Stansfeld 1-2 Erith Town - It was hard, it was tough and we stood up and were counted, says Erith Town boss Adam Woodward

Stansfeld 1 – 2 Erith Town
Location	Foxbury Avenue, off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD
Kickoff	03/12/2022 15:00

STANSFELD  1-2  ERITH TOWN
The Isuzu FA Vase Third Round
Saturday 3 December 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Foxbury Avenue

ERITH TOWN manager Adam Woodward says his side stood up and were counted as they booked their place in the last 32 of The FA Vase for the first time in their history with a deserved win over Stansfeld.

Striker Harry Taylor, who scored 53 goals in 32 games in the Kent County League Premier Division for Red Velvet last season, took his tally to 12 goals for the season by scoring a brace against a lacklustre Stansfeld side.

Dan Parkinson had equalised for Stansfeld with a penalty just 122 seconds into the second half to score his seventh goal of the season.

Stansfeld lost right-back Sam Smith to a 90^th minute red card for a challenge on Ladic Melconian close to the halfway line but the game was settled by that stage as Erith Town ran out deserved winners.


GOAL:  Erith Town celebrate Harry Taylor's (second from left) first goal as the Dockers booked their place in The FA Vase Fourth Round for the first time.
Photo: Alan Coomes

Stansfeld went into this Third Round local derby sitting in second-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 30 points from their 16 games, two points clear of third-placed Erith Town, who have a couple of games in hand.

Both sides won Kent Senior Trophy Second Round ties last weekend, with Stansfeld winning 6-4 at Phoenix Sports, while the Dockers made four changes to their side today that won 3-0 at First Division side Lewisham Borough.

“Fantastic win.  I tell you what this is a hard place to come, this place. Stansfeld are terrific,” said Woodward.

“I thought first half we were the much better side and I thought we dominated a little bit but second half we told them at half-time what was going to happen, they’re going to come out and throw everything at you.

“Listen, we’ve done what we’ve had to do. We got the win.  Credit to the boys, getting back to one-all, I thought for 15-20 minutes we’re in trouble here but we’ve gone on, we’ve held on and we’ve gone and scored a great goal again and we’re in the hat, that’s all that matters.”

When asked how this game was won, the Erith Town boss simply replied: “Harry Taylor! Let’s not beat around the bush.  He’s got two goals.  I thought he led the line superbly. 

“He’s been out for a while and he’s just come back.  Listen, I’m glad he’s in our camp. I’m glad we’ve got him on contract as well.  I think he’s been exceptional. A great find from Red Velvet from the Kent County League Prem but he’s won us the game.”

Taylor’s emergence from the eleventh tier to the ninth just proves there are hidden uncut gems playing in the amateur divisions and Woodward is delighted to have found one.

He said: “Look, we haven’t got the biggest budget in the league, we’ve got a good pot of a budget.

“Listen, we’ve got to do a bit more hard work. We have to go looking for players.  I have to get players who want to play for the club and players that want to work and I think you’ve seen that in our team.

“We found Harry Taylor.  We spoke to him in the summer. He could’ve gone to Stansfeld with a few of his mates but he chose to come to us and since he’s come to us he’s been great. He's been a breath of fresh air, a great centre-forward and there’s players down there, you’ve just got to find them.

“If you go through our side there’s no exceptional outstanding player that are above everyone.”

Stansfeld joint-manager Jamie Phipps added: “We didn’t turn up. We lost it in the first half.  We didn’t turn up at all in the first half. 

“Realistically we should’ve been out of the tie at half-time so you can’t turn up in these games and play for 45 minutes, which was done today.

“It is very unlike us.  We just looked a yard off the pace in the first half.  I don’t know why.  We had to change our team just before kick-off because one of the boys (Ezekiel Miller) couldn’t get here in time so that disrupted us a little bit, but that sounds like I’m making excuses.  It’s not an excuse.  The boys who were out there should’ve been good enough to at least compete in the first half and we never.”

Erith Town stamped their authority of the game from the off and dominated the entire first half on a chilly day in Chislehurst.

The Dockers created a half-chance with five minutes and 25 seconds on the clock.

A long throw from dominant centre-half Ryan Mahal was flicked on at the near post by Taylor and Alfie Eldridge’s free header at the back post was comfortably plucked out of the air by Stansfeld goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell.

Erith Town’s other centre-half, Jerome Jayaguru, played the ball along the deck into left-winger Eldridge, who spun his man but his speculative right-footed drive from 30-yards flashed wide of the mark.

