Erith & Belvedere 3-2 Greenwich Borough - I'm not pleased with the performance, says Micky Collins

ERITH & BELVEDERE  3-2  GREENWICH BOROUGH
Kent Senior Trophy First Round
Sunday 7^th October 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins says he is concerned with the number of goals that his free-scoring side are shipping in.
 


The Deres booked a home tie against Kent Invicta League leaders Phoenix Sports in the Second Round of the Kent Senior Trophy after knocking out a plucky Greenwich Borough side, who extended their winless run to eight games after this defeat at Park View Road.

Greenwich Borough – who only have landlords Holmesdale below them in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table – stunned the Kent League leaders by taking a sixteenth-minute lead when former Bromley  Academy striker Andrew Williams scored the first of his two well-taken goals.

But Erith & Belvedere equalised in the 33^rd minute when debutant Alex Waugh headed home from a corner, before Andy Constable curled a stunning 30-yard shot into the top corner six minutes later.

Williams scored his third goal of the season to bring Greenwich Borough back into the game six minutes into the second half, before Constable fired home his ninth-goal of the season to win it for Erith & Belvedere.

Collins admitted afterwards that he wasn’t happy with his side’s performance.

“Pleased with the result, but not pleased with the performance,” he said.

“We defended poorly at times again, didn’t win enough second ball and should’ve taken our chances when we had them and we had enough of them.”

Following this game, the Deres have scored 21 goals in their last four games, but have conceded 11 during the same period.

Collins said: “You don’t want to be conceding goals. No-one wants to concede goals.  It’s even more worrying when you’re not scoring them.  At the moment we’re probably scoring an average of three and four a game, so we’re getting away with it, but at some point it’s going to bite you on the backside.”

Greenwich Borough created their first chance with only 49 seconds on the clock when Ian Humphries swung in a corner from the left and debutant goalkeeper Luke Roberts punched the ball away and Dan Akpoveta whipped in a cross from the right and striker Jamie Linnett climbed to head over from eight-yards.

Collins, who has used three goalkeepers in thirteen games, explained: “Luke came in (from Greenwich Borough) two or three weeks ago. We’ve got Scott Chalmers-Stevens on dual-registration from Tonbridge Angels but Lee Worgan took a knock at Tonbridge so Scott’s gone there and deputised there yesterday (a 2-2 draw away to Sutton United in Blue Square Bet South) so he was too tired to play today.

“Luke stepped in and done really well. He took a little knock on his shoulder but he’s fine and he’s done really well for us today.

“That was the idea to keep two keepers here. Fair play to him he’s waited for his chance and he’s took it. We don’t know if Scott’s available for us next week (a FA Carlsberg Vase First Round tie at VCD Athletic) or if he’s at Tonbridge. We’ll discuss that in the week.”

But Erith & Belvedere stepped up a gear and peppered shots towards visiting keeper Jack Rankin.

Keeper Rankin punched away Jamie Wood’s corner from the right and the ball came out to Steve Hanson, whose right-footed shot from 22-yards looped off two defenders, one of them being Humphries on the line, and the ball kissed the crossbar and Greenwich Borough survived.

Constable drilled an angled right-footed drive from the corner of the penalty area and Rankin dived to his right to make a fine block before sweeping the ball behind with his outstretched leg.

Another chance came the home side’s way when Kieron McCann looped the ball up field to Adam Burchell who cut the ball back to Constable, who cracked a powerful right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was once again tipped around the post by the diving Rankin.

But Collins pointed the finger of blame to Steve Hanson and George Benner for not closing down Williams as he went on an unchallenged 30-yard run straight through the heart of the Erith & Belvedere defence before flicking his shot from the outside of his right-boot to beat Roberts from 20-yards, the ball nestling inside the near post.

Collins said: “I thought we switched off.  They’ve broken the midfield line and then one of my centre halves, in my opinion, has to come out and deal with it and they never and they backed off.

“We said at half-time they were too far apart and he’s gone in between the two of them and he’s got his shot away – good goal!”

