Sevenoaks Town 1-4 Merstham - The quality's not quite there yet and we've got to learn from it and we've got to be a little bit better, admits disappointed Sevenoaks Town manager Marcel Nimani

Sevenoaks Town 1 – 4 Merstham
Location	Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Seal Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5BX
Kickoff	17/09/2025 19:30

SEVENOAKS TOWN  1-4  MERSTHAM
Isthmian League South East Division
Wednesday 17 September 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Greatness Park

SEVENOAKS TOWN manager Marcel Nimani admits his side must improve after collapsing during a poor second half after missing out on reaching the summit of the Isthmian League South East Division table for the very first time.

There are just over 17 miles between Greatness Park and Merstham’s Weldon Way and Jamie Decruz’s side treated this match as a local derby as Sevenoaks Town’s players failed to match Merstham’s intensity and desire throughout.

Merstham took the lead on the counter-attack with winger Olumayowa Lawal scoring from a deflected strike, but Sevenoaks Town restored parity during a decent spell of pressure on the stroke of half-time with central midfielder Archie Burnett, 22, also scored his first goal of the season.

Merstham scored three goals during the second half. Dominant centre-half Matthew Drage, 33, scored direct with a quality executed free-kick to score his fourth goal of the season, before striker Korrey Henry came off the bench for a tap in following a well-worked move, before central midfielder Paris Hamilton-Downes scored with another quality strike from outside the box in stoppage time to deservedly take the points westbound along the A25 back into Surrey.

Merstham scored four goals from their six attempts on target and their goalkeeper made three saves, while Sevenoaks scored one from four shots on target and their keeper made a couple of saves.

“Congratulations to Merstham, for a team that travelled that’s the perfect away performance,” admitted Nimani during the post-match press conference.

“You’re thinking it’s the sort of performance that you want to learn from because that’s how you travel and win games, so well done to Merstham.

“From my perspective, on balance of play, no way is that a 4-1. It’s a tough result on us but the difference of quality when we get into their half and into our box, we had four subs playing tonight. We had a lot of forceful play in their box, balls are bouncing, there’s no one there to take the seconds whereas their third and fourth goals were prime example of the quality that we lacked tonight.”

When asked what threats Merstham posed his side tonight, Nimani replied: “It’s really difficult to pinpoint the specific areas but I felt that they defended really well in their box and I felt they sat in their shape really well.

“They won their battles and when they went into our half, I felt their players were a little bit more technically gifted than ours tonight, so if you look at our forward players, we just lacked a little bit of quality tonight whereas when they got the ball in our half, they had a bit more technical ability.”

The first 18 minutes was played at a frenetic pace on a wet and windy Wednesday night, with both teams treating the ball like a hot potato and hitting the ball long and lacking in quality.

“They start really strong Merstham. They’ve got a history of starting, they’re a very energetic side, so we kind of wanted to balance that out and it just became chaotic.”

Merstham’s players just wanted it more – maybe more of their players live close to the town they represent than the players’ that represent Sevenoaks and Merstham’s payers wanted to claim the local bragging rights.

Merstham played at a high-voltage pace and they created their first opening inside the opening nine minutes.

Lawal put in a low cross from the right and the ball was cleared out to Hamilton-Downes, whose first time left-footed drive from 18-yards took a deflection off Toluope Jonah and 26-year-old goalkeeper Jordan Perrin dived low to his left to save to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom right-hand corner.

“Traditionally, they are known to be a quick start, they’re full of energy, so that’s why the first 15 minutes we just wanted to match that, so there wasn’t a lot of quality football, so it was tit-for-tat, long-for-long and whoever wins their battles.

“They’re a strong side physically as well and athletic. That’s why they always start on top. They do have those physical attributes, for us it’s about matching it.

“That was the first shot they had on target. It was just their forward line was the better off our shape.”

The frenetic, breathless game started to calm down after 18 minutes and Sevenoaks created their first opening following Jonah’s third of nine long throws.

He launched the ball from close to the corner flag down the left, the ball was flicked away and Sevenoaks’ left-back Charlie Dickens hooked his left-footed volley screaming over the crossbar from within a crowd of players.

“We work on that, could Charlie probably done a lot better there? Maybe,” came Nimani’s response.

Merstham swiftly raced up the other end and deservedly took the lead just 31 seconds later, the goal coming with 24 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock.

