Erith & Belvedere 4-2 Glebe - Right now we're the side that everyone wants to beat, says record-breaking Erith & Belvedere coach Mike Parker

Erith & Belvedere 4 – 2 Glebe
Location	Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY
Kickoff	04/10/2022 19:45

ERITH & BELVEDERE  4-2  GLEBE
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 4 October 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH & BELVEDERE head coach Mike Parker says his side are the team to beat after breaking a club record of winning all of their first nine league games to move seven points clear of Deal Town at the summit of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table.
 

Tony Beckingham has been handed a big budget to seal promotion into the Isthmian League at the end of the season and smashed a club record after the class of 1928-29 won their first eight league games.

The early pacesetters raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 30 minutes tonight with striker Danny Lear taking his goalscoring tally to five for the season, but Chislehurst-based side Glebe snatched two goals just before the break to restore parity.

Talisman striker Jamie Philpott – just two players who stayed at Foxbury Avenue after finishing in third-place behind promoted pair Sheppey United and Chatham Town – notched his ninth goal of the season, before Margate loanee Harvey Smith headed in from a corner.

However, Erith & Belvedere scored twice in the second half through former Welling United centre-half Rob Strachan and substitute winger Bradley Ryan, leaving Glebe in fifth-place in the table with 15 points from 11 games.

“If I’m being honest, I’ll definitely say that Glebe are the best side that we’ve played against, they play a very clear identity of football as Luke Rooney highlighted in his interview,” said former Holmesdale coach Parker.

“I think we started the game really well.  We had an excellent warm-up. We get an early goal and it takes the pressure off us a little bit. We get the second goal and they’re playing some good football and we take a little while to figure it out and change shape a little bit and then we let them back into the game.

“They scored two goals right before half time and anyone knows in football it’s the wrong time to concede and we’re under pressure a little bit.  The boys were deflated at half-time.

“There were two very different styles that were playing tonight but at the end of the day you play the team in front of you, exploit weaknesses.”

When asked about the record breaking achievement set by the class of 2022, Parker replied: “We all kept that pretty quiet from the boys because we just didn’t want to put that on the game tonight.

“It’s a tough old game.  If you want to get the ninth one from a side who are pipped to be up there at the start of the season, who are still in the mix for the top of the table.

“Tony Beckingham, assistant managers Tony Cornwell and Andy Constable have put together a top side over the summer giving me all the tools to work with so credit to those guys.”

Glebe manager Luke Rooney, who revealed he is working with a lower budget than the club paid out last season, said: “It was quite fine margins really as everyone knows the game at whatever level of football you play, it’s fine margins.

“I think both teams had quite good chances in the game. I just felt like they took advantage of their spells more than we did.  They scored right at the end of their spell to go 3-2 and I think it was an enjoyable game, a bit of a clash of styles and I just felt fine margins is probably the best way I can describe it because I think both teams had really good chances.”

Glebe arrived at Park View Road on the back of three wins on the spin against K Sports (3-1), Tunbridge Wells (3-1) and Welling Town (2-0) and could have opened the scoring after only 13 seconds.

Left-back Teddy Green hit a long diagonal ball out of defence towards the edge of the penalty area where winger Harry Gamble threaded the ball through to Philpot, who hit a first time shot flashing just past the foot of the near post from 16-yards.

Parker said: “It was a nice move. I know Harry Gamble fairly well, worked with him at Holmesdale during our time in Division One.  He grinds out performances and Philpot’s a top player. He was last year and he is again today.

“We said going forward, they will be the best team you’ll probably defend against and they showed, they made it hard for us tonight.”

However, Erith & Belvedere opened the scoring with only two minutes and 57 seconds on the clock.

Impressive right-winger Tyrell Richardson-Brown cut in from the right and his low drilled shot was blocked by the legs of former Gillingham goalkeeper Tom Crump.

However, the ball looped up and Lear steered his header into the bottom far corner of an open goal from six-yards to give Erith & Belvedere the start they craved.

“It pops up and whose in the box? Danny Lear. Danny Lear is an absolute top player,” said Parker.

“We were so lucky to get him on loan from (Isthmian League South East Division side) Sevenoaks Town this season and he’s been a big difference.

“Danny works so hard, he’s a players’ dream because he can make anything look like it’s a good ball and he grafts out a chance and he wins a lot in the air. I’m not surprised he scored.”