Greenwich Borough created some decent chances to make the game more comfortable when Humphries whipped in a right-footed free-kick into a crowded penalty area and Scott Hillyard leapt to glance his header straight at Roberts from ten-yards.

There was concern for Collins as his right-back John Wilfort went down clutching his left knee close to the touch-line and despite treatment from physio Julian Leigh the former Bromley player came back on to the pitch, but he pulled up within 20 seconds and was then substituted.

Collins, who sprinted across the pitch to bring a stretcher on the pitch, which Wilfort didn’t need, said later that Wilford has suspected ligament damage.

“Someone’s just spoken to John and he’s at the hospital. Fingers crossed there’s nothing major,” he said during the post-match interview.

“John’s had horrific injuries from his time at Bromley and he won’t mind me saying he’s coming to the end of it and he wanted to finish this season winning something, whatever it may be and finish on a high.

“He’s my pal as well.  Fingers crossed he’s ok.  It’s the same leg that he’s got a pin in from a previous bad break.  At the end of the day I’m not thinking about him playing football for us – he’s my pal.”

A nice run from Linnett, when the Greenwich Borough striker danced his way past two defenders, saw him play the ball inside to Louis Rankin, the striker took a touch before stroking his left-footed drive from 25-yards, which flashed just wide with Roberts rooted to the spot at the half-hour mark.

Roberts then scrambled across his goal and was relieved when Williams was once again giving time and space to flash a right-footed drive wide of the near post from 35-yards.

But Erith & Belvedere converted a set-piece goal to equalise.

McCann swung in a corner from the left towards the near post and Waugh glanced his header into the middle of the Greenwich Borough goal from one-yard.

Collins explained the situation on the striker, who scored seven goals for Kent League side Greenwich Borough, before arriving at Park View Road.

“Alex is signed on dual-registration from M aidstone, but one thing has led to another. He’s come away from Canterbury and he was available. 

“Me and Jay Saunders (the Maidstone United player-manager) have a good connection and he became available and we brought him in.

“He’s scored on his debut. Alex offers an awful lot, especially at this level. He’s a proven goalscorer and he can certainly play a league higher.

“If players’ become available that we need – Richmond Kissi is out (injured) for another few weeks minimum yet so we had to do it so we have.

“Contrary to popular belief, as I’ve said before, we don’t run on a massive budget so you have to use your contacts to get players in.  Herne Bay have helped us with Steve Hanson, Maidstone have helped us with two or three players’, Bromley have helped us as well.  You’ve got to use your links at any level.”

Erith & Belvedere stopper Roberts did well to get across his goal and palm Jordy Akumwami’s stoked right-footed shot around his near post after the Greenwich Borough left-back went for goal from 25-yards.

But the crowd were applauding a quality strike from Constable, which gave Erith & Belvedere the advantage six minutes before the break.

Constable cut inside from the right and was given time and space by Akumwami and Tanner Hilyard to crack a left-footed shot from 30-yards, which looped over the stranded Rankin and curled into the top far corner of the net.

“That’s a great goal!” said Collins.  “Andy’s got that in his locker. Andy will be the first to say he’s not the most mobile bloke in the world but he knows where the net is and if you give Andy half a yard and allow him to do things, left foot or right foot, he will punish you and he’s proved that again and he’s got himself two goals today.”

When asked what his thoughts were at the interval, Collins said: “Just keep plugging away really. Greenwich were having a good go at it – everyone does when they come here.  We’ve got, in my opinion, the best ground in the League and everyone comes here and play and they enjoy it.  It’s a lovely place to play and that’s how we attract players’.  People want to play on this surface and this ground.

“It’s always going to be tough. Greenwich really acquitted themselves really well today. I thought they were a decent side and they popped it around.  I look at their results and I’m a bit dumbstruck. Maybe whether we were off the boil or they played over than what they have, I don’t see that. I thought they were decent.”

Erith & Belvedere produced a free-flowing four-man move straight from kick-off and following Constable’s knock down Orlando Smith lashed a left-footed screaming wide of the far post from 25-yards with only thirteen seconds on the clock.

