K Sports 0-1 Glebe - We're going to apply as much pressure as possible on Sheppey and Chatham, says Glebe interim-joint manager Adam Flemming

K Sports 0 – 1 Glebe
Location	Cobdown Sports & Social Club, Station Road, Ditton, Aylesford, Kent ME20 6AU
Kickoff	21/02/2022 19:45

K SPORTS  0-1  GLEBE
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Monday 21 February 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Cobdown

GLEBE joint-interim manager Adam Flemming says he has the full backing of the chairman and board after taking over from Harry Hudson alongside Dan Hogan yesterday.

Hudson left the promotion-chasing club on Saturday for a relegation dog-fight in the Isthmian League South East Division with Sevenoaks Town and chairman Rocky McMillan appointed Hogan and Flemming as interim managers shortly after Sevenoaks Town chairman Paul Lansdale appointed Hudson at half-past-six last night.

Glebe came up against a well-organised K Sports side and had to wait until the 86th minute to make the breakthrough, as winger Charlie Penny headed in his tenth goal of the season to seal a deserved victory at Cobdown.

K Sports made five changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Bearsted on Saturday and Glebe were without Corey Holder and Lauris Chin through work commitments.

Glebe continued with Hudson’s way of playing, out from the back and keeping the ball on the deck, but they found the Paperboys a hard nut to crack.

“I thought it was a very, very long fought battle, obviously scoring in the 86th minute of the game. We won the game but we did have an ample amount of chances,” said Flemming.

“I thought their goalkeeper played really, really well and the other side did very well to not allow us to break them down as much as we wanted to.  They were very, very difficult to play against.

“We had to just be patient and we just had to make sure that we were in control of our emotions for the majority of the game and I felt that we did that and we got what we deserved really late.”

Reflecting on recent events at Forbury Avenue, Flemming added: “It’s been absolutely crazy! But listen, this is what me and Dan Hogan do for a living, so in terms of what the expectations are, we have to win in our day job (at Kinetic) so all we’re doing is echoing what we do every single day.

“It’s nothing knew to us.  Obviously there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it, replacing a great manager, a great technician but I felt that we just need to get this win under our belt and we can rock and roll from here.”

K Sports manager Barry Morgan, now assisted by Phil Miles, has worked miracles to guide the Aylesford-based outfit to thirteenth-place in the table with 11 games left and 32 points on the board.

“I’m gutted. I thought the lads deserved something out of the game,” said Morgan.

“Our shape was superb throughout and alright we didn’t threaten too much until later on in the game but we had a few little chances and I thought we deserved a point but they probably just edged it but it could so easily had been a drawn game.

“The team is so young, it’s ridiculous isn’t it? For them to play for that amount of time, to keep the shape that we kept, the press was dead right, they did everything right. They can only learn from that and they’re getting better week-in-week-out.

“What I said in the dressing room after the game is, that’s the third top team in the league. They’re probably not as good as Chatham or Sheppey but they’re not far off and we’ve taken them very, very close tonight.

“But what happened when we played Deal Town (losing 3-1 on penalties after the Challenge Cup Third Round tie finished 2-2 after extra time here two weeks ago), we were superb and then we played Bearsted the following game and we were awful – we didn’t do anything that we did in that Deal game and because they’re so young the same thing could happen on Saturday.

“We’ve got to hammer it home this time that they’ve got to go out there and keep the same shape and against the lesser sides it gives you a better chance of winning. I’m not saying we will win because Kennington are a good side. We’ve got to go in with the same mentality.”

K Sports created the first chance of the game following the first of four long throws from winger Callum Thomas after 15 minutes.

The ball was cleared out to captain Kane Butler, whose speculative overhead kick from 25-yards brought a comfortable save from visiting keeper George Kamurasi.

Glebe left-back Matthew Parsons gave away a free-kick after fouling Oliver Lankshear and Butler went close to scoring from a right-footed free-kick which went around the wall and curled just past the foot of the right-hand post in the 18th minute.

Morgan said: “Kane carries a few injuries. He’s got a bad back that he’s had since he was a kid. We had him at Sheppey back in the day and it was a bit of a doubt for him so we lost him for three games and he’s come back in for tonight. He’s not really fit enough but I thought he put a shift in and he used the ball well.”

Flemming added: “From our angle, we were just hoping it didn’t go in but George said at half-time he had it covered but we did have hearts in mouths for a minute.”

Butler cut in from the right into the D and stroked a left-footed shot which lacked conviction and brought another comfortable save from the Glebe goalkeeper.

Glebe took 33 minutes to create their first real goalscoring chance, however.

Centre-half Antone Douglas played the ball along the deck into Ainsley Everett, who played the ball out to winger Solomon Baugh.  He cut into the box and put it on a plate for Penny, who hit a first time right-footed shot from 10-yards straight at Charlie Walker, who held the ball low to his left.

“Charlie’s a good goalkeeper, he knows where to position himself and he’s been great all year,” said Morgan.

“We’re pleased to have him really. Gillingham released him and we managed to get him.  I think Charlie could be off to America in the summer on a scholarship so we’ll have to find another keeper.”

