Lewisham Borough 3-2 Meridian VP - There is a lot of work to be done, says Darrell Queeley

LEWISHAM BOROUGH (COMMUNITY) 3-2  MERIDIAN VP
Kent Invicta League
Wednesday 18^th September 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Ladywell Arena

LEWISHAM BOROUGH manager Willie O’Sullivan says camaraderie has made a welcome return to the Ladywell Arena after his side fought back from two goals down to win their third league game of the season.

Lewisham Borough remain in the bottom five in the Kent Invicta League table after they fought back from being 2-0 down inside the opening 26 minutes, before scoring three goals in the last 22 minutes to leave Meridian VP manager Darrell Queeley almost speechless after the game.

Both sides went into this game with only 12 goals between them in the league this season, but third-from-bottom Meridian VP found themselves a goal up after only 21 seconds through impressive right-winger Myrie Allen.

The Charlton-based outfit doubled their lead when Daniel Fleming, 16, appeared to be yards offside before slotting the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

But Lewisham Borough turned the game on its head when Callum O’Sullivan drilled home a free-kick, before Alex Mandala scored and striker Tristan Toney headed home the winner.

“First half was a shambles to be honest,” admitted former Charlton Athletic player Willie O’Sullivan, 53, afterwards.

“I did have three new starters in there today.

“Second half we managed to do what I asked them to do and start knocking it about and it paid dividends.

“We got three good goals. They were well-worked goals as well so I’m happy with that part.”

Queeley, 33, meanwhile, was almost lost for words as his side threw away the points to one of their local rivals.

“We played really well first half.  I think some of the boys thought it was too easy or thought it was in the bag.

“I was fully aware of Tristan Toney – how good a player he is and I spoke to my centre halves and told them it’s going to be 90 minutes for you – more than anyone else. Focus!

“A couple of moments of lapses of concentration and they gradually got back into the game.”

Meridian VP got off to the perfect start when winger Uddim Kamrul played a low cross in from the right and Lewisham Borough central defender Gregory Summersby and his goalkeeper Kris Dixon failed to deal with the ball and Allen poked the ball across the keeper and the ball rolled into the bottom far corner from six-yards.

Queeley said: “We’ve brought young Kam (Kamrul) in today, he’s just turned seventeen.  We’ve had a few seventeen-year-old’s out there, a sixteen-year-old and I thought they were our best players at times.

“We had Kam, we also had Daniel Fleming, sixteen, he scored the second goal. His calf were painful at half-time so we had to take him off and look after him.  I thought that made a big difference in the game when he came off.

“It was perfect,” Queeley said off his side’s start.

“The boys’ have gone out and done what we asked. High intensity, get the ball in to dangerous areas. We’ve got good forward players, get the ball into them and just ask questions. Can they defend this? Can they defend that and it was looking like no for most of the game.”

Willie O’Sullivan turned into Arsene Wenger when he said: “I’ve only just walked out and basically didn’t see it!  I wasn’t even watching but there you go.  If you don’t get their quick enough, you don’t see everything. I didn’t see the goal!”

Meridian were the better side during the first half and a ball over the top from right-back Chris Walker released striker Jay Garrick down the right before he drilled a right-footed shot flashing past the far post from a tight angle, high to the goalkeeper’s right.

Lewisham Borough’s first opening came courtesy of a long throw from Callum O’Sullivan, which dropped down onto Mandala’s right-foot, the ball sailing over from 25-yards on the half-volley.

Meridian striker Dominic Weston – playing against one of his former clubs – should have done better when he was left unmarked inside the Lewisham Borough penalty area but glanced his header out of play following Allen’s floated cross from the right.

Meridian deservedly doubled their lead in the 26^th minute, courtesy of assistant referee Hossain Tavakkoli keeping his flag down.

Meridian left-back Duwayne Morris picked up the ball inside Lewisham Borough’s half and was given time and space to slide the ball through a crowd of players into the penalty area, where Fleming appeared to be yards offside.

