sladevsport170404

Slade Green bring curtain down on miserable season in emphatic style

Green halt nine match losing streak with comfortable win over basement boys

Slade Green 4-1 Sporting Bengal
Go Travel Kent League Premier Division
Saturday 17 April 2004
Robert Smith reports from The Small Glen


SLADE GREEN brought down the curtain on a miserable season by easing to a 4-1 victory over Sporting Bengal at The Small Glen on Saturday. 

The result halted a nine match losing streak for Green and also signalled the end of a 14 match run without a win for Phil Miles’ side. 

They opened the scoring on 12 minutes through Mark Sabatino whose cross cum shot glided past three defenders and although the unmarked Shaun Malyon failed to connect with the loose the ball, keeper Shanimu Zaman slipped to leave the ball nestling in the back of the net. 

Dean Corrigan should have doubled Green’s lead on 21 minutes following Mark Barton’s cross but failed to connect with the ball with an attempted header, meanwhile Malyon was thwarted a certain goal by the feet of the keeper having cut out a misplaced clearance from a Bengal defender. 

Bengal’s first scoring opportunity arose 3 minutes before the interval when Abdul Goffar's squared pass picked out Sana Miah who fired over the Green bar. 

Seconds later Green increased their lead.  Terry Hodgkinson let fly with a stunning 30 yard firecracker that crashed back off the cross-bar, and with Shaun Malyon poking the ball goalbound, Corrigan ensured it crossed the line with his head to make up for his earlier miss. 

The visitors began the second half well and following a good turn from MD Saim Uddin, Shazzaur Rahman’s strike lacked the power to properly trouble Green keeper Sam Mills. 

With 10 minutes of the second half played Green made it 3-0.  A beautifully placed free kick from Sabatino towards the far post was elegantly headed home by Billy Bond a half time substitute for the injured Hodgkinson.

Within 4 minutes Bengal were given a lifeline Green’s failure to pick up their runners resulted in a neat one two leaving Abdul Ahmed to unleash a shot that took a deflection and fly before the reach of keeper Mills. 

Bengal were grateful to their keeper Zaman on 65 minutes whose feet once again denied Malyon following neat play between himself and Bond.

It was the outstanding Malyon who laid the foundations for Green fourth goal in the 71st minute as his pass found Paul McCarthy and although the keeper was able to get his hands to the ball it slipped away from his grasp to leave Scott Lewis with a simple tap in. 

Zaman again proved to be a thorn in the side of Malyon this time parrying his attempt on goal after the Green striker had been set up by McCarthy.

Zaman again came to the fore in the closing stages as he denied Scott Lewis a second goal blocking his header following Joe Frimpong’s centred ball. 

The game saw Lee Barber return to the side, this despite flying in to Heathrow at 10.30 that morning from Chicago in a journey that involved a six hour train ride, a four hour wait in Chicago and a seven hour flight and still he was at his very best none more so that 15 minutes from time when his vital headed clearance prevented a genuine goalscoirng chance provided from David Martin’s deep cross.


Slade Green:  Mills, Clark (Morgan), Sabatino, Barber, Miles, McCarthy, Hodgkinson (Bond), Barton, Malyon, Corrigan (Frimpong), Lewis.