Chislehurst Glebe 4-5 Queens Park Rangers - I've been assured that my job is safe and we've definitely turned the corner and we will get out of where we are, insists Chislehurst Glebe manager Frankie Sawyer

Chislehurst Glebe 4 – 5 Queens Park Rangers
Location	Foxbury Avenue, off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD
Kickoff	13/01/2026 19:30

CHISLEHURST GLEBE  4-5  QUEENS PARK RANGERS
London Senior Cup Third Round
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Foxbury Avenue

CHISLEHURST GLEBE manager Frankie Sawyer says he has been assured by chairman Rocky McMillan that his job is safe ahead of two massive relegation six-pointers.

McMillan said on the morning of their London Senior Cup exit that he had ‘a good, honest discussion about where we are and what lies ahead,’ and that the players know what’s expected to them and hopefully ‘they can start pulling clear of the relegation battle that they find themselves in.”

Queens Park Rangers booked their place in the London Senior Cup Quarter-Finals after winning a nine-goal thriller at a rain-lashed Foxbury Avenue.

Anthony Hayes’ side – who thrashed Isthmian League Premier Division side Cray Valley (Paper Mills) 7-3 in the last round on 2 December – arrived in Chislehurst
 sitting in 12^th place in the Premier League Development League table with 18 points (four wins, six draws and four defeats) from their 14 games.

Since knocking out Steve McKimm’s side, Queens Park Rangers’ under 21 side have lost to Cardiff City (1-3) and Burnley (0-1) before Christmas and Hayes made seven changes to his side tonight, while Sawyer made four to the side that claimed a 2-1 home win over Corinthian on 3 January.

At first-team level, Queens Park Rangers sit in eleventh-place in the EFL Championship and are 169 places ahead of Sawyers’s side that are in seventeenth-place in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table.

This was the first time that the Foxes have played Football League opposition in any Cup competition and the crowd of 146 were treated to a goal-fest.

“Listen, we knew what they were going to bring. I think they had seven or eight full-time pros playing with a mixture of 18s also,” said Sawyer, who sat for 28 and a half minutes in the post-match press conference.

“Listen, they’re a Championship outfit. Their boys are pros for a reason. They train full-time, they’re going to be sharper, fitter than us.  They move the ball really well, so we knew that we had to be resilient.  We had to be disciplined in our shape out of possession and try to find moments on the counter, which I think we done really well tonight.

“One thing that has let me down since I’ve come in is our discipline out of possession. I’ve got no doubts in our ability to create things on the ball because we as a management team have got them playing a style of football that we believe in, which is possession dominant but at times we’ve been let down by finding ourselves a little bit disjointed out of possession and allowing teams to score easy goals against us.

“I feel like we’ve had to work hard to score goals, whereas we’ve sort of gifted goals at times but tonight they showed a side that I didn’t actually think we had and to be able to go toe-to-toe almost with them at times, especially second half, I thought we were on the front foot a lot of the time in the second half and it was very pleasing, really pleasing.”

When striker Rohan Vaughan opened the scoring inside the opening six minutes, the crowd thought the floodgates would open – but Chislehurst Glebe went down to a respectable defeat, although debutant goalkeeper Harrison Carnell-Davis suffered a baptism of fire, having been promoted from the club’s second string, with Nathan Edwards ruled out through work commitments.

Queens Park Rangers were clinical in front of goal, taking the lead with their first opening, timed at five minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

Jake Coomes, 18, who impressed down the left-wing, received the ball from striker Ridwanullahi Hassan, cut the ball back from the left-by line and Vaughan opened his goalscoring account for the season, placing his first time right-footed drive across the keeper to find the bottom far corner.

“I’ll be honest, I can’t really remember the play. I’ll have to watch it back,” said Sawyer.

“I’ll be honest, the first 15-20 minutes, I kept turning around and saying, ‘how long?’  I felt it seemed as though we had played a lot longer than we had but listen, we knew full well that if we was to make mistakes – a Championship side are going to punish you.”

