Erith & Belvedere 0-1 Ashford United - We've got an incredible amount of work to do if we're going to be successful this season, admits Ashford United boss Kevin Watson

Erith & Belvedere 0 – 1 Ashford United
Location	Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY
Kickoff	13/08/2023 15:00

ERITH & BELVEDERE  0-1  ASHFORD UNITED
Isthmian League South East Division
Sunday 13 August 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ASHFORD UNITED manager Kevin Watson says his side need to improve their quality despite grabbing an opening weekend victory at newly-promoted Erith & Belvedere.

Centre-half Lewis Knight smashed in the only goal of the game from a set-piece and an outstanding display from visiting goalkeeper Jacob Russell, 21, ensured Watson has won his first two games in charge of the club since replacing Tommy Warrilow on 3 May.

Ashford United beat Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side Hollands & Blair 3-0 in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round eight days ago, while Matt Longhurst’s men came away from league rivals Littlehampton Town with a 6-0 victory.

“Unconvincing at times.  I felt that we showed attributes of the game that I think go underestimated at times,” said Watson.

“Obviously it may not be apparent for everyone watching but we ask them to do certain things out of possession and I thought we done that quite well today.

“Obviously, you’d like to go into the opening game and be really fluid and have the ball lots and be really dangerous and players playing at the top of their game but I didn’t think we were there today but look we got the result and that’s important.

“It gives us an opportunity to reflect.  We haven’t worked with a few of those boys previously as a management team, probably one really in Connor Dymond so it’s them getting used to us and us getting used to them and giving them honest appraisals and just improving really.

“I don’t think in six weeks you’re every going to get to where you need to be.  Lots of clubs have to try don’t they because there’s turnover of managers and players every season but Erith & Belvedere are a strong opposition and they’ll do extremely well this season in the league.

“I don’t think many teams will come here and keep a clean sheet and score a goal so that’s side of it is pleasing.”

Ashford United were almost gifted the lead through sloppy goalkeeping from Erith & Belvedere goalkeeper Jordan Perrin.

Holding midfielder Denzelle Olopade was not pressed as he rolled a back-pass towards the bottom right hand corner of his own goal from 25-yards and Perrin decided to use his hands to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom corner and received a yellow card from referee Jonathan Wilks.

The extensive wall did its job as Danny Parish’s drilled free-kick from six-yards out was inevitably blocked.

Watson said: “If I’m completely honest, I don’t completely understand the Laws of the game but a situation like that when the ball was going in from the back-pass and the keeper purposely stops it going in with his hands.  For it to be a free-kick, I can say it’s not impossible to score but really difficult and only a yellow card for the incident.

“Somebody doing something that they shouldn’t do, the goalkeeper is stopping the ball going in his net from an error when he knows he shouldn’t handle it but he's obviously done it.

“If a player does that in any other which way I suppose it’s a penalty and a red card but if the Laws of the game doesn’t say that then the referee has to abide by the Laws of the game.”

Erith & Belvedere were threatening in attack with Joshua Ajayi pacey out wide on the right and his fellow winger Jerson Dos Santos went close to scoring in the 17^th minute.

Central striker Chris Dickson laid the ball off to Dos Santos, who twisted and turned his man before drilling a right-footed angled drive flashing past the foot of the near post from 25-yards.

Watson revealed that he attended Hythe Town’s 4-0 home win over East Grinstead Town yesterday and Ashford United’s winning goal – timed at 20:14 – came from a long throw.

Centre-half Jonah Tolulope launched the second of his three long throws towards the near post and the ball was headed once by a home player and twice from the visitors’ and Knight smashed his right-footed volley into the top right-hand corner from four-yards.

“Look, Tolulope has got a long throw, it’s a set-piece isn’t it.  We’re not embarrassed to have that in our armoury. Hythe scored from one yesterday didn’t they, so other teams have got that attribute as well and it still requires working on as a set-piece.

“It’s not just a case of it makes you be a long ball team or anything like that. It’s something that we’re fortunate to have with a player in our squad so we’ll utilise that where possible.”

Ashford United produced a well-worked move to try to increase their lead in the 27^th minute.

Rhyle Ovenden (midfielder), Tom Carlse (left-wing-back) and Connor Dymond (holding midfielder) linked up in a triangle inside the home side’s half before the ball was worked out to Ian Draycott, who plays behind the front two, on the other side of the pitch.

