Stansfeld 2-2 AFC Hayes - We’re in the Second Round of the Vase and the clubs never been that far. No one can take that away from me and Jamie Phipps, says Stansfeld joint-boss Billy Hamlin

Stansfeld 2 – 2 AFC Hayes
Location	Foxbury Avenue, off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD
Kickoff	06/12/2020 15:00

STANSFELD  2-2  AFC HAYES
(Stansfeld win 4-3 on penalties)
The Buildbase FA Vase First Round
Stephen McCartney reports from Foxbury Avenue

STANSFELD joint-manager Billy Hamlin says his club are different class after reaching The FA Vase Second Round for the first time in their history.

 

Hamlin and Jamie Phipps’ men will welcome Flackwell Heath to Foxbury Avenue next Saturday, 12 December after holding their nerve from the penalty spot after this even tie finished all-square after 90 minutes.

Stansfeld last took to the field 43 days ago when they beat Hextable-based Sutton Athletic 4-1 and went into this tie sitting in tenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table with seven points from six games.

AFC Hayes play at the same level and arrived in Chislehurst sitting in fifteenth-place in the Combined Counties League First Division table with 10 points from their seven league outings.

AFC Hayes grabbed an early lead – against the run of play – when Shaun Wheeler scored from 35-yards following a poor clearance from Stansfeld’s goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell.

But two goals in the space of 160 seconds from striker Macey Malyon, 21, put the home side in the driving seat during a dominant and impressive opening spell.

AFC Hayes dominated the second half and deservedly drew level through a beautiful 30-yard curler from Sean Inkpen, just 120 seconds after coming off the bench.

Stansfeld captain Sam Ryan then had a penalty and the rebound saved with 15 minutes remaining before they lost centre-half Greg Summersby to an injury-time professional foul.

AFC Hayes raced into a 2-0 lead in the penalty shoot-out as Ryan skied his spot-kick before Billy Parkinson struck the crossbar but Stansfeld won their third shoot-out of the campaign when AFC Hayes centre-half James Day struck the crossbar as Stansfeld progressed by winning 4-3 after 12 spot-kicks.

“It was hard. We didn’t play well,” admitted Hamlin.

“First half, obviously a lucky goal from them but it was against the run of play and we done well to get back into it to take the 2-1 lead but I think the lay-off was massive.

“You could see second half everyone was leggy. The pitch is fantastic here but it’s heavy as it’s rained a lot so it took the legs out of them.

“Second half, we’ve had a chance at the far post with little Rob Hughes, we’ve missed a penalty, we’ve hit the bar.  We’ve had three clear-cut chances and we should have won the game but so have they but at the end of the day we’re through, that’s all we care about, we’re through.

“It’s massive, absolutely massive for the club, for people like Tumble (Brian Almond), Ian Rooney (chairman) and George Lush (secretary) and all of the committee. It’s absolutely unbelievable!

“This is what we aimed to get in five years’ ago when we committed to come into Glebe and we’ve done it and we’ve gone further every year and for a club like us to get the gate money, the prize money from The FA Cup and today, it’s massive for us.”

Stansfeld set the tone for their early dominance as Parkinson smacked a long ball down the right channel and Malyon drilled his right-footed angled drive over the crossbar after only 18 seconds.

Stansfeld’s left-winger Rob Hughes skipped past AFC Hayes’ right-back Shane Kettle and was encouraged by Hamlin to continue his run towards the edge of the box before curling his shot around the top of the far post from 25-yards.

However, AFC Hayes grabbed the lead – against the run of play – with seven minutes and 31 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Bruno Manuel played a back-pass back to his goalkeeper Tom Clark who launched the ball upfield.  Shaun Wheeler, who plays behind the lone striker of Mourad Jarraz, slipped the ball along the deck and Stansfeld keeper Cottrell came out of his penalty area and cleared the ball with a diving header.

However, the ball landed at Wheeler’s feet and he calmly drove his right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner of an empty goal from 35-yards in a central position.

