Holmesdale 2-2 Punjab United - I think 36 points will be enough just to get out of trouble and then you can start relaxing, says Punjab United boss Chipie Sian

Holmesdale 2 – 2 Punjab United
Location	68 Oakley Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 8HQ
Kickoff	25/01/2023 19:45

HOLMESDALE  2-2 PUNJAB UNITED
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Wednesday 25 January 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakley Road

PUNJAB UNITED manager Chipie Sian says he was feeling frustrated after being held to another draw, on a wet Wednesday night at Oakley Road.

The Gravesend-based outfit extended their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions but four of those games have ended all-square.

Sian’s side took the lead through Frankie Sawyer’s debut goal but Holmesdale grabbed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of a sublime free-kick from debutant striker Emmanuel Shoderu.

Right-back Chris Edwards smashed Punjab United into the lead but Holmesdale immediately went up the other end and levelled through substitute striker Fred Obasa.

Holmesdale remain in 12^th place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 27 points on the board from their 21 league outings, while Punjab United leapfrogged over Lordswood into fifteenth with 24 points from 21 games, seven points clear of the drop zone.

“We should’ve won the game to be honest.  We had the better chances to win it,” admitted Sian.

“I had a go at my players about their second goal.  I’m disgusted with it.  It’s Sunday League football, not Saturday semi-pro football! We shouldn’t be conceding that and that’s what really, really bugging me.

“It’s two points dropped and that’s the story that’s been going on (for a while).  I don’t care how many games we’re unbeaten, that doesn’t make no difference but we’re drawing teams we should be hammering. We were the better side, a couple of goals and kill Holmesdale off.”

Holmesdale assistant manager Jon Coleman added: “I think over the reflection of the game, I think it was a pretty fair result if I’m being honest.

“First half I think we had the better chances, probably the more chances.  We went through one-on-one three or four times and the keeper’s pulled off a couple of good saves.

“We were quite disappointed to go in 1-0 down but I think we showed a little bit of resilience.

“Manny (Shoderu) making his debut today, he was unbelievable.   He had quite a few chances, a bit frustrated that he didn’t take them but he popped up with an absolutely worldy free-kick, bent it top corner and coming in at one-all, in reflection we were disappointed not to get one or two more.

“Second half, Punjab put us under immense pressure.  The ball’s they put in were absolutely terrifying.   Their right-back (Edwards) pretty much Beckham-esque and put them on the money every single time.

“They put us under so much pressure, and I thought we dealt with it really well. It was a deflected second goal and he struck it true and hard and it went in and it was back to the drawing board but the boys showed great resilience to get back into the game straight after so overall I think it’s a fair result.”

Visiting goalkeeper Airidas Vilinauskas suffered a blow to his knee after only 40 seconds, clearing the ball after Shoderu got in behind Punjab’s two centre-halves Dylan Gilbert and Stephen Ratcliff.

Vilinauskas, who was making his first start for the club, lacked confidence and couldn’t take goal-kicks after suffering from his early knock.

Punjab United created the first chance of the game when debutant right-winger Michael Hagan drilled a 35-yard right-footed free-kick into the wall and harmlessly wide of the goal after nine minutes.

Edwards released Sawyer down the right and he whipped in a cross, which was stabbed clear by Holmesdale centre-half Siji Akinlusi and Edwards drilled a first-time drive straight down the keeper’s throat from 16-yards.

Sian said: “He was unlucky, he made a good save. It was straight at the keeper.  He said at half-time, ‘either side of it, a couple of foot, that would’ve been smashed in.”

However, Holmesdale’s deep striker Luke Adams split open the Punjab United defence to play Shoderu through on goal down the middle but the former Fisher man struck a powerful left-footed drive forcing Vilinauskas to dive to his right to push the ball towards safety in the 11^th minute.

Akinlusi then fed the ball into Clyde Semazzi – who played behind the Holmesdale front two – who played the ball in behind Ratcliff to release Shoderu in behind again and Vilinauskas made another vital save, pushing the ball away to his right in another one-v-one situation.

“Manny’s come in from Fisher and he’s unbelievable.  The application he put in today is absolutely brilliant,” said Coleman.

“He’s gone through one-on-one; he may have snatched at it on one of them and one went straight down the middle. Listen, I think it’s debut nerves. He obviously wants to impress. 

“Going through so early, if he was one or two games in I think maybe they slot in but the keeper’s stood tall, he’s stood strong and he stayed high for as long as he possibly could and he’s kind of kept them in it at the start there.”

