Glebe 2-3 VCD Athletic - It's very early in the season and we're not getting carried away, we know there's big nights to come, says table-topping VCD Athletic joint-manager Danny Joy

Glebe 2 – 3 VCD Athletic
Location	Foxbury Avenue, off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD
Kickoff	04/09/2024 19:45

GLEBE  2-3  VCD ATHLETIC
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Stephen McCartney reports from Foxbury Avenue

VCD ATHLETIC joint-manager Danny Joy says his players will have a bigger target on their back after returning to the summit of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table.

The unbeaten Crayford-based outfit are two points clear of fellow surprise package Holmesdale, having picked up 16 points from their six league games, although Holmesdale have played a couple of more games.

VCD Athletic were clinical in front of goal in the first half and lead through former Bearsted striker Ollie Freeman and his strike partner Bethel Gboda, who scored his fourth goal of the season.

A goalkeeper blunder from Glebe’s Justin Lee gifted Freeman his second goal of the night and campaign, before Glebe showed character to pull a couple of headed goals back inside the final eight minutes through substitute central midfielder Red Jenkins and talisman striker Jamie Philpot, notching his third of the season.

Philpot, meanwhile, was thwarted by visiting goalkeeper Andy Walker, 42, on many occasions during this Foxbury Avenue clash.

“We were excellent for an hour, eventually their pressure told.  They were a threat all night. They were very direct, caused us problems, second balls and once they got one, we were hanging on towards the end,” said Joy.

“I thought we were excellent for an hour and played some lovely stuff.  We were a threat both sides of the pitch but we just switched off a little bit.

“We had to make subs in a short space of time.  The striker (Freeman) was cramping, Bethel (Gboda) had just got booked, Nathaniel (Olawole) had just taken a whack, so we had to make changes and we lost our shape a little bit.

“But credit to the boys, we could’ve folded at the end. We were under a lot of pressure but 3-0, we should be seeing the game out a lot more comfortably than that.

“We’ve come to Glebe, it’s always going to be a tough place to come.  They’re a hard-working physical side and we would’ve taken three points before the game one way or another.”

Glebe manager Fred Dillon added: “Listen, I’m a little bit disappointed really. I felt we’ve come a long way over the course of the first few games and ultimately I thought we set a good stall out, showed that we can create opportunities but ultimately we didn’t punish when we had the opportunity to do so.”

The Chislehurst-based hosts were profligate in front of goal and an example of this came with their first chance inside the opening eight minutes.

Left-winger Kelvin Bakare sped past a couple of players (Nathanial Olawole and right-back Harry Lawrence) before putting in a low cross for attacking midfielder Paul Lee to stab his shot on the slide past the foot of the post from eight-yards.

Glebe’s right-wing-back Dayo Santana played a first-time ball into Paul Lee, who returned the ball back to Santana, who struck a right-footed angled drive flashing past the keeper and past the far post.

Dillon said: “Listen, it’s what we’ve been talking about. We’re creating chances but ultimately if you don’t put the ball in the back of the net, you don’t put points on the board.”

Joy added: “They started really well. We knew what was coming. We knew they were going to be direct but knowing what’s coming and actually dealing with it, I think it took us 10-15 minutes to adjust.

“I think once we did, we dealt with it pretty comfortably but they’ve got two big strong centre-forwards and it’s the runners from midfield that was causing us a problem early in the game.”

Clinical VCD Athletic grabbed the lead with their first shot on goal with nine minutes and 38 seconds on the clock.

Holding midfielder Zak Bryon played a diagonal out to right-winger Olawole, who cut into the box and put it on a plate for the unmarked Freeman, who swept his first-time right-footed shot in off the foot of the far post from 12-yards to open his account for his new club.

“It’s something that we try to work on, playing through the middle, wide and trying to play quick,” revealed Joy, who manages the side alongside Ross Baker.

“Nathaniel was a threat all night. We’ve brought Ollie in from Bearsted to score us goals. We know that Ollie’s proven at this level and away from the goal I thought his work-rate while he was on the pitch was unbelievable.

“He got cramp in his calf so we’ve got another massive game on Saturday with a lovely trip to Whitstable, who are flying now, so it doesn’t get any easier.”

Dillon added: “Listen, that was their first opportunity, I think. They broke on us, we committed out wide and then ultimately they’ve whipped it in and he’s a good lad and he’s taken his chance well straight away.”

Bryon gifted Philpot with a glorious chance to restore parity in the 16^th minute but the 27-year-old striker failed to take it.

Bryon’s back-pass sent Philpot through on goal with Walker, who rushed off his line and made a vital save with his shoulder.

Dillon said: “Listen, it’s a chance. We all know he’s a goalscoring. At the moment everything he’s putting at the goal is getting saved, put over, post etc. That will come, that will come.”

Joy said: “Not for the first time tonight, Walker’s made an unbelievable save to keep us in it.

“I think it was just a moment of madness. Zak is nine out of a half weeks out of 10 doesn’t give the ball away, that’s why he plays.  His ball retention is fantastic. I think he just had a head wobble and didn’t check his shoulders and we got away with one.”