Goalkeeper Robert Tolfrey took the resulting goal-kick from the right-hand side of his six-yard box, the ball was flicked on by three-goal striker Samuel King close to the half-way line and this released Lawal charging down the left and he cut into the box and his right-footed deflected (off Jonah) shot beat Perrin at his near-post.

“Good finish from them but we were too open, I felt, but we’ve just been attacking a set-piece and I felt the recovery into the shape was a bit poor there and we paid the consequences,” added Nimani.

Merstham certainly did their homework as Decruz insisted his right-back Oliver Khinda and Lawal doubled up on left-winger Dadigildo Carvalho to close the door on the recent arrival from Hastings United.

Sevenoaks Town created a chance on the half-hour mark when four-goal striker Warren Mfula threaded a through ball in behind Drage to play in unmarked right-winger James Ding, who cut onto his left-foot and dragged his shot across Tolfrey and past the far post from 12-yards.

“It was good composure from James, coming onto his left-foot. Someone of his quality, I expect him to hit the target but if the keeper saves it, that’s fine but he should be hitting the target there,” admitted Nimani.

Burnett fed Mfula, who cut inside other centre-half Harry Pointing, who tripped him on the edge of the D. 

Tolfrey lined up a five-man wall but Tom Jackson stroked his right-footed free-kick over the crossbar, as he aimed for the vacant top left-hand corner from 22-yards.

Carvalho finally jumped out of Khinda’s pocket and cut in from the left into the centre and with a crowd of players ahead of him but he managed to stroke a right-footed drive towards goal from 22-yards, which was comfortably gathered by Tolfrey down on his knees and grasping the ball into his midriff (40:46).

When asked about Carvalho and teams doubling up on his threatening winger, Nimani added: “Obviously he gives us those individual brilliances that we want and they’ve seen his history and they’ve seen his attributes and they wanted to nullity that so a good move from them (to double up on him).

“If that’s the case that will give us the advantage creating space elsewhere, so if teams do that, we’ve just got to make sure that we rotate play and go into the areas where there’s space.”

Sevenoaks Town were now in their best spell of the game and Ding put over a great cross from the right by-line towards the back post.  Carvalho tried to dig the ball under his feet but laid the ball off to right-back Ayomide Majekodunmi, who drilled his shot towards the near corner, which was beaten away by the 38-year-old goalkeeper.

Sevenoaks Town won the corner count by three-to-two and they were guilty of a glorious miss following their second delivery, 34 seconds into stoppage time.

Jackson swung in a quality delivery from the left towards two of his team-mates in space at the back post just a couple of yards out but the towering Jonah steered his header over the crossbar, rather than into the roof of the net.

“It was Toluope who missed the header, open goal, so Toluope should be scoring that, a defender of his experience and calibre, should be scoring that but he didn’t and you just move on,” added Nimani.

Sevenoaks Town’s momentum saw them deserve their leveller when it arrived one minute and 12 seconds into stoppage time.

Khinda dropped off Carvalho, who played a low pass in from the left and an unmarked Burnett curled a right-footed drive across the diving Tolfrey from 20-yards, the ball clipping off the far (right) post before nestling inside the net.

Nimani said: “Very good from Archie. I’ve been critical of Archie shooting from distance because he’s got nowhere near the back, the back, let along the goal but on that occasion, he got that right and it was a great goal.

“Hopefully that will kick-start the season with us. Performance wise, he’s been doing really well. I think his next step as a central midfielder, he needs to get more goals and more assists and hopefully that will be the start of it.”

Nimani added: “We were reasonably happy (at half-time). What we wanted to look at is their two centre-halves when they had the ball. We just needed to work it out how to best protect our back line because their two centre-halves caused us a lot of problems with the long balls into our half and that’s what we focused on to nullify in that area.

“Their winger (Brissett) and their (left) full-back (Jude Molloy) caused a bit of issues with the winger coming inside and the full-back pushing on, so we just wanted to nullify that by the centre-half (Howlett-Mundle) picking up the winger an our full-back (Majekodunmi) picking up their full-back.”

Drage drilled a number of right-footed diagonal long balls out of Merstham’s defence during the first half and produced a moment of quality to hand his side the lead, four minutes and 39 seconds on the clock.

