SE Dons 1-1 Staplehurst Monarchs - We were lucky to get the draw but deserved at the end, admits proud Staplehurst Monarchs manager Ian Docker

SE Dons 1 – 1 Staplehurst Monarchs United
Location	Maidstone Road Sports Ground, Bournville Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6LR
Kickoff	10/11/2025 20:00

SE DONS  1-1  STAPLEHURST MONARCHS
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League First Division
Monday 10 November 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Maidstone Road

STAPLEHURST MONARCHS manager Ian Docker says he’s feeling proud of his resilient players after grabbing a point against profligate promotion-chasing big-spenders SE Dons.

Antonio Gonnella’s side – thrashed 5-0 by newly-promoted Premier Division outfit Faversham Strike Force at the weekend in The FA Vase Second Round – had to settle for a point against Docker’s well-organised, resilient team.

SE Dons – unbeaten at home in their maiden Southern Counties East Football League First Division campaign – outclassed Staplehurst – who have now extended their winless run to eight games – during a dominant performance in Chatham.

However, Gonnella’s side were wasteful in front of goal and wide striker Palace Francis, 23, scored his fifth goal of the season, as Staplehurst Monarchs did well to restrict their hosts to just the one goal in the first half.

However, Staplehurst Monarchs kept 10 men behind the ball for large chunks of the second half and Docker’s side restored parity with 17 minutes left through substitute winger Toby Sargeant notching his fifth goal of the season, following a corner.

“Absolutely delighted,” said Docker, 56, who made over 100 appearances for Gillingham between 1987-1991.

“I watched them on Saturday, they’ve got very, very good players. Every respect to SE Dons, they’ve got some very, very good players there.

“What I asked my lads to do was press early doors and let’s get behind the ball, lets make it hard. If we can get a counter-attack, great, great. If not, stay on in there and they’ve put a shift in tonight, they’ve put a real shift in.

“I’m really proud of the boys and look forward now to playing Rochester on Saturday.

“We’re playing Step Six and I keep saying this to people, there’s a lot of people out there expecting Premier League performances, not just from my team, from all of the teams in this League.

“Listen, we had to hold our hand up and say individually they’ve got very, very, very good players and if we can just stifle them, we knew they were going to create chances but if we can just get our bodies on the line, get our bodies behind the ball as well, we always had a chance to counter-attack with a couple of players that we’ve got and it’s worked out alright tonight, so listen, I’m absolutely delighted – and at the end I thought we thoroughly deserved a draw.”

Gonnella sent out his coach, Matt Capon, for post-match media duties and he couldn’t hide his frustration on the night’s events.

“Not good enough, two points dropped. Comfortable in the first half. As long as it’s 1-0, we’ve just let them back in the game and I’m really disappointed,” said the former Forest Hill Park coach.

“The game plan was the same as always, try and play entertaining football. Try and get the ball forward, try and score goals. We had chances in the first half.

“Second half, we didn’t create enough and just played sideways, boring football.

“Staplehurst are a side that were happy to go in 1-0 at half-time. A side that were happy to play without the football. A side that were always gonna score from a set-piece and it’s our fault for not putting the game to bed, keeping them in the game and ultimately we switched off from a set-play and they score.”

It was mostly one-way traffic during a dominant first-half performance by the artist formerly known as Forest Hill Park.

High left-back Alton Leeward hooked the ball out to seven-goal wideman Joedon Gugas-Cowin on the right and he whipped in a quality delivery towards the six-yard box where attacking midfielder Georgi Steeds volleyed over the crossbar after only 250 seconds.

“We had plenty of chances in the first half and weren’t clinical enough and not ruthless and that’s why we’re standing here with two points dropped,” claimed Capon.

Gugas-Cowin lacked composure just 94 seconds later when he was through on goal between the two centre-halves (Scott Jones and Sam Wheeler) dinking his left-footed attempt over the crossbar when he only had goalkeeper Steven Lawrence to beat.

“Again, another chance, the story of the game and the story of the first half.” admitted Capon.

Staplehurst Monarchs offered very little in attack and SE Dons’ right-back Ryan Palmer was allowed to move temporarily into a left-central midfield berth to play the ball along the artificial turf to feed Francis, who drilled his right-footed shot towards goal from 25-yards, which was saved by Lawrence at the second attempt.

Capon, who was now sounding like a broken record, added: “Yes, I think we created plenty, without going through every single one, we created plenty of chances in the first half and if you don’t score goals in a game, that’s why we’re standing here fuming with a point.”