Rooney added: “It’s disappointing to concede a goal that early. I had it down as three minutes as well, because I feel like we’ve given them a head start there.

“Listen, from our point of view, I think we can do better.  I think we can get higher and tighter on Danny Lear to begin with before it gets rolled down the side. Then in fairness Tom stands up and makes a decent save.

“I played with Danny here last year and he’s a hell of a talent. It does seem like it can’t be luck that everything seems to just fall at him at the right time, not even just that one but in terms of the game.  He just picks up so many second balls and it seems to fall to him.

“Listen, he’s a top kid and a top player, who for me, like others at this level, he’s playing well below his level. I was really shocked they managed to get him and fair play to him, they’ll take some catching if they keep Danny.”

Glebe squandered a glorious chance to level proceedings in the 18^th minute, however.

Centre-half George Snelling played a pass along the deck into a deep Smith, who outmuscled George Monger in midfield, before putting Philpot  through on goal with a fine low pass.

Philpot’s right-footed shot was pushed away by goalkeeper Adam Molloy, smothering the ball low to his left and Smith lacked composure and lashed his first-time drive over the crossbar from 10-yards.

Rooney said: “Another chance! We’ve had so many chances and I can’t remember them all too clearly but I just felt – I’ll have to go back through it and break it down – I feel like we probably had the better chances.”

Parker added: “It’s a massive save in a crucial moment in the game as well.  We switched off, they get in.  Adam Molloy has played at big clubs, obviously won the league at Sheppey last year and he’s come out big there, an excellent shot-stopper in between the sticks and he saved our skin.”

Crump was called into action when a poor headed clearance from defender Tom Hever – after Strachan’s long ball out of the homes side’s defence – resulted in former Holmesdale striker Nathan Palmer cutting inside and unleashing a right-footed drive towards the far corner, which was pushed away by the 18-year old stopper.

“Nathan Palmer is another player who has been on fire this season and he’s been scoring goals for fun and he’s a top player,” said Parker.

“I worked with him at Holmesdale and he was a top player there and he still is a top player and he’s now surrounded by big personalities and other big players and he’s shining.  These are the sort of matches that you want Nathan Palmer in and he was excellent again tonight.”

Rooney said: “It was a decent save. It bounced up at quite a nice height for him.

“Tom’s a young keeper, 18 going on 48, he’s a fantastic young man. He’s come out of Gillingham in the summer, he got released at pro decision time. He was a little bit unlucky, he actually went on to some other clubs and was close to getting something.

“He’s come in for the last four games and he’s been excellent and I think he’s got a bright future in the game.”

Erith & Belvedere, who were the more direct of the two sides, doubled their lead with a clinical finish, with 29 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

Snelling gifted the ball away within his defensive third to Nathan Palmer, who slotted the ball through to Lear, who picked his spot inside the bottom left-hand corner from 12-yards, before Hever slid in to make a last-ditch block.

“I credit the gaffer. We had to do something about their four, they kept playing through so we dropped Nathan Palmer into the 10 and he’s won the ball back and he’s threaded Danny Lear, who I thought he was excellent again tonight.  He just does what Danny Lear does,” said Parker.

“It was good for Danny because he’s been in a bit of a drought for the last couple of games, he’s been struggling with a bit of confidence since he missed a penalty down here but good for the kid, he’s scored two and probably should’ve had a hat-trick.”

Rooney couldn’t praise Lear highly enough, adding, “I’ll probably get fed up talking about Dan and wax lyrical about him but I think that one, it looked like a fantastic pass but I don’t think it was.  It falls to the main man and listen, he’s finishing, it will probably be the story of your article but for me the kid is dynamite.  I know him myself, obviously just starting out on my coaching career if I was joining a higher club he’ll be one (I would sign).

“He’s probably playing at least two, maybe three, maybe four divisions lower than he should be.”

Lear squandered a chance of scoring his hat-trick just seven minutes before half-time following a free-kick, which would have killed off Glebe.

Left-back Reece Barrett hit a long diagonal over to Nathan Palmer on the right and he put it on the plate for Lear, who flicked his shot from six-yards across the keeper and watched the ball trickle just past the foot of the far post.

“It’s a lovely move. I think it was a back-heal as well and it just drifts past the post.  He’s improvised and it’s gone the wrong side of the post.  We’re thinking 3-0, that’s a tough old mountain to climb for Glebe,” added Parker.

