Fisher 0-1 Cray Valley - We've turned the corner, says Millers' boss Paul Gross

FISHER  0-1  CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS)
Southern Counties East Football League
Monday 9^th February 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Paul Gross praised the club for sticking by him when he was struggling earlier on in the season.

   

The Eltham-based club’s faith in the 32-year-old has been rewarded with a top eight placing in the Southern Counties East Football League table with 35 points from 23 games.

Laurent Hamici’s header sealed a comfortable win over struggling Fisher, who remain in the bottom four with 20 points from 25 games, five points clear of the sole relegation place.

Cray Valley extended their unbeaten run to eleven games and they should have won by more than relying on Hamici’s fifteenth minute decider.

“I think anyone who watched the game would have seen that we should have been out of sight within the first twenty minutes,” said Gross after his side’s tenth league win of the season.

“We had chances one-on-one, chances cleared off the line when the keeper sat down.

“I felt we made hard work of it, but fully deserved.”

Fisher manager Dean Harrison, 39, cast a disappointed figure after losing his fifth of his nine games in charge of the club.

“Not happy, obviously to have lost,” said Harrison.

“We got unsettled first half. They came out aggressively and it unsettled the boys and it’s something that I’ve just spoken to them about. I spoke to them at half-time and I just spoke to them at the end of the game that we need to learn to deal with that. 

“You’re going to play big, aggressive sides and we mustn’t get bulled.

“The referee wasn’t strong enough. He missed quite a lot for me first half. I’m not going to say too much on that but I was a bit disappointed in his performance because he should have stamped it out.

“I’m a little bit disappointed with that but it’s something we need to learn.”

The Millers started the game on the front foot and they created their first chance after only 97 seconds.

Fisher keeper Justin Lee’s clearance looped up in the air and was pounced upon by Alwayne Jones, who sped in the box and was denied when Lee stuck out his right leg to divert the ball around the post.

Gross felt Jones should have netted his tenth goal of the season.

He said: “In fairness we’ve had a bit of a change around here.  We went on a losing run – you haven’t seen us since we’ve gone on our eleven game unbeaten run – he is actually a major factor in that.

“I moved him up front and he’s doing what he should be but he should have got his goal today, then his head goes down a bit and he doesn’t play the way we know he can.

“I haven’t got a problem with Alwayne. He’s been scoring goals for us, he’s a good lad and I know he’ll bounce back from that.”

Harrison added: “He made a good save but it came from his kick! He should have put his foot through the ball and he’s kicked it and it’s gone 30-yards up in the air and it came down on top of him so he reacted well. He made a good recovery.”

The Millers, who started the game with a 4-2-3-1 formation, were to be denied again by another smart save from Lee inside nine minutes.

Reflecting on that formation, the Millers manager said: “I changed to accommodate the three boys up front because as you seen first 45 minutes they’re a threat, they’re a massive threat.  There’s not many that are better at this level than those three (Hamici, Jones and Chambers) as a group so I wanted to get them all together and see how they’ve done and they didn’t disappoint me.”

Jones’ through ball put Hamici through on goal on the break but his right-footed drive from eighteen-yards was parried by Lee, diving low to his left.

Harrison praised his keeper by saying, “He did well. Decent save again. He’s a good stop stopper Justin. He did ok.  He claimed a couple of corners. He did alright tonight.”

But Cray Valley were to score the winning goal with their third attempt on goal.

Fisher left-back Kieran Tarbie slid in to foul Alex Chambers down the right and was spoken to by referee Alexis Stacchini.

Left-back Adam Gross swung in the resulting left-footed free-kick into the penalty area where Hamici peeled off his marker and was given time and space at the near post to flick his back-header across Lee into the far corner of the net from 12-yards.

Harrison was bitterly disappointed in the manner of losing the game.

He said: “He’s made a run across the space in the front area and no-one’s gone with him. We just switched off a little bit.”

The Cray Valley boss said: “That’s what Laurent does, he gets himself in those situations. That’s three in three for us now since I brought him back to the club.  He’ll get in those situations and he’ll keep scoring goals and that’s a good thing about a striker of his ability.

“He misses one in the ninth minute, I think the goal was the fifteenth minute so it just shows not even ten minutes later he’s getting back in those situations and scoring goals for us.”

Gross also hailed the delivery from his brother, saying, “I’ve actually said to the boys tonight, I go on about it every week, our Achilles heel is set-pieces.  We concede so many goals and I challenged them tonight.  I said to Adam he had five or six goals from set-pieces last year, free-kick’s direct, and I said to him the quality has got to be better.  The first free-kick of the night, Laurent scores.”

Fisher’s first opening arrived at the halfway point of a poor first half performance from the men in black and white stripes.

Tarbie whipped in a cross from the left, the ball was knocked down by Alfie Roche and striker Chas Davis cracked his left-footed volley screaming past the near post from a tight angle.

Fisher should have done better following their first corner in the 31^st minute.

Roche’s outswinging corner came out to their central defender Aaron Seales, who directed his free header harmlessly wide.