“He’s taken it well, he’s taken it well,” said Hamlin.

“We’re disappointed. We felt Sam Ryan was fouled in the build-up to that. The keeper has shanked his clearance, he’s shanked it and it’s fell to their centre-forward. He couldn’t pick him out in a million years, so it’s one of them.  He couldn’t do it again if he tried and then you hold your hands up.

“It’s not a lot he could’ve done really because it was just a freak clearance, it’s gone straight to him. Charlie’s come out committed and the kid’s taken it well.”

Day swept a hanging free-kick from the half-way line down the right-hand side towards the edge of the Stansfeld box where central midfielder Jordan Mukasa rose and steered his header bouncing once into Cottrell’s hands for a comfortable save.

But Stansfeld restored parity by equalising with 14 minutes and 58 seconds on the clock, courtesy of a clinical finish from Malyon.

Joe Minter – who was forced off at half-time with a hamstring strain – played the ball into Ollie Milton, who played a sublime through ball along the deck which split open centre-halves Charlie Howes and Day to put Malyon through on goal and he clinically stroked his right-footed shot past Clark from 18-yards.

“I’ve known Macey a long time. When he was a kid I knew of him and he was always a centre forward and he always scored goals,” said Hamlin.

“When he came to our club Billy Shinners was still in the team and Macey played midfield and when he played for Sutton Athletic he was a holding midfielder and he’s not a holding midfielder, he’s a centre forward in my book.

“He runs the channels so well.  I think he forgot how to play up front because he’s been moved about so much but when we brought him in, we wanted him to play up front.”

When asked about talisman striker Shinnners not being in the squad, Hamlin replied: “Shinners is 31 now, he’s been a long time playing. People who play football, your knees and ankles get absolutely battered, so we had a chat with Bill and we can’t guarantee him a start every week.  He just wants to play and he’ll play for the second team and he’ll always help us out but he wants to play every week and we can’t guarantee that.”

Right-winger Milton impressed during the first half and he played a major part in the home side taking the lead just 160 seconds later.

Parkinson fed the ball into Milton down the right touchline and his excellent cross was put on a plate for an unmarked Malyon to bury his header into the left-hand corner from six-yards out to score his fifth goal of the season.

Hamlin said: “Great cross, great goal. Ollie’s done really well.  The cross was fantastic, picked him out.  Our front three (Malyon, Milton and Hughes) are all under 21 so it bodes well.

“When we went 1-0 down we showed great character to go 2-1 up and we had momentum.”

Cottrell made amends, however, as his centre-half Summersby allowed Kettle’s long high ball into the box go past him to put winger Trey Pender-Brown through on goal but the Stansfeld keeper make a vital block with his right leg before pouncing on the loose ball.

“Charlie, in my opinion, best goalkeeper. Well, to be fair the Kennington goalkeeper (Joe Mant) is a very good goalkeeper but if Charlie was six foot one or six foot two, I think he plays League football personally, he’s that good.”

Hughes showed desire to get to the ball first before he was fouled inside the D by Day and Minter was told to relax by Hamlin before stroking his right-footed free-kick dipping just over the crossbar from 22-yards, albeit a central position.

Minter was some 45-yards from goal way out down the right flank for his second set-piece, drilling his right-footed free-kick towards the top far corner, which was pushed over the bar by Clark’s outstretched right-hand in the 27^th minute.

Minter was down the left channel and his cross was cleared out to an unmarked Ryan, who took a touch before unleashing a right-footed drive towards goal from 25-yards, which was comfortably held by Clark in his midriff down on his knees.

However, Stansfeld decreased their tempo after the 30^th minute with Hamlin blaming the lay-off due to the second national lockdown and only having a hour training session on Thursday night.

He said: “We spoke about it before the game. We knew there would be fits and starts.

“When the game petered out a little bit, our legs got heavier again and it was hard.  Billy Parkinson wasn’t getting up the pitch as much as he used to because of the pitch and the lay-off, it’s so hard for the boys.”

