Slade Green 0-4 Pagham. Heaslewood demands a reaction after cup shocker - EXCLUSIVE

SLADE GREEN 0-4 PAGHAM
Tuesday 26^th September 2006
FA Vase (Sponsored by Carlsberg) Second Qualifying Round Replay
Stephen McCartney reports from the Small Glen

Slade Green crashed to an embarrassing home defeat to lower league opposition in front of just 38 fans at the Small Glen tonight.

An own-goal from skipper Andy Silk, a goalkeeping blunder from goalkeeper James Tedder and two late goals helped Pagham book a first round date at Tunbridge Wells on 7 October.

The Sussex County League second division side were reduced to ten-men late on when their skipper Sean Towers was shown his second yellow card, following a melee, which saw all 22 players get involved in. Croydon referee Mr Robert Allum also booked Slade Green’s Jon Mayall and Adam Morrish.

Tedder was called into action within the opening four minutes when he reacted well to block Michael Frangou’s shot.

And striker partner Brett Forden twice went close as Pagham dominated the early proceedings.

Forden’s right-footed drive deflected off the wall and from the resulting corner he glanced a header wide.

Slade Green, however, created their first chance of the game after 20 minutes, when Adam Heaslewood, back in the side following suspension, delivered a left-footed free kick into the penalty area, but Morrish rose to glance his header wide.

Slick passing from the north Kent side gave former Bromley midfielder Tytus Murphy a chance but his right-footed effort curled past the far post.

Callum Britton’s right-footed free kick from 25-yards was tipped over by Tedder after Jon Mayall was penalised for pushing Forden, despite the central defender claiming the Pagham striker tugged his shirt.

But Pagham went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead courtesy of an own goal from player-coach Silk.

Ashley Hunter’s free kick from just inside his own half was glanced towards goal by Michael Frangou, but Silk diverted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner in a crowded goal mouth.

Slade Green striker Lindsay Thomas squandered an excellent chance to level early in the second half when he stabbed Heaslewood’s low cross past the foot of the near post despite being under pressure.

Britton shot from distance, which flew just over the bar before another good chance came the hosts way.

Mayall’s ball over the top was latched onto by Thomas, but full-back Tim Lester was on hand to roll the ball back to his goalkeeper.

But Rob McLelland’s clearance went straight to Terry Murphy on the edge of the penalty area, but his stroked shot lacked power and the goalkeeper was able to make a comfortable low save to his left.

And a howler from Tedder gifted Pagham their second goal after 70 minutes.

Dan Martin’s 30-yard drive bounced over Tedder and despite the red-faced goalkeeper’s efforts, the ball rolled over the line.

Heaslewood was, however, at fault for Pagham’s third goal in the 86^th minute as Slade Green capitulated.

Frangou rifled his fifth goal of the season into the top right hand corner to punish the mistake from the player-assistant manager.

And following the melee, which saw all 22 players get involved, Slade Green’s misery was completed when the impressive Britton drove a shot across Tedder and into the bottom far corner inside stoppage time.

Heaslewood described EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk how he was feeling after his highest defeat in management.

“Gutted. Disappointed. Angry,” he replied. “It’s not good enough. Can’t hide behind the result - four-nil is a bad result.

“We’ve handed them four goals. All four goals have come from our own individual errors.

“The first one was an own goal.  We had five bodies around the ball and not one of their players was around the ball - just a lack of communication.

“Second one we’ve given the ball away in the middle of the park. Third one given away again middle of the park.  You can’t keep giving away so many chances and expect to win games.

“I thought the first 30 minutes we controlled the game. We got it down, we moved the ball very well, albeit we didn’t create a lot of chances, but we were by far the livelier side. But for some reason we stopped doing it.

“And second half it’s just body language. We’re 1-0 down at half time, you look for a reaction. Second one goes in, you look for a reaction and we didn’t get it.”

The former Peterborough United, Cray Wanderers and Beckenham Town midfielder demands better from his players - albeit unpaid.

“We knew it was going to be hard when we came down here,” he said.

“We just said to the boys “it’s gotta hurt.” If you don’t go home tonight and look in the mirror and it doesn’t hurt, I won’t sleep tonight very well and we’ll be talking the three of us (Silk and manager Danny Evans) tomorrow how to put it right.

“We’ve just told the players we’ll pull players in and we’ll change it.

“Not one of the starting eleven can really turn round and come to us and say “why aren’t I included?” because 1 to 11 just didn’t perform for 90 minutes.

“We performed in stages but not for 90 minutes and you have to perform for 90 minutes.”

Slade Green, in the bottom four, travel to ninth place under achievers Herne Bay on Saturday, and Heaslewood demands a “reaction.”

“But we’ve got to lift them,” he said. “I’m disappointed because the Vase is something think we could have gone on a good run.

“But the nice thing about football is you’ve always got a chance to put it right.  We don’t have to wait long so we have to start knuckling down and getting results in the league.

“We’ve just said to them the honeymoon period is over. We’ll start getting pressure fro the chairman, which is fair enough.

“This could have made him a little bit of money and it helps with a club like this, so he’ll be disappointed but you get your chance to bounce back and it’s how the players react.

“That’s how you find out what sort of players you’ve got in the squad, and if they are good enough. It’s how they react after a result like this. If they turn up with the right mind or if they go hiding.”

Heaslewood, however, held his hands up after gifting Pagham one goal, as did Silk, who gifted two.

“We encourage them to play. We don’t want to be a side that just lumps the ball, we want them to play,” he said.

“Mistakes are mistakes. You don’t do it on purpose. Players don’t do it on purpose. It’s how they react afterwards, do they go hiding or do they go and want the ball?

“I made a mistake, Silky made a mistake - we didn’t hide.

“I held my hands up as did Silky. We said “we are not going to hide behind our mistakes”. He added: “The players will hopefully take that on board.”

Defender Silk has played at Ryman Premier League level for Bromley, and has also played for Cray Wanderers and Leyton Pennant. He is, however, very vocal on the pitch and gives encouragement to his team-mates. That’s why he captains the side.

Heaslewood added: “Silky’s been outstanding for us this season. Silky came down not really expecting to play but he’s made a massive difference with his organisation.

“I’ve got to give more to the team myself personally playing wise.

“So we won’t go hiding, we are senior players. We’ve been in this league long enough to know what you need to do.”