But Cray Valley should have entered the half-time break further in front when Chambers picked the ball up and raced forwards before drilling a right-footed shot from 25-yards against the outside of the left-hand post, with Lee rooted to the spot.

Gross added: “He’s been out of the side for a couple of weeks struggling with an injury but I’ve got three lads there that can really finish and they showed that tonight.  A bit better fortune first half, we would have been four or five-nil up and the game’s out of sight!”

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the break.

Harrison admitted: “The first half, yes, it was terrible! It was very disappointing and they got told that at half-time!

“We’ve got a young side and we were unsettled by their physicality, by their aggressiveness and it’s something that they need to deal with at this level.

“First half just wasn’t good enough at all. We didn’t get any width in the game. We didn’t move the ball quickly enough. The options were limited, the movement was poor. It just wasn’t a great first half.

“They got a talking too at half-time about standing up and being men out there and not hiding because a few of them went missing first half and in all fairness to the lads they responded second half. They did do exactly that and I’m proud of them for doing that.”

Gross added: “Just keep doing what we’re doing, keep putting the balls in the right areas, create chances.

“It went a bit bitty discipline from both sides. It was getting a bit narky and I was glad the half-time whistle went so we could get in and re-adjust. I was more than happy with it at half-time.

“They had one cross in the first half, they didn’t have a shot.  They got in behind us once.  Every team, no matter what level, is going to have a five minute spell against you but we dealt with that.”

Fisher winger Jordan Adekunle sped down the left flank before putting over a cross but substitute Femi Akinwande stooped down to head harmlessly wide of the near post inside the opening six minutes of the second half.

Lee almost blotted his impressive night when his clearance was charged down by Chambers, the ball ricocheting off the Cray Valley attacker and flashing past the post.

However, Lee made amends for that error by keeping his side in the game in the 53^rd minute.

Chambers played a sublime diagonal pass to release Hamici down the left, who cut into the penalty area and from sixteen-yards cracked a fierce right-footed angled drive towards goal, which was beaten away by the Fisher keeper.  The ball came out to Jimmy Rogers who swept a first time shot wide from 25-yards.

Another out-swinging corner from Fisher winger Roche came out to central defender Jake McIntyre, who directed his free header sailing over the bar from fifteen-yards.

But Fisher almost grabbed an equaliser with their best chance of the game in the 62^nd minute.

Substitute Femi Akinwande danced forward before hitting a right-footed shot which forced Stevie Sutton to dive low to his left to save and the former Dartford keeper got fingertips to Roche’s follow-up shot from 12-yards to push onto the top of the crossbar.

Harrison said: “It was unlucky! I think the keeper touches it to be fair. I think it was a decent save and it should have been a corner (instead, the referee awarded a goal-kick).

“Femi had a great second half. I brought him on at half-time because Max Rothwell, it wasn’t his sort of game. He likes to get on the ball and play and it was a little too physical out there and the ball was missing him anyway, it kept on going over his head so I thought I’d bring on Femi. He gives you good energy, he’s a good quality player and he’s got some character so he did well.”

Gross added: “Stevie’s superb! He came in a couple of months ago for me. He was at Dartford, I think he’s played at Aveley and that. He’s a good friend of Ryan Sawyer here.  He wasn’t enjoying his football. He said he’ll come down and give it a go and if he enjoyed it, he’ll stay. Luckily for us he says he’s enjoying it and long may it continue because he’s a class goalkeeper.”

The Millers went close again to killing off the game when substitute Jim Doherty played the ball inside to Hamici, who drilled his right-footed shot just over the bar from 25-yards.

Spirited Fisher created their next attempt which forced a smart save out of Sutton with fifteen minutes remaining.

Akinwande fed the ball to Roche, who curled his shot towards the bottom far corner of the net from 35-yards, but Sutton dived to his left to tip the ball around the post.

Harrison said: “It was a good save by the keeper. We was unlucky there. I think he could have slipped Chaz (Davis) in to be fair a little bit earlier. He did well. He got his shot off, the keeper made a decent save.”

Gross added: “It’s what he’s there to do! They created nothing for 60-odd minutes so he’s standing there, had nothing to do apart from kick the ball but that’s a sign of a good goalkeeper because when he’s needed the boys know they can rely on him, so as long as their doing their business that end we know we’ve got Stevie doing his stuff at the other end of the pitch.”

Lee made a comfortable save to deny Chambers, before Adam Gross swung in a corner from the right, the ball was headed down by Ronnie Vint and Chambers swept the ball wide.

Adam Gross then whipped in a free-kick beside the corner flag towards the near post but substitute Doherty nodded wide from a tight angle.

Cray Valley skipper Tommy Osborne – who alongside Jamie Miller played in front of the back four - almost scored a rare goal inside the final three minutes.

The Millers produced a sweeping move involving Hamici and Rogers and Osborne turned his man and took a touch before looping his left-footed shot narrowly over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Gross said: “Apparently he scored here in a final at eleven years of age and there was a bit of banter in the warm up saying would he replicate it?

