Erith & Belvedere 2-3 VCD Athletic - We've been cheated - rages Gorman

Sunday 19th April 2009

ERITH & BELVEDERE 2-3 VCD ATHLETIC (after extra time)
Kent Senior Trophy Final
Sunday 19^th April 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

RAGING Erith & Belvedere joint-manager Paul Gorman beleives his side have been "cheated" out of winning the Kent Senior Trophy today.

The Deres were comfortably winning the game 1-0, courtesy of Sam Prett’s strike after just 46 seconds, when Dartford based referee Mr Darren Blunden refused to give them a clear-cut 56^th minute penalty when Nick Smith was taken out from behind by VCD left-back Kane Rice.

VCD Athletic, who can clinch the Bulmers Cider Kent League title with a home win over Deal Town on Wednesday night, grabbed themselves a lifeline with seventeen minutes remaining when substitute Casey Scotter looped a brave header into the corner of the net.

A dull 90 minutes, however, exploded into life when Erith & Belvedere regained the lead after 94 minutes, through an excellent Adrian Deane free-kick.

But the game turned in Vickers’ favour when Paul Foley’s side were awarded a controversial penalty towards the end of the first period of extra time, which was expertly converted by substitute Richard Sinden, and then a 30-yard screamer from Rice stole the trophy away from The Deres, who were the better side on the day.

The Deres, going into their first cup final for 27 years, seventeen points adrift of champions-elect VCD Athletic, got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just 46 seconds.

Chris Hill, who was excellent in the middle of the park, released striker Prett, who punished a howler from Vickers’ defender Gary Cook to slam a right-footed drive to beat giant goalkeeper James Tedder at his near post.

Vickers striker Dave Hassett, who was off target with a couple of early half-chances, was forced out of this Park View Road grudge match early with a suspected rib injury.

Vickers’ only shot on target during a one-sided first period came after 24 minutes when a back-peddling Matt Bromby tipped over Rice’s speculative right-footed free-kick from 45-yards.

Vickers couldn’t cope with Erith & Belvedere’s battling qualities and were made to look very ordinary, although the hosts failed to test Tedder again before the break.

The turning point, however, arrived eleven minutes into the second half, a decision that left Gorman, Chris Cosgrove, and spectators alike baffled as to why the Dartford official failed to award the Deres a clear cut penalty.

Nick Smith cut the ball back to his strike partner Prett, who was about to pull the trigger, but he was taken out by a challenge from behind from Rice, who clearly made contact with his opponent as he required treatment.

Five minutes later, with passions increasing, the hosts wasted a good chance on the breakaway.

Hegley’s whipped in corner was picked up by Hill on the edge of his own penalty area and the former Croydon man passed to Jon Gallagher, whose 30-yard lob sailed harmlessly over.

And they were left to rue an even better chance with 21 minutes remaining.

Deane was released down the right hand side and his low centre was met at the near post by Smith, who flicked the ball agonisingly wide of the foot of the near post from close range.

VCD supporters’ woke up as their side clawed themselves back into the game with seventeen minutes remaining.

The home side didn’t react to a quickly taken free-kick, and the ball was whipped in by right-back Kevin Winchcombe and Scotter went in where it hurts, inside a crowded penalty area, to loop his header into the bottom left-hand corner.

VCD did finally call Bromby into action four minutes later when Danny Penny played Hegley in behind the Deres’ defence, but his angled left-footed drive was beaten away by the goalkeeper at his near post.

The pendulum swung in Vickers’ favour in the 79^th minute when Penny, their influential skipper, escaped a red card for a crunch tackle on Paul Gross.

And Vickers almost snatched victory a little bit earlier than they did when a sprinting Sinden was played in over the top of the Deres defence, but his right-footed chip sailed over Bromby, but skimmed the top of the crossbar as it flew over.

During the interval, Cosgrove told his players that “the last half-hour will make or break our season,” and they responded by regaining the lead inside the opening four minutes of extra time.

Huseyin Budak was tripped by Gary Ward just outside the D in a central position and up stepped Deane to curl a right-footed free-kick over the four man wall and into the top right-hand corner, leaving Tedder rooted to the spot.

Erith & Belvedere’s players’ celebrations turned to anger and despair as Mr Blunden pointed to the penalty spot in a controversial fashion.