Rooney’s side showed great character to bring themselves back from the dead, pulling a goal back with 41 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock, after building up down the right-hand side.

Winger Harry Gamble, Hever and Smith linked up well before Gamble clipped a cross towards the back post where Jack Miles left Philpot lurking unmarked inside the box and the striker buried his first-time left-footed drive past Molloy from eight-yards.

“Jamie’s been excellent,” said Rooney.

“He struggled at the start of the season, he had a bit of an injury and we ended up playing him in a couple of games, we probably shouldn’t have done and he’s not himself them but since the K Sports game, when we rung a few changes in the squad, he’s been excellent.

“He shouldn’t be playing at this level of football but in terms of what he brings to the party, since the K Sports game his leadership has been unbelievable. He’s been at the club a long time and you can really tell it means a lot to him and he’s really spearheaded us, hence why he’s been the reason why our form has changed.”

Parker added: “It’s poor from us.  The first thing you could argue is that cross should never come in.  You cannot leave Jamie Philpot unmarked in the box and he scores and then we’re under a bit of pressure and we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.”

Erith & Belvedere’s left-winger Ryan Palmer struck a 30-yard drive flashing just past the left-hand post from a central position and was guilty of giving away a free-kick which lead to Glebe snatching an equaliser with one minute and 42 seconds into stoppage time.

Ryan Palmer was given a ear-bashing from midfielder Monger as the teams walked off and down the steps into the changing rooms.

Central midfielder Ross Craig was fouled down the right and Gamble’s resulting free-kick won his side their second corner of the game.

James Dyer swung the ball in from the right, the home side failed to clear their lines, there was a scramble inside the six-yard box and the ball looped up and Smith nodded the ball over the line from close range.

Rooney said of the 19-year-old striker: “I wasn’t sure who got it until the second half.  Harvey was at the right place at the right time.

“We changed shape slightly and gone with two up there and Harvey came in against Tunbridge Wells and on the night Harvey and Jamie was the difference because they’re a very good side and one of only two teams who are going to try to play football in terms of passing it and I felt it was a very good game.

“Harvey’s come in on dual-registration from (Isthmian Premier Division side) Margate.  Andy Drury is a good friend of mine and Harvey actually scored three goals for them this season.  Andy’s gone for a bit more experience, which has worked out well for us so hopefully the forwards he’s signed keep scoring so we can keep hold of Harvey.”

Parker admitted: “I mean, it’s a catalogue of errors if I’m being honest with you.  We don’t deal with it and they stuck it in the net.  You’re always disappointed to concede from set-pieces, especially in that moment right before half-time.  You’ve given them the momentum.”

Both Parker and Rooney were asked their thoughts going into the break on level terms.

Parker said: “We just reminded them that we’re a good side and they are a good side and I always acknowledge a good footballing side.  Luke Rooney’s got his style for sure and he moves the ball around really well.

“They got themselves back into the game, credit to them, but I said to our players we’ve got the quality in this room.

“The gaffer said it to them, little tactical information where we wanted Tyrell out on the right-hand side matching up with their three (Green). Glebe were playing a box midfield as well which meant we had to sacrifice a winger on the other side (Ryan Palmer) and credit to us, we dealt with it really well.”

Rooney added: “So we go in at half-time two-all and on chances created, deserved.  I just said to the boys at half-time, ‘just keep doing the right things’ because I’ll be honest, I thought we were excellent tonight and I can go away from here and be really, really happy and really proud of my boys.

“For me we were the better footballing team, the way I want to play the game. I felt if we just managed their moments in the second half, because I thought we started the second half better, we gained a lot more territory on them and it almost helped us going up the hill, got some really good passes in and we maintained it and we were keeping them in their half as well.”

Erith & Belvedere created the first chance of the second half, following their seventh of 10 corners.

Ryan swung the ball in from the left and Strachan found a pocket of space at the near post to flick his glancing header across goal and past the far post.

Erith & Belvedere struck the right-hand post twice in the second half with Richardson-Brown the unlucky culprit.

Ryan, who put in some wonderful deliveries down the left after replacing Ryan Palmer, found Richardson-Brown at the back post and a sublime first touch resulted in the winger drilling a shot against the top of the near post from a tight angle in the 14^th minute of the half.

Parker said: “It’s a fantastic first touch and it’s the game plan to perfection.  We’ve told him we want that match up, he’s got into a good area, it’s a tight angle and he’s lashed it. He’s probably thinking if he hits it, it’s got to be hard and I can squeeze it through and it’s rattled off the post, the wrong side of it unfortunately, but that’s football, but frustrating.”