Sian added: “He’s our second goalkeeper, back up to Rilwan Anibaba, who couldn’t make it today, he was working, so he stepped in, which he does normally, which is great but he injured himself in the first minute and he couldn’t kick the ball.”

However, Holmesdale goalkeeper James Boughtflower gifted Punjab United the lead with 24 minutes and 27 seconds on the clock.

Punjab’s left-back Theodore McKenzie whipped in a deep cross from within the channel, striker Paul Vines was left unmarked at the far post and his header was dropped by the Holmesdale goalkeeper unchallenged and Sawyer accepted the gift by poking the ball over the line while left unmarked inside the six-yard box.

“We knew that was coming because we were on top then. It was just a matter of trying to hold out then and that was that. It was a good goal.  It was a bit lucky, the keeper dropped it, but it was coming,” said Sian, who reflected on Sawyer’s performance on debut.

“He done alright.  He worked hard and that’s what we’ve been missing, a little bit up front.  We’re not the fittest up there, we are a little bit lacking up there.  William Johnson-Cole is missing for a few weeks, so we brought Frankie in and I think he done really well.  He’s hard working, that’s what you want and he scored, which is great.”

Coleman, meanwhile, like most, refused to throw his goalkeeper under the bus after making such a blunder.

He said: “Listen, James has been absolutely fantastic for us this season. It’s a little bit of an error on our part, which if I’m going to be honest, we haven’t had many of them all season.

“We haven’t played for two weeks through cancellations, but it was a dangerous ball in, the ball’s they put in all game were unbelievable, all of them were on the money and very hard to deal with.  A little bit of an error and he’s there to tap it in, so disappointing a little bit with that.”

Holmesdale produced a well-worked move within the final third and should have restored parity in the 35^th minute.

Can Yilmaz played the ball in from the right to the impressive Shoderu, who put it on a plate for Semazzi, who placed a first-time shot across the keeper and trickling past the far post from 10-yards.

“Listen, we always look to play the little link-up play and try to get in behind teams and we done that really well at times in the first half,” said Coleman.

“It was just that end product. He snatched at it. We maybe didn’t take our time at things but we wasn’t worried.  The chances were there. We were creating chances and we did look threatening.”

Hagan was a threat down the right for Punjab and he found Sawyer lurking at the far post, but he took a touch before sweeping a left-footed shot over the crossbar from the corner of the six-yard box.

“It’s three or four yards out, he should’ve buried that! He did say when he came in as well ‘he should’ve buried it.’  I felt AJ (Andrew Dythe) was in a better position just to bury it,” added Sian.

Holmesdale grabbed the equaliser, with 43 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock with a moment of pure quality from the excellent Shoderu after Lea Dawson was fouled.

Faced with a five-man wall and 30-yards from goal, Shoderu whipped a sublime left-footed curling, dipping free-kick across the diving goalkeeper into the top far corner, to score one of the best free-kick goals of the season.

“Beckham-esque, as you say, it was unbelievable! To do that on your debut, is unreal,” hailed Coleman.

“The confidence of Emmanuel to actually step-up and say ‘no, this is mine and I’m going to put this in the top corner.’

“I was standing right behind it and as soon as it left his foot you knew where it was going and it was just an absolute fantastic free-kick.

“I don’t think anyone can actually moan about it or anything – you could have two keeper’s in there and I don’t think no one is saving that.”

Sian, meanwhile, did find something to moan about the magical strike, more the build-up to it.

“It’s more frustrating because I told them at the beginning of the game ‘no free-kicks, stand up, don’t give them nothing on the edge of the box,’ because that’s where some of their goals come from.  We’ve seen some videos of them and yet these idiots want to dive in and that’s really frustrated me on the side-line because you’ve given them a sniff for no reason and we were on top then,” added the Punjab manager.

The sublime skill from Shoderu changed both half-time team-talks.

Coleman said:  “Listen, I thought scoring on the 45^th minute the momentum was 100% with us.  When you score at that point in the game to bring it back level, 100% their half-time team talk changes and our talk changes.

“It was pretty much a case of be on the front foot, continue the momentum that we’ve now taken back from Punjab and hope that we can build on that, so it was pretty much the same as from the start.

Sian revealed:  “A few harsh words and second half I think we came out and we were on top.  We told them to play it simple and get it out to our wingers and keep it out of the middle a little bit.  The formation worked. It’s just we didn’t finish in the end.”

Holmesdale were to be denied by an excellent save from Vilinauskas 11 minutes into the second half.

