VCD Athletic 3-1 Witham Town - We've given ourselves a chance to win title, says Tony Russell

VCD ATHLETIC  3-1  WITHAM TOWN
Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 5^th April 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakwood

VCD ATHLETIC manager Tony Russell has set his title chasing side a target of reaching at least 100 points after winning the top-of-the-table clash against Witham Town.

The Crayford-based club moved five points clear of Witham Town (who have two games in hand) after beating them 3-1 in front of their largest crowd of the season.

Witham Town, who lost 1-0 away to Needham Market on Thursday thanks to Sam Newson’s second minute winner, were hit hard and early by the Kent side.

Michael Power, who drove home his 15^th goal in 17 appearances for the club from the penalty spot, gave VCD Athletic the lead after only 227 seconds to score the club’s 100^th league goal of the season, before Karl Dent skipped past some sloppy defending to put Vickers in the driving seat after 24 minutes.

Left-winger Kris Newby capped off an impressive performance when he pulled a goal back for Witham Town with ten minutes remaining to score his 22^nd goal of the season, before home debutant Stuart Thurgood, 32, converted another penalty to kill the game off.

But Vickers’ victory was marred by injuries to attackers Power (hamstring) and Ibemere (leg) and are rated doubtful for Tuesday’s home game against Soham Town Rangers.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game that I’ve ever been involved in,” admitted Russell after his side’s 29^th league win of the season.

“I said to the boys, in the second half in terms of what we’ve asked them to do, they didn’t do that, but what they choose to do as a group was draw a line, a trench and dig in and battle and they battled and battled.

“They’ve restricted Witham to very little in that second half considering they were pushing.  We’ve shown great character. 

“Sometimes as a manager/coach you can give them all the information in the world. I questioned their character against Needham Market (when we lost 2-1 at home on 27 February), so I got them in a little huddle and said don’t come in here without any regrets. Don’t walk in here saying ‘if only we don’t that!’

“We spent our time in the second half waiting for someone else to do something.  I questioned them and said ‘why don’t you be that person?’  Whoever I’m talking to now, be that person to go and do it for us, whether that would be great defending or a bit of skill or a bit of magic. 

“To a man they dug in and worked hard.  Witham shut you down, they’re on at the referee, they try to wear you down.  I thought our discipline was good today.”

Russell, who admitted he was feeling nervous before the club’s biggest ever game, admitted it was win or bust for his side today.

He said: “I’m not ashamed to admit it for the first time – I don’t really get nervous, I’m quite calm – but this morning I was nervous.  I was snatching at the kids this morning!

“I wasn’t nervous because I don’t trust them because I know how good the boys are.  I trust them but I also knew the consequences. Sometimes you play really well and don’t win and if we had one of them it was over and that goes for the remaining five games.

“I so want these boys to go on (and win the league title).  I’ve taken some of these boys from the Kent League and they’ve not had a chance and teams have not looked at them.

“I want to take them to the next level. I really want them to do themselves justice more than anything so I was nervous. I don’t mind admitting it.”

VCD Athletic did not show any nerves, getting off to a flying start.

Dent released James Duckworth inside the penalty area and his right-footed shot was blocked by the diving Martyn Guest and Ben Payne’s header was cleared off the line by Seb Murfet, the ball bouncing down off the crossbar.

Seconds later Dent was brought down inside the box by Paul White and referee Adrian Gillett pointed to the spot.

Power stepped up and buried his right-footed penalty straight down the middle, with Guest diving to his right.

“We’ve done that (playing games on) Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and it’s hard,” said Russell.

“I said to them they’ve been to Needham Market on Thursday as well so they’ll be tired, so make sure that we go at them early doors.  That was always the plan. We hit them early doors and we’re going to make them work for 90 minutes. We’re not going to let them ease into the game.

“It’s alright saying it, you have to implement it.  I thought we came at them, we moved the ball. I saw they conceded a goal after two minutes on Thursday, so they’re obviously slow starters so we spoke about it before the game.  I usually want us to be patient and build it up and I said every pass in the first fifteen minutes goes forward.”