Erith Town should have broken the deadlock in the 18^th minute when central midfielder Jason Goodchild clipped a long ball over the top of Stansfeld centre-half Greg Summersby to play in 19-goal right-winger Steadman Callender, who cut in but chipped the ball straight at Cottrell, who came out to narrow the angle.

“We knew we had to come at them full pace.  We watched them last week at Phoenix and we knew we had to come at them at full pace and not let them dictate the game – and we did and I thought we came out superbly,” added Woodward.

Phipps added: “They were much better than us in the first half and they looked to get it wide. Their wingers were lively and they looked to get it wide early and they did that in the first 15-20 minutes.

“We just didn’t get near them in the first half. We didn’t lay a glove on them in the first half, which is so not like us at all.”

Lacklustre Stansfeld created just the one opening and just 20 seconds later, Cottrell’s big kick was flicked on by striker Tommy Whitnell but Ollie Milton dragged a weak shot rolling across the keeper and past the far post from 25-yards.

Stansfeld keeper Cottrell was called into diving action in the 24^th minute to thwart a direct Erith Town side.

A big kick from goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley sailed over the top of the home side’s back five and released left-winger Eldridge, whose right-footed drive from 15-yards was pushed away by the diving keeper, to his right.

Woodward said: “Alfie’s another one that’s come through the youth team with us through the Academy and he’s another one whose been a good find from youth team football. He’s only 18 years of age, he’s got a bright future in the game.”

A poor clearance from Cottrell was met by Goodchild’s head inside the Stansfeld half and this released Callender, who cut in from the right into a more central position before curling his left-footed shot towards the top far corner, which Cottrell stepped to his right to pluck out of the air.

Woodward said: “Steadman’s Steadman, you know what you’re going to get with Steadman. He’s always a threat in front of goal and he’s been exceptional again this season. I think he’s up there with top goalscorers and you can’t put it past Steads, he’s worked hard on the right-hand side.  Listen, he done well.”

Phipps revealed: “I said to Billy (Hamlin) as the half was drawing to a close and it was nil-nil.  I believe he’s there leading goalscorer and I said to Billy ‘if he could finish, we’d be out of the tie.’ You never know that’s going to come back and haunt you but he should’ve scored.  Charlie was well off his line, he only had to lift it over him and it was an open goal, so he just didn’t have his finishing boots on him today.”

It was only a matter of time when the Dockers would open the scoring and it came with 43 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock, courtesy of a rare mistake from the Parkinson brothers, both playing in the heart of a five-man defence.

Dan’s clearance header struck his younger brother Bill who was standing close by and Taylor sniffed blood and pounced on the ball some 35-yards from goal, raced into the penalty area and clinically placed his right-footed shot across Cottrell to roll into the bottom far corner from 15-yards.

“A little bit of a mix-up but Harry was superb.  I tell you what, he sniffs goals and he sniffed a chance there and he got on the end of it and created and finished,” added Woodward.

“I said to the boys (at half-time), ‘listen, if you play like that second half, you won’t lose the game.’

“We didn’t switch on. We asked them for 10-15 minutes of the second half to ‘turn the ball around as much as you can,’ and we didn’t.”

Phipps added: “We never created much at all in the first half. We were always on the back foot. It was just really lacklustre, a poor performance from us in the first half.   We could’ve been out of the tie, we were fortunate to go in 1-0 down if I’m honest.

“I don’t think we strung three passes together in the first half.  There was no cohesion through back-to-front.

“It was a good finish.  Dan’s gone to header it, it’s hit Bill and on another day it could’ve gone anywhere and it’s gone right to Taylor’s feet and he’s had a free run on goal and finished it well, so when things like that happen, you do wonder if it’s going to be your day or not.”

It was clear that Stansfeld’s joint-managers Billy Hamlin and Phipps had motivational words during the interval as Stansfeld came out with all guns blazing at the start of the second half.

Phipps said: “The boys are an honest bunch, they know themselves they’ve let themselves and everyone down in the first half.  Words were said but in a constructive way.

“We knew we were fortunate to still be in the tie because we could’ve been out of it by half-time, so for as poor as we were, it wasn’t all doom and gloom because we were still in it and we could’ve so easily not been.”

They forced a couple of corners and with 81 seconds on the clock, Erith Town’s holding midfielder Malik Nosike brought down Billy Parkinson inside the penalty box and referee Craig Charles pointed to the spot.

Dan Parkinson emphatically rifled his right-footed penalty high into the top right-hand corner, as Foley went the other way, (122 seconds into the half).

