Crookham Rovers U23s marked their first-ever game with a spirited 3-3 draw against Fleet Spurs Sunday in a pre-season friendly at Cody Sports & Social Club. The newly formed U23 side showed determination to come from behind and secure a late equaliser.
Harry Barber opened the scoring for Crookham Rovers, setting the tone for a competitive match. Fleet Spurs pulled one back to make it 1-1 at half-time.
Early in the second half, Rovers' Jamie Lavender added a second goal, with a far-post header from a Crookham Rovers' corner.
Fleet Spurs then equalised before taking the lead with a third goal, and it looked like Rovers were heading for defeat. However, debutant, Ibrahim Yetik, scored a dramatic late equaliser from inside the box to ensure the game ended all square at 3-3.
Reflecting on the team's debut performance, Rovers' coach Andrew Barber said, "I'm proud of the lads for their resilience and fightback. Tonight was the first time some of them had met each other, let alone played together! To have gelled together so easily in the first game and come back like we did shows great character and promise for the season ahead."
The U23s will look to build on this promising start as they prepare for the upcoming season in the Aldershot & District Football League.