But Greenwich Borough scored another fine goal to equalise in the 51^st minute.

Linnett rolled the ball in between Richard Davies (who came on for Wilfort earlier) and Benner to send Williams on a foot-race with Karl Knight, but Williams made up ground on the left-back and poked the ball past the advancing Roberts to roll the ball into the bottom near corner of an empty net.

Collins said: “Again, we haven’t defended!  We haven’t covered round. We haven’t dealt with it. We haven’t been strong enough to deal with it and the fella’s got a toe poke in. Fair play to him. It’s persistence and he’s got his goal.”

Greenwich Borough had chances to win the game, but when you don’t pay players’ wages you’re likely to be punished for profligacy in front of goal.

Williams was denied a hat-trick when he smashed his right-footed volley into the ground from 25-yards and the ball bounced up and Roberts caught the ball.

Visiting keeper Rankin made another fine diving save in the 62^nd minute when he dived to his right to palm Waugh’s angled right-footed drive around the post.

Tanner Hillyard cracked an ambitious right-footed half-volley high over the Erith & Belvedere crossbar from 35-yards and Erith & Belvedere scored the winner from the resulting goal-kick seconds later, in the final sixteen minutes.

Roberts kicked the ball up the middle of the pitch and Waugh brought the ball under control before hooking the ball in behind the Greenwich Borough defence to find Constable, who took a touch before drilling a right-footed angled drive though Rankin’s legs and the ball rolled into the bottom far corner.

Collins said: “The ball’s got played into an area which we’ve asked them to do.  He’s played it into his body and Alex has controlled it perfectly and he’s played a fantastic through ball actually.  It was a quality through ball and Andy’s had to do nothing. All he’s had to do is get his toe on it and he’s got good connection and it’s gone through the keeper’s legs.”

Greenwich Borough, who went into the game having conceded 12 goals in their last two games, denied Erith & Belvedere again at the death.

Jamie Wood chipped a free-kick into the penalty area and Hanson headed the ball across the face of goal and substitute Lewis Wood’s hooked shot from four-yards was blocked by the keeper’s legs.

Collins admitted his side should have scored more than three today, saying, “That’s us! That’s what we do. We get berated for the way we play but anyone that watches us will tell you we’ll get ten chances a game because that’s how we are. It’s whether we take those chances and whether we keep people out at the other end.  That’s how it is at the moment. We’re trying to address that.”

Looking ahead to their Second Round tie against a Phoenix Sports side that are leading the Kent Invicta League table by three points, with a game in hand on second-placed Bearsted, Collins said: “We’re unbeaten in the Kent Senior Trophy for two years at the moment – but we don’t hold the trophy so we take every game seriously.

“We’re aware that we’re still unbeaten in it. We’ve got a really tough round next round.  We’ve got Phoenix here, which will be a really tough game.  Boylie (Steve O’Boyle) and Tony (Beckingham) over there are good boys and they know their stuff and that will be a really tough game.”

Erith & Belvedere: Luke Roberts, John Wilfort (Richard Davies 25), Karl Knight, Jamie Wood, Steve Hanson, George Benner, Kieron McCann (Paul Springett 82), Alex Waugh, Andy Constable (Lewis Wood 82), Adam Burchell, Orlando Smith.
Subs: Sean Johnson, Sam Hasler

Goals: Alex Waugh 33, Andy Constable 39, 74

Booked: Alex Waugh 56

Greenwich Borough: Jack Rankin, Jerald Aboagye, Jordy Akumwami, Scott Hillyard, Neil McCann, Louis Rankin, Ian Humphries, Dan Akpoveta, Andrew Williams (Ross Saunders 71), Jamie Linnett, Tanner Hillyard.
Subs:  James Parkinson, Ashley Wright

Goals: Andrew Williams 16, 51

Booked: Scott Hillyard 68, Dan Akpoveta 71, Ross Saunders 82

Attendance: 56
Referee: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe)
Assistants: Mr Andrew Butler (Isle of Grain) & Mr Paul Cruttenden (Maidstone)