Rooney said: “I was just a bit gutted that we didn’t manage their spell a bit better.  I liked him (Richardson-Brown), they’re a good side and they’ve got some really good individuals and I thought he was sharp tonight.

“I think it was quite a tight angle to be fair. He might be disappointed he missed it but I wasn’t too worried when it cannons off the post.  It’s always a concern but when you saw where it went, it went sideways, so it was on the right side of the post if you like.”

Richardson-Brown then missed a sitter when he poked another Ryan delivery against the post and then lashed the rebound over the crossbar.

Parker added: “That’s really not good enough to be honest with you from us.  Tyrell is a top lad, I think he had a really good game tonight but he knows from his own standards that he should’ve scored. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and go again but we should be scoring there!”

Rooney added: “That one was a big chance, that was a real sitter for them wasn’t it?  That should’ve been in the back of the net! That was during their little spell that they had.  They had three really good chances in that spell and then the fourth one they scored from.”

A dominant Erith & Belvedere side were pressing for the winner and their third goal duly arrived with 27 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

Ryan floated in a deep free-kick from the left, Richardson-Brown knocked the ball down for Strachan (who is a danger in the box at set-pieces) rifled his shot on the turn crashing into the centre of the goal.

“We’ve acquired Rob Strachan in recent weeks and he’s a top, top player and that’s his second goal for us,” added Parker.

“We’re a big, powerful side and we win a lot of aerial duals and he’s done his job and we’ve scored the third.”

Rooney said: “Listen, we’ve got to do better conceding from set-pieces. When you’re playing against a physical side like Erith & Belvedere you’ve got to make sure you don’t give bad goals away.

“The only criticism I can have tonight is we’ve given bad goals away, where one of our goals was a really good goal, the other one was a set-piece. When we’ve created our chances, it was from good football.”

Rooney’s Glebe, meanwhile, then threw caution to the wind and threw the kitchen sink at the league leaders in search for an equaliser.

Former K Sports winger Oliver Lankshear beat the offside trap as he was released down the right and his shot trickled through the keeper’s legs and was just short of the goal-line as Erith & Belvedere’s right-back Fraser Walker cleared his lines.

The impressive substitute Marcel McDonald released Craig down the left channel and his deflected low cross found McDonald inside the D and he left Molloy rooted to the spot as he drilled a right-footed shot just past the right-hand post.

Rooney said: “I thought that was good effort actually and he did make a difference.  He came on in the K Sports game and missed the Tunbridge Wells game through illness and came on in the Welling game and should’ve scored on Saturday actually.

“He’s a real bonus because he’s a proper footballer, he’s my type of footballer. He's very elegant and get him on the ball a little bit higher up and I thought he made a difference when he came on tonight.

“If we got the third goal to make it 3-2, we probably go on and win the game in fairness.  We had a couple of opportunities where it seemed not to fall to us. It seems to be the story of our season where things are not falling for us but I’m sure it will change.”

Parker added: “Glebe played some good football, you can argue playing that kind of football is all well and good, we played a similar thing against Broadbridge Heath (losing 3-1 in The FA Vase First Qualifying Round), but if its not going in the net then it’s kind of redundant.

“They threw it at us, we were sloppy and we kept giving the ball away and when you’re playing against a good footballing side, just stop giving them the ball! Throwing the kitchen sink at us kind of helps us, it just opens up the gaps up top.”

Erith & Belvedere weathered the storm, however, with Molloy resilient in goal and punching the ball away during the late barrage of pressure, before his side went up the other end and grabbed a flattering fourth goal, 13 seconds into stoppage time.

Jerome Wade burst into life and his through ball was heading towards substitute pair Ryan and striker George Purcell, who were both unmarked inside the box, and Ryan capped off an impressive night by nipping in and dinking his left-footed shot past Crump.

“It was really good actually,” said Parker.  “I actually didn’t know who it came off because it looked like they both hit it from my angle but it’s been given to Brad and fair play. It takes the pressure off us, a two-goal cushion and we win the game so credit to the boys, they’ve stuck in there and they got their rewards.”

Rooney added: “I’m not sure, it almost looked like they both hit it.  Brad was favourite to get onto it and it looked like Brad was going to score but I think they both seemed to try to hit it.