It marked the club’s 100^th league goal in their 41^st league game, but Russell added: “We have missed some chances this year, that I’ve never seen anything like it!”

There no further goal-mouth action until VCD Athletic doubled their lead.

Duckworth turned his man inside his own half and released Dent down the left.  Goalkeeper Guest raced to the corner of his penalty area and his clearance bounced off central defender Luke Olley and Dent went for the kill.

Dent cut inside, took a couple of touches to compose himself before slotting his right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from four-yards to score his 18^th goal of a very good season.

“I enjoyed that, really enjoyed that,” said Russell.

“It was actually a good move. We moved it quick and their 2 (Lee Townrow) was having a torrid time against Duckers (James Duckworth).  He (Townrow) got sucked out to the wing, he got sucked all the way out, so Denty made that run in behind him, a third-man run, and when your dragging centre halves out that’s where Denty does his bits.

“I don’t know where the keeper was going, he’s come out. Deny’s showed a lot of composure because a lot of people would have panicked. He’s taken a couple of touches, gave him the eyes and he’s put it in.”

Witham Town’s first shot on goal arrived in the 31^st minute after Tom Wraight, James Stevens and Lewis Godbold linked up well in midfielder and Newby’s right-footed shot from 30-yards bounced into Nick Blue’s gloves for a comfortable save.

With Sherwin Stanley ruled out through work commitments (he’s a school teacher who is away on a school trip until Monday), Russell made a surprise substitution when assistant manager Ray Powell, 34, came off the bench after 33 minutes to replace the injured Power.

“Shaggy’s (Power) got a twinge in his hamstring. He said it ain’t pulled but he can feel it, so we had to wheel out old Ray Powell.

“He’s not even been on the bench, he’s just been helping me. We’ve got no goalkeeping coach, Adam’s (Groom) the kit man when we go away but at home he has to do the tannoy. We’ve got no first team coach so me and him do everything.

“He’s a good forward. Don’t worry about Razor. Fitness wise I killed him because he hasn’t got no match fitness but these sort of games are made for him because I know what he’s like! I know he’ll have it with them. They’ve had two knuckle head centre halves just grunting and kicking and it was right up his street. 

“I didn’t have no worries putting him on. I was just worried putting him on that early. I didn’t think he could last but he’s a warrior.”

However, the Essex side missed a gilt-edged chance to pull a goal back, five minutes before half-time.

Wraight swept the ball out to winger Newby, who sprinted half the pitch to reach the by-line before drilling in a shot which was blocked by Blue’s legs at the near post.

The ball fell at Wraight’s feet inside the box who centred for striker Rob Whitnell, who scooped his left-footed shot over the bar from ten-yards.

Russell admitted it was a let-off by saying, “I think it come on his wrong foot. He tried to wrap his foot around it with the outside of his boot and he scooped it over. It’s a poor miss for them and they’ll be disappointed but I was delighted.”

Vickers missed a chance to increase their lead when Nick Reeves clipped the ball long out of defence and Dent challenged the keeper and Duckworth steered the loose ball wide of the right-hand post.

Russell added: “When you play those big games you don’t get a lot of chances and that’s why the top teams win games and the teams that don’t have that extra quality don’t.  I thought we showed a little bit of quality today.”

Russell revealed that he gave his troops some inspiration during the interval.

“I wanted to implement a little bit of quality in the game and slow it down a bit but I said to them after you didn’t do that but what they did say to me sometimes we get labelled this tip-tap football. I hear it all the time and they wanted to make a point today. If you want to have a battle up we’ll have it and that’s what they’ve done.  They’ve dug the trenches.”

Russell was full of praise for inspirational skipper and central defender Payne.

“That’s why he’ll always be my captain, no matter where I go! There’s certain players when you play big games as a manager you know before the game you can trust him.  I knew he was going to have a good game. He was immense. He didn’t lose a header. He was just quality.

“Also having Stuart Thurgood on the pitch has made so much difference.”

It was evident that Witham Town manager Garry Kimble was not happy with his side’s first half performance as the former Ebbsfleet United assistant manager made a double substitution at the break and inspired his troops to start the second half with increased desire.