Flemming added: “That one, great chance, a well-worked opportunity but Penny didn’t get a good clean connection on it so it come of his studs, instead of coming off the inside of his boot. That would’ve given him the power that he needed to get over the line but I thought their goalkeeper was outstanding today.”

Holding midfielder Everett fed Ryan King-Elliott within the right-hand side of the K Sports penalty area and his angled drive from 15-yards was parried by Walker as he dived to his right and 41-goal striker Jamie Philpot was caught offside for the first of four occasions.

Philpot, who often dropped deep to pick up the ball, had to track back and tackle K Sports’ right-back Toby Sargeant inside the Glebe half before he slipped the ball into Bradley Wilson and the classy holding midfielder swept a first-time shot towards goal from 45-yards but the keeper, who was off his line, made a comfortable catch to prevent being lobbed.

“Listen, we’ve seen Brad do it all of the time. We always make sure that he’s aware of the goalkeeper’s position because the guy’s technique is unreal because he’s got a wand of a right foot and he’s scored two from the halfway line already this season,” said Flemming.

Morgan simply added: “It was an opportunist attempt wasn’t it but fair play to the lad, I would’ve had a go myself.”

At half-time, Morgan said: “It was a simple half-time team talk really, it was just keep doing the same things.  Listen, I thought we were a little bit of a threat on the break at times and you never know in a game like that. If you can stay in it and stay in it, you might win it.”

Flemming added: “They were very well-organised, they done well to frustrate us and they done really, really well to get us out of our comfort zone.

“At half-time we kept saying that we had to stay calm and keep patient and when the moment comes, just make sure we take it.

“We made sure the boys stayed relaxed, controlled our emotions, didn’t panic and make sure that we knew we could win the game. It was just when we could win the game.  It was sticking to the game plan and not allowing us to get flustered.”

Glebe increased their tempo for the second half and were to be denied a deserved lead after 170 seconds following the third of their seven corners.

Wilson swung the ball in from the right towards the near post and centre-half Kalvin Morath-Gibbs found a pocket of space and his glancing header from six-yards sailed across the keeper and was cleared off the line by Thomas.

Flemming said: “A great clearance off the line. I thought that was probably our best chance.  I thought he got a good contact on it and that lad’s probably not touched the ball at the back post all season so that’s the one time that he’s going to get it and he’s saved his team there.”

Morgan added: “They had a few opportunities, didn’t they?  I thought we read that well. I thought we read that spell and thought we became the better side for the last 20 minutes, we looked a little dangerous.”

The highly-rated Walker excelled again as he frustrated Glebe in the 54th minute.

A lucky ricochet fell at Penny’s feet inside the K Sports box and his shot on the turn was excellently pushed away by Walker, diving full length to his right, and Baugh drove the rebound into the side-netting.

“I think Solly had a little bit more time than he thought he had so he just tried to get it over the line as quickly as possible but that happens when you’re banging at the door and you’re getting chance after chance. Sometimes you’re going to rush it. Could he have taken another touch? Possibly, but he didn’t,” said Flemming.

Morgan added: “They’re building a bit of pressure aren’t they? They’re going to get a few chances. You ride your luck in football sometimes, that’s for sure.”

Glebe kept knocking on the door, however, and Penny drilled a 35-yard free-kick into the K Sports wall and the ball came out to Everett, who cracked a first-time shot which bounced once into Walker’s hands for a comfortable save.

King-Elliott played the ball inside to Penny, who took a touch before drilling a right-footed angled drive across the keeper and bouncing just past the foot of the far post from 35-yards as Glebe’s dominance continued.

Wilson floated in a free-kick close to the corner flag and Walker punched the ball away and Douglas teed up substitute Wazir Azeez but the left-winger lashed his first-time shot over the top of the near post from just outside the corner of the six-yard box.

K Sports did venture forward for the first time in the half inside the final 15 minutes and create chances to snatch the victory.

Often isolated striker Luke Frost picked up a loose ball inside the Glebe half and drove forward before unleashing a right-footed angled drive from 15-yards, which brought a comfortable save from Kamurasi, getting his big frame down low to his right to hold.

“I fancied us. We had the pace and we started passing it a little bit. I thought we might get something, it didn’t quite happen, that’s football for you,” said Morgan.

“Luke Frost is only 17. I thought his discipline in the way he was closing people down was great.  He pressed the correct way. He didn’t dive in. He was keeping two players held down a little bit. He had a good night. I think it’s the first time that he’s started today and he took his chance.”

Flemming added: “It was a great opportunity for him. He done well to work the chance for himself because he’s had to feed off scraps all day to be fair to him and the one time he got out he was brilliant but George was able to make a comfortable save and put us on our way to go on a counter-attack.”

Glebe were awarded a free-kick just outside the corner of the box and Wilson’s right-footed free-kick was gathered at the second attempt by Walker at his near-post.

Wilson floated in another free-kick from the left which was met at the back post by Morath-Gibbs, which cleared the crossbar from six-yards out.

K Sports then created three chances to grab the victory in the space of three minutes.

Substitute attacked Ziyad Ghali teed up holding midfielder Martin Youngah, who was in space some 25-yards out but he sliced his first-time shot horribly wrong of the goal, lacking composure at a key moment.