Nimani was livid when referee Simon Cutler awarded the away side a free-kick after the official deemed Burnett had fouled lone central striker King.

Perrin lined up a five-man wall for Drage’s stroked right-footed free-kick from 25-yards outside the D, which flew past the diving keeper into the right-hand corner (in the air) of the goal.

“It’s really difficult because ultimately it’s non-league football, we’re all very passionate about it, none of us claim to be experts but ultimately, he’s a lovely referee, he’s a lovely guy and I’ve had him so many times in the SCEFL but unfortunately the players at this level are too quick for him and the players are too acute for him,” claimed Nimani.

“That is never one foul! That should never even be considered a foul, so he’s given them a foul, that was nowhere near.

“I thought he gave us a foul because he (King) fouled our defender, so he’s given them a foul by buying into the pressure the opposition put on him and the supporters put on him and that’s the advantage of Merstham having supporters. They were loud and they put pressure.

“There’s no way that’s a foul, it’s killed the game and then they go and score from it.

“I mean, the guy is known to be a free-kick taker and in front of goal, of course, he’s going to score from there.”

There was controversy at the other end following Jonah’s sixth long throw of the game into a crowded penalty area in the ninth minute of the second half.

Jackson hooked his left-footed shot, which looped over a stranded Tolfrey but the ball bounced off the far post. The ball dropped and Merstham’s holding midfielder Ryan Healy chopped down Ding.  The referee blew his whistle and Nimani was lived once more as the referee awarded Merstham a free-kick instead.

“That’s not controversy, that’s not controversial, that’s just blind refereeing,” claimed the Sevenoaks manager.

“I’ve watched him give a penalty and then he changed the mind under pressure.  You talking about the penalty? That’s a penalty and my striker’s gone to hit the ball and their defender’s gone through my striker’s ankle.

“How on earth has my striker fouled him? It’s a terrible decision. Again, he’s fallen under the pressures and the loudness of the opposition players and fair play to them.

“These players are too acute for him and the game is too quick for him. It’s just a (poor) decision.  He gives them a free-kick that wasn’t, they score and we don’t get a penalty, awful, that’s two-all!”

Nimani explained why the otherwise quiet Mfula was hooked in the 62^nd minute, as he brought on (right-winger) Noah Carney and holding midfielder Joshua Wisson, as Ding was deployed as a central striker for the remainder.

“He done his ankle in the first half but unfortunately his ankle was bothering him and we’ve got so many games coming up,” was Nimani’s answer as to why Mfula was hooked, after not offering anything to the game.

Sevenoaks Town were to be denied an equaliser by a strong left-hand from Tolfrey in the 66^th minute.

Dickens and quiet attacking midfielder Daniel Duncanson linked up down the left before Ding’s right-footed shot on the turn from 15-yards forced Tolfrey to get down low to his left and use a strong hand to turn it behind for the home side’s final corner.

“We forced a lot of our play into it.  We just lacked that quality.  They sat on a deep block and they were really strong centrally, so it was really difficult to break them down,” admitted Nimani.

“We should’ve got a penalty and James Stone, when he turned and hit and the keeper saved it.  That’s all at 2-1 down. If any of them go in, two-all, it’s a different game and then they have to come out and it gives you a bit of space.”

Merstham were a threat on the counter-attack and were also to be denied by a fine save just 58 seconds later.

Hamilton-Downes slipped in Brissett but the angle was too tight for the former Beckenham Town winger, as Perrin narrowed the angle at his near-post and made the save with his legs.

“I think we became a little vulnerable to counter-attacks and then we made the changes. We were hoping to give us a bit of composure but unfortunately the substitutions didn’t give us what we were after today,” admitted Nimani.

An impressive, promotion-chasing Merstham killed the game off by scoring their third goal with 35 minutes and 13 seconds on the clock following a well-worked move.

King played the ball into Lawal, who played a reverse pass out to substitute winger Finlay Johnson on the right and he fizzed a low cross from within the channel towards the back post, putting it on a plate for Henry to stab the ball over the line from a yard out with his right-foot to open his account for the season.

“That’s what I was talking about. We forced out play into their half and we didn’t really create anything with quality. That’s quality movement, good technical players, played in the right way and they score,” added Nimani.

Merstham’s second and final corner came in from substitute Lee Lewis from the right and King’s free-header sailed across the keeper and past the far post from 15-yards, before he was substituted.