They had to wait ten minutes for their first chance when Newby went on a mazy 30-yard run before unleashing a right-footed curler, which narrowly sailed around the far post from 25-yards.

Russell wasn’t happy with a tackle from Witham central defender Paul King, which resulted in Ibemere being taken off the pitch on a stretcher.

The shocking thing about the tackle was not only did it avoid punishment from the referee, but it appeared that King was congratulated (with handshakes) by a couple of his team-mates for putting one of Vickers’ main threats out of the game.

“King’s a good player, though you can’t knock him, he’s just an old school centre half,” said Russell.

“He got away with it definitely!  I ain’t going to go too much into it because it’s football and you leave it on the pitch but he done well to stay on the pitch today, he did very well.

“He got the ball but he also knew what was going on after the ball. It was poor but as a defender he’s actually a decent player.”

Thurgood swung in a corner from the left, which had Guest flapping at the ball and Payne cut the ball back for Lea Dawson to poke a first time shot harmlessly wide.

Thurgood then swung in the home side’s fourth corner from the right and Dawson’s header was blocked and the ball came to Dent whose left-footed drive was comfortably saved by Guest.

At the other end, Newby played the ball inside to the unmarked White, who was given time and space to slice his right-footed 25-yard drive past the right-hand post.

Blue made a fine finger-tip save to thwart Newby from scoring from a drilled right-footed effort from 25-yards, but referee Gillett awarded the home side a goal-kick.

Witham substitute Bradley Stopher brought Dent down on the very edge of the penalty area with thirteen minutes remaining and Reeves sent his dipping right-footed free-kick over the five-man wall and narrowly over the crossbar.

But Witham Town pulled a goal back to rattle Russell’s nerves.

Half-time substitute, Felix Ogeah-Andrews, a product of Bromley’s Academy, who arrived to the Essex club from Erith & Belvedere, whipped in a hanging cross from the right channel.

Payne, who was immense at the back, challenged Lee Townrow inside the penalty area and both collapsed like a pack of cards and the loose ball was drilled into the bottom left-hand corner by Newby’s right-foot from eighteen-yards.

“Duckers done really well, came all the way back, tackled the guy. I wanted him to just clear our lines. It’s only got caught under his feet but we had the ball,” said Russell.

“It was a nothing ball coming in. The ball jumped around and I thought even Bluey dived over it. It was a real crap goal if I’m honest.

“Newby’s a really good player. I’ve watched him a few times. He’s a very good player. He’s one of the better players at this level.”

When asked whether he was feeling worried going into the final ten minutes Russell said: “We spoke about it at half-time. I just said some scenarios. What if they score and it goes 2-1? What if? What if they’re throwing bodies forward, long throws, what if? 

“I back my two centre halves (Payne and Reeves) all day long. I asked the boys do you back them?  Yes? Because you’ve got to prepare for things like that.  You’re going to have stages in games where you’re not going to dominate and you’re not going to play well and you’ll have to dig in and defend. It comes down to trust.”

Russell’s title chasers responded in the right way.

“If they do score what’s your reaction going to be? It was a good. We went straight down the other end and got a penalty!”

But instead of pressing the panic button, the men in green and white hoops remembered Russell’s wise words and refused to give up their title hopes, scoring a killer third only 190 seconds after Witham accepted their lifeline.

Dent played in Duckworth, who was taken out by last defender King, who received a booking.

Russell said: “I thought the referee was good because Duckers got his shot away, but he’s cleaned him out.  He did clean him out!

“One thing I thought about King, he does dive in a lot. He wants to win everything but back to the point when they scored our reaction was superb.”

Thurgood stepped up and drilled his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, sending the keeper the wrong way.

“I admit it.  I didn’t watch it,” said Russell.  “I said to Stuart after in the warm down was it a good penalty? - and he just laughed!

“I just knew what a big moment it was because sometimes when you get a penalty it can go completely against you because if they save it their bench and their crowd go up and all off a sudden it’s even more pressure.

“I knew if we’d scored it that was it. I started to watch it and then I just heard it go in and thank god for that!”

Russell revealed that the club have not broken their strict wage structure to bring in the midfielder.