“I said to him after the game in the talk you’ve got to hit that first time! He checked back on his left foot but he’s not there for that but nice to see players like Tommy who aren’t there for that are getting in those positions.

“We’re creating goalscoring opportunities but it’s what Tommy does aside from that which is what he’s in the team for. 

“Again him, Jamie Miller and Jimmy Rogers were the best players on the pitch for me.”

Lee moved to his right to make a comfortable save at the second attempt to prevent Doherty stroking his right-footed shot into the bottom corner at the death.

But despite good vocal support from their loyal, long-suffering fans, Fisher didn’t have any quality to prevent crashing to their eighth league defeat of the season at Champion Hill.

Bottom-of-the-table Erith Town, now jointly-managed by Martin and Joe Ford, host fifth-from-bottom Rochester United in their first game in charge of The Dockers on Tuesday night, before travelling to Fisher on Saturday.

Harrison, who has thirteen league games of the season remaining, admitted: “We’re still in a dog fight, we know that.  I feel we should have got something out of the game tonight. I feel we did enough second half to get at least a point out of it.

“At the same time I think Grossy’s come here and he’s wound his players up and they’ve come out very aggressively first half and if that’s the way he wants to play, that’s the way that he wants to play. I’m not going to knock him for that. I like Grossy, he’s alright, but I think the ref needs to be stronger and our boys need to be stronger.

“The Erith Town game is massive, another six-pointer so nothing changes. We have to go and win the game don’t we? It’s just another massive game.

“It’s a tough job but it’s a job that I’ve taken on. I knew what it was. The team, the club was in trouble when I got here. They were third-from-bottom so nothing’s changed. We’re now fourth-from-bottom, gone up a place. 

“We just have to keep working hard. You don’t bring a team in and change things overnight. We’ve got players in at the same time. We’ve got no budget so as quickly as they come, they can go if they get offered a little bit of money.

“We’re trying to bond, we’re trying to gel. It’s not an overnight process but it’s moving in the right direction.”

Harrison believes five more wins will maintain the struggling club’s place in the division.

He said: “We need to try to win some games, try to get some points on the table.

“I think we need another fifteen points to be safe.  I think fifteen points should move us up a little bit, I’d like to think but who knows? It all depends on what the other teams do.”

Gross, meanwhile, is delighted that his club are now hitting form with fifteen league games left to play of his first season in charge.

“Three months ago, I’d be pulling my hair out standing here now. We would have gone 89 minutes then conceded but it’s a sign how we’ve turned the corner,” he said.

“We’ve got a good group of lads now. I’ve learnt what I need around me. We’ve found a way of playing and tonight we’ve grounded out a result when we really should have been clear, out of sight by half-time. In the end we’ve ground out a 1-0, I’ll take that every day!

“Yes, I’m adapting (to management). It’s a lot of people that’s helped me through it. Frosty (Daniel Frost), Martin (Barnard) and John and the club that’s supported me 100% when I was feeling down wondering if I was up to it?

“But I’m enjoying it now. Let’s see if I’m saying that when we’re defeated again?”

Cray Valley travel to Crowborough Athletic on Saturday.

Gross said: “That will be a tough one. I’ve watched them. They’re a Kent League side of old, hustle and bustle, big, they put it about and that but we go there full of confidence. We’re eleven unbeaten, why shouldn’t we? We’re the form team in the league but we won’t get too carried away.”

When asked about his targets for the rest of the season, Gross replied: “No targets. Keep this group of lads together, do what we can, see how many points we can keep picking up to see where we finish.

“We were stuck in and around fifteenth for a long, long time. We’ve now come to eight. I think we have moved ourselves nicely away from anyone around thirteenth so we’re looking to finish in the top half.

“Mostly I’m looking to keep this group of lads together, keep working on something and hopefully we can go into next year and set bigger targets but this year there’s no targets. Just do as much as we can, enjoy it and learn more along the way.”

Fisher: Justin Lee, Victor Barode, Kieran Tarbie, Al-Hassan Oshijala, Jake McIntyre, Aaron Seales, Alfie Roche, Hassan Janneh, Chas Davis, Max Rothwell (Femi Akinwande 46), Jordan Adekunle (Keanu Williams 82).
Subs: Zach Beeden, Ali Musa, Charlie Payne

Booked: Hassan Janneh 40, Justin Lee 59

Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Stevie Sutton, Ben Healy, Adam Gross, Jimmy Rogers, Joe Matthews, Ronnie Vint, Tommy Osborne, Jamie Miller, Laurent Hamici, Alex Chambers, Alwayne Jones (Jim Doherty 63).
Subs: Max Williams, Ryan Sawyer, Paul Gross, Connor Dobson

Goal:  Laurent Hamici 15

Booked: Ronnie Vint 27, Jamie Miller 45, Ben Healy 46,

Attendance: 85
Referee: Mr Alexis Stacchini (Orpington)
Assistants: Mr Graham Scott (Gillingham) & Mr Thomas McCourt (Greenwich, London SE10)