It was the first goal that Erith Town have conceded in The FA Vase this season, having kept clean sheets against Loxwood (6-0), Rochester United (4-0), Crawley Down Gatwick (1-0) and Guildford City (1-0).

Stansfeld beat Crowborough Athletic 2-1 in the Second Round and were lucky to be on level terms at this stage of the game.

Phipps said: “I thought we should’ve had a penalty in the first half, even their bench thought the one in the first half was a penalty when Harry Day went down.

“The second one, was it a penalty? It was difficult to say, it’s a long way away. A great pen from Dan. We know what his spot kick abilities are like.”

Phipps added: “We came out with a lot more purpose in the second half.  We couldn’t be as bad as we were in the first half.  We could only get better because we were dreadful in the first half.

“The boys are an honest bunch, they will work for each other, they will run through brick walls for each other and sometimes it just ain’t your day and today was one of those days.”

Woodward added: “I think we stopped them playing well to be honest.  I think we were really good and we tried to identify their issues and their strengths and we nullified them as much as we could first half.

“It was a pen, a blatant pen, all day long.  Malik didn’t listen to instructions we gave him at half-time, took an extra touch in the middle and f***ed it up!

“I thought they would go on and win the game, I generally did.  Listen, it was hard, it was tough and we stood up and were counted in the second half. I thought we battled superbly.”

Erith Town went close in the 12^th minute when Stansfeld striker Ollie Milton lost the ball on the halfway line and Goodchild released Taylor in behind Billy Parkinson but he dragged his left-footed shot across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post.

“I thought it was in. You mentioned Jason Goodchild, who was exceptional there. He done really, really well in the middle of the park. He won the ball and unlucky for H,” added Woodward.

Erith Town kept probing and Nosike’s through ball released Eldridge but his 25-yard drive deflected off substitute centre-half Ezekiel Miller and the ball was comfortably gathered by Cottrell.

Erith Town join Deal Town in the last 32 courtesy of Taylor’s fine goal, with 24 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock.

Captain Goodchild lead by example as he linked up well with debutant right-back Ifeanyi Udanoh, who has been plucked out from the second string, and Udanoh put in a great cross towards the near post.

Miller made an initial block but Taylor spun his man, lost his footing and fell to the ground but still managed to flick his shot across Cottrell to nestle inside the bottom far corner to score the winner from eight-yards.

Woodward said: “Fantastic Goodchild there again and Harry Taylor sniffed out a goal and scored, which was superb and we knew it was going to be backs against the wall from them.”

Phipps added: “We thought we could do better to stop the cross first of all. We gave them too much room for them to get the cross in.

“To be fair to Ezekiel, he’s blocked the first one and the forward’s on the floor and the balls fallen to his feet on the floor and he’s just scooped it in from on the floor.

“On another day that could fall anywhere but today it’s just fallen to his feet and he's just hooked it in.”

Desperate Stansfeld switched formation from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 in grab an equaliser and take the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Substitute left-back Frankie Beale swung in a free-kick of quality but Whitnell’s header was comfortably caught by Dockers’ goalkeeper Foley.

Erith Town went close to killing the game off just 76 seconds later when Jayaguru smashed a free-kick forward from inside the Erith Town half, Taylor flicked the ball on for Callender, who cut inside and slotted his shot just past the foot of the near post from inside the Stansfeld box.

Stansfeld missed a glorious chance to grab an equaliser with 41:23 on the clock through substitute striker Lee Friend.

Dan Parkinson, who was now pushed into midfield, played a sublime through ball along the deck which split open Udanoh and Mahal to put Friend through on goal.

Friend skipped past the advancing goalkeeper and from a tight angle rolled his right-footed shot towards the bottom far corner, only for the ball to roll the wrong side of the post.

Phipps admitted: “That was THE chance, that was the one.  You back Lee to score once he’s gone around the keeper.

“It’s difficult to see from where we were standing how tight the angle is but we don’t know how tight it was.  Did he need to go around the keeper? I didn’t even know that but once he goes round you expect the net to bulge but it didn’t.

“On another day we could’ve got something out of the game. We were far better in the second half but I think we lost it in the first half.”

Woodward barked out warnings to his players as soon as Friend came off the bench in the 73^rd minute and was relieved to see Stansfeld’s best chance go wide.

Woodward said: “Lee Friend is an exceptional player. He came on and we couldn’t give them chances. We’re trying to give them chances as much as we can and like I said if you give him a chance he’ll score.