“People are saying our wage bill must be going through the roof but to get him it was pure luck as well,” he said.

“The transfer window shut at five (on 31 March) and Razor (Powell) knows John Coventry, the East Thurrock manager and they were just having a conversation, I don’t knew if it was anything to do with football, they’re just friends.

“Razor said Dean Carpenter is out injured and John said you should go after Stuart, he left East Thurrock two weeks ago.

“I asked Razor to get his number and I just phoned him up.  He said he never heard of us until this season and someone said in the changing room that VCD apparently pop it about for fun.

“We can’t afford the money he was on or previously on.  I said to him we’d love to play him, be a player-coach and things like that and he was excited about that.  He’s such a good person as well. He came on against Ware and didn’t know anyone and he was just talking people through the game. To get that amount of experience in a run-in is good.”

Russell revealed the situation of other transfer deadline day recruit, striker Bertie Brayley, 32.

“I’ve known him for a few years.  I phoned him and he’s just signed for Great Wakering.  He said he will sign for me and then if they win the league early or worst case scenario we’ll get in the play-off’s then I’ve got his services so it’s more a back-up plan rather than to come in right now. It was one of them where the transfer window was going to shut so let’s get a few bodies in.”

Witham’s coach, Brad King, was asked to leave the technical area by the referee and Witham played the final three minutes of normal time with ten-men after Newby was forced off through what he confirmed after the game was a hamstring injury.

VCD Athletic had the final chance of the afternoon when substitute Billy Manners played the ball up to Duckworth, who cut in from the left and Guest dived to his left to push the ball around the post for a corner.

There was no loud music coming from the home dressing room after the game because they know that the title race is still not over, especially as five of Witham’s last seven games are at home.

“I was speaking to their manager, he’s actually a nice bloke,” Russell said of Kimble, who worked alongside Liam Daish at Stonebridge Road. 

“I felt it’s not a complete disaster if they lost. Don’t get me wrong. It’s disappointing for him but if we lost or drew today that was it.  I said that to the players before the game. That was it in terms of any chance of winning the league.  If we don’t win or drew today we’ll concentrate on the play-offs.

“I said if you want to give yourselves a chance you have to win today. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on them. Usually I want them to relax. Sometimes you have to say the truth.

“We’ve got a better chance (of winning the title) than we did at five-to-three today. We’ve given ourselves a chance. We’re still second favourites because it’s not in our hands. If they win all of their games, which they’re more than capable of doing, we won’t win it.

“What we get this year is what we’ll get. We’ll take it,” added Russell, whose side have collected 90 points this season.

“No one gave us a chance this year. The chairman asked me to establish them in this league (after winning promotion as Kent League runners-up).

“I put enough pressure on myself because I demand high levels on myself, Razor, the team and we all put pressure on ourselves.

“The challenge always was 100 goals and 100 points. We said that at the beginning of the season. We’ve got one. We’ve got to go and do the rest.”

VCD Athletic:  Nick Blue, Barney Williams, Lee Craig, Nick Reeves, Ben Payne, Stuart Thurgood, Lea Dawson, Karl Dent (Billy Manners 86), Michael Power (Ray Powell 33), James Duckworth, Uche Ibemere (Alfie May 61).
Subs: Peter Smith, Teddy Nesbitt

Goals: Michael Power 4 (penalty), Karl Dent 24, Stuart Thurgood 82 (penalty)

Booked: Karl Dent 20, Alfie May 72

Witham Town: Martyn Guest, Lee Townrow, Seb Murfet, Luke Olley (Bradley Stopher 70), Paul King, Paul White (Joe Sweeney 46), Kris Newby, James Stevens, Rob Whitnell (Felix Ogeah-Andrews 46), Lewis Godbold, Tom Wraight.
Subs: Anthony Anstead, Danny Lopes

Goal: Kris Newby 80

Booked: Lee Townrow 15, Luke Olley 69, Paul King 82

Sent Off: Brad King (coach) 83

Attendance: 213
Referee: Mr Adrian Gillett (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)
Assistants: Mr Philip Jones (Epsom, Surrey) & Mr Gareth Mays (Epsom, Surrey)