Docker said: “Steve’s a big player for us and I had a chat with him the other week. He’s been injured on and off and I had a chat with him in pre-season and he said ‘listen, if you can try and get a squad where we’re not going to concede loads and loads of goals, I’m happy to be here.’

“I’ve had a lot of goalkeeper’s ringing me up thinking that it’s been the keeper’s fault.  Steve’s probably been our top three players every week.  Out of all of the goals we’ve conceded (20 in 13 League games after tonight), two goals have probably been Steve’s fault.

“He’s been a massive, massive plus for us at the back. He's experienced, he’s vital, he’s brilliant with the lads'. He’s just got that experience where he knows when to calm down, when to play and without Steve we would’ve been struggling at times.”

However, dominant SE Dons deserved their lead, when it arrived with 17 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock, when Staplehurst Monarchs’ right-back Sam Swift opened the gate at the back post after a penetrating move down the right, which included Aaron Watson and Palmer.

Palmer fizzed in a cross from within the right-channel towards the back post where the unmarked Francis swept his right-footed shot into the empty net from six-yards.

Capon said: “A great goal. Palace has been really good since he’s come in. Me and Palms (Palmer) have been chatting about that he hasn’t got as many assists or goals this season, so it’s nice for him to do that.

“It was simple, three passes in behind, cut back into the box and we get bodies and we get a tap in – we should’ve done more of it.”

Docker added: “You speak to their management and they’ll say it was a great well-worked goal and the guy took it fantastically well.  As soon as the ball came in, I knew it was going in the back of the net.

“From our point of view, we didn’t mark properly. We didn’t stop certain things from happening and you’re right, I saw it coming and that’s when you find out what your team are like, so where we’ve come from in pre-season to now. 

“We’ve had a lot of bad games on the road lately so to actually not to fall apart and actually stay in there and get resilient and come back with a few chances ourselves and obviously score a goal at the end, I’m really proud and really pleased with the lads’ performance.”

Staplehurst Monarchs were so poor at this stage of the game, everyone inside the stadium expected the floodgates to open.

Palmer chipped the ball over the top to release 11-goal attacker Watson, who drilled his right-footed shot against the outside of the near-post, as another chance went begging for the home side (25:59).

“He (Watson) gives us everything. He gives us goals. He gives us experience. He gives us knowhow. He knows how to win but the most important thing that he brings is goals and assists because that is why he’s our top goalscorer and he’s contributing with assists as well,” said Capon.

Docker admitted he was searching for some divine intervention at that point, especially as his side were being ripped to shreds.

“I think that was when I was looking up at the sky at the time so he might’ve been looking down and done me a favour.

“When you play against teams with players of this quality, you’ve got to hope for a bit of luck.  You’ve got to hope that your team can go out and do the best they can and tonight the ball didn’t go in from them.

“We kept going, we persevered and we’ve come away with the result. From our point of view, you look at it and say it’s a good away performance.”

Staplehurst Monarchs mustered a chance (27:07) when central midfielder Bradley Webb fed five-goal winger Oliver Lankshear, whose poor shot from 25-yards rolled into the gloves of SE Dons goalkeeper George Hill, who was untroubled.

“Look, we’ve had Ollie up front for us and he didn’t come to us as a forward. His work-rate, he’s a fantastic lad and he’s been a big part of what we’ve been trying to do,” said Docker.

“Logan Wallace, we’ve got him from Tom Parkinson up at Tonbridge Angels’ (Academy). He’s a young kid, he’s raw but I thought he competed really well with the two lumps (Reece Barrett and Patrick McKay) at the back.

“Yes, we need more firepower. It makes it hard for the team defending. Obviously, as an ex-player, I know that myself but I keep saying this to people, we’re a work in progress, it’s baby steps, frustrating at times but tonight they put into practice and luckily or not luckily we’ve cone away with a deserved draw.”

SE Dons – who dominated the corner count by 11-3 – will need to return on the training ground to become more of a threat from set-pieces.

Billy Crook rolled the ball back from the right to holding midfielder Aaron Reber, who swept a first time cross across Lawrence and well wide of the far post.

A poor left-footed kick by Lawrence went straight to Gugas-Cowin some 35-yards from goal, who raced into the Staplehurst box but Wheeler saved his team-mate's bacon by making a well-timed tackle, which set the tone for what was to come from the visitors’ during the second half.

Capon said: “More, more of the same but to speed it up, to try to play forward, to try to score goals as opposed to just playing sideways football and playing safe. Just to kill the game off to get the second, to get the third and then to go but unfortunately that didn’t work out tonight.”

Docker said: “Look, I didn’t go in and shout at them.  I look at the people I’ve been involved with, all the years’ I’ve been involved in football and you take a lot from them.

