Fisher 1-1 Cray Valley - We don't want teams to get too far ahead of us, says Steve Chapman

FISHER  1-1  CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS)
Southern Counties East Football League
Monday 9^th September 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills’) manager Steve Chapman fears his side have fallen adrift of the early pacesetters after being held to a draw by Fisher.

The Millers’ remain in seventh-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table with eight points from five games.

Tunbridge Wells will reclaim top spot should they come away from Dartford with a victory over basement side Greenwich Borough on Tuesday night and if that is the case then Cray Valley will be eleven points behind Martin Larkin’s unbeaten side, but with a couple of games in hand.

Fisher, who suffered six defeats on the bounce, claimed their first win of the season with a last-gasp 2-1 home win over Woodstock Sports in front of their largest crowd of the season at the weekend and tonight’s point sees them leapfrog over Deal Town and Sevenoaks Town into 12^th place in the table after seven league outings.

Cray Valley, who needed extra-time to knock Chichester City out of The FA Carlsberg Vase at the weekend, took the lead through Michael McKenna’s strike in the 57^th minute, before Fisher equalised with eleven minutes remaining through substitute Billy Walton (junior).

“Yes, extremely pleased really. I thought we deserved all three (points) to be honest with you,” said Fisher manager Billy Walton afterwards.

“I thought we dominated most of the game and I think we had the better chances.  I think their goal came against the run of play to be honest with you.

“I’m extremely pleased.  The start we’ve had, if you said we’d beat Woodstock and draw with Cray (Valley), I would have bit your hand off so I’m more than happy.”

These are the type of games that Cray Valley must win if they are to be serious title challengers this season.

A very disappointed Chapman agreed and said: “We’re not going to finish up there with the top three if we keep putting performances like that!

“I thought three points was there, 1-0 up and we looked quite comfortable but the extra-time on Saturday coupled with a few injuries, we just ran out of legs at the end. We looked tried in the last twenty minutes and give credit to Fisher they pushed on and deserved their equaliser in the end.”

Chapman revealed he could have played striker Laurent Hamici (hamstring) tonight but chose not to.

“We missed Laurent.  We’ve missed him. He’s only played two games. He’ll be a big plus to us when he comes back.

“He could have come back tonight. We thought we’ll give him the extra days to come through a training session on Thursday night.

“I generally thought we’d actually win tonight without him because we’ve still got Lewis Wood, Marshy, Tunde but a few of them weren’t on their game tonight.”

Fisher created the first chance of an entertaining end-to-end local derby when Kieron Campbell let the ball roll across him before cracking a right-footed drive which deflected past the left-hand post from 25-yards.

Cray Valley’s skipper Jamie Wood steered a low left-footed free-kick towards goal, the ball gathered low down by Fisher keeper Charlie Hyam, who was making his fourth appearance for the club.

But miracle man Rob Hughes, who was making his second debut for Fisher, was denied by a fine save from Matt Bailey.

The right-winger, who wasn’t wearing his head protection, drilled a right-footed free-kick over the wall from 30-yards and Bailey dived high to his left to push the ball around the post.

Tipple swung in the resulting corner from the right and Fisher skipper Tom Hopkins came up from the centre of defence to plant his bullet header over.

Boss Walton is pleased to be in a position to hand Hughes his second debut, having snapped him up on a dual-registration with Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville.

He said: “I don’t really know him.  I’ve asked about him all over the place and people tell me he’s a good player. I’ve found out he’s had a horrific injury, so I’m pleased for the lad. We’ve got him on a dual-reg with Havant & Waterlooville so mate I can’t turn down a lad of that quality down here, so I’m more than happy with Rob – he’s a very good professional.”

Chapman added: “I thought that was probably the only one save that Bailey had to make all night! It was a comfortable height for him. He’s expected to make those saves but apart from that he wasn’t really troubled.”

Cray Valley skipper Jamie Wood swung in a corner from the right, which was headed out and man-of-the-match Adam Marsh drilled a powerful right-footed drive over the bar.

Fisher keeper Hyam then made three saves within 115 seconds as Cray Valley popped shots off the wet playing surface from distance.

Marsh took a touch before unleashing a right-footed drive from 35-yards, which forced Hyam to dive to his right to push the ball away.

Cray Valley then produced a sweeping move and the ball came out to Dan Gunner who played the ball to McKenna, whose right-footed drive was gathered at the second attempt by the Fisher keeper.

Jamie Wood then played the ball inside to Marsh, who drove a right-footed shot towards goal from 30-yards which Hyam watched zip off the turf before diving to his right again to parry and gather the loose ball.

Walton said: “Listen, I think their front two were quite lively, Woody and Marshy. I thought we marshalled them quite well and limited them to their chances.

“It’s a vast improvement on what I’ve been watching in the first five games! We’ve worked on the defence and the last two games it has shown. We’re a lot tighter. We’ve limited a very good attack force to long range shots really, so I’m well happy.”