The central midfielder stopped and looked to his right to notice that there was no offside flag and had time to stroke his right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner from ten-yards.

O’Sullivan definitely saw the sixteen-year-old was in acres of space and appeared yards offside before the former Cray Wanderers youngster scored his first goal for the club.

He said: “He’s miles offside! They’re young lads there learning the game as well, they’re going to get mistakes. It proved a bit costly for us but at the end of the night we’ve come through 3-2, so not much harm done.”

Queeley naturally said: “The ball’s come straight back in. I’m going to be biased and say it looked like one of the guys was stepping out late, being a bit lazy, but I’m sure Willie’s got another view on the matter so If I’m Willie, he’s offside. For me, he’s just on.”

Speaking about the finish, the Meridian manager added: “It was comfortable. He took his time and just slotted it away.  He’s a good player, sixteen, he’s a player who we’re kind of relying on at the minute. He’s been our best performer all season. He’s played centre half for us as well and done really well.

“He was with Cray Wanderers’ youth side and I’ve known him for quite a while now.”

Lewisham Borough responded to that error of judgement within 78 seconds when striker Toney struck a right-footed angled drive from fifteen-yards, which forced Meridian keeper Aaron McGuigan to save low to his right to prevent the ball creeping inside the bottom corner.

Meridian striker Jay Garrick then hit a right-footed shot on the turn from 30-yards, which was saved low and comfortably by Dixon.

Meridian were almost gifted a third goal in the 37^th minute when Morris once again slid a ball into the box and Lewisham Borough’s Mandala was relieved to see his drilled clearance flash just past the foot of the near post from ten-yards.

Lewisham Borough’s best chance of the first half followed when Toney beat two men on his way towards the edge of the Meridian penalty box before he passed the ball to Mandala, who cut inside and his left-footed shot forced McGuigan to dive to his right to claw the ball to safety.

Mandala then unleashed a stinging drive with his right-foot from 35-yards, which the visiting keeper plucked out of the air above his head.

Reflecting on the first half, Queeley said: “Yes, I believe we were the better side in the first half.”

Lewisham Borough manager Willie O’Sullivan revealed how he geed up his troops for the second half.

“Nothing that I can tell you, put it that way!

“There was a few harsh words said to a few people. The threat was as well if they don’t do anything different in fifteen minutes I was going to make three subs so they took me by my word.”

Queeley added: “They were told all the things that they went out and did, ok. They were told not to do all the things that they did.

“It was keep doing what you’re doing, stay focused because they do have a lot of dangerous players on their side and I know they’ve got Alex (Mandala), Callum (O’Sullivan) and Tristan (Toney).  They just need a second to score. I think all three of those got on the scoresheet right?

“So they (my players’) ignored me. They don’t care what I say.”

Meridian created the first chance of the second half when they built down the left where Haile Soloman played a double one-two with Kamrul before Soloman played the ball into Weston inside the box, who dragged the ball back to beat his marker before his left-footed shot was parried by Dixon.

Mandala then cracked a right-footed shot on the turn from 35-yards and the backpeddling Meridian keeper was relieved to see the ball fly narrowly over his crossbar.

Lewisham Borough were now seeing signs of life and Mandala played the ball into Toney, who cracked a left-footed shot on the turn, which McGuigan parried the ball away high to his left.

And a mistake by Meridian central defender Craig Dwyer sent Toney on his way through on goal, but the Lewisham Borough striker dragged his right-footed shot agonisingly wide of the foot of the far post.

Meridian’s first chance of the second half came in the 65^th minute when Kamrul’s left-footed free-kick from 35-yards bounced past the near post.

Lewisham Borough kept probing and they were awarded a free-kick when Dwyer fouled Toney on the edge of the box and O’Sullivan’s right-footed free-kick went straight down McGuigan’s throat to make the save.

Meridian weren’t so lucky next time and when substitute Phil McBean fouled Toney, this lead to Lewisham Borough pulling a goal back in the 68^th minute.