Olawole suffered a painful injury in a very sensitive area of a man’s body on the half-way line and Sam Wood threw the ball back to fellow centre-half James Fitchett, who drilled one of many diagonals out to Santana out on the right, who reached the by-line before drilling his ambitious shot high into the side netting.

There was controversy involving referee Jacob Miller on the half-hour mark when Lawrence released Gboda down the right, who cut inside Alex Arif before George Whitelock lashed a left-footed drive over the bar, while being caught late by James Fitchett.

Freeman was then thrown in the Sin-Bin (31:10-41:26) and Philpot wasted yet another chance after Bakare lost composure and lashed a first-time drive high and wide from 25-yards.

Joy said: “If it wasn’t in the box, it was tight.  The referee never gave nothing, we were claiming for a penalty and we ended up not even given a foul, which I thought was a crazy decision.

“I don’t know what was said. He obviously questioned the decision, which dissent is something that we don’t have at our club, we frown upon it but given the circumstances, I thought he was quite entitled to ask really because it looked pretty stonewall from where we were.”

Philpot charged down the right and cut into the box but Walker pulled off another great save, getting finger-tips to the ball before it pinged against the foot of the near-post in the 35^th minute.

Dillon said: “Another one. We sort of took advantage of that little spell. I thought we had a right go then but ultimately you’re always going to get a chance and just couldn’t capitalise on it.”

Joy paid tribute to Walker, who spent a couple of seasons playing for Phoenix Sports.

“Andy Walker has played at levels of football that a lot of our team can only dream off – he’s exceptional!

“He was brought to the club for nights like tonight, when it’s difficult and your backs are against the wall.  You need people like him that you can rely on.  You know there’s no second guessing with Walker, you know what you’re getting and he’s massive for us.”

Freeman was back on the pitch by the time that VCD Athletic doubled their lead with 44:39 on the clock.

Glebe dominated the corner-count by 11-5 and Vickers’ doubled their lead following their third flag-kick.

Gboda played it in short to Whitelock, whose low angled drive was blocked and it came back out to Gboda, who clinically drilled his right-footed half-volley across the keeper and into the bottom far corner from 20-yards.

“That’s not a first for Bethel. We tell him to take things early, try to play on two touches, he’s good enough,” said Joy, who believes his second striker will be playing higher than the ninth-tier soon.

“He’s got fantastic potential and every week that Bethel is with us is a bonus because some day somebody is going to come in for this kid because he’s a fantastic talent, someone will one day, someone will.”

Dillon claimed: “I thought maybe it was a free-kick before that. Just as they broke into the box Arif looked like he got fouled and the ref didn’t seen to pick up on it and ultimately I think we just switched off a little bit and thought it was going to be a foul and when they got their opportunity off, they punished us for it.

“Two chances before half-time and I think that was the difference. We created chances and didn’t punish and they got two and scored.”

This is the first job that Dillon has had in this division, having previously managed in the eleventh and tenth-tiers at Chipstead (Kent) and Sporting Club Thamesmead.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot different. Just stepping up against from the First to the Prem, the tempo of the game is quicker, players are fitter.

“We’ve had a lot of players to look at (24 starters so far this season). We’re rebuilding a whole new squad. We kept Philpot and everyone else is just finding their way along with us.

“Listen, I’ve known (chairman Rocky McMillan) a long time, got a good relationship.  Ultimately Rock knows that we are building. We’ve looked at where we are as a group, what we need to strengthen and just try to put ourselves in the top half of the table and compete well and find the right characters for the football club.”

Both were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Dillon said: “What did I say? I praised the lads and I just said to the lads, listen they took their two chances, we created and not taken ours.

“We need to go out and score first.  Ultimately, we didn’t do that but that was the talk. I thought we showed what we can do but without scoring it’s always going to be tough.”

Joy added: “More of the same really! We told the boys to be professional. We knew they were going to come strong. I’m sure their manager would’ve livened them up at half-time.

“We didn’t think they were going to change their style. We knew they were still going to be direct.

“Up the hill it’s sometimes easier to pick second balls up because they’re not running through. We really just told them to keep nice and solid defensively and spaces will open up going forward, which they did eventually.”

Referee Jacob Miller approached both benches ahead of the second half to warn them that they had too many people standing up within their technical area, which could result in a League fine if the referee reports it.

Walker excelled again inside the opening six minutes when centre-half Daniel Okah played the ball into Santana, who put in a low cross from the right and Philpot’s first-time swept shot was pushed away by Walker, low to his left.

Dillon said: “It’s another one, right place, right time. He’s doing all of the right things. All off a sudden that’s going to click and he’ll just be putting them away but again, another good chance.”

Joy added: “That’s why he’s (Walker) here.  You can say he’s doing his job but the way he does his job, especially first half. He had long spells when he wasn’t really involved.  They were huffing and puffing but he’s so switched on. That’s why he’s here, he’s here for nights like tonight.”

The same can’t be said for Glebe’s goalkeeper Justin Lee, who gifted VCD Athletic with their third goal of the night, following a routine pass from Okah.