Chapman added: “We’re quite disappointed because we created numerous chances and failed to take them. We’ve been scoring goals for fun in some other games.  Tonight, it just wasn’t too be.”

When asked whether he asked his players’ to shoot from distance because of the wet conditions underfoot after a wet day in London, Chapman replied: “Not really no!  We’re confident because we’ve got people in the team that can score. It wasn’t a tactic really but obviously if we get our shots away we know the surface was a bit slippery.”

Chapman was full of praise for former Corinthian striker Marsh.

“Marshy done really, really well. He just needs a goal at the moment. He hasn’t scored since the first game of the season, but he was really lively and worked really hard tonight and was very unlucky not to score.”

The Millers went close when McKenna clipped a fine diagonal ball over to Marsh, who played the ball inside and Lewis Wood flicked a first-time right-footed shot past the left-hand post from sixteen-yards.

Fisher substitute Benga Ogunseye played the ball to left-winger Chris Hubbard, who did well to skip over Jamie Wood’s sliding tackle before he played the ball inside to Jamie Taylor, who hit a speculative right-footed drive wide of the left-hand post from 35-yards.

Fisher right-back Danny Akers then cracked a right-footed pile-driver from 35-yards which was saved low down by a stooping Bailey in the 36^th minute.

Walton added: “You try to encourage them to shoot. Dan keeps telling me he can shoot so long may it reign. I don’t mind them having a shot on that surface, it’s wet so we got some shots off.”

Poor defending from Tom Carr in the left-back position saw him gift the ball to Cray Valley striker Lewis Wood, but his attempted right-footed lob sailed over a stranded Hyam before going on its way over the crossbar.

Lewis Wood, who scored Cray Valley’s first ever goal in The FA Vase last month, once again failed to punish sloppy Fisher defending, this time by Taylor, and stroked his right-footed shot harmlessly wide of the left-hand post, the diminutive striker kicking the air in frustration as another decent chance went begging.

Chapman felt Lewis Wood should have made it third-time lucky but they had a goal ruled out for offside just before the break.

Gunner drilled a right-footed shot from 35-yards which Hyam did well to block to his left and an offside flag had been raised after Lewis Wood steered home the rebound into the bottom far corner.

Chapman said: “We couldn’t see. It doesn’t surprise me because the strikers are up there. Lewis said he wasn’t offside but the linesman gave it. It’s a bit like their goal. We thought the deflection that took it past our goalie the guy was offside but again it didn’t go in our favour tonight.”

Yet another long range effort, this time from Fisher substitute Ogunseye, deflected off Steve Springett and bounced into the arms of the former Sevenoaks Town stopper.

Both managers were asked what their thoughts were at the break.

Walton said: “I just thought we were the better side to be honest with you!  I just said carry on doing the same things, just improve our passing a little bit more. I thought we got into good areas but we gave away the ball when our passing wasn’t 100%, so I thought if we can pass the ball a little bit crisper and find our players in the final third we’d cause them a lot of problems.

“I don’t think we did in the second half to be honest with you, but we tried to get going. You could see we were the better side.”

Chapman added: “Not too much really because all my teams we’d get to half-time when it’s 0-0, we’ve got ten minutes to get things right and most occasions we come out after half-time and we have put things right and the same was today.

“The message was don’t panic, be patient. We were quite poor in the final third in the first half even though we created lots of chances. The message was don’t panic and the goal will come.”

Fisher should have drawn first blood inside the opening four minutes of the second half but Hughes stroked his right-footed 20-yard free-kick straight at Bailey.

But Fisher gifted Cray Valley their lead when Taylor played a back-pass back to his goalkeeper from 35-yards from goal and Hyam’s clearance was cut out by Jamie Wood, who played the ball forward and McKenna placed a low right-footed drive across the keeper from sixteen-yards - and the ball nestled into the bottom far corner.

Chapman said: “Jamie Wood is very good doing that, nicking the ball in the final third and I’ve seen him do it since he’s arrived to us, two or three times every game and we’ve benefited from it and Macca took his goal well.

“I thought we would go on and win the game, but I’ve been in the game long enough to know that one goal is not enough at this level.

“We pushed on to get the second goal. I was a bit reluctant to change the personnel, bring the subs on, because we had good shape and in the end when I did bring them on it was a little bit too late.”

Walton added: “What a poor goal from our point of view!  Typical!  It came back to haunt us didn’t it!

“We’ve got possession of the ball, we gave the ball away. The goalkeeper makes a bad clearance straight to Wood. He knocks it forward and they score!”

Fisher almost grabbed a swift equaliser when the ball was played forward and Ogunseye latched onto the ball before curling a right-footed shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Another poor clearance from the Fisher keeper almost gifted Marsh with a goal but the striker’s left-footed shot cleared the crossbar.

Hughes then played the ball from left to right to Akers, who unleashed a first-time speculative drive from 35-yards which was saved comfortably by Bailey inside the final twenty minutes.