However, Chislehurst Glebe showed great character to level following a well-worked move at a set-piece, with eight minutes and 59 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Tom Cousins threw the ball towards the corner of the penalty area for Jamie Philpot, who chested the ball to winger Khavarn Williams, who cracked his cross-shot against the top of the near post and the ball dropped for Jaden Campbell to prod over the line with his right-foot from a couple of yards.

“Really pleased with Jayden. He’s one that we’ve just brought in from Kinetic Academy, only 17. He came on and made his debut at home to Corinthian (2-1 home win, 3 January) and was quite dangerous,” said Sawyer.

“He’s definitely one that I’m looking at for the future, even looking at for next season. I think that he’s got a really bright future. He wasn’t able to show much today, what he can do on the ball but his work-rate off the ball was exceptional.”

The game then turned quite even and Chislehurst Glebe showed glimpses of a side that are not going to suffer relegation at the end of the season.

Striker Philpot rolled the ball over to Nathan Mampono, who cut in and flashed a low right-footed angled drive flashing across the keeper and past the far post.

The away side were an impressive passing outfit – as you would expect – and Kaleb Dyce played the ball into the penalty area and Vaughan’s shot from the corner of the six-yard box saw Carnell-Davis narrow the angle and smother low to his left and push behind for a corner.

However, Queens Park Rangers grabbed the lead, with 28 minutes and 12 seconds on the clock.

The ball was worked out to right-winger Philip Sanyaolu, who fizzed in a low cross from the right and the ball bounced off home centre-half Frederick Davison and Carnell-Davis allowed the ball to go past him and into the net for an own goal.

“Harrison’s been training with us all season, or since I’ve come in and he’s a very good shot-stopper,” said Sawyer.

“He’s probably come into a team where he’s probably not previously been asked to be on the ball as much and having the ball passed back to him at times. He looked a little bit shaky to start with. I feel like he grew into it.

“He made a mistake for their second goal, which came at a time when it was one-all and I felt we were quite comfortable dealing with them.  That goal sort of turned the first half slightly and gave them a little bit of a kick and they definitely turned it up a little bit after that second goal.

“But listen, I can’t fault him. It’s a mistake. The 10 outfield players make mistakes all the way through the 90 minutes but it doesn’t get noticed so much. If the keeper makes a mistake then it often results in a goal but I believe after that he made two really, really good saves, so I can’t fault him.

“I’m pleased that he was able to get some minutes under his belt and be around the group. It’s hard being a number two because you can go the whole season without being used but it was nice to be able to get him in today. Just for future reference if for instance if something is wrong with Cat (Edwards), then we know we can call upon him.”

Queens Park Rangers swiftly raced into a 3-1 lead, following a slick sweeping move, which resulted in Vaughan teeing up Coomes, who emphatically drilled his first time right-footed drive into the top left-hand corner from 22-yards, with 30 minutes and 27 seconds on the clock, for his seventh goal of the campaign.

“Again, going back to saying we almost have to work hard to score and we almost gift teams goals at times.  It’s an unbelievable strike, there’s nothing you can really go about that, do you know what I mean,” added Sawyer.

But Chislehurst Glebe were not going to capitulate and the first half of this County Cup tie had a basketball game feel to it, as the part-timers scored their second goal of the night, timed at 39 minutes and 32 seconds, courtesy of some good midfield play from holding midfielder Mitchell Chapman.

Philpot then rolled the ball out to Mampono on the right and his right-footed angled drive was placed across the keeper and rolled into the bottom far corner.

Sawyer said: “I think that came from Chappo, as I call him. He’s a very, very good friend of mine, pressing, forcing them into a mistake. The ball gets played into Jamie. It might’ve been a little back-heal actually into the path of Nathan, who slotted it home.

“I did say to him, ‘I think you half-shanked that. He said, ‘no, I definitely meant the finish,’ but I think it was a well-worked goal and again it came from Chappo, who for me worked his absolute socks off today.

“He’s been quite unlucky over the last couple of years. He was out for the whole season last year with a broken foot I believe.  We have been good friends for about 10 years now and he didn’t play much football over the last couple of years due to his injury and he’s just recently got back.