Centre-half Louie Reid-Newth floated a deep free-kick into the penalty area from the left, his defensive partner Akinlusi knocked the ball on towards the back post and Adams rose and looped his header towards the top near corner, only for Vilinauskas to produced an excellent clawed out save at his near post.

“That’s a fantastic save from their keeper.  I was behind that and I thought it was in, it looked like it was going to loop over him,” said Coleman.

“That was a great free-kick from Louie and I love to see that deep ball into the back post and getting the header across.  Siji is unbelievable and tremendous in the air and I expect him to win most of them and he headed it straight across on a six-pence for Luke.

“Luke was stretching a little bit but it still looked like it was going in and the keeper pulled off another fantastic save and that wasn’t the first save he’s pulled off in the game so full credit to the keeper for getting there.”

Boughtflower produced heroics too to prevent Punjab United taking a deserved lead on the hour-mark.

Edwards’ deliveries were on the money all game and his free-kick came in from the right and Vines’ first-time low drive was destined for the bottom left-hand corner, only for the Holmesdale stopper to get down low to his right to push the ball around the post with a strong hand.

“It was a good save, I thought it was a really good save,” said Sian.

“I thought it was a bit lucky from Vinsey.  I don’t think he hit it as clean as he wanted but it was a good save.”

Coleman added: “JB has been fantastic, not only did their keeper pull of some brilliant saves, JB also kept us in it in the second half, pulling off some amazing saves.  That was the pressure that Punjab put us under. It was a well-worked move, JB got down well and saved it well.”

Dominant Punjab United’s pressure paid off, however, taking a deserved lead with 24 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

McKenzie cut in from the left and put a low cross into a crowded penalty area, the ball was half-cleared by Akinlusi and Edwards smashed a first-time drive into the roof of the net from 15-yards, taking a deflection off Reid Newth.

Sian said: “Chris was a danger all game.  That’s the whole point of having Chris there.  He gives us great dimensions up there, an attacking full-back, which is great and that’s why we give him the freedom to do that.

“We said to him at half-time, ‘keep going, you’ll get more of the ball,’ which he did and it was a great finish.”

Coleman said: “It come from them putting the ball into the box, as they have done all game.

“If you look at the reflection, they probably feel they deserved to go 2-1 up.  We didn’t deal with the initial ball, they managed to get it down and they shifted it across to the right-hand side and he’s hit it true and hard.  With defenders coming across, it just hit Louie on his chest I believe and it’s gone into the top corner and JB’s got absolutely no chance. It’s just unfortunate.  Nine times out of 10 any kind of deflection and it’s going to go in.”

However, Holmesdale showed great resilience and restored parity just 128 seconds later.

Substitute central midfielder Jamie Rawsthorne hit a through ball straight down the middle and Ratcliff opened the gate and allowed Obasa through on goal and the striker prodded the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to score is fifth goal of the season.

Coleman, meanwhile, was delighted with the resilience shown from his side to bounce back on two occasions tonight.

“To go 2-1 down, we’re fighting again to get back into the game.  We showed great resilience.  The guys have a great team bond, a great team ethic and they don’t actually know when they’re beaten.

“It was a great ball in from Jamie Rawsthorne.  He’s picked out Fred’s run and he’s leaned on the defender really well, used his body and it’s opened up on his right-foot and he’s slotted it home.”

Obasa was initially in the starting line-up but dropped to the bench after arriving at the Bromley venue late through work commitments.  Shoderu replaced him.

“Fred is a top, top guy.  We made that call to bring Emmanuel on instead because Fred wouldn’t have had the right time to be able to prepare properly. He came on and he was fantastic from start to finish and we couldn’t be happier with the group that we’ve got.”

Sian, meanwhile, pointed the finger of blame at Ratcliff.

“Seriously, that’s Schoolboy defending, he’s let the team down today. He let the team down, that back four.  They actually played quite well and to do that, 10 seconds after we scored, it’s not on, it’s not on!”

Punjab United threw caution to the wind for the rest of the game as they went in search for the victory.

Sawyer played a 20-yard pass into Vines, who chipped the ball over the goalkeeper and the ball dropped just over the crossbar, aiming for the top left-hand corner from 25-yards out.

However, Holmesdale should have snatched the victory with 10 minutes left when Adams played the ball inside to Rawsthorne, who lacked composure on the edge of the box and scuffed his poor shot rolling straight at Vilinauskas.

“Listen, it was a heavy pitch out there.  Players were very leggy.  It’s very hard to play on when you do lack composure when you’re a little bit tired.  Your legs and brain goes and you just scuff things into the ground where you’ve got to take a little bit of a minute.