“If I was a betting man I actually thought the other lad got more contact but Brad wouldn’t be happy with that.

“I’ve got history with Brad, he was at my Welling United Academy with me when I was doing a bit of coaching there. I was playing for Welling’s first team and Brad’s just an amazing talent. 

“Take nothing away from our subs because Marcel McDonald and Ollie Lankshear made a difference but when they bring on Bradley Ryan, it’s like cheating.  He’s just a ridiculous footballer and if he can sort his head out and he just matures a little bit in time he can go on and play any level of football he wants, he’s that good.”

Rooney compared both clubs finances, revealing: “I mean, because we had a poor start in terms of points tally, I haven’t taken a great deal of notice of the table. Erith & Belvedere have won every game.  I know their owners really well, fantastic people, I played under them last season and I kind of knew a couple of players coming into the club and got to know them even better.

“As much as we want to be pipping them, I really, really wish them all the best.  I won’t go in actual figures but they’ve chucked a lot at it this year in terms of financially and so far it’s paying off for them and good luck to them.

“If you look at the difference in budgets tonight, I know for the fact I speak to their owners and they’re great lads and they’re open and honest with me as I am with them, it’s a massive gulf in terms of budgets but it wasn’t on the pitch tonight.

“I like to play football a certain way and I can walk into the bar in a moment and hold my head high.”

Both sides are at home on Saturday, with Erith & Belvedere welcoming Kennington to Park View Road, while Glebe host Whitstable Town at Foxbury Avenue.

Kennington came away from Whitstable Town with a 1-0 win tonight and are in seventeenth-place in the table with nine points from seven games, while relegated Whitstable Town are in ninth with 12 points on the board from nine.

Parker said: “We’ve got 29 games still to go, so there’s a lot of football to play, a lot of twists and a lot of turns and when you’re doing well, your players start getting a little look from other clubs higher so we’ve got to make sure we stay consistent.”

Tony Russell, the manager of Isthmian League Premier Division side Lewes, attended tonight’s game to take in tonight’s ninth-tier local derby.

Parker added: “I said to the boys the other night the Glebe and Phoenix games are not games that ultimately decide a title race, it’s the games where you go to your midtable teams like Holmesdale and Bearsted, the teams where you’ve got to go away and pick up points and you know you should in theory and we’ve been doing that.

“It helped us out massively with other teams dropping points, even tonight. All we can do is concentrate on us and take each game as it comes.

“The league table can sometimes be misleading.  Kennington are always a good side. Dan Scorer did an amazing job with them last season.  They’ve struggled a little bit at the start of the season but they got a good win tonight I believe.

“I think it’s going to be a tough game. It will be a physical game for sure but right now we’re the side that everyone wants to beat and we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing and get three points.

“It’s an exciting time for the club. The club has a clear ambition and we were told no end that (promotion) is what we want and we have to get that job done.

“So far, so good, however, there’s so much football to play, cup games, league games stacked up.  We’ve played so many games at this early stage, which is very good of the League to do it this way while the pitches are in good conditions so we’ve just got to keep going and keep winning games of football.”

Rooney, meanwhile, added: “I don’t know a great deal about Whitstable. The old Tunbridge Wells manager Richard Styles is there. He’s gone in there and he’s taken quite a few of that team in there as well. They’ve had a bit of a mixed start as well but that will be a good one, we’re confident.”

Erith & Belvedere: Adam Molloy, Fraser Walker, Reece Barrett, Jerome Wade, Jack Miles, Rob Strachan, Ryan Palmer (Bradley Ryan 52), George Monger (Rory Ward 71), Danny Lear (Tunde Aderonmu 89), Nathan Palmer, Tyrell Richardson-Brown (George Purcell 75).
Sub: Ben Wilson

Goals: Danny Lear 3, 30, Rob Strachan 73, Bradley Ryan 90

Booked: Nathan Palmer 8, Jack Miles 62

Glebe: Tom Crump, Tom Hever, Teddy Green (Elliot Duncan 82), Freddie Cray, George Snelling, Reece Gillies, James Dyer, Ross Craig, Jamie Philpot, Harvey Smith (Marcel McDonald 59), Harry Gamble (Oliver Lankshear 72).
Subs: Ryan Singh Gill, Jack Holland

Goals: Jamie Philpot 42, Harvey Smith 45

Attendance: 157
Referee: Mr Myles Hewson
Assistants: Mr Adam Clayton & Mr Matthew Pollington