“He’s been training for the last six or seven weeks with (Isthmian League Premier Division side) Cray Wanderers . They’re not able to offer him any football at this moment and I knew for us his experience would be massive and the last few weeks being able to give him the minutes that he hasn’t been able to get elsewhere.

“He’s been exceptional and the amount of ground he covered today, that bit of experience that he’s got, has been absolute huge for us.”

But you can’t give the ball away in dangerous areas and Foxes’ centre-half Harry Sargent gave the ball away and the ball was worked to Alex Aoraha, who slipped his right-footed shot through the keeper’s legs and into the centre of the goal from the corner of the six-yard box to score his third goal of the season (41:52).

“Like I said, if you’re going to give away possession against teams like this, they’re going to punish you,” admitted Sawyer.

“It’s something that we’ve asked the boys to be brave in possession and try to pass our way out of trouble. It’s a style of play that I really believe in but at times it is risky. If you’re going to make a mistake there in possession, give it away sloppily, they’re going to punish you!”

A poor goal-kick from Carnell-Davis gave Rangers another goalscoring chance and Hassan cut onto his right-foot and his angled drive was spilt by the keeper, low to his right before the goalkeeper gathered comfortably.

There was still time for Chislehurst Glebe to score the seventh goal of the night – just before the interval – timed at 43:54.

Philpot won the penalty himself and emphatically stroked his right-footed penalty towards the left-corner.  Goalkeeper Joel Halliday dived to his right and got his hand to the ball but failed to prevent it looping up into the top left-hand corner.

“Jamie’s chased down the goalkeeper, forced him into an error, nicked the penalty and then put it away, like he normally does,” said Sawyer, who demands more from Glebe’s 29-year-old talisman striker.

“When I came in, having previously had a relationship with Jamie from being part of the management here two years ago, I actually played with Jamie for a couple of months a few years back here as well.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that I’m probably harder on him than anyone else ever has, probably because being a forward as well myself, there’s certain standards and things that I expect but also because I know what he can do and the ability he has.

“I feel that probably over the last couple of years, because of his relationship with the chairman and obviously living on the grounds, he’s got quite comfortable at times and he’ll agree with me.

“I wouldn’t say lazy is the word but I feel he’s a little bit too comfortable at times and to be honest as well over the last few years he’s had to deal with probably a number of managers and the team chopping and changing constantly and he’s been the only constant in that.

“But when I came in, we (Aaron Fray and I) sat him down and said ‘Jamie, listen, we know full well what you can do’ and we’re not going to accept a certain standard from you and we’re going to push you as hard as we can and for that to happen, for us to be able to get the best off you, you’re going to have to start doing a bit of extra work.

“He was a little bit unfit, I’ll say, probably going back maybe four or six weeks ago. Since our chat, he’s been unbelievable. The work-rate that he’s doing, I haven’t seen him run so much and he’s now getting his rewards from it.”

There aren’t many games covered by this website that has seven goals in the first half.

“My half-time team-talk was quite positive. I felt that we done well and held our own,” said Sawyer

“I asked the boys to be a little bit more braver because I think we gave away a couple of early goals. We started to try to go a little bit more direct and play it into Jamie a little bit too often and I just said to them when we are on the ball ‘just enjoy it and relax at times’ and I feel like they came out after the break and definitely did that.”

High right-back Charlie Street put in a low cross from the right and Hassan’s first-time right-footed angled drive flashed across Carnell-Davis and just past the foot of the far post as Queens Park Rangers went close to increasing their lead.

Queens Park Rangers notched their fifth goal of the night, with 12 minutes and 23 seconds on the clock, following a three-man move.

Left-back Cory Adjetey-Brew played the ball down the line and the impressive Coomes dinked in a great cross from within the channel and the unmarked Hassan buried his free header into the roof of the net in the middle.

“If I can remember correctly, I feel like we went asleep for a moment there and didn’t track well enough there,” admitted Sawyer.

“We actually said to the boys at half-time about making sure that when the ball does come into our box that we’re close to a man.

“Aaron Fray actually said a great quote at half-time, he said ‘space doesn’t score goals, men do,’ and we allowed them too much space there and listen, players from that level, if they’re given a chance to cross it, they’re going to put it in the back of the net.”