AFC Hayes started getting back into the game and went close to equalising in the 38^th minute.

Manuel was given time and space to whip in a cross from the left touchline, which was headed out by Summersby and Wheeler took a touch, beat his man before hitting a right-footed drive just over the crossbar from 20-yards.

Cottrell got his small frame in the way of a certain AFC Hayes equaliser inside time added on.

Day pinged a long diagonal out of defence and striker Mourad Jarraz beat the offside trap down the left-channel.  He cut the ball back to Wheeler, who took a touch before hitting a deep cross, which was controlled inside the box by Kettle, who put the ball back into the box and Wheeler smacked a first-time shot straight into the keeper’s chest from 12-yards.

“Charlie makes himself big. It can’t be luck every time he makes himself big and he makes saves.  If he was six foot one or six foot two, he doesn’t play for us, let’s be honest,” said Hamlin.

“He makes saves that people take for granted. They don’t always have to save it with their hands, they save it with their knees, their feet, their chest.

“We’re lucky, a club that doesn’t pay money to have our last two keeper’s (Jack Bradshaw and Cottrell), we’ve had, we’ve been lucky.”

When asked about his half-time thoughts, Hamlin replied: “Basically, we knew there would be patches where we’ll be good and there would be patches when we’d be bad.  We had to dig in.

“They’re going down the slope, it’s always hard going up the slope and Sam Ryan got booked so he couldn’t make his tackles as much as he used to and the game became a bit open.

“Woody (Holland) came on for Minter and done really, really well.

“With the crowd we’ve had today we’re disappointed not to put on a better performance.”

AFC Hayes were now kicking down the slope for the second half and this made a big difference to their attacking play.

They created an opening inside the opening eight minutes when Pender-Brown played the ball in from the left flank into Charlie Guinnell, the central midfielder taking a touch before drilling his 30-yardder over the crossbar.

Stansfeld squandered a glorious chance to seal the victory with 15 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Frankie Beale drilled a sublime cross in from close to the corner flag towards the far post, which split open Manuel and Howes and Hughes ghosted in and smacked his first-time volley just past the foot of the near post and into the base of the side-netting from 12-yards.

“Rob Hughes has had a little chance on the far post, which you back him to score nine times out of 10,” added Hamlin.

“He’s come in today because Ryan Hassan’s missing. You expect him to score because he’s quality in training. He’s disappointed. He’s come off injured straight after but he’s 18 and he’ll score many more.”

AFC Hayes’ equaliser, however, was a sublime finish, when it came with 20 minutes and 10 seconds on the clock.

Goalkeeper Clark threw the ball to Manuel, who fed Wheeler down the left channel and he played the ball inside to super-sub Inkpen, who cut inside to curl his right-footed shot into the top far corner from 30-yards – with Cottrell rooted to the spot as he was unsighted.

“He’s used the bodies really in the box. We were right behind it in our (technical area) and you couldn’t even see Charlie so Charlie hasn’t seen the ball. It was past him and it was a great finish to be fair,” said Hamlin.

AFC Hayes then enjoyed a spell of dominance and looked the more likely to go on and score the winner.

Howes launched a long ball out of defence which sailed over Summersby and played in Jarraz down the right and his chip was plucked out of the air by Cottrell, who came off his line to narrow the angle.

Stansfled struck the crossbar as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

Parkinson played the ball into the box and Malyon rolled the ball on the inside to the unmarked Milton, who took a touch before cracking his left-footed drive against the crossbar from 12-yards.

“He takes everything early but things weren’t going right for Ollie. At the beginning of the season he scored a lot of good goals for us. We just need him to have one hit him on the backside and go in really, that’s what he needs,” added Hamlin.

Jarraz was now alive and he latched onto a long through ball but he lacked composure and he scuffed his left-footed shot which was comfortably saved by Cottrell, diving low to his right.