Right-wing-back Harvey Brand got involved and played the ball into Ovenden, who floated a first-time cross into the penalty area for Parrish to rise above Robert Strachan to guide his header past the near post.

Watson said: “It was a tough one. It was coming in with pace for Danny. It was tough to adjust yourself as a forward like that and get enough sort of contact on it to direct it.”

Russell pulled off a brilliant save to frustrate the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division champions in the 29^th minute.

Billy Crook floated in their first corner in from the right towards the back post which Strachan knocked down and fell to Dickson, whose shot on the turn from six-yards was brilliantly held by Russell, as he swiftly reacted and made a low save to his left.

Olopade pinged a long diagonal to release Ajayi charging down the right and his cross was met by Dickson’s free header, which looped over the crossbar.

Russell pulled off a remarkable world-class save to deny former Gillingham striker Dickson in the 38^th minute.

Dos Santos drove at Ovenden down the left and cut the ball back for left-back Ross Craig, who delivered a deep cross towards the back post.

No one tracked Ajayi’s run and the former Dover Athletic man jumped and smashed a volley back across the face of goal which was turned towards goal by Dickson’s head some eight-yards from goal and Russell clawed the ball out to his left to deny the former Cray Wanderers and Hornchurch striker.

“Goalkeeper’s are there to make saves, that’s their job and he’s done his job very well today hasn’t he,” said Watson.

“I always think it’s a harsh position but look, he’s a young goalkeeper and he’s played a lot of senior games for his age and he’s a good goalkeeper and had a good game today.”

Holding midfielder Sam Skeffington linked up well with Ajayi within the final third before sweeping a first-time right-footed shot across Russell and bouncing just past the foot of the far post from a couple of yards inside the penalty area.

Watson said: “We gave a little bit of honest feedback (during the interval) about our performance and individuals. I don’t think we retained possession well enough in the final third.  When we broke it was almost like the players wanted to create something straight away rather than be a little bit more patient but we just spoke a little bit about our defensive shape, how we could be even more resolute in what we’re doing.”

Watson explained why he hooked Tolulope at the interval and as a result of right-winger Lanre Azeez coming on in his place, the Nuts & Bolts switched formation to four at the back with Dymond sitting in front of them still.

“If I’m honest it was more because of the booking (for his 27^th minute foul on Dos Santos), because I felt in the way that he plays on the front foot it is very difficult for someone in his position and the tenacity that he plays with and as a result of that we then changed shape.”

Ashford United produced a decent move to grab their second goal just 182 seconds in.

Draycott sprayed the ball from the centre out to Azeez and his cross flashed across the face of goal.  Carlse recycled the ball back into the box and moments later a second cross from Azeez was met by Draycott’s left-footed volley which cleared the crossbar from 16-yards.

“I thought the three subs that came on today done really well.  I don’t think it was an easy game to come into in terms of the tempo of it,” admitted Watson.

“Lanre done well there. Draycott has done well in pre-season in terms of his goal return and he’s somebody who is quite intelligent in terms of his timing of his runs into the box.”

Skeffington played the ball out to Ajayi and his drilled cross was blocked by a crowd of Ashford players defending their slender lead and the ball came out to right-back James Taylor, whose first time drilled low angled drive was comfortably held by Russell at his near post.

Dickson missed a glorious chance to hand dominant Erith & Belvedere a 57^th minute lead.

Olopade hit a long ball from inside the home side’s half and Dickson sped past Knight before drilling a low right-footed angled drive across the keeper and flashing past the foot of the far post.

The longer the game went on it turned out to be an attack-versus-defence training session as Erith & Belvedere dominated the ball and Ashford United parked the bus, often keeping at least nine and sometimes all 11 men behind the ball.

“I think sometimes you have to be quite honest and we are a team that want to have more possession and I think that’s every team’s objective isn’t it,” explained the former Cray Valley boss.

“We were honest about maybe we won’t (have much possession) in the second half and then how do we nullify their attacks and do you know what, we had some good chances in the second half because the more possession the opposition has, sometimes they can be quite vulnerable because everything’s forward thinking.

“But even in their possession it was just about our shape and people shuffling across. I thought we done that quite well, although they did get some crosses into the box and some chances but I didn’t think we looked open at all and that’s really hard for players to do that because it becomes unnatural to a lot of people and all credit to the lads, they played to instruction in that sense.”