“Do you go in with guns blazing or do you go in and have a go at one or two key players? But when you look at their faces in the changing room at half-time, they know the opponents had chances to score but they also had that determination.

“They know if we get half-a-chance, then we’ll get back into it. The longer we could maintain it still being only 1-0, the more chances we might get, hopefully get a counter-attack.

“Our passing let us down badly. When we did win possession, we gave it away too cheaply, so there’s still lots of things still to work on.

“I’ve been in the game, as you know, a long time. I haven’t come away from here tonight thinking we’ve absolutely demolished them. We were lucky to get the draw but yes, deserved at the end because the lads put in a shift and we clawed ourselves back in.”

SE Dons dominated the possession and were mostly camped inside Staplehurst Monarchs half of the pitch – with Crook pulling the strings in the middle – but Docker ensured the visitors’ kept 10 men behind the ball at all times and proved to be a hard nut to crack as they put in a vastly improved second half performance.

Staplehurst Monarchs kept giving the ball away and when asked about Crook’s performance, Capon replied, “That’s what Crooksy brings. He’s the cog as he calls himself, the conductor, so yes, he is key to how we play.”

But when asked what was missing, Capon replied: “Intensity. I think the way the ball was moved, I think the shots, I think crosses, bodies into the box, we never really tested their keeper. It was all very much sideways. Staplehurst sat in, moved side-to-side and we unfortunately weren’t good enough.”

The higher up you go in the non-league pyramid, the better and more experienced the managers and Docker got his side’s tactics spot on with players who raised their games against quality opposition.

Docker said: “Our problem all season has been we haven’t retained, we’ve given the ball away too cheaply and it’s something that we’re working on in training.

“But we don’t train as much as the other teams do, just down to people at work, times, we’re probably the lowest budget here but I never use that as an excuse. We work the best we can in what we’ve got and I think the second half, it could’ve gone either way.”

The home club even resorted to strange tactics for allowing a spectator – who had pitch access during the interval – to use a megaphone to bark out comments during the second half, including criticising the referee (Michael Corderoy) in an attempt to distract Lawrence and his team-mates, from behind the goal within the raised terracing.

Staplehurst Monarchs went close to restoring parity (10:09) with a rare foray into the final third.

Holding midfielder Omar Elmantawy played the ball out to winger Morgan Davidge, who from the right touchline cut the ball back to Swift, who put in a low cross towards the edge of the penalty area where lone striker Logan Wallace spun and swept his right-footed shot on the turn rolling across Hill and past the foot of the far post from 20-yards.

Docker said: “I said to the lads, listen, you get out for the second half, believe in yourselves, defend for your lives, work harder than what you have been.  Everyone keeps saying about teams working hard, maybe I’m an old-school person but 100 per cent effort is the minimum requirement and if we kept going, as we did, then you create chances at the end, so I’m much happier with the second half performance but there’s still lots of things to work with.”

SE Dons squandered a glorious chance to change the outcome of the game just 44 seconds later when Crook’s sublime reverse pass played in Gugas-Cowin, who lacked composure once more inside the box and rifled his right-footed shot against the outside of the top of the near (right) post as Lawrence came off his line to narrow the angle.

“Should’ve scored, should’ve scored. Joedon knows he should’ve scored,” admitted Capon.

“Again, it’s not clinical enough, story of the game. Without going through every minute and every chance, it’s all falls down to the same thing. First half we created loads of chances, weren’t clinical. Second half we didn’t crate many clear-cut and the ones we did, we weren’t clinical.”

Docker added: “Another time I looked up to the heavens.  Listen, they move the ball. I think they’re better going forward than they are defensive, If I’m honest. That’s not being detrimental to them. I think most teams would say that.

“They are going to create chances, against better teams than us and tonight they didn’t go in and it went in our favour and we’ve come away with a draw.

“Whether people walk away and think we were lucky or not, we’ve got some points on the board, which was good.”

Gugas-Cowin’s wastefulness seemed to knock the stuffing out of SE Dons, who failed to test Lawrence, who was protected with Staplehurst Monarchs defending in numbers, just like nearly every team when they come up against Manchester City in the Premier League – parking the bus.

Staplehurst Monarchs won three corners during the game, each taken by a different player.

Their first (12:56) was taken by Kieran Pallett down the left and in the second phase, left-back Sam Harris slipped in Pallett, who went to pieces on the corner of the six-yard box and steered his low shot past the near post.

Crook was pulling the strings but once SE Dons reached both channels, they lacked quality, taking too many touches and lacking quality with the final ball, as they couldn’t break down a brilliant yellow brick wall.