“We gave him a chance and when he rounded the goalkeeper I thought goal! I thought goal but we rode our luck and you do need to do that in this competition.  You need to ride your luck in the cup.”

The Dockers had one last chance against Stansfeld’s 10 men when Melconian released substitute right-winger Charlie Clover, whose left-footed deflected shot was saved by the busier of the two goalkeepers.

With 16 Fourth Round ties, who predicts that Erith Town and Deal Town will draw each other?

First Division side Larkfield & New Hythe lost 2-1 at home to Raynes Park Vale, while Steve King’s men were held to a 2-2 draw at Sporting Bengal United before winning 5-4 on penalties.

Woodward said: “There’s still 32 teams in there and I probably say we’re the 31^st favourite to win The FA Vase but listen, we’ll just keep going and keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully finish as high as we can up the table, that’s our main priority.  The league is your bread and butter and this FA Vase is just a bit of fun and we go along with it.

“There were only four SCEFL sides left today and we’ve drawn one of them. We’d like not to get a SCEFL side.”

On progression, Woodward added: “It’s a bit of history for the club.  Listen, no credit to me, it’s credit to the players, they’ve got themselves there.  They’re a good little bunch of lads. We’ve just got to make sure it doesn’t distract us from the league.

“We’ve got a lot of games to catch up on. We’ve got to make sure we manage our games and minutes for everyone and make sure we keep ourselves ticking over.”

Woodward takes his side to Phoenix Sports next Saturday for a league game.

Steve O’Boyle side are in seventh-place in the table with 25 points from 14 games and came away from fourth-placed Sutton Athletic with a 2-2 draw today.

Woodward said: “It’s going to be tough. Listen, they’ve got a good side down there. Boylie’s got a good side and we’ve got to make sure we do what we need to do. We need to turn up and we need to play.

“Stansfeld won there 6-4 last week so it won’t be easy but we need to make sure that we do what we need to do and not worry about them.”

Stansfeld, meanwhile, welcome Erith & Belvedere to Foxbury Avenue, a side that were held to a 3-3 draw at home to second-from-bottom side Fisher today but Tony Beckingham’s men are now 17 points clear of Stansfeld, who now have two games in hand.

“We’ve played 38 games last year to get to this division so hopefully now we’re out of the Vase we’ll concentrate on the league now,” said Phipps.

“They’re so far in front now it will take a monumental collapse from them to not win the league now.    We look forward to games like that because you worked hard to get into this division where you’re going to play teams like that so we’re looking forward to it and we’ll see how we go next week.

“We’ll have a go. I’ll certainly wouldn’t expect us to be as poor next week in the first half as we were this week in the first half. 

“The boys are really disappointed because they know they’ve let themselves down in the first half.  Second half, I thought we did alright.  We didn’t create loads but we could’ve equalised at the death to take it to penalties.

“Disappointment is the over-riding mood in there because we feel like we’ve let ourselves down.  The one thing we’ll take out of today is we were poor, very, very poor but we didn’t get bashed up. We know on our day we’re a lot better than that and that shows how far we’ve come as a club and as a group.

“We’ve lost 2-1 to a side that’s got a decent budget and it just goes to show we’re disappointed to be out of the Vase to a team who are an established SCEFL Premier League side with a budget.  Yes, we’re disappointed but we’ll get over it and move onto next week.”

Stansfeld: Charlie Cottrell, Sam Smith, Joe Borland (Frankie Beale 80), Billy Parkinson, Greg Summersby, Dan Parkinson, Macey Malyon (Lee Friend 73), Harry Day (Ezekiel Miller 63), Ollie Milton, Tommy Whitnell, Ross Morley.
Subs: Bradley Mitchell, Harrison English

Goal: Dan Parkinson 48 (penalty)

Booked: Billy Parkinson 63, Frankie Beale 89

Sent Off: Sam Smith 90

Erith Town: Mackenzie Foley, Ifeanyi Udanoh, James Trueman, Malik Nosike (James Miles 75), Ryan Mahal, Jerome Jayaguru, Alfie Eldridge (Charlie Clover 90), Jason Goodchild, Harry Taylor (Jamie Humphris 88), Ladic Melconian, Steadman Callender.
Subs: Joe Chalker, Ronnie McClean, Lennie Barnes, Hugo Webb

Goals: Harry Taylor 44, 70

Booked: Ladic Melconian 63, James Trueman 81

Attendance: 76
Referee: Mr Craig Charles
Assistants: Mr Benjamin Kelly & Mr Fabien Le Houezec