Up stepped Callum O’Sullivan to get his father out of the hole as the winger drilled a right-footed free-kick through the wall from 22-yards and the ball nestled inside the bottom right-hand corner.

The Lewisham Borough manager said: “He’s got that in his wardrobe. He’s got quite a few things in his wardrobe, that’s why quite a lot of clubs are after him!  I’m lucky enough that he’s my son because he’ll be gone I think.

“You need that first goal because once that first goes in it gives everyone the inputs to carry on.

“We are a young side. I think we’ve got seven under 21s in the side, which is quite young in this league.”

Queeley expressed his thoughts on O’Sullivan’s first goal of the season.

He said: “Someone must have moved out of the way! I’m not sure if they had a decoy player in the wall that moved out of the way. The wall seemed to be there. It disappeared and it went straight in.”

Meridian were denied breathing space when Walker sent a curling right-footed free-kick around the wall from 25-yards and Dixon jumped up and pushed the ball over his crossbar with his outstretched right hand.

Half-time substitute McBean – who played 90 minutes for Beckenham Town in their 3-0 home defeat to ten-man Erith Town 24 hours earlier – then cracked a first time right-footed half-volley screaming wide of the near post after Walker swung in a corner from the right.

Meridian were desperately unlucky not to put the game to bed when Kamrul cut in from the left before his right-footed shot from 25-yards curled agonisingly onto the crossbar, high to the goalkeeper’s left.

However, the game turned on its head when Lewisham Borough scored twice in a clinical 85 second spell.

They equalised in the 82^nd minute when O’Sullivan threw the ball into the area and substitute John Wright laid the ball off for Mandala to place his right-footed shot into the popular bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

O’Sullivan said: “Great goal. In the first half he’s taken a long throw and it’s bounced in the six-yard box and bounced out at the back post because nobody’s touched it.

“If you’ve got one player who does what he’s told and stays out there it’s a gift goal.  There you go, you live and learn. They’re only young so you’ve got to keep trying.”

Queeley blamed inexperience at the heart of defence was to inflict Meridian’s sixth-league defeat in eight games.

“I think the last two goals came down to awareness,” he said.

“We’ve got two eighteen-year-old’s, centre halves as well, which is Charlie Hopwood and Craig Dwyer.

“A little bit of experience would have said someone come in front of Tristan there because he threatened before. That the ball came into him he had it up and turned. If someone was standing in front of him there would be no flick-ons, no turn and we probably win the game.”

Queeley insisted that the corner leading up to Lewisham Borough’s winner should not have been given by referee Olly Fyfe.

The former Lewisham Borough and Crockenhill coach had a point because it appeared that O’Sullivan smashed shot which sailed towards the corner flag, didn’t touch a Meridian player.

O’Sullivan trotted over and collected the ball from the running track and swung in a perfect delivery for Toney to rise ahead of keeper McGuigan at the near post to nod the ball into the far corner from six-yards.

Queeley said: “It’s bobbled up and he’s miss-hit it, it’s gone off and he’s shouted out and he’s got a corner, but we’ve still got to deal with it. I’m not going to use that as an excuse why we’ve lost. For me, it’s never a corner, but we still have to deal with it.

“I’m actually speechless!  Watching the first half and the second half upon reflection I don’t know how we’ve lost the game!

“We could have been four or five up easily at half-time. When did they score the first goal? Sixty-eight minutes. At that moment that’s when the game changed.”

Queeley knew exactly what Toney can produce.

He said: “It’s what nightmares are made off – 2-0 up, 3-2 down.

“He’s a very good player. He played for me at Lewisham Borough. I know him very well so everything I said at half-time, maybe I need to talk more positively at half-time. The things we should do and the things we shouldn’t do.”

Boss O’Sullivan was full of praise for Toney’s desire to notch the winner.

He said: “Great corner! Brilliant corner. Difficult to defend against if they’re put in that right area and people are prepared to get there. It’s all about people wanting to get hurt to get a goal. Anyone can get a goal but you’ve got to be a good player to want to get goals all the time and good players get them.