Freeman pressed the goalkeeper inside the penalty area, tackled him and stepped past the keeper before gleefully placed his right-footed shot into the bottom far corner of an empty net from 10-yards.

“Ollie comes with good pedigree. He’s come through the ranks at Maidstone, he’s played for Folkestone and he was a big, big asset for Bearsted against us last season,” said Joy.

“We’ve known Ollie a long while and we’re pleased to have him here because he offers quality, he offers goals but we know the work-rate he brings to the side and it suits how we play.

“Even in the first half, four or five times he was pressing and pressing and he got corners from it. He’s a big asset to the group.”

Dillon said: “It was one of them. We were in possession and we set it off and then the decision is problem just put your foot through it, clear your lines, get us up the pitch. Just hesitation. It happens.

“Everyone makes mistakes, it’s part of football. It was disappointing but it was a learning curve.

“I didn’t think it was a 3-0 game. I saw the difference which I’ve noticed over the weeks is teams you play, if you punish, you’ve got every chance. If you don’t take your chances, it’s always going to be tough.”

The impressive Olawole teed up a chance for central midfielder Lee Bird, who unleashed a left-footed drive down the slope and just past the foot of the near-post from 25-yards, before Walker frustrated Philpot again in the 57^th minute.

Wood cut the home side’s fourth corner back to an unmarked Philpot, who looped a first-time right-footed shot towards the roof of the net, which was tipped over by the excellent Walker.

Dillon has pulled off a coup to entice Wood, 38, to Foxbury Avenue and has given the captain’s armband to the former Cray Wanderers defender, playing him on the left of a three-man central defence tonight.

When asked what Wood can bring to the party, Dillon replied: “Leader, winner, just a real good character to have within the dressing room and on the pitch. His experience and his quality helps everyone throughout the group.

“A big signing, a real big signing. We were pleased to get him on board with us. A great lad and ultimately if you can get one in like that it helps attract another couple, so pleased to have him, really pleased.”

Freeman – who was later forced off due to cramp in his calf – tried his luck with a right-footed deflected 30-yard drive which bounced into Justin Lee’s gloves for a comfortable save before the game went flat.

“Let’s be honest, it should’ve been dead, the game should’ve been done. A little bit of miss-management, a little bit of erratic decisions but we had to make changes in a short space of time and we lost a little bit of rhythm and a little bit of balance but that’s to be expected when you’re making five changes. It’s very hard, it makes things difficult,” admitted Joy.

Dillon said: “You’re dead right. It went a little bit flat.  I think when you’re 3-0 down, you have that spell in the game when the game goes flat and they made quite a few changes and it took the momentum out of the game a little bit.

“We made a couple of changes but not as many, just to give us an extra little boost and ultimately it sort of worked in our favour.”

Both manager’s were asked where the momentum shift came from and the introduction of left-back Lewis Clark in the 81^st minute – the away side’s fifth and final substitution was the key moment as he opened the gate and Glebe started to believe for the first time.

Glebe substitute midfielder Zak Loveridge floated in a corner from the right towards the back post and Jenkins got around the back of Lawrence to bury his free header into the left-hand corner from three-yards to pull a goal back (36:53).

Dillon was full of praise for Ian Jenkins’ son, for turning the tide.

“Listen, fresh legs coming into the game. You know how it is when you’ve got someone with fresh legs and they enter the box quickly. He’s eager to make and impression and put a mark on it and fair play to him, he’s come on and done that.”

Joy added: “I think they caused us more problems in the second half when they got the ball wide.  I think first half they played very direct.  Second half, they seemed to get the ball wide and put balls in the box and it caused us a lot of problems because what they done in the first half was straight, so we were dealing with one thing and all off a sudden they sort of changed the way that they played and we didn’t adjust to it well enough.

“Maybe Harry Lawrence might have checked his shoulder. He’s (Jenkins) come on the blind side of Harry but I can’t take it away from Harry. I thought he was excellent the whole game.”

Glebe squandered a glorious chance when Loveridge swung the ball in from the corner and Philpot’s free-header from inside the six-yards was straight at Walker, who pulled off a reaction save.

Dillon said: “If he hits any other part of the goal, he scores, right place, right time, just didn’t execute.”

Joy said: “That’s a big chance for them, it’s a big chance. When you look at it like that, they did miss some chances, so did we.  We should’ve killed the game on the break before we did.

“I think Walker’s been our man-of-the-match tonight, even though that sounds crazy to be 3-0 up.  He sort of kept us in it really.”

Glebe kept knocking on the door and they scored a second goal (44:32) following another header.

Loveridge whipped in a great cross from the left channel with his left-foot and Philpot buried his header, via the underside of the crossbar, and assistant referee Alexis Stacchini signalled that the ball had crossed the goal-line.

Dillon said: “Listen, I’ve been saying to him, listen, it’s going to come.  Just keep doing what you’re doing and this time he was in the right place and he managed to put one on.

“It gives us that extra little boost again.  I know how it is, when you do have a bit of momentum in the last 10 minutes there was belief we could go and get