Sevenoaks Town 3-1 Otford United - We didn't do ourselves justice, admits Sevenoaks boss Anslow

Wednesday 03rd August 2011

SEVENOAKS TOWN 3-1 OTFORD UNITED
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 3^rd August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Greatness Park

SEVENOAKS TOWN boss Darren Anslow says he is not frightened to throw in his youngsters into the blood and thunder of the Kent Hurlimann Football League in thirteen days’ time.

Sevenoaks failed to impress as they struggled to beat an Otford United side that play three league’s lower in the Haart of Kent County League Division One, in a slow paced local derby.

The higher placed hosts started well and took only ten minutes to open the scoring through Richard Morgan’s header, but Otford United were on level terms only seven minutes later, courtesy of a quality finish from skipper Callum Hill.

Royce Greenidge finished off a good team goal to put Sevenoaks into the lead just before the break, but they toiled during a poor second half and Otford United had chances to level, but Morgan’s second ensured Sevenoaks Town secured a flattering 3-1 win against their neighbours.

“I could only agree with that saying, I thought we played extremely well,” said a proud Otford United manager, Dennis Leigh, speaking after their second friendly.

“We set our stall out, which was to let them keep it at the back, push high, keep tight, let them knock it about all night long, pinch it when we can, get down their sides, counter attack. I’m more than pleased.”

The tactical stalemate made the game very boring to watch – but give Sevenoaks’ youngsters some credit, they played some good football on the deck inside their own half, but they lacked a killer penetration in the third final third, whilst Otford were workmanlike in their approach.

Alex King played a low through ball to release Greenidge through on goal, but Otford goalkeeper Jordan Busby came off his line to smother at the striker’s feet and then he tipped away a dipping cross from attacking right-back James Golding, before Sevenoaks deservedly opened the scoring in the tenth minute.

Liam Gearing swung in a corner from the left with his right foot towards the near post and Morgan got a slight glancing touch to the ball as it bounced over the defender on the line to find the top near corner of the Otford goal.

Greenidge then cut inside the Otford defence and looked up and stroked a right-footed shot towards the corner, but visiting goalkeeper Busby dived to his left to turn the shot around the post.

Sevenoaks were dangerous again from a Gearing cross from the left but King was flagged offside by the time he planted a header past the Otford keeper.

But Otford levelled after seventeen minutes, with their first shot on goal.

Striker Tim Isles received the ball inside the Sevenoaks half and his hooked pass released his strike partner Hill through on goal and as Sevenoaks keeper Pat Brennan advanced, Hill coolly clipped a right-footed shot over the goalkeeper and the ball dropped into an empty net.

“Superb strike for the boy,” praised Leigh. “He’s only started to play up front this season. He showed a lot of promise, lots of energy, always gets in the channels. If we had better service for him tonight the scoreline would’ve been a little bit different.

“If we got anything wrong tonight we didn’t take our chances when we were up top.

“For me, I’m delighted. A County One side versus a Kent League side, I think we displayed a lot of quality.”

Leigh added: “Three-one doesn’t reflect how the game was. This season we’ve set our stall out to play against top sides. We played Bedfont Town last week, Sevenoaks tonight, we’ve got Hollands & Blair and then we play Erith Town and we finish with Staplehurst and we’ve set our stall out to play against good sides.

“No point of pre-season to play games and stick half-a-dozen in the onion bag, you haven’t learnt anything from the Bedfont game and this game. My squad have learnt untold volumes about the way they should be playing.”

The equaliser galvanised Otford United, whilst Sevenoaks were left stunned and this set-back upset their fluency.

It took until the 36^th minute for the home side to climb out of their slump as Morgan beat the offside trap and his cross from the left channel was controlled by Greenidge’s knee before the striker hooked a left-footed volley towards goal – the diving Otford keeper pulled off a fine save at his near post to beat the ball away from close range.

Anslow was delighted with the manner of the way his side regained the lead, just three minutes before half-time.

He said: “Second goal was good I thought. I don’t know if you counted the passes, it must’ve been 25, I think. But that’s what we can do, but I want us to do that all the time, not in spells and that’s the word, consistency. Their young lads and they’ll learn that.”

Gearing released Morgan through on goal and he played an excellent ball across the stranded Busby and Greenidge made a late dash into the box at the far post and steered the ball low into the net.

The second half was a dull affair, but if Otford United had been more clinical in front of goal, then they would have claimed a deserved draw.

Jordan Clark was penalised for handball and Jamie Knight stepped up and curled a left-footed free-kick agonisingly around the far post after 56 minutes.

If Sevenoaks are to play their slick passing game, then they will need a much better surface than the bobbly one at Greatness Park.

The bored crowd had to wait until the 71^st minute for the next chance, which came Otford’s way, as Jamie Shields played the ball outside to fellow substitute, Martin Cooley, whose ambitious effort from 35-yards just cleared the crossbar.

Sevenoaks substitute Tom Skelton livened things up when he beat right-back Steve Knell, but his right-footed angled effort was caught by Busby.

And at the other end, Brennan made a comfortable save after some trickery from Isles.

But the game sparked into life during an exciting final ten minutes, where both sides should have scored.

A cross came in from the left, was knocked down at the far post by Cooley and Terry Masher cracked a right-footed volley, which screamed agonisingly wide of the foot of the right upright. Within a minute, a diving Brennan kept out Jody Morris’ right-footed drive from 30-yards as Otford pressed for a deserved draw.

Leigh added: “If we got anything wrong, when we did actually get into their third we overplayed and we didn’t have a pop when we should’ve done but again we’ve learnt that tonight, we’re good enough to get into them positions, that’s half the battle. It’s actually taking your chances, having a dig.”

At the other end, Skelton’s right-footed half-volley was flicked away by the diving Otford keeper, before Sevenoaks scored a flattering third in the final four minutes when Skelton played the ball inside and Morgan finished well with his right-foot, a low shot which nestled into the bottom near corner.

Morgan squandered his hat-trick chance within a minute of his second goal, stabbing wide of the upright, but Anslow admitted afterwards that his young side didn’t play well during their first outing of the season on home soil.

Anslow, who still runs the Cray Wanderers’ academy set-up said, “I’ve got to put my words carefully aint I? Listen, we won but the second goal was decent, but we’re better than that!

“I thought we were a bit quiet. They’re young players and the word for us with them is consistency and they were good last week and they were good in the week. It’s about being consistently and going out and playing like that again and in fairness we didn’t do ourselves justice.”

He added: “The second goal was decent. I thought we kept the ball for god knows how many passes. That’s what we wanted to do but other times we forced it a little bit. We were a little bit of the mark but that’s what pre-season’s for.

“We had a few trialists in there. We’ve looked at a few players, I think that’s made us make our mind up a little bit tonight but there’s nothing won or lost. It’s about getting down and working and we’ll go again on Saturday at Crockenhill. We’ve chosen not to have a game next week, we’ll get them in or three days next week and work on what we need to work on and what we picked up in these two games.”

Anslow isn’t at all concerned about fears that his players won’t be able to hand the physical aspect of playing Kent Hurlimann League football, which starts with a trip to Holmesdale on 13 August.

“I would imagine we’d be the youngest side, give or take a couple, in the league,” he said.

“I think the oldest player today was Pat in goal at 21. The rest of them are between 17 and 21. They’ll learn. The beauty of that is we’re not working with 30-year-old players who can’t learn. We’re working with 17, 18, 19 year olds who are still developing their game.

“They’ll learn, won’t they, and if we can move the ball we’ll be fine.”

But Anslow dismissed concerns that he needs experienced, streetwise Kent League players in his ranks.

He said: “No! Everyone keeps saying that to me! I think they must forget when Man United won the Premier League. If you can keep the ball, listen, there’s going to be games when you could do with experienced players in there, but it’s got to be the right experienced players. That’s what I say to everyone.

“If you can keep the football, move the football, do you have to be 25 to do that? I don’t know. You’ve seen a lot of Kent League. I don’t know. I still think if you keep the ball and play it around, maybe have one in there for a little bit but it’s got to be for the right reasons and in the right positions but they’ll learn. How do you get that experience? You get it by playing so the more games they get, the more experience they’ll get.”

Anslow, the club’s third manager in three years, admitted Otford United made it difficult for his team.

“Listen, they gave it a go, didn’t they? They came and they got behind the ball to be fair, didn’t over commit did they? They made it difficult but I wouldn’t expect anything less for them to play us at pre-season.

“I remember when I was with Cray Wanderers last year with the reserves, we went to play teams higher and we were better than them as we upped our game and we beat them! That’s what happens when you’re a side three league’s lower, you want to prove you can compete with those sort of sides and they did that to be fair.

“In terms of keeping the ball, we probably had the ball for long spells, without actually doing anything.”

Sevenoaks Town: Pat Brennan, James Golding, Francis Kamara (Tom Skelton 47), Richard Morgan, Aiden Sherlock (Joe Stephenson 31), Jordan Clark, Dan Langiano (Liam Gearing 77), Liam Gearing (James Knight 60), Alex King (Kobi Botwoe 27, Alex King 54), Royce Greenidge, Steve Ita (Fraser Cronin 27).
Sub: Matt Bailey.

Goals: Richard Morgan 10, 86, Royce Greenidge 42

Otford United: Jordan Busby, Steve Knell, Rob Price (James Sandiford 66), Terry Masher, Ryan Lee, Chris Couch, Tim Isles (Michael Cunningham 83), Callum Hill (Martin Cooley 56), James Sandiford (Jody Morris 58), Michael Cunningham (Jamie Shields 53), Jamie Knight (Callum Hill 78).

Goal: Callum Hill 17

Attendance: 47
Referee: Mr Alan Escuider (Belvedere)
Assistants: Mr Mike Barker (Sevenoaks) & Mr Ray Perry (Sevenoaks)