Stansfeld should have grabbed the winner with 29 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock when referee Ronald Albert pointed to the spot after Malyon drew a bookable foul out of AFC Hayes centre-half Howes.

However, Clark made a smart double save from Ryan’s left-footed penalty and his scuffed follow-up too.

Hamlin said: “It’s unusual for Sam, he’s normally true, bang.  We had no worries about it but at the back of my mind I did because of the fitness, because of the lack of fitness. 

“I think Sam is more disappointed with the follow-up. He scuffed it. I saw it coming back to Sam and I thought he was going to bury it and he’s scuffed it.  Give the kid a bit of credit, he’s made a good save.”

AFC Hayes dominated the rest of the game.

Substitute Dean McDonnell drilled a shot from a tight angle, which was palmed away by Cottrell at his near post.

Inkpen drilled a ball into the box for Jarraz to flick the ball towards goal, which was plucked out of the air by the diving Stansfeld keeper, grabbing hold of the ball as he flung to his right, a save for the cameras.

Kettle’s ball over the top played Jarraz in behind the tiring Stansfeld defence and the striker poked the ball past the diving keeper and the ball rolled just past the foot of the right-hand post.

“Again, Charlie’s done well, he’s made himself big, he’s come out and he’s made the centre-forward make a decision,” said Hamlin.

“A lot of these keepers they come out and the centre-forward just rolls it past him. He’s made him take it round him because he’s so quick off his line but he’s made himself big, he’s forced him into making that mistake.”

Kettle whipped in a great cross towards the far post and only Jarraz will know why he chested the ball instead of burying a free header in a similar spot that Malyon had earlier on in the game.

Manuel found space inside Stansfeld’s box and his drilled shot was pushed around his near post by the outstanding Cottrell inside the final three minutes.

The moment that AFC Hayes were going to seal a deserved victory came at the death when another long ball put Jarraz in on goal and he looked certain to score until he was pulled down by last-defender Summersby, who was sent off for a professional foul.

Wheeler was allowed to move the ball back but his left-footed free-kick dipped just over the crossbar from 30-yards, which proved to be the last kick of the game.

Hamlin said: “Listen, as a manager, he’s kept us in the game. He’s dragged him down.  I ain’t going to stand here and slag him off because quite possibly it wouldn’t have gone to penalties and we wouldn’t have won the game.  I know it’s probably not the right thing to do.”

There was a lengthy delay before Ryan stepped up to take his second penalty of the day but his right-footed penalty went into orbit and the celebrating AFC Hayes bench were told to “shut the f*** up” by their management team.

Stansfeld keeper Cottrell walked up to the spot in an attempt to put off Kettle but his perfect right-footed penalty nestled into the bottom right-hand corner, despite the keeper diving the same way.

Stansfeld missed their second attempt as right-back Parkinson’s right-footed penalty crashed against the underside of the crossbar as he aimed for the top right-hand corner.

However, AFC Hayes’ number 10 Wheeler struck his left-footed penalty against the crossbar and watched the ball drop over.

The fifth penalty of the shoot-out was tucked away by Stansfeld’s centre-half Freddie Cray, slotting his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, with the keeper diving the other way.

AFC Hayes were 2-1 up when Jarraz’s received a huge slice of luck when his left-footed kick kissed the left-hand post before nestling into the back of the net, with the keeper diving the same way.

Stansfeld substitute Ben Holland held his nerve with a clinical right-footed penalty, nestling into the bottom left-hand corner despite Clark going the same way.

AFC Hayes held the advantage at 3-2 when substitute Victor Montes rifled his right-footed penalty into the top right-hand corner.

The pressure was now on Stansfeld’s Ross Morley but he slammed his right-footed penalty into the right-hand corner to make it 3-3.

AFC Hayes left-back Manuel saw his left-footed penalty saved by Cottrell, who dived to his right to make the save.

Now into sudden death and with the score level, Stansfeld’s substitute right-winger Aaron Walker held his never with his right-footed attempt, which nestled sweetly into the right-corner.

