Faversham Town 3-1 Dover Athletic - People will have to wait and see what surprises we have - Joynes

FAVERSHAM TOWN  3-1  DOVER ATHLETIC
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 9^th July 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane

FAVERSHAM TOWN boss Ray Turner says he was pleased that his two squads opened their pre-season campaign with a victory over Dover Athletic.
Despite this being a first team fixture, Dover Athletic boss Martin Hayes sent a youthful seventeen-man squad to Salters Lane, but it was the Ryman League Division One South hosts that ran out 3-1 winners.

Striker Richard Sinden opened his account with a fourth minute penalty before Simon Brown, an early replacement for injured summer signing Michael Yianni, doubled Faversham’s lead, before Sean Raggett pulled a goal back for Dover just before the break.

Turner swapped his side around at the break and Tommy Hill, who was leading goalscorer for the reserves last season, swept home a third early in the second half and there was no further scoring.

Turner said: “They obviously brought a young side over and some trialists’, but from our point of view it’s our first workout of the season and we were able to change the whole side over at half-time.

“I was pleased with both halves, the shape of the senior players’ in the first half and the rawness and the enthusiasm of the young players in the second half.”

With Arsenal legend Hayes making a quick getaway to attend the London Masters’ football tournament at Wembley Arena, his assistant manager Paul Joynes was pleased with the way the club’s younger players adapted  themselves.

“Basically there’s one or two good young boys’ coming through the Academy, they got their chances,” said Joynes.

“Sean Raggett, in particular, and Lloyd (Harrington), who was next to him, the two centre halves, done well.  Tom Acksford, right-back, came in and done well. 

“We’re getting one or two boys’ showing a little something now.  Obviously there’s a mixture of them, trialists’ and everybody thrown together and it’s difficult when you throw seventeen boys’ together. 

“They didn’t disgrace themselves.  They tried to play in the right way.  There was one or two there of the younger boys who showed a bit of promise."

There were only 229 seconds on the watch by the time that Faversham had opened the scoring, courtesy of Sinden’s right-footed penalty.

Former Dover left-back, Sam Gore, was brought down by Jason Mason inside the box, and the poacher that is Sinden saw his penalty nestle into the corner past the despairing dive of visiting goalkeeper Ben Humphries.

Turner said: “He (Sinden) grabbed the ball of Dale Skelton but that’s what he wants to do – he wants to score goals and it’s no surprised he grabbed the ball!"

The Dover keeper made a comfortable save from Yianni, before the midfielder was withdrawn due to a pulled muscle in his right thigh.

Faversham keeper Rob French, who was withdrawn at the break as he was suffering from dizziness and double vision, kept his side in the game by making two fine saves.

Joe Lester cut in from the right and cracked a curling right-footed effort, which a diving French clawed away with his raised right-hand, but the unmarked James Hawkins squandered the chance as he smashed the rebound wide of the near post from eight-yards.

On the half-hour mark, French excelled again when he thwarted the unmarked substitute Ryan Benniman, who was lurking at the far post and met a precise diagonal ball into the box from right-back Josh Concaken.

But Faversham went up the other end and doubled their lead in the 37^th minute, courtesy of former Herne Bay midfielder Simon Brown.

Michael Scott played the ball up field, which was dummied by Sinden and the ball found its way to Justin Ascheri, who whipped in an excellent cross from the right and Brown clipped the ball across Humphries to find the top right-hand corner.

Joynes said: “The two goals (came because of) people switching off in the box, people (were not marking), but with a young side and people not training together that’s going to happen.

“But you’d like people marked tight in the box so that doesn’t happen and they’ve scored a couple of goals.

“Other than that, our overall play weren’t bad.  Second half they tired and we didn’t’ cause them any real problems so it is what it is, first game early in the season with a lot of trialists’ and Academy boys.”

Dover Athletic pulled a goal back three minutes before the break, courtesy of a set-piece.

Lester floated a corner from the right towards the far post and the ball was knocked back into a crowded goalmouth and Raggett used his height to nod the ball into the net from close range.

Joynes has high hopes for his goalscoring captain.

“Sean’s been training with the first team,” he revealed.  “He’s broken through to the squad so Sean Raggett is part of that squad so he’s done well.  He’s worked hard in the summer, so it shows if you work hard and do things the right way – he’s one that’s progressing through.”

Turner, meanwhile, wasn’t pleased with the way his side conceded their only goal.

He said: “There was senior players’ out there and they should’ve sorted themselves out.  We had a problem getting overloaded at the back post.  It’s one of those things that we have to iron out.”

Faversham had a goal ruled out on the stroke of half-time when Ascheri was adjudged to be offside by the time he rounded the Dover keeper and slotted home after Scott pumped the ball forward.

French didn’t return for the second half, but central defender Ashley Brown bravely volunteered to don the gloves for the second half, and kept a clean sheet.

Faversham boss Turner said of his emergency keeper, “He kept a clean sheet so he won’t stop reminding Rob French of that!

“Rob had a bit of a problem, he was a bit dizzy and had a bit of double vision so it wasn’t worth the risk.  We didn’t have a second goalkeeper sat on the bench so Ashley volunteered quite readily and did alright.”

A sweeping Faversham move sealed victory inside the opening five minutes of the second half.