But Walton explained why he put his son (who shares the same name) on as a target-man and he was rewarded when Walton junior glanced home a deserved equaliser.

Taylor was given time and space by the Millers’ defence to drill a right-footed shot towards goal from 35-yards and the ball glanced off Walton’s back on the edge of the penalty area. 

Bailey appeared to have had the initial shot covered as he moved to his left but Walton’s deft touch ensured the ball bounced past the flat-footed keeper into the middle of the net.

“He’s been telling me he aint a centre half!” explained Walton senior.

“He doesn’t want to play centre half. Since he’s been 12 years old he’s played centre half, so he’s been telling me for the last fourteen years that he’s not a centre half and I think the way he played the first five games maybe I’m right!  It’s taken me fourteen years to work out he’s not a centre half. He’s not a bad player the lad, he’s got bundles of energy.

“I’ve decided to throw him up front to give him a go.”

The Fisher manager added: “I think we fully deserved it. I just said to them out there if we can keep putting in that sort of work-rate, in this league if you match teams with their work-rate and you compete, you’re going to have a good chance.

“In the first three or four games we competed for 30-35 minutes and then we didn’t compete and then we got beat. Tonight, you could see we competed for 90 minutes and got something and I’m really pleased.”

A disappointed Chapman added: “It was a poor goal to give away, but we stood off him for too long and we let the boy have a shot from long range and it could have gone anywhere.  They got the rub of the green with that!

“I’m not happy with the point. We’ve dropped a few points already this season. We know the teams at the top, Tunbridge Wells and Whyteleafe will probably come down here and get three points and they’re the ones that we really have to watch. We don’t want to let those teams get too far ahead of us at this stage of the season because it’s very difficult to catch up.”

When asked what pleased him about tonight’s game, the Cray Valley boss replied: “I thought the young defence done well. Ben Healy has just returned from Erith & Belvedere. He came in at full-back. The two young centre halves, Steve Springett and Ryan Sawyer done extremely well apart from that I thought we looked a bit jaded in the second half.

Chapman explained the reasons why Paul Springett is no longer playing for the club.

“Paul and myself go back a number of years,” he said.  “He’s just not enjoying his football at the moment. We’re not going to cancel his registration. He’s very busy at work, he’s just had another baby a month or so ago. Sometimes football is not the most important thing in your life.  We will still remain on talking terms but he may reverse that decision later on in the season.”

Chapman admitted Saturday’s trip to Chichester United – which they won 5-3 after 120 minutes of football – took its toll on his players.

“That’s what we’ve just said,” he said. “It was our own fault for letting it go to extra time. We had the game won and we let a soft goal in. They were a very poor team Chichester. Maybe had we hadn’t taken that game to extra-time that extra half-an-hour took its toll on the players’ tonight.”

Chapman hopes John Cumberbatch’s side can claim their first win at Princes Park tomorrow night and keep The Millers’ in the hunt.

“Yes, Tunbridge Wells should win it but Greenwich are playing quite well at the moment. Tunbridge Wells aren’t winning the games in the conviction that I thought they would. They only won 2-1 (at Rochester United) on Saturday so you never know. We just hope teams like Greenwich can do us a favour, but we’ve got another tough game on Saturday against Sevenoaks.”

Walton was denied a second towards the end of the game but Bailey back-peddled and caught the ball high above his head as Fisher’s goalscorer tried his luck with a right-footed chip from 40-yards.

When asked whether Fisher have turned the corner during the past couple of days, Walton replied: “I tell you after Canterbury. You can phone me Sunday and if we get a result down at Canterbury I will say we’ve turned the corner.”

Walton was pleased with his side’s work-rate against their Eltham-based opponents.

He said: “The way we played, we’ve played a very good side and matched them all over the pitch, absolutely matched them.  Everyone here tonight can’t say not one Fisher player didn’t put a shift in and that’s what I’m asking for. If they put a shift in, we’ll get results.”

Fisher: Charlie Hyam, Danny Akers, Danny Tipple, Tom Hopkins, Tom Carr, Jamie Taylor, Rob Hughes, Fraser Walker (Harvey Hanifan 74), Nathaniel Bell (Benga Ogunseye 18, Billy Walton 74), Kieron Campbell, Chris Hubbard.
Subs: Pires Hanifan, Mike Daramola

Goal: Billy Walton 79

Booked: Benga Ogunseye 43

Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Matt Bailey, Allan Matthews, Ben Healy, Ryan Sawyer, Steve Springett, Dan Gunner, Tunde Aderonmu, Jamie Wood (Adam Cotterall 74), Adam Marsh, Lewis Wood (Billy Barnes 85), Michael McKenna (George Humber 86).
Subs: Chris McGinty, Bobby Sturgeon

Goal: Michael McKenna 57

Attendance: 91
Referee: Mr Jamaal Horne (Thornton Heath, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Luke Challinger (Crayford) & Mr Ollie Woodrow (Maidstone)