Docker said: “A little bit in our favour. That was down to us and our shape and it was down to them to try and break that and they did during the game and other times they didn’t. Some last-ditch defending but that’s what defending is all about.

“Our centre-halves have made a lot of mistakes tonight, the back four have made a lot of mistakes but when they needed to, they put their bodies on the line. They blocked the shots and that’s all you can ask.”

Staplehurst Monarchs grabbed the equaliser – following their second corner – timed at 28 minutes and 17 seconds on the clock.

Lankshear fizzed in a corner from the left towards the back post where super-sub Sargeant stabbed the ball over the line with his right-foot from two-yards.

“I wish I could say it was a training ground move and a great substitution,” admitted Docker.

“I think I was having a chat with JD (James Delaney) at the time about making a sub.

“All we’ve said to him (Lankshear) is if you can put the ball into an area, whether it’s a pre-worked corner kick, free-kick, whatever, if you can put the ball into the right areas, they have to defend it and you’ve got half-a-chance of scoring, it’s the same down our end as well.

“Against Faversham (Strike Force), they scored two near-post corners. We’ve worked on it. We’ve shown them it and the execution was good so it’s something that we’ve worked on, balls in areas and players making certain runs and if we can get on the end of it, then yes, no problem with it.”

Capon added: “Fuming we’ve conceded from a set-piece. We’ve switched off, so ultimately that falls on all of us but I don’t think we were great in the second half tonight.

“I mean, with all set-piece goals, they’ll be buzzing that it’s well-worked. For us, fuming! It’s a clever decoy run to go short, it’s cleared the front zone. It could’ve been (dealt with), the guy taps it in.  From our point of view, we’re not happy with the manner of the goal!

“Credit to them, they came here with a game-plan and I think out of the two sides, you can tell one’s probably ecstatic with a point, whilst the other is far from pleased.”

Staplehurst Monarchs then created chances to end SE Dons’ unbeaten home League record.

A long ball down the line by left-back Harris released the impressive Sargeant, who cut in from the left and cracked a right-footed drive straight into Hill’s midriff from 25-yards.

“It’s one of those, he either catches it really well and it goes in, or you think you could’ve done better,” said Docker.

“Maybe it’s come to him a little bit too early – he’s not been on for that long but we’ve brought Toby on, Toby’s a good player. He’s played with injuries and tonight was a case of bringing him on and just steady the ship a little bit.

“We knew that Toby will get certain chances because of the way the game is going, which worked in our favour on a few occasions but I could turn round and say he should’ve pinged it into the top corner like (former Liverpool midfielder) Steven Gerrard used to do but he’s had a shot on target and that’s all I can ask.”

SE Dons were now getting desperate.  Zak Ansah, 31, came on in midfield and swept the ball out to fellow sub, winger Temi Alaka, who easily cut inside and past Harris and Sargeant but got away with a caution from referee Michael Corderoy for diving close to the by-line as the angle got tighter and tighter.

Docker replaced lone striker Wallace and brought on Meshac Ogazi in the 77^th minute and Staplehurst Monarchs squandered two glorious chances to claim a shock victory inside stoppage time.

Their third and final left-wing corner was swung in by Webb towards the near post but centre-half Wheeler steered his header over the top of the near post.

SE Dons’ centre-half Barrett pinged a left-footed diagonal out of defence (an often used tactic during the game), the ball was brought down by Steeds before cutting in but a poor touch inside the penalty area by Ansah allowed Lawrence to pick the ball up.

Staplehurst Monarchs missed a glorious chance to grab the victory with the last kick of the game (50:18).

Ogazi was brought down by centre-half’s McKay’s bookable challenge and Hill lined up a five man wall – but Webb proved why he’s playing in the tenth-tier of English football, smashing his right-footed free-kick high over the crossbar from 22-yards.

Docker said: “Was it a game-plan? No, it wasn’t the game plan but when you’re the away team and you’re playing a team like SE Dons, who like I keep saying, have got quality in their side, their crowd is on their back and they’re looking at either keeping the ball or they’re looking to trying to get a second or the third.

“We just said if we can stop another goal going in, we’ll have chances. It will open up. It will be on the counter-attack because when a team passes like they do, there’s loads of space on the field. If we had better ball retention, we have had two or three other chances as well, so it wasn’t the game-plan but our game-plan basically was get back and defend. If we can counter, counter. We will get chances because they will over-pay at times and take our chances, we took one!”

Capon added: “I mean, if that did go in, then it would’ve really been unjust but yes, it is what it is. It’s a very frustrating night, frustrating weekend, difficult spell. We’ve only had kind of two days to recover (from our FA Vase exit) so yes, it's been difficult but no excuses, we weren’t good enough tonight.”

