Sevenoaks Town 2-0 Merstham - We're definitely not firing on all cylinders yet but hopefully we'll start to land very soon, warns Sevenoaks Town boss Harry Hudson

Sevenoaks Town 2 – 0 Merstham
Location	Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Seal Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5BX
Kickoff	24/08/2022 19:30

SEVENOAKS TOWN  2-0  MERSTHAM
The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Wednesday 24 August 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Greatness Park

SEVENOAKS TOWN manager Harry Hudson says his side are not firing on all cylinders despite comfortably beating Merstham to reach The FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

The Oaks will welcome Isthmian League Premier Division side Kingstonian to Greatness Park on Saturday 3 September as first half goals from winger Yahaya Bamba and right-back Oluwadamio Olorunnisomo comfortably sent Peter Adeniyi’s Isthmian League South Central side crashing out of the competition.

Merstham arrived at Greatness Park in the bottom five in their league, having lost 2-1 at home to newly-promoted Southall before drawing 0-0 at Tooting & Mitcham United.

Sevenoaks Town, meanwhile, were in ninth-place in the Isthmian League South East Division but have only played one game, a 1-0 home win over Three Bridges, seven days after thrashing Horley Town 5-0 in The FA Cup.

This was Hudson’s 14^th game in charge of Sevenoaks Town since his switch from Glebe and this was his side’s eleventh win, hence why the West Kent club are expected to do well this season.

Both sides made a couple of changes each from Saturday’s 1-1 in Surrey and Sevenoaks Town dominated the entire first half tonight with a slick brand of passing and possession football.

“I think first half we were good, created good opportunities, good chances and got into good areas and I think we had a deserved 2-0 lead,” said Hudson.

“I don’t remember them having an opportunity and then second half I think we came out really well, really, really bright and then they had the big chance that they missed from a second phase of a short corner.

“I think second half we could defend better but I thought we deserved the win.

“We didn’t create much on Saturday.  I thought (tonight) we had more control of the football game in the first half so it was just about being patient and work the opportunities and get on the ball as best we could and making them work as hard.

“We got the first goal slightly after they just had a tiny bit of momentum.  I think it came from a counter-attack, which is often the way when you’re playing against a team that’s sort of defending their low block.  Once we got the second goal we looked strong and I thought we looked good for the win.”

Sevenoaks Town created their first opening after only 135 seconds.

Bradley Wilson played the ball inside to centre-half Matthew Weaire, who released Bamba in behind Rory Dacosta, shifting the ball past the centre-half before unleashing a stinting right-footed drive from a tight angle just eight-yards out, which was clawed out at head hight by goalkeeper Joe Ringer at his near post.

“It was a good strike from Bamba. I would say in the first half, the first of maybe eight or so good opportunities and the keeper’s made a good save there,” said Hudson.

Olorunnisomo threw the ball to striker Freddie Parker, who outmuscled Dacosta within the right channel and the ball was played into the box where Wilson slipped a short pass into Daniel Hector, whose left-footed dink flashed just past the foot of the right post from eight-yards.

“I don’t know why he didn’t swing his foot at it.  He delayed it a little bit and then it kind of got caught under his feet a little bit and it just bobbled wide,” said Hudson.

“Sometimes we need to have a bit more conviction when it drops to us and just get good contact and hopefully it goes through the bodies and hit the back of the net.”

Hudson’s marquee summer signing, Ryan Gondoh was deployed as a right-winger and often cut into the middle and dropped deep.

The former Ayr United striker cut onto his left-foot and his deflected drive curled past the far post from 22-yards out after linking up well with Parker in the final third.

“We want to try to get Gondoh in the best areas that we can to hurt the opposition,” explained Hudson.

“His work-rate tonight was exceptional and the same thing was said on Saturday. He’s not landed yet offensively and when he does he’s going to be frightening because he’s going to do all the bits that everyone will tell you that Ryan Gondoh can’t do, so when he gets those bits right, he’s going to be a hell of a player.”

Sevenoaks Town took a deserved lead with 33 minutes and 26 seconds on the clock, courtesy of a mistake from visiting goalkeeper Ringer.

There was no pressure on the Merstham goalkeeper as he kicked the ball upfield, only as far as Hector, who controlled the ball inside the centre-circle and decided not to go for goal himself some 45-yards out.

Instead he played a clever ball over to an unmarked Gondoh on the right and he put it on a plate for an unmarked Bamba lurking at the far post to sweep a first time shot into an empty goal from inside the six-yard box to score his second goal of the season.

“When it landed to him (Hector), we all thought ‘shoot!’ but he didn’t and he made a clever pass and not only that it was a really clever ball from Gondoh as well to put it on a plate for Bamba. From the moment the keeper miss-kicked it, how we capitalised on that is really, really good and I’m really pleased with that,” said Hudson.

Sevenoaks Town doubled their lead just 173 seconds later, following a left-wing free-kick.

Wilson floated in a quality free-kick which sailed over Weaire’s head at the near post and Olorunnisomo prodded the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

Hudson was delighted to score from a set-piece.

“I don’t think he expected it. I can’t say he knew what he was doing and guided it to the corner. He’s reacted to it falling over Matt’s head and brilliant to get the goal. 

“We had a decent couple of opportunities from set-plays that we haven’t been capitalising on recently but that was a real quick time to get the second one.”

Sevenoaks Town were the better side during a comfortable first-half and bossed midfield against a Merstham team that offered very little in attack, leaving former Cray Valley striker Raheem Sterling-Parker often isolated.

“I don’t believe there were any entries into our penalty box or shots on goal so that’s how we want football games to go,” added Hudson.

Sevenoaks Town created the final chance of the half when Wilson and Hector linked up and Gondoh twisted and turned left-back Aziz Sankoh before drilling a shot past the foot of the near post from 10-yards.

Hudson expected Merstham to give his side more of a go during the second half.

“We had a little look (at half-time) tweaking something in possession to try to expose behind their wing-backs, which came out a couple of times in the second half but it was also understanding the nature of the game and inevitably Merstham will have to change something.  They had to come out and press us or do something different and we had to make sure we adapted to that and be sensible with our play.”

Sevenoaks Town started the second half on the front foot and created their first opening after only 203 seconds.

Attacking midfielder Hector drilled a diagonal pass over to Gondoh, who cut inside and drilled a left-footed angled drive, which was beaten away by the busy Ringer and Freddie Parker’s first time shot flashed past the right-hand post.

Hudson said: “Gondoh had a few of those opportunities when he should be scoring from there.  I think he had three or four today and I was expecting the net to bustle. 

“I thought we started the second half really well and I think in that period if we had got the third, I think it would absolutely be game over.”

Sevenoaks Town goalkeeper Tyler McCarthy smothered the ball low to his right after half-time substitute striker Malaki Hyman cut inside on the right and his efforts were stopped by Corey Holder, whose back-pass would have nestled across the keeper and into the bottom far corner if the former Ashford United stopper not made the save.

Sevenoaks Town caught Merstham on a three-v-two counter-attack in the seventh minute as Freddie Parker fed Hector, who burst past holding midfielder Charlie Greenwood but Ringer came off his line and narrowed the angle standing tall and made a vital block with his chest.

“Hector got put through on goal and he tried to dink him and it hit him high on the chest.  We had opportunities, in my opinion, to score the third and we probably needed to do that because the third does kill the game,” added Hudson.

Hector found space within the left channel and smashed in a low cross towards Gondoh on the other side and his shot was comfortably gathered by Ringer at his near post.

Merstham squandered a glorious chance to pull a goal back in the 12^th minute, following their first corner.

The Oaks dealt with Alpha Diallo’s delivery and there were many players from both teams inside the penalty area and Freddie Parker positioned close to his by-line played a dangerous 20-yard pass straight to Sterling-Parker, who lacked composure and lashed his shot on the turn over the crossbar.

“It was a funny thing, they thought it was a foul, we thought the game was stopped.  Freddie didn’t know what was going on and they had a shooting opportunity from that,” said Hudson.

“It was always going to be a set-plays for them.  We had a couple of times when we didn’t get it quite right.  We are good defending set-plays and there’s a few things we will tweak, definitely, but that’s the only opportunities they had, was from set-play situations.”

Merstham were now enjoying their best spell of the game and another chance went begging following another set-piece.

Diallo whipped in a free-kick from within the right channel towards the near post where Jamal Abubakari (who was on the right of a three-man defence during the second half) planted his near-post header over the crossbar.

Sevenoaks Town called Ringer into making another save in the 65^th minute, however.

Left-back Lesley Duru and Hector linked up well down the left and the ball was played into the middle where Hector cut inside and was given space to unleash a low right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was smothered and held by Ringer low to his right.

Sevenoaks Town continued to knock on the door, creating a slick move inside the Merstham half with Wilson and Hector linking up before Olorunnisomo burst forward and cracking a right-footed drive towards the bottom far corner, only for Ringer to dive full-length to his right to push the ball away towards safety.

Merstham’s best chance, however, arrived inside the final 18 minutes, following a short corner from the left.

The ball was played to Greenwood, who cut into the box and flashed a cross towards the back post where a stretching Alexiou poked his shot past the foot of the right-hand post from a couple of yards out.

“That comes from us for not killing the game off with the third one and we switched off from a set-play and I thought he was going to put it in. It looked like it was going to nestle it because he got a march on us at the back post, thankfully he didn’t,” said Hudson.

Merstham centre-half Michael Kamara (who threw the ball into the Sevenoaks box six times) was penalised by referee Ciaran Fidler for sending Bamba crashing to the ground.

Wilson’s short run up saw him float the resulting free-kick into the Merstham box where big substitute targetman Omari Hibbert planted his free-header over the crossbar from 10-yards.

“I think he got away from his man really well and just didn’t quite guide it down.  I thought he got too good a contact on the header.  Brad’s deliveries from set-plays was really, really good and that’s another great ball in the box and Hibbert’s got himself free in the box and he almost headed it too well,” added Hudson.

Adeniyi’s men finished the game on the front foot and Siao Blackwood dragged his shot past the left-post from the edge of the D, knowing that he lost the midfield battle and a game that passed him by against an impressive Sevenoaks Town outfit.

The Oaks travel to Hythe Town on Saturday – Steve Watt’s side needed extra time to beat Raynes Park Vale 5-4 in last night’s FA Cup Replay – before welcoming newly-promoted side Chatham Town to Greatness Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

“Hythe away is one of the most difficult games in the league. It’s a very imposing ground so that’s going to be tough,” warned Hudson.

“They’ve got Steve Watt back in management so that’s going to be a difficult game.

“Because we had the Ashford game postponed we’ve only played one league game so we’ve got to make sure we register points on the board and we don’t want to fall behind.

“We know Chatham from last year, they’re a fantastic outfit and have got really, really strong players and have strengthened over the summer so it’s going to be a tough game. It’s going to be a good football game here on Monday and that’s what we’ll look forward to.”

Then it’s the home FA Cup tie against Kingstonian, who have drawn all three of their Isthmian League Premier Division outings so far this season.

“Really pleased to be at home. It’s the first FA draw where we’ve actually been at home.  That’s massive for us and we’ll look forward to it. We’ll respect Kingstonian, being in the league above and we’ll do our homework and do our work but ultimately, we’re very much looking forward to that and I’m really happy to be in the next round.

“Kingstonian is a free hit, they’re going to be favourites and will expect to win.  We’re looking forward to that because often with our group of players we tend to raise our level when it gets to teams that play at higher levels.

“Results wise, it’s been ok. I don’t think performance wise it’s been anywhere near where we can be, which in some ways is good but also we need to get it right sooner rather than later because at the moment we’re in fits and starts.

“We’re good in spells in the game, maybe not been as clinical as we should be during those spells of the game, so we’re definitely not firing on all cylinders yet but hopefully we’ll start to land very soon.

“I’ve got to settle the team down as well and make sure we get some continuity with the selection and with that run of games I’m sure players will start to show their level.”

Sevenoaks Town: Taylor McCarthy, Oluwadamio Olorunnisomo, Lesley Duru, Emmanuel Mensah, Matthew Weaire, Corey Holder, Yahaya Bamba, Bradley Wilson, Freddie Parker (Omari Hibbert 68), Daniel Hector (Sam Johnson 73), Ryan Gondah (Omarr Lawson 63).
Subs: Ryan Palmer, Tolulope Jonah, Jordy Ndozid, Kyle De Silva

Goals: Yahaya Bamba 34, Oluwadamio Olorunnisomo 37

Booked: Daniel Hector 62, Bradley Wilson 86

Merstham: Joe Ringer, Jamal Abubakari, Aziz Sankoh, Michael Aziaya (Charlie Greenwood 46), Michael Kamara, Rory Dacosta, Malachi Morris (Malaki Hyman 46), Siao Blackwood, Raheem Sterling-Parker (Lorenzo Lewis 75), Charlie Alexiou, Alpha Diallo.
Subs: Peter Adeniyi, Ore Bello, Bryan Zepo

Booked: Malachi Morris 16

Attendance: 391
Referee: Mr Ciaran Fidler
Assistants: Mr Marian Stoichitoiu & Mr Jacob Miller