There was some respite for Ashford United, however, as former Folkestone Invicta attacker Draycott, noticed that Perrin was off his line and looked up and trying to float a right-footed shot into the goal from the halfway line but the goalkeeper made a comfortable 81^st minute catch.

Half-time substitute Callum Peck endured a frustrating end to the game as he created a couple of goalscoring chances for profligate Erith & Belvedere.

The former Chatham Town attacker cut in from the left and curled his right-footed shot towards the far corner, only for Russell to fly to his left and push towards safety.

The home side continued to probe for the equaliser and Taylor’s cross from within the right channel was missed at the near post by Ajayi and Peck shot straight at the grateful Russell from a central position just six-yards out with his goal at his mercy.

Resilient Ashford United almost snatched a second goal with 44:24 on the clock when Brand fed substitute lone striker Noah Carney, who burst into life by cutting inside Strachan and hitting a low shot straight into Perrin’s legs when clean through on goal.

“Noah done really well there to create the opportunity,” said Watson.

“He stepped inside, feint to shoot inside, a good strike and then it fell to him again and he touched it out of his feet, another good strike.

“Noah’s someone who has come in and he’s played in one friendly. He came quite late in the squad so it’s important that he’s patient. He then played 45 minutes in The FA Cup last week and (he came off the bench for Alex Akrofi in the 67^th minute today).

“He’s got all the attributes, he’s young and he wants to progress and we’re trying to help him to do that but for him to progress he needs to settle and enjoy himself at a club.”

The referee played 48:36 in the first half and 51:52 in the second half and Ashford’s resilience and defending their goal like their lives depended on it ensured they opened their league campaign with a victory.

“It’s going to be a tight league.  Erith & Belvedere will do extremely well. We knew that leading into this game. They’ve recruited well and this is the best Erith & Belvedere side that I’ve known since I’ve been in management,” said Watson.

“The league isn’t determined on the first game of the season. We’ve got an incredible amount of work to do if we’re going to be successful this season.

“I don’t question (my players’) work ethic and resilience and things like that. We don’t always get it right and won’t always get it right but that’s just about having the right sort of characters.  We will and need to improve on some quality because we was off it today.

“But it’s pleasing to get the win but we was never going to get too high or low on today. It’s a long season with some really, really strong teams.”

Steven Watts’ Hythe Town; Harry Hudson’s Sevenoaks Town; Steve McKimm’s Cray Valley; Littlehampton Town; Ashford United and Lancing are in the top six after claiming opening weekend wins, while Erith & Belvedere go into the final 37 games with Merstham, Ramsgate and East Grinstead Town beneath them in the table.

Fourth-placed finishers Beckenham Town come to Chatham Town's stadium at Maidstone Road to contest a FA Cup Preliminary Round tie on Saturday, having lost 2-1 at Littlehampton Town today.

“I love The FA Cup. I think everyone loves The FA Cup whilst you’re in it. We all hate it when we’re out of it,” said Watson.

“It’s quite a tough draw. We’re facing a team in our league. I think you hope to have a team in Step five really in this round.

“Beckenham are a good well established club and that will be equally tough game for us.”

Erith & Belvedere: Jordan Perrin, James Taylor, Ross Craig, Denzelle Olopade, Robert Strachan, Finn O’Mara, Jerson Dos Santos (Callum Peck 46), Sam Skeffington, Chris Dickson (Kian Garlinge 68), Billy Crook (Solomon Kofi Tetteh-Quay Addy 68), Joshua Ajayi.
Subs: Jamie Coyle, Toby Waller

Booked: Jordan Perrin 5

Ashford United: Jacob Russell, Harvey Brand, Tom Carlse, Ben Gorham, Lewis Knight, Jonah Tolulope (Lanre Azeez 46), Rhyle Ovenden, Connor Dymond, Alex Akrofi (Noah Carney 67), Danny Parish, Ian Draycott (Vance Bola 82).
Subs: Connor Towens, Johan Ter Horst

Goal: Lewis Knight 21

Booked: Jonah Tolulope 27, Tom Carlse 47, Connor Dymond 90

Attendance: 361
Referee: Mr Jonathon Wilks
Assistants: Mr Matt Leaning & Mr George Barker