Day’s right-footed penalty crashed against the underside of the crossbar as he tried to drill it into the top left-hand corner as Stansfeld claimed a 4-3 victory.

Hamlin said:  “We spoke about it in the huddle and we said ‘we’ve done it twice, so we said we’ll do it again’ because of Charlie you’ve always got a chance.  We always think, we always know he’s going to save one.  I know they’re not going to score five against us in a penalty shoot-out because we know Charlie will save one.”

It takes bottle for a player who has missed a penalty during the game to step up to take the first one.

“Sam Ryan’s a fantastic captain, an absolutely fantastic captain. The way he is in the changing rooms, absolutely brilliant.  He won our player-of-the-year last year and we’re a different team when he’s in it.  He’s first.  Sam said ‘I’m captain, I’ll take the first one.’

“Sam had to wait about four minutes to take that first penalty.  Sam had to walk to the penalty spot, walk back to the group, walk back to the penalty spot. 

“If you’ve missed a penalty in the game, I know that’s on your mind.”

At 2-0 down and facing a heart breaking exit, Hamlin added: “I said to the boys, ‘keep believing, even at 2-0 down.’

“I was standing next to Billy Jolley and he went ‘Charlie will save us one,;  As soon as he did, the momentum changed.  The two young boys, Ben Holland, his penalty was fantastic. I was right behind it. No-one’s saving that. It’s literally inside the post and he doesn’t save it and then little Aaron Walker, he scored a great penalty for us in the FA Cup. To stand up and take the sixth penalty and sit the keeper down the way he did, that’s balls.”

Reflecting on their third penalty shoot-out success this season, Hamlin replied: “Over the moon, over the moon.  Me and Jamie Phipps are disappointed because we wanted to put on a performance.  We won three out of three before lockdown, we were flying before lockdown, which has been good and bad for us.

“it’s been bad or us today but in other ways it’s been good but obviously you can’t be too disappointed, we’re in the Second Round of the Vase and the clubs never been that far.  No one can take that away from me and Jamie.”

Stansfeld play their biggest game in their history when Hellenic League Premier Division leaders Flackwell Heath visit Foxbury Avenue next Saturday with a place in the last 64 up for grabs.

“We’re at home and we won’t be that bad again in the Second Round because we ‘ve got too many good players,” said Hamlin.

“Our club is different class.  Our club is the best club in the world.  I don’t care you’ve got your Manchester United’s and your Real Madrid’s obviously but everyone in there does it for nothing. The boys play for nothing.

“We ain’t going to Wembley, let’s not jump the gun. We’ve just happy to be in it. 

“We’ve got to have a go next week.  It’s going to be hard because they’re going to be a good side. They’re not top of the league for nothing but at the end of the day we don’t know when we’re beat.

“It’s massive, Tumble has been here forever and to see his face, it means so much, so much to him.”

Stansfeld:  Charlie Cottrell, Billy Parkinson, Frankie Beale, Sam Ryan, Freddie Cray, Greg Summersby, Rob Hughes (Aaron Walker 66), Joe Minter (Ben Holland 46), Macey Malyon, Ross Morley, Ollie Milton (Jay Oborne 86).
Subs: Joe Borland, Billy Jolley

Goals:  Macey Malyon 15, 18

Booked: Sam Ryan 48

Sent Off:  Greg Summersby 90

AFC Hayes:  Tom Clark, Shane Kettle, Bruno Manuel, Charlie Guinnell, Charlie Howes, James Day, Trey Pender-Brown (Dean McDonnell 69), Jordan Mukasa (Sean Inkpen 64), Mourad Jarraz, Shaun Wheeler, Leius Sinclair (Victor Montes 76).
Subs: Mason Yorke, Harry Smith, Harry Bishop, Calum McFarland

Goals: Shaun Wheeler 8, Sean Inkpen 66

Booked:  Charlie Howes 74

Attendance: 223
Referee: Mr Ronald Albert
Assistants: Mr Sikiru Idris & Mr William Donnelly