Hill picked the ball up just inside the Dover half and raced towards the defence before stroking the ball to Dean Grant on the right flank.  The winger centred low and Hill turned and swept a left-footed shot across Humphries and the ball nestled into the bottom far corner.

Turner was full of praise for reserve team striker Hill.

He said: “I really like Tommy, his movement is fantastic, he’s enthusiasm is fantastic, but most importantly I think he’s a goalscorer and he gets in there, in between the goals and swivelled and he took his goal really well and he looked dangerous throughout the second half.”

Dover squandered a decent chance halfway through the second half when Faversham defender Ayo Omoyayi made a mistake but Dover substitute Sam Fisher hooked a half-volley over the bar.

Then, Benniman delivered a precise free-kick into the Faversham penalty area and Raggett (who has benefited from a loan spell with Sittingbourne last season) powered a header wide.

The combination of Marcus Hodges and Hill proved to be working as the two combined in the 71^st minute, only for Hill to turn and his shot comfortably rolled into the grateful Dover keeper’s arms.

Humphries’ was the busier of the two goalkeepers late on in the game, making two fine saves as Faversham had chances to increase their lead.

Mobolaji Dawodu played in Hill down the left and after evading Brett Jones’ sliding challenge, Tom Hickman’s shot at the near post was palmed away well by Humphries.

Faversham’s best move of the game saw a slick passing move down the left involving Lewis Pout and Hill, which put through striker Dawodu, who was denied by a fine low block from Humphries, who spread himself well, but Dawodu blasted the rebound high over the bar from a tight angle.

These two chances were sandwiched by a chance for diminutive Dover substitute Luke Fusedale, whose header from Acksford’s diagonal ball into the box, was comfortably dealt with by Brown.

Dover’s supporters, who were very vocal throughout this friendly, will look forward to seeing their first team stars in action when Hastings United visit Crabble on Tuesday night.

But they may have seen the last of striker, Adam Birchall, 26, as the club have today accepted a “significant undisclosed” bid from League Two side Swindon Town, after scoring 45 goals for the club last season.

Dover Athletic had previously turned down bids from Blue Square Bet Premier Newport County and League Two Gillingham.

Joynes said: “It could be a good move for him.  It will be a challenge for him.  I’m sure he’s more than capable.  The supporters’ think a lot of him, we do, whichever way I hope he does well.”

The club have already snapped up Billy Bricknall from their Blue Square Bet South rivals Chelmsford City.

Looking ahead to the visit from Hastings, Joynes said: “Everyone’s there.  There’s probably be one or two other boys that have been training with us, who people don’t know about yet.  They’ll also be at the game on Tuesday.  People will have to wait and see what surprises we’ve got for them.

“We’ve been having 20 boys training with us so some of those boys’ aren’t signed yet.  There’s a couple of boys who have been with us who haven’t been signed and they will be there Tuesday and there’s a couple of strikers we’ll be speaking to.  Things could happen shortly as well so we think those things will get tied up in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, when asked which of his trialists’ impressed him, the Faversham boss said, “I thought both forwards second half, Marcus Hodges – his movement off the ball was really good – Tommy (Hill) obviously did well but our two young under 18’s, who we’ve only seen in training, at centre back both did well, Mitch McKenzie and Ayo Omoyayi.

“Lewis Pout had an opportunity, he’s come through the Dover Academy and he’s a local lad.

“Mobolaji Dawodu (nicknamed Bola) for me, you’ve got Jack (Crump) in there who is good on the ball, but Bola energy and enthusiasm is fantastic. 

“The whole team had great enthusiasm, I thought, in the second half, so that’s what young players give you.”

Faversham will train on Tuesday and Thursday ahead of the visit of Kent League newcomers Canterbury City to Salters Lane next Saturday.

Turner will give his trialists’ three games to impress him before he whittles down his first team squad for the Ryman League campaign, which gets underway on 20 August.

He said: “I think logically it will be after the Gills game.  We want the squad fairly settled so the target will be early August to try and get the squad settled down.”

Faversham Town: Rob French (Ashley Brown 46), Michael Scott (Dan Ellett 46), Sam Gore (Lewis Pout 46), Tom Hickman (Jack Crump 46), Ashley Brown (Mitch McKenzie 46), Matt Bourne (Ayo Omoyayi 46), Justin Ascheri (Dean Grant 46), Dale Skelton (Simon Brown 46), Richard Sinden (Tommy Hill 46), Joseph Afusi (Marcus Hodges 46), Michael Yianni (Simon Brown 13, Tom Hickman 74), Mobolaji Dawodu 46).

Goals: Richard Sinden 4 (pen), Simon Brown 37, Tommy Hill 50

Dover Athletic: Ben Humphries, Josh Concaken,  Karl Knight (Sam Collins 66), Craig Edwards (Tom Acksford 46), Sean Raggett, Lloyd Harrington, Joe Lester (Sam Fisher 53), Jason Mason, James Hawkins (Ryan Benniman 21), Gavin Marsh (Brett Jones 72), Zac Attwood (Luke Fusedale 78).

Goal: Sean Raggett 42

Attendance: 330
Referee:  Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade)
Assistants: Mr Karl May (Gillingham) & Mr Simon Finnegan (Maidstone)