Sevenoaks Town’s final substitution saw centre-half Ryan Sawyer replace Jahmal Howlett-Mundle and Wisson delivered a free-kick some 35-yards from goal but Sawyer’s first touch saw him flick his shot harmlessly wide of the target just a yard inside the Merstham box, inside stoppage time.

Merstham notched their fourth goal of the night, three minutes and 13 seconds into stoppage time, as Sevenoaks Town crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season.

Johnson had a couple of bites of the cherry to put the ball into the box down the left, the ball came out to Lewis, who teed up Hamilton-Downes, who took a touch before emphatically drilling a beautiful left-footed drive from 22-yards, past the diving keeper and the ball caressed the right-hand post before nestling into the net.

“By that point, the players are drawn into the emotions of the game but ultimately I’ve got three central midfielders, no way should a centre midfielder have that much space to shoot from there,” said a disappointed Nimani.

“Disappointing second half, pleasing first half, disappointing second half. Made sure we reflect on areas that the quality’s not quite there yet but then again it is 45 minutes where we struggled. I felt we were fine, the first 45 minutes and we’ve done alright up until this point in the season.

“You don’t want to start throwing the towel and start criticising people. It was just a poor 45 minutes.

“We’ve got to learn from it and we’ve got to be a little bit better and manage emotions and when we attack we’ve got to be a little bit more calculated because I felt that we were going after that draw, where we left too many spaces behind.”

The Oaks would have risen to the summit of this eighth-tier League for the first time had they won by two clear goals tonight but Danny Kedwell’s unbeaten AFC Croydon Athletic remain there with 13 points from five games.

Jamie Crellin’s Three Bridges are in second-place with 12 points from five, Merstham have climbed seven spots into third with 12 points from seven, followed by Tommy Warrilow’s unbeaten Faversham Town (11 points from five) and Ryan Maxwell’s Sittingbourne (11 from six).

Liam Friend’s Herne Bay follow in sixth-place (10 points from seven) while Sevenoaks Town slip down a couple of places into seventh (10 points, three wins, one draw and two defeats).

Nimani takes his side to the Kent coast on Saturday with a game against Ben Greenhalgh’s Margate, who sit in 12^th place in the table with one win and four draws from their opening six league outings, including a goal-less draw at Faversham Town last night.

“It’s tough, absolutely, it’s going to be an extremely tough game for us to go there, a huge club, play-offs last year, likely to make play-offs again this year but we’ve been there before and we’ve got to do it again.

“We just need to improve on these defeats. When it goes wrong for us, it just seems to collapse and we’ve got get better at it, managing better.

“It’s just a desire to want to go forward but we’ve got to learn when we go forward, even when you’re chasing a game, you’ve still got to have a calculated forward patterns because teams are very good at this level of sitting in and hitting you on the counter.

“Things to consider today, a lack of quality in their half….”

When asked about his aspirations, Sevenoaks Town - who finished in ninth-place last season with 62 points from 42 games – Nimani replied: “If we do it step-by-step, the same as we did last year, we have to go step-by-step. The first step is let’s get to that 44 point mark. I think you need 44 to stay in the League. Once we get to that stage, then we can start looking at the next stage.”

Sevenoaks Town: Jordan Perrin, Ayomide Majekodunmi, Charlie Dickens, Tom Jackson (Mason Doughty 76), Jahmal Howlett-Mundle (Ryan Sawyer 90), Toluope Jonah, Dadigildo Carvalho, Archie Burnett (Joshua Wisson 62) Warren Mfula (Noah Carney 62), Daniel Duncanson, James Ding.
Sub: Tom Hanfrey

Goal: Archie Burnett 45

Merstham: Robert Tolfrey, Oliver Khinda, Jude Molloy, Ryan Healy (Lee Lewis 76), Matthew Drage, Harry Pointing, Jamarie Brissett (Finlay Johnson 70), Paris Hamilton-Downes, Samuel King (Louis Evans 86), Bradley Wilson (Korrey Henry 70), Olumayowa Lawal (Aaron Jenkins 84).

Goals: Olumayowa Lawal 25, Matthew Drage 50, Korrey Henry 81, Paris Hamilton-Downes 90

Attendance: 202
Referee: Mr Simon Cutler
Assistants: Mr Myles Hewson & Mr Matthew Charles