirit and never-say-die attitude saw them overturn a two-goal deficit to claim all three points and maintain their perfect campaign. A thrilling match, full of drama and quality, saw the team’s resilience rewarded, as they continue to march on at the top of the table.