Winger Lankshear then drove through the heart of the pitch before dragging his right-footed shot across the diving keeper and trickling past the far post from outside the Glebe penalty area.

K Sports’ left-back Darren Cooper then clipped a shot towards the top right-hand corner, which was comfortably plucked out of the air by Kamurasi.

However, patient Glebe’s deserved winner arrived with 41:09 on the clock.

King-Elliott swept the ball down the line and Azeez cut in towards the by-line and whipped in a left-footed cross towards a crowd of K Sports players and Penny got inbetween a couple of them to bury his downward header past the diving keeper to find the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards.

Flemming said: “A huge sigh of relief!  We just had to keep knocking at the door and when the opportunity arises, I think Charlie done really, really well to finish with his head with a number of players around him and getting there and getting into a space where the goalkeeper couldn’t reach because everything else he did brilliantly today.  It was a great passage of play, a great delivery from Lanre on his left-foot, first-time and Charlie Penny puts it away, very, very good.”

Morgan added: “These things happen, what can you do? It might not have happened and we might’ve ended up with a point.

“It really was close for us. The key for tonight is generally taking that into the game on Saturday. If we take that discipline into the game on Saturday, we’ve got a good chance of getting something out of it.  I’m not saying a win. Kennington are a really tough side.  I’ve got a lot of time for them. They play football the right way and they’re a tough nut to crack so it will take a lot to beat them.”

Chatham Town look on course of claiming the title, as Kevin Hake’s side have banked 71 points from 27 games.  Ernie Batten’s Sheppey United follow on 68 points from 26 games, while Glebe are now 10 points behind with two games in hand on the Ites and three in hand on Chatham.

K Sports welcome seventh-placed Kennington here on Saturday, while Glebe travel to Rusthall, a side that parked the bus in a 2-0 defeat at Chatham Town at the weekend and remain in the bottom three, five points clear of the relegation zone and having played a game more than Tower Hamlets.

Fleming insists Glebe are not throwing in the towel when it comes to the race for promotion.

“We’re in a great position that the previous gaffer has left us in and obviously at the same time a lot of boys have put in a lot of effort to get to this point so what we have to do is keep on winning games,” said Fleming.

“The boys knew the magnitude of the game and we need to make sure we apply as much pressure as possible to Sheppey and with that if we can catch the tails of Chatham as well. We’ve just got to plod on.

“Listen, we’re not saying we’re going to win the league but we’re going to go out fighting and we’re going to apply as much pressure as possible.

“We want to win every single game of football but what we have to do is set-up our boys and make sure that we believe that we’re going to win every game and make sure they believe we can make them win every game and then move forward.

“We know Rusthall is going to be a difficult game.  We don’t every underestimate any opposition. They’ve just signed a great player in Louie Clarke who is a goalscorer and he knows where the goal is so we’ve got to manage his goal threat and it will probably be a similar game to today in terms of them trying to frustrate us.

“It’s a Monday so they’ve probably come to watch us so it’s going to be a difficult game and we’ve just got to make sure that we turn up on Saturday and look to win.”

Flemming insists the pair of them have got the backing of chairman Rocky McMillan, despite their interim status.

“He’s backed us, he’s backed us.  We sat down in a meeting yesterday for a couple of hours and he said we’ve got his full support and the backing of the board. We’re no new faces to the team or the club so it made sense for us to stay in and take the helm but we’ve got the backing and the support of the chairman and the board.”

For K Sports, Morgan is performing miracles for this non-budget club to be 20 points clear of relegation at this stage of the season.

“We’re a youth team for god sake! If we survive in the division, that’s what I was asked to do. We’ve just got to keep improving. We’ve had a really, really tough run of games and we’ve put in some decent performances against some of the top sides.

“I’d like to think that as long as we keep disciplined and keep organised and pick up some more points, if we do it will be a massive bonus towards the end of the season. If we can finish anywhere between fourteenth or tenth, I’ll be very happy.”

K Sports: Charlie Walker, Toby Sargeant, Darren Cooper, Kwasi Amoah, Stephane Nzimbakany, Harvey Baxter, Callum Thomas, Martin Youngah, Luke Frost, Kane Butler (Ziyad Ghali 77), Oliver Lankshear (Joe Thomas 85).
Subs: Noah Hamelberg, Richard Nunn, Sebastian Paling

Booked: Callum Thomas 63, Oliver Lankshear 82, Darren Cooper 90

Glebe: George Kamurasi, Dami Olorunnisomo, Matthew Parsons, Ainsley Everett (Sam Johnson 67), Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Antone Douglas, Solomon Baugh (Wazir Azeez 60), Bradley Wilson, Jamie Philpot, Ryan King-Elliott, Charlie Penny.
Subs: Tom Hever, Kyrique Garvey-Williams, Reginald Rose

Goal: Charlie Penny 86

Booked: Sam Johnson 71, Ryan King-Elliott 82, Antone Douglas 85, Jamie Philpot 90

Attendance: 128
Referee:  Mr Joseph Turnpenny
Assistants: Mr Hamish Louie & Mr Mark Roberts