“Luke Adams is tremendous, he holds the ball up really well. He sets up Jamie and it’s maybe the story of our night, is that little bit of composure in the final third.”

Ratcliff clipped the ball out of Punjab’s defence, 14-goal striker Vines flicked the ball on and Dawson’s attempt was clawed out by the Holmesdale goalkeeper.

“We had a few chances. Dawson had the best chance. He’s one-on-one with the keeper and he’s hit it straight at him.  That sort of chance, which you’ve got to bury,” cast a frustrated Punjab United manager.

“I think a draw is a draw. We’ve had enough draws at the moment.  We just want to try to get a couple of those draws into wins and we’ll be right up the table.

“At the moment we’re slowly getting up the league but it’s a point here, a point here.  A point is good enough so I’m not going to moan about a point because as every manager knows, you’d rather have a point than nothing. It should’ve been three today.”

Beneath Punjab United in the league table are Lordswood (24 points from 22 games), K Sports (19 points from 22 games) and Welling Town (19 points from 22 games), with Bearsted (17 points from 19 games) and Canterbury City (14 points from 21 games) in the relegation zone.

Lee Roots, the Holmesdale manager who missed tonight through personal reasons, takes his side to Welling Town on Saturday, while Sian takes his side to Bearsted.

“I reckon 36-40 points, I think 36 will be enough, 20 teams, just get out of trouble and then you can start relaxing,” said Sian.

“That’s why it’s crucial we get up the table and we’ve got a few big games the next couple of weeks. 

“Look, it’s good to have an unbeaten run, I’m not lying.  The boys work hard in training and we go out on the pitch, it’s not like they go out and do it on purpose and sometimes we’ve actually rattled teams and we just can’t finish and that’s been the story of it at the moment.

“It’s going to be tough at Bearsted, like today.  The weather is playing its part with the pitches aren’t great and our pitch ain’t great at the moment, so you’re going to have to fight and tackles go in, mistakes happen. It happens.

“We’ve just had a go in there and we’ll see the reaction on Saturday. Listen, no one in this league is easy and we’ve played top and bottom so we know every game is a hard game so as far as I’m concerned if we walk away with a point we’ll be happy. I won’t be happy, but I’ll be happy.

“Everyone’s fighting for their lives, we just have to get 36 points and then we’ll look to rebuild for next year.”

For Holmesdale, Roots and his management team are working miracles to keep the club in midtable on limited resources.

“It’s fantastic.  The boys that we’ve got have got such a tremendous bond.  We have a great family feel. We want to bring everybody together and there the things that money can’t buy,” said Coleman.

“If you have that team spirt and have that togetherness like things where a player will run that extra 10% for you, they’re the things that money can’t buy.

“Where we may lack on resources, we make up on great effort and great endeavour and team spirt. 

“There’s no easy game in these divisions. It’s very competitive and if you’re not on the money, or you’re not on it form the start, it’s going to be an extremely hard game.

“We go away to Welling, it’s going to be a nice 3G pitch down at Chatham, which is going to be very welcomed by some of our players. We can get the ball down and we can play and we’re going to go there and prepare the same way as it would be for any other team.

“We’re going to give them total respect and we’re not going to take anybody lightly because if you do you’re going to come unstuck.”

Holmesdale: James Boughtflower, James Shield, Edward Sata, Siji Akinlusi, Ryan Styles, Louie Reid Newth, Clyde Semazzi, Cian McCarthy, Emmanuel Shoderu (Jamie Rawsthorne 66), Luke Adams, Can Yilmaz (Fred Obasa 58).
Subs: James Ayetine, Baley Lands, Emmanuel Oduguwa

Goals: Emmanuel Shoderu 44, Fred Obasa 72

Booked: Edward Sata 60, Clyde Semazzi 68, Luke Adams 90

Punjab United: Airidas Vilinauskas, Chris Edwards, Theodore McKenzie, Lea Dawson, Stephen Ratcliff, Dylan Gilbert, Andrew Dythe (Ashley Probets 83), Arun Suman, Paul Vines, Frankie Sawyer (Marcus Elliott 82), Michael Hagan (Chandler Kasai 66).
Subs: Jamie Watson, Jordan Campbell

Goals: Frankie Sawyer 25, Chris Edwards 70

Booked: Frankie Sawyer 31, Arun Suman 52, Stephen Ratcliff 90

Attendance: 46
Referee: Mr William Donnelly
Assistants: Mr Steven Tunnicliffe & Mr Haniel Whitmore