Sevenoaks Town 3-3 Slade Green

Slade Green boss Danny Evans was unable to hide his disappointment at seeing his side throw away a two goal lead at Greatness Park yesterday, writes Robert Smith.

Eventually the Green chief was relieved to see his much experienced striker Adam Morrish salvage Green a point after Sevenoaks had fought back to lead until eight minutes from time.

With Luke Morrish (hamstring) and Jason Clews (unavailable), Evans gave Mark Dudley and Andrew Dalhouse their first starts of the season following their arrival in the Summer while John Paul Green took over in goal from the injured Dominic Moore (ankle) to make his Green debut.

For Green it was a quick return to the club he had left in the close season and he was soon called into action to thwart the dangerous Courtney Rayfield.

The Green shot stopper then did well to hold onto Perry Spackman’s effort after he had cut inside defender Dudley.

At the other following Adam Heaslewood’s deft touch Dudley’s half volley drew a good save from Lee Friend while moments later he parried a Dalhouse strike after the former Bromley and Croydon player had powered past two players.

The two Adams then combined well as Heslewood played in Morrish who centred ball into the heart of the box but their was no one there to capitalise.

The action promptly returned to the Green end of the pitch with Green again coming to the fore firstly scrambling Rayfield’s shot off the line and then plucking the ball out of the air to keep out James Dalton.

Lady luck then came to the visitors rescue as Rayfield met a Ryan Haskins cross and after the ball ricocheted off defender John Mayall the ball bounced back off the post.

With their impressive footballing play failing to pay dividends the home side suddenly found themselves two goals adrift in as many minutes as half time approached.

It was a slick three man move that resulted in Green’s opener, a precision pass out to the right from Adam Morrish fed Dalhouse and the young striker’s squared ball picked out Dudley who bought the ball down, carried round his marker before slotting it home.

Just two minutes later Green pounced again a miscued pass from the home side was ceased upon by Adam Morrish whose quick thinking saw him elegantly loft the ball high into the air from 25 yards and plant it over the head of keeper Friend.

Instantly Sevenoaks halved the deficit as a misunderstanding in midfield between Dalhouse and Joe Horlock allowed Frankie Whitehead time to pick his spot and drill a stinging drive beyond the reach of the visiting goalkeeper.

With 18 minutes of the second half played another mistake on the part of the visitors gifted Sevonoaks their equaliser as Green raced off his line to seemingly collect the ball from full back Terry Murphy but hesitancy by Green allowed Michael Cook the opportunity to nip and and pull Sevenoaks back on terms.

Green then made amends for his mistake as he blocked Rayfield’s goalbound shot with his legs meanwhile Matthew Jones Butler should have done better than rifle the ball over when clean through on goal.

The home side did find the net however on 78 minutes as Tony Atkins cut in from the right and with his acute angle shot left the ball nestling in the Green net.

To add some pace to the Green cause Evans introduced former VCD winger Lindsey Thomas with 10 minutes remaining and this switch proved decisive.

Within two minutes of his introduction he burst down the left swept into the box and having unceremoniously been bundled down won Green a penalty.

Despite a couple of unsavoury comments from behind the goal Adam Morrish calmly stepped up and despatched ball in the bottom right comer of the goal.

The visitors might then have snatched victory when Joe Horlock’s pass released new signing from Bromley, Tytus Murphy, 17, only too see a certain goal kept out as Whitehead hooked the ball off the line round the post.

Speaking about their latest recruit, player-coach Adam Heaslewood said: “We signed Tytus on Thursday night. Last season he played for Bromley, he’s only 17 and featured for the first team on a number of occasions last season. He is a good young signing.”

Slade Green: John Paul Green, Terry Murphy, Jon Mayall, Lee Barber, Mark Dudley, Paul Gross, John Paul McKey (Tytus Murphy), Joe Horlock, Adam Morrish, Andrew Dalhouse (Lindsey Thomas), Adam Heaslewood. Subs: Tom Morgan, Steve Tapper, Billy Craven

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