Chislehurst Glebe were a threat on the flanks and Williams cut in from the left and drilled a right-footed angled drive from outside the box, which was comfortably caught by visiting keeper Halliday in his midriff on the hour-mark.

Halliday, who doesn’t appear to be EFL standard on his performance tonight, smothered Williams’ angled drive from 25-yards, low to his left, as another shot came in from outside the box, as Chislehurst Glebe had more control in the second half with a vastly improved performance.

“I was really, really pleased with the second half performance. I just feel like it was far more controlled,” agreed Sawyer, who has won four, drawn five and lost seven of his 16 games, since taking over from Dan Lawrence.

“We limited them really. I can’t remember them having too many chances in the second half.

“I think we defended well when called upon. Harry Sargent was a rock at the back. We gave Freddie Davison his debut (having signed him from Dulwich Hamlet) a few weeks ago (against Kennington, 5-1 home win on 6 December).  He started at centre-half (tonight) but then we had to move him out to right-back.  Freddie’s progress over the last three or four weeks has been unbelievable!”

Substitute Thibault Abie put in a free-kick from the left and the ball bounced for Philpot, who flicked his right-footed half-volley across the keeper and just past the far post.

There was almost controversy inside the final five minutes when referee Deryll David allowed the away side to take a quickly taken free-kick from the half-way line and the ball released substitute winter Jake Leahy, who flashed his right-footed angled drive across the keeper and past the far post when he only had the keeper to beat.

“From the side, we weren’t quite sure what had happened and they played quick and we felt that the ref, we weren’t quite in shape there and our centre-half (Sargent) was almost on the half-way line. They played so quick. We weren’t quite sure what had exactly had happened there, so we was a little bit confused and luckily they didn’t put it away,” added Sawyer.

Glebe were gifted their fourth goal of the night (44:21) and any more repeat situations from Halliday will see him return to the non-league game (having played for Basingstoke Town on loan).

Halliday’s clearance was charged down by a pressing Philpot inside the box and the Foxes deserved their slice of luck as the ball ricochet and bounced into the left-hand corner of the empty goal for talisman Philpot’s 18^th goal of the season.

Sawyer wants Philpot to rediscover his goalscoring form that made him one of the most feared strikers in this League when he first signed for the club back in 2019.

“Again, that’s credit to Jamie because going back four or five weeks ago, he wouldn’t have been doing that. He was happy almost let the game pass him by and as a forward at times, especially in games like today where you know the opposition are going to have a lot of possession, you’re almost going to have to try to carve something out yourself.

“His work-rate over the last few weeks has been exceptional and he shut down the keeper there and forced him into an error and nicked another goal.”

Philpott squandered a glorious chance to take it to penalties (47:31) when Queens Park Rangers’ left-back Adjetey-Brew switched off and played a 10-yard square pass straight to Philpot, who lacked composure and swept a first time right-footed shot just past the foot of the near-post from 25-yards.

Sawyer added: “He was unlucky. I actually looked at the scoreline at that time and asked the linesman (Joshua Reid) whether it goes straight to penalties because I actually didn’t want extra time because I had one eye on Saturday and he said ‘it goes straight to penalties’.

“If someone actually gives him a shout there and tells him he’s got a bit of time, I think he probably could’ve taken a touch forward and he was almost on his own. He almost rushed the effort but listen, he was unlucky.”

Carnell-Davis tipped over Hassan’s left-footed drive from 22-yards at the end but attention now turns to the bread and butter of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division on Saturday.

Sawyer returns to Hythe Town for a relegation six-pointer before hosting Faversham Strike Force here seven days later.

The bottom eight sides are Hollands & Blair (28 points from 22 games), Tunbridge Wells (26 points from 19 games), Kennington (26 points from 21 games), Corinthian (22 points from 22 games), Faversham Strike Force (18 points from 20 games) and Chislehurst Glebe (18 points – four wins, six draws and 13 defeats – from 23 games.

Stansfeld (13 points) and Hythe Town (13 points – three wins, four draws and 14 defeats) are trapped within the relegation zone.

Sawyer was asked to elaborate more on his dinner with the chairman and his wife Grace ahead of two massive relegation six-pointers.