Players were lined up inside the hosts penalty area and Budak rose to head clear Hegley’s free-kick from the left, but the former Greenwich Borough midfielder was adjudged to have pushed Scotter in the back at the same time.

Sinden stepped up and sent Bromby the wrong way as he fired the resulting 104^th minute penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.

That crucial decision clearly effected the Deres as they switched off and Kane stole victory 61 seconds into time added on at the end of the first period, unleashing a stunning right-footed screamer from 30-yards, which rocketed into the roof of the net, through Bromby’s outstretched fingers.

Outraged Cosgrove was sent from the technical area just 50 seconds later.

Tedder maintained Vickers’ lead inside the second period, making a fine block from substitute Robbie Bryant at the near post, following Deane’s low centre.

An offside flag, meanwhile, spared Sinden’s blushes when he blasted Hegley’s low centre over from just two yards out.

This grudge game saw eight players booked and 12 seconds shy of FOURTEEN minutes of time added on for stoppages.

But Gorman, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk whilst VCD Athletic picked up the silverware for the first time in three years, pointed the finger of blame for his side’s defeat to the man in the middle.

“It was ruined by bad refereeing,” he raged. “It’s been going on for the last couple of years in the Kent League, but that is probably the worst bit of refereeing that I’ve seen in my life.

“The turning point was the penalty decision (Rice’s crunching challenge on Prett) when the player gets taken out the game. The ball’s gone past him (Rice) and the player (Prett) gets completely taken out of the game.”

Speaking about the decision, which enabled Sinden to grab VCD a 2-1 lead, red-faced Gorman raged, “But then, up there (pointing to the Park View Road end of ground), their second goal, there was a little push in the box by Hus (Budak) but he was the one who won the header and apparently he was pushing, but no VCD player appealed, none of their officials on the side appealed.

“The ball’s been played out, five seconds later the referee’s blown the whistle to give a penalty. Nobody could believe it! They didn’t even looked like scoring!”

But despite showing his despair, Gorman did praise his side for their efforts in the sunshine.

“We were by far the best side, we made the champions, look very poor, I say champions, champions-elect.

“We were playing against twelve players. I’m very disappointed in the Kent County (Football Association) if they don’t look at that properly and watch what that referee was doing today. That is very poor.”

But Gorman, whose side welcome Beckenham Town to Park View Road on Wednesday night, before finishing their campaign at third-placed Holmesdale at the weekend, was able to take some positives from this controversial clash.

“We can take a lot of plus points,” he said. “We scored two very good goals, the boys battled very hard and deserved something out of it.

“I’m proud of the boys because they done really well, but I’m very disappointed in what has happened.

“They battled, they know they’ve been cheated out of something and I’m very disappointed in the refereeing.

“No disrespect to Danny Penny, a very good player, but he was on a yellow card and he (the referee) must’ve warned him about eight times and he should’ve been red carded, diving in, giving fouls away.

“He was warned so many times about his fouling – how many times do you need to have a player (spoken to before sending him off).”

Vickers boss Paul Foley, meanwhile, declined to comment.

Erith & Belvedere: Matt Bromby, Matt Bedford, Joe Penny, Huseyin Budak, Paul Gross, Michael Adcock, Adrian Deane (Ryan Robinson 114), Chris Hill, Sam Prett (Robbie Bryant 65), Nick Smith, Jon Gallagher (John Farley 108).
Subs: Joe Hitchings, Billy Webb

Goals: Sam Prett 1, Adrian Deane 94

Booked: Nick Smith 52, Matt Bedford 103, Paul Gross 109

VCD Athletic: James Tedder, Kevin Winchcombe, Kane Rice, Gary Ward, Gary Cook, David Hunt, James Duckworth (Luke May 52), Danny Penny, Dave Hassett (Richard Sinden 19), Sam May (Casey Scotter 68), Nick Hegley.
Subs: Tom Bradshaw, George Mitchell.

Goals: Casey Scotter 73, Richard Sinden 104 (pen), Kane Rice 105

Booked: Danny Penny 45, Gary Ward 45, Kane Rice 90, Kevin Winchcombe 100, Richard Sinden 116

Attendance: 363
Referee: Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Ian Fissenden (Gillingham) & Mr Paul Beadle (Seveonaks)
Fourth Official: Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath)