Erith Town 1-2 Glebe - It gives us a boost, we needed to win, says Glebe boss Ben Young

Erith Town 1 – 2 Glebe
Location	Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN
Kickoff	25/08/2017 19:45

ERITH TOWN  1-2  GLEBE
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Friday 25^th August 2017
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakwood

ERITH TOWN boss Adam Woodward criticised the Southern Counties East Football League for the timing of this fixture following their FA Cup heroics on Wednesday night.

The Dockers pulled off an upset when they sent Bostik South side Whyteleafe crashing out in their preliminary round replay.  The Dockers won 4-1 on penalties after the game finished 3-3 after 120 minutes of football and will now host Bostik Premier side Burgess Hill Town in the first qualifying round on 2 September.

The game hit the national press as four penalties were scored within seven crazy minutes just before the break, while Whyteleafe missed a couple during the penalty drama.

Glebe claimed their first points of the season at the third attempt to climb of the foot of the Premier Division table after grabbing a 2-1 win tonight, leaving Woodward’s men pointless after a couple of league outings.

Goal-less at the break, two of Glebe’s half-time substitutes, winger Jonny Murray (penalty) and striker Fred Obasa scored to give the visitors a 2-0 lead, before frustrated Erith Town striker Ryan Golding scored against his old club with a last-gasp penalty.

“Happy to get our first points on the board,” said Glebe boss Ben Young, who left Sutton Athletic to join the club after Woodward parted company after one season in charge despite winning the First Division title by 12 points last season.

“We didn’t start the campaign too well. We’ve had a good FA Cup run so far so happy tonight with the three points, to get a big three points really is what we needed.”

Glebe suffered a blow when they lost central defender and captain Steve Springett, who had to be stretchered off the pitch with an injury to his left ankle.

“It’s going to be a big blow for us, skipper, great player, good leader,” said Young.

“I’m gutted for him really. Football has to come second to a lot of things with work and family.  Hopefully, it’s not as bad as we think.  He looks bad. It could be his Achilles, it could be a break, we don’t know so hopefully, it’s not as bad as it is.  I just wish him a speedy recovery.”

Woodward was clearly bitterly disappointed to lose against a club that brought him success.

“We beat ourselves!  Trying to play a game and play 120 minutes on Wednesday and playing tonight was a little bit too far for the players,” said Woodward.

“If I’m honest, it’s what the League has decided so the League has made that decision so we just have got to get on with it.

“Look, it took a lot out of us on Wednesday but tonight was just another game, it’s three points at stake, that’s fine.  We put a massive effort in for the League on Wednesday night and they’ve rewarded us with today.

“I thought we were poor for the first 20 minutes and we gradually grew into the game. We had chances, Golding had a couple of headers.  We had chances that dropped down to us, it just wasn’t happening really.

“At the end of the day, there’s only one statistic that matters and that’s the result at the end of the game.  They can have two shots and score two goals and we have 50,000 shots and score one!

“I thought Nashy in goal for them was exceptional tonight. He made three or four fantastic saves but look, I can’t ask a group of players to play 120 minutes against a Bostik South side and then come out and perform in a game like it was tonight.

“Again, they dug deep, they never gave up, but look, I don’t know, Premiership players complain about over-playing. We’ve been asked to play on a Friday, then asked to play again on a Monday.”

A Friday night crowd of 152 witnessed a cagey affair during the first half with Glebe creating the first chance inside 126 seconds.

Daniel Gunner linked up well with debutant right-back George Savage but Bryan Zepo’s right-footed shot from 25-yards lacked power and Dean Nash easily picked up the rolling ball.

“It’s going to be a cagey affair, both teams have been in Cup action, Erith a little bit longer than us,” said Young, who needed two goes to get past Deal Town in The FA Cup.

“I watched their game on Wednesday and they put everything in and my boys were superb on Tuesday (to beat Deal Town 3-0 in our replay), and put a lot into it and it takes you out mentally, to come out and then play a game on Friday and we have got to do it on a Monday, so it was going to be cagey because neither of us have got points on the board.”

Erith Town left-back Dan Palfrey – with three free-kick goals to his name this season – swung in a left-footed free-kick which deflected off the first defender at the near post and Adam Molloy made a comfortable near post save.

But Erith Town missed a glorious chance to break the stalemate at the halfway stage.

Palfrey swung in a deep free-kick towards the far post which was headed back across goal by Jack Duffy and Golding steered his free-header into Nash’s hands, holding low to his right.

“At the end of the day, he’s scored again tonight, it’s still a goal, it doesn’t matter how they go in, he’s still scored.  Ryan was absolutely exceptional on Wednesday night. He was exceptional on Saturday, it is what it is,” added Woodward.

Glebe swiftly went up the other end and Adam Marsh got in behind Savage to cut the ball back but Gunner’s shot was saved by Molloy.

Dockers’ central defender Tamar Bilal released Andreas Felipe Losada Tobon down the left and he easily cut inside Savage but his angled drive was pushed around the post by the busy Nash.

Woodward said: “He done well Andreas. I thought he maybe should’ve gone across the goal, that’s what we’re trying to work on with him but it’s another chances that we had.”

“We knew about what Andreas was like, I played against him last year,” said Young.

“Savage has just come in from Ashford and I think he was superb tonight and I think that was the only real chance he got against him but we knew what Andreas is like and Nash made a great save and showing the keeper he is.”

Palfrey puts in excellent deliveries from set-pieces and the ball bounced off a Glebe players head at the near post and Nash made a low save to his right after Danny Gannon’s shot on the turn.

Erith Town were edging a disappointing first half but Glebe should have done better when a chance came their way six minutes before the break.

Savage hit the ball forward with a long ball out of defence for debutant striker Adrian Stone to flick his pass out to Zepo on the right.  The winger whipped in a cross towards the far post but Harry Harding steered his free header across goal and past the far post from 12-yards.

Young said: “Zepo’s done well. We said about getting the early crosses.  We played two up top tonight to try to cause a bit of trouble. Harry snuck in and he’s probably got to do better with his header but it’s good that he’s in that position.”

Both manager’s were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Woodward said: “I thought when we went a little bit longer we caused them a few more problems.  With the long ball in up to Golding, I thought he looked a little bit dangerous on Geordie (Springett) and Tolulope Jonah.”

Young added: “I didn’t speak to them!  Aiden (Pursglove) gave them a few home truths massively and I went in there and spoke to them tactically about what they needed to do. We changed it at half-time as well so that’s what we needed!”

Nothing was going right for Zepo or Marsh and it was no surprise when the pair were withdrawn from the action at the interval.

Harding and left-back Jeffrey Allen linked up and Harding floated in a cross into the box, which was flicked on by Stone but Marsh dragged his first time shot past the post from 22-yards.

Young made a tactical masterstroke, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation and Murray and Obasa’s introduction worked as the pair scored Glebe’s two second half goals.

Erith Town midfielder Adem Ramadan played a fine diagonal pass from inside the centre circle to Tobon, who rode Savage’s sliding challenge, cut inside from left to centre but Nash made another fine save, this time with his legs.

Woodward said: “Good save but again, I think he’s got to score!  He’s got to score but another good save from Nashy.”

Young said: “It was a little sloppy from us. He got in but Dean Nash showed he’s superb ability and he’s done really well.”

Referee Piotr Zachwieja pointed to the spot in the 51^st minute, adjudging Erith Town’s right-back Bradley Simms had fouled Murray on the very edge of the penalty area.

Murray stepped up and clinically slotted his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner to give Glebe the lead, timed at five minutes and 12 seconds.

Young said: “We wanted to change it. We changed the system. It didn’t quite work out. We will look to play that at some point but Murray showed composure in the box.  Penalty? Was it? I don’t know, but we’ll take it and great composure, Murray slotted it into the bottom corner.”

The past two games have proved that Erith Town have a problem defending against pace inside the penalty area and Woodward is quick to blame the match officials for their decision rather than pointing the finger of blame at his defenders.

Woodward replied: “I’m so far away, people the other side said it wasn’t a pen, there’s no contact.

“As I said to the officials, I felt the referee, the build-up to that, the referee gave a throw-in, which the linesman didn’t give.  The linesman’s flag stayed down, the referee gave a throw-in.  The ball goes in, penalty.

“Now at the end of the day, I feel the referee’s made a mistake. He’s saying he hasn’t.  The ref’s explained his decision there, which is acceptable and we move on.  I couldn’t see from where I am whether there was contact or not. 

“The thing is I get people telling me there not penalties. They can’t all be the referee’s mistakes at the end of the day.”

Gannon was played in behind the Glebe defence on the hour and once again Nash was on hand to make a save with his legs again.

Obasa turned Tobon in midfield, played the ball inside to Gunner, who took a couple of touches before drilling a left-footed shot towards goal from 30-yards, forcing Molloy to dive to his left to push behind.

Glebe doubled their lead four minutes later, through Obasa and poor marking from the home side’s missing defence.

Gannon swung in their fourth corner of the night, from the right and Obasa nipped in unmarked to flick in his shot from inside the six-yard box to score his third goal of the season, timed at 20 minutes and 16 seconds.

“Fred gives me a headache, a massive headache because he’s a very talented young boy,” said Young.

“He’s got loads of pace but for me he gives you a good outlet. He drives at players and he scares a lot of defenders but he’s young, he’s learning and hopefully we can make him a better player this season to push on and either go higher with us or someone else but he’s a great talent and I’m lucky to have him.

“Gunner’s got great delivery. For me Dan Gunner was superb tonight, one of our consistent players, coming from Sutton Athletic with me. He’s growing better and better with the week and he’s starting to dictate. He’s got great delivery and Fred as a striker should be reacting and tapping it in. It gave us a bit of breathing space.”

Woodward was furious with his players as soon as this goal went in.

“Fred was good. He came on as a sub, they made a change, him and Murray came on at half-time and he gave them a little bit more pace up top and they were a threat when they came on,” said Woodward.

“Like I said to the players, disappointing!  They’ve got to take responsibility themselves, they just can’t keep looking at me and Tim (Warden) to give them jobs.

“We can teach them as much as they want but sometimes they’ve got to take responsibility themselves and I just felt we didn’t tonight.”

Tricky Obasa tried his luck from out on the left-flank, some 35-yards from goal but Molloy wasn’t going to be caught out by this speculative effort, watching the ball drop out of the sky to catch the ball but giving away a corner as he stepped over his by-line.

Erith Town’s central defender Myles Keizer-Burrows launched 16 long throws into the box against Whyteleafe but he only used this tactic on seven occasions tonight.

“I came and watch and that’s a weapon in itself so you’ve got to use it to your ability.  We talked before the game that will happen, you’ve got to be able to deal with it tonight. We stood up tall and dealt with it so happy with it really,” said Young.

The introduction of Erith Town target-man Jack Hooper was inspirational as he won a lot of balls in the air, despite playing with a bandaged right-hand.

Woodward said: “Two-nil down, I felt, I looked at the bench.  I brought Jack Hooper on.  I thought he was really good when he came on up front, gave us a little bit of life but like I said we’re 2-0 down, we looked dead and buried. We looked very, very leggy.”

“Jack’s very good in the air. George Savage, at right-back, was a little bit smaller. Jack’s going to cause a little bit of trouble but we dealt with it,” added Young.

Keizer-Burrows penultimate long throw was flicked on by Hooper and substitute striker Osman Proni cracked a volley, which forced Nash to dive to his left to push away.

Erith Town kept going and they pulled a goal back 43 seconds into time added on.

Palfrey swung in a delicious free-kick from the left and the referee spotted a foul inside a crowded penalty area and pointed to the spot and offender Gunner was the fifth man to be booked on the night.

Golding had an otherwise quiet and frustrating night but he stepped up to send Nash the wrong way with his right-footed penalty.

Woodward said: “If that weren’t a penalty, the one when Steadman went through, went past the keeper and he was fouled, was a penalty!

“I thought it was harsh to be honest with you but like I said it was a penalty, it’s a penalty.

“Ryan’s scored another penalty, another goal for him, adds to the tally but I thought it was a little bit late really.”

“I don’t think it’s a penalty, again, I don’t think ours way and then I think the ref’s evened it up, in my opinion,” claimed Young.

“He just stood his ground and the player has backed into him and gone down. It’s weak but these things happen. It was a weak penalty but I don’t think it was a penalty but there you go, that’s what happens in football so you get your luck and that’s it.”

Erith Town almost grabbed a point when Tamar Bilal’s long ball over the top put Steadman Callender through on goal.  He cut into the box from the left and as Nash came out to smother the ball, he appeared to be fouled, the ball rolling across goal and agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

Woodward said: “Steadman’s nipped it around the goalie and he’s been brought down. 

“I thought we played well, I thought we created loads of chances. If we went out there and never created nothing, I’d be worried but Nashy got man-of-the-match, in my opinion.”

Young added: “We got caught again, we didn’t track our runner, good header on and Nashy came out, a good presence, smothered it well and fortunately it didn’t go in but that’s the breaks.”

Glebe have risen to eleventh-place in the table on three points from as many games and welcome Cray Valley to Foxbury Avenue on Bank Holiday Monday, 28 August (15:00).

“I wouldn’t say pressure, it gives us a boost, we needed to win,” admitted Young.

“Let’s be fair, Erith are a great side, we’re a good side as well and we’ve got to turn our attentions to Monday and Cray Valley, who are a very, very good side, finished fourth last year, great talented players so if we put everything in again tonight so now we’ve got to re-do that again on Monday. It’s given us three points and we know it’s going to be a difficult one on Monday.”

Kevin Watson takes charge of Cray Valley for the first time, following the controversial sacking of James Collins.

Young said: “People have got to prove a point so they want to step-up and put things in a good place to play every week by the manager.  They’re not playing tomorrow, so they’ve got extended rest.”

Erith Town slipped down into the bottom two but Woodward refuses to panic at this early stage.

He said:  “Look, it will come good.  We need to rest, we need to re-group. I’m not going to be harsh tonight. I want to win the game as much as anyone. I hate losing games of football but what they’ve done Wednesday night was absolutely superb for the SCEFL and then tonight, unfortunately they got a League game.

“Beckenham are top, they’re a decent side and playing well this year. We’ll just roll on again, we’ll re-group.  They’ve got two days rest this time, not one day so that’s nice,” Woodward said of Monday’s trip to the leaders.

Erith Town:  Adam Molloy, Bradley Simms, Dan Palfrey, James Day, Tamar Bilal, Myles Keizer-Burrows, Andreas Felipe Losada Tobon, Jack Duffy (Jack Hooper 82), Ryan Golding, Danny Gannon (Osman Proni 64), Adem Ramadan (Steadman Callender 64).
Subs: Ben Fitchett, Lewis Mitchell

Goal: Ryan Golding 90 (penalty)

Booked:  Jack Duffy 76, Ryan Golding 84

Glebe: Dean Nash, George Savage, Jeffrey Allen, Romeo Ugbene, Steve Springett (Sean Heather 70), Tolulope Jonah, Bryan Zepo (Jonny Murray 46), Daniel Gunner, Adrian Stone, Adam Marsh (Fred Obasa 46), Harry Harding.
Subs: James Sutherland, Joe Hill

Goals: Jonny Murray 51 (penalty), Fred Obasa 66

Booked: Jonny Murray 52, Jeffrey Allen 72, Daniel Gunner 90

Attendance: 152
Referee:  Mr Piotr Zachwieja (Chatham)
Assistants: Mr Kane O’Beirne (Bexley) & Mr Peter Worten (Barming)

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