“So I’ve got a really good relationship with Rocky. I’ve actually known Rocky since I was seven and I’m sure he will say as well, we’re really good friends,” said Sawyer, 37.

“He actually took me and my management team out for dinner, along with Grace on Friday evening.

“He’s assured me that the job is mine regardless of what happens this season. He's really happy with the way that it’s going and also with our relationship, as a chairman and manager, which is nice. It’s reassuring but also as a manager, I’ve got no intentions to going down to Step Six (the Southern Counties East Football League First Division).

“He’s also revealed that he’s also willing to back me a little bit more financially. If I can identify a couple of targets, which I’m currently looking at a couple of boys. I won’t say names but friends also of mine who are playing a little bit higher.

“I’m looking to bring in a couple of experienced heads, which I think we will massively benefit from.  I’m actually really, really pleased with the group. I feel like we’ve defiantly turned the corner.

“Performances have been very good but I know performances don’t count for everything, it’s points at the end of the day and I know full well we’re in a precarious position but I’m confident that even with this group alone, we will get out of where we are.

“I believe we are now playing a style of football that the boys have all brought into and they believe in what we’re trying to do and the resilience that they showed today reassured me that we can definitely get out of where we are.”

Sawyer went to Reachfields Stadium on Saturday to watch Darren Beale’s side claim a point in a 3-3 draw with Punjab United.

Sawyer revealed that Yanick Kissi (Achilles) and Jefferson Bento (tight glute) were not risked tonight.

“Listen, Hythe on Saturday is huge for us. To be able to go down there and take three points will be massive,” said Sawyer.

“I actually went down there and watched them against Punjab and they done very well to come back and nick a draw because I feel Punjab probably could’ve been four or five up at half-time.

“They also have recently strengthened quite massively with the likes of Mo Kamara, Roarie Deacon and another friend of mine, Taurean Roberts, who for me was their key player on Saturday.

“We know it’s going to be tough. I actually played for Hythe for two years and I know it’s a tough place to go. We almost made it a fortress when I was there so yes, listen, we know full well it’s not going to be easy, regardless of their league position.

“We potentially have to go down there and scrap and fight for everything but listen, I full believe we will go down there and do the job that we need to do.”

Sawyer was asked whether he could still be sacked if his side lose to both Hythe and Faversham Strike Force.

“I’ve been assured that my job is safe and he’s not looking to change. He’s happy with our relationship but at the same time I’m also fully aware that football is a results game and winning games of football is what’s most important,” replied Sawyer.

“Listen, if that potentially changes and if we’re not to be successful in achieving what I fully believe we can, as a chairman, obviously he’s well within his rights to look for something else or something better if he believes that is the case -  but we’ve got a lot of trust with each other.”

Chislehurst Glebe: Harrison Carnell-Davis, Abdelrahman Delilache (Levi Jones-Lartey 32), Tom Cousins, Mitchell Chapman, Harry Sargent, Frederick Davison, Khavarn Williams (Anas Kamara 79), Ryan Kelly, Jamie Philpot, Nathan Mampono (Thibault Abie 69), Jaden Campbell (Kelvin Boissiere 51).
Sub: Frankie Sawyer

Goals: Jaden Campbell 9, Nathan Mampono 40, Jamie Philpot 44 (penalty), 90

Booked: Harry Sargent 16, Tom Cousins 56

Queens Park Rangers: Joel Halliday, Charlie Street, Cory Adjetey-Brew, Tylon Smith (Fraser Neill 63), Alex Wilkie, Alex Aoraha, Jake Coomes (Leon Scarlett 63), Kaleb Dyke, Rohan Vaughan (Jake Leahy 67), Ridwanullahi Hassan, Philip Sanyaolu (Ashley Trujillo 63).
Sub: Charlie Warren

Goals: Rohan Vaughan 6, Frederick Davison 29 (own goal), Jake Coomes 31, Alex Aormha 42, Ridwanullahi Hassan 58

Booked: Kaleb Dyke 90

Attendance: 146
Referee: Mr Deryll David
Assistants: Mr Joshua Reid & Mr Max Cowles