“We’ve got maybe two or three players in the side that stand out and the others are catching up but they will catch up and if they listen and learn at training you’re not going to be too far off.”

When asked what pleased him the most tonight, O’Sullivan replied: “The camaraderie of the side. It’s not been here for a long, long time. You could see when we scored the first and the second you could see everyone together, cheer and congratulating each other. That’s what we need to get because if you can get a team that wants to play together they become very difficult to beat on the pitch.”

Tonight’s game attracted Lewisham Borough’s highest crowd of the season and O’Sullivan appreciated people’s financial support.

More clubs – at all levels of the game – should try playing on a different night than the popular Tuesday because that will bring in the crowds and more importantly increased revenue.

He said: “A club like Lewisham, who are struggling financially need everybody that comes through the gate and everybody that spends something in the clubhouse.

“The chairman (Ray Simpson) works his socks off here to get us what he can so I don’t think he should do anymore, so we have to try and repay him by getting some results out on the pitch.”

Lewisham Borough are only four points adrift of third-placed Kent Football United (who have played two games fewer) and O’Sullivan says he is targeting the top half of the table after finishing in last place last season.

“I want to finish in that top three,” he said.  “I don’t think it’s far off. I’ve got a few players that came tonight - they’re not fit – but they’ve played at this level and higher so we’re going to be alright.”

Meridian’s manager, meanwhile, targets improvement, starting with Saturday’s showdown against tenants Bridon Ropes at Charlton Park Lane (3pm kick-off).
 
Queeley said: “The table’s not lying. Teams have been better than us. We haven’t been unlucky. There’s a lot of work to do for us to move up the table, to start competing.”

Charlton Athletic welcome Millwall to The Valley on Saturday lunchtime and it would be nice for as many of those supporters to support their two local Kent Invicta League clubs at 3 o’clock down the road.

“That will be nice,” said Queeley.  “I can’t see that happening, but that will be lovely.

“Bridon at home. Local derby. I just have to speak to the lads and get them up for it and we go again.

“I’ll get it right sooner or later but there is a lot of work to be done.”

O’Sullivan, meanwhile, takes his side to Crockenhill on Saturday. The Crocks are rooted to the foot of the table with five defeats on the bounce and have leaked 33 goals this season, including letting in fifteen against leaders Hollands & Blair and ten against Bearsted.

“Don’t put the mockers on me!  Don’t put the cross on me will you,” said O’Sullivan.

“I’m expecting a win whatever happens. I don’t care how we win. It can be ugly or it can be nice. I just want a win, pick up another three points.

“They got beat 10-0 by Bearsted and we played Bearsted here and it wasn’t a fluke we beat them 3-2 and we deserved a 3-2 win so if we can keep that momentum and play we’ll give them something to think about.”

Lewisham Borough: Kris Dixon, Mohammed Miah, Marco Almeida, Gregory Summersby, Daniel Bannell, Matthew Gardiner (Jack Carthy 67), Callum O’Sullivan (Leigh Wise 89), Robert Hicks, Tristan Toney, Saidou Camara (John Wright 57), Alex Mandala.
Sub: Kieran McMahon

Goals: Callum O’Sullivan 68, Alex Mandala 82, Tristan Toney 84

Booked: Mohammed Miah 62, Callum O’Sullivan 80, Daniel Bannell 90

Meridian VP: Aaron McGuigan, Chris Walker, Duwayne Morris, Haile Soloman (Gareth Hopkins 74), Charlie Hopwood, Craig Dwyer, Myrie Allen, Daniel Fleming (Phil McBean 46), Dominic Weston, Jay Garrick (Wayon Anderson 64), Uddin Kamrul.
Sub: Adam Fleming

Goals: Myrie Allen 1, Daniel Fleming 26

Booked: Gareth Hopkins 90

Attendance: 69
Referee:  Mr Olly Fyfe (Lewisham, London SE13)
Assistants: Mr Jamie Berry (Welling) & Mr Hossain Tavakkoli (Forest Hill, London SE23)