SE Dons remain in third-place in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table, having collected 27 points (eight wins, three draws and one defeat) from their 12 of 34 games.

Gonnella’s men host FC Baresi – 12^th place in the Thurlow Nunn Division One South with 20 points (five wins, five draws and eight defeats) – in the London Senior Trophy Second Round on Saturday.

“It’s a game that we have to bounce back and a game that we have to win,” admitted Capon.

“Any competition, any game we want to win it and make sure that we compete but we definitely need to show the fans, the punters something else after the last two displays.

“I think going in before tonight, the only kind of team that we’ve played around us was Greenwich Borough, which we lost to, which was disappointing on the night.  I thought we played quite well.

“We’re still in what, November. We’ve played 12 games, there’s plenty of time to go. We’ve got to play Rochester twice, we’ve got to play Greenways twice, we’ve got to play Greenwich Borough again, so these are the games that we can’t afford to be dropping points in. There’s a gap and we have to make sure we’re closing it and we can only do that by winning.”

Michael Betts’ Rochester United have picked up 12 wins out of 12 and lead the table with 36 points, while the four sides in the play-off zone tonight are AFC Greenwich Borough (34 points from 12 games), SE Dons, Greenways (25 points from 11 games) and relegated side Lordswood (25 points from 15 games).

Staplehurst Monarchs, meanwhile, remain in tenth-place with 16 points (four wins, four draws and five defeats) from their 13 games.

Docker revealed he misses Saturday’s home game against leaders Rochester United – his former club - due to personal reasons, so his player-assistant manager Delaney will be in charge.

“Bettsy has done a fantastic job. Matt Hume was at the helm for a while when I was there and I think it’s all come together at the right time. A couple of little changes here and there that they may have done. 

“Rochester are a good side. We got beat 2-0 at their ground, it could’ve been seven or eight but again we’ve managed to curtail it and had two great chances at the start and didn’t take them.

“It will be a tough game. I’m actually away. I never ever miss games in my life, as an ex-pro, it’s not in your vocabulary but I had something already sorted out and the fixtures weren’t out. I’ve got some personal things to sort out and do a couple of things.

“My number two, James Delaney, has been playing number three for us all season (will be in charge). He’s been away on holiday and come back, so that’s why he was on the bench with me tonight. We’ll have a chat whether he starts or whether he manages from the sideline.

“But I know the lads are going to be 100% committed. Any game is winnable but the lads have got to realise what they’ve done tonight and the hard work and not giving up, is for me a 100 per cent given and if they can do the same on Saturday, then I think we’ll give a good account of ourselves.

“It will be a tough game. If I’m honest, it will be tougher than tonight with SE Dons playing on Saturday and then tonight that obviously helped us to an extent but Rochester are a different beast.  They’ve got experience, they play a different style and it will be a tough one but all we can ask is our players’ do the best we can.

“I don’t predict things, I’ve been in the game a long time and I just look at each game as it comes.  If we finish midtable and above, I think we’ve had a good season from where we’ve come.

“I know every team have got their bad stories but from where we’ve come from in pre-season, a complete rebuild, the lads are doing well.

“I’ve let a couple go. I’m looking to bring a few in but bringing a few in has been a bit of a problem because there’s certain players who want a fair bit of money, which they have got to look after themselves but maybe I’ll be looking to bring in younger players, willing to run around, work hard and listen.

“But it will be interesting to have a chat with us at the end of the season to see where we are.”

SE Dons: George Hill, Ryan Palmer (Zak Ansah 73), Alton Leeward, Aaron Reber, Reece Barrett, Patrick McKay, Palace Francis, Billy Crook, Joedon Gugas-Cowin, Georgi Steeds, Aaron Watson (Temi Alaka 60).
Subs: Ben Wilson, Joe Denny, Kamieko Pope-Campbell

Goal: Palace Francis 17

Booked: Aaron Reber 86, Patrick McKay 90

Staplehurst Monarchs: Steven Lawrence, Sam Swift, Sam Harris, Omar Elmantawy, Scott Jones, Sam Wheeler, Oliver Lankshear (Hayden Exall 87), Bradley Webb, Logan Wallace (Meshac Ogazi 77), Kieran Pallett (Toby Sargeant 64), Morgan Davidge.
Subs: Sam Sharp, Jerome Lee

Goal: Toby Sargeant 73

Booked: Sam Swift 88

Attendance: 229
Referee: Mr Michael Corderoy
Assistants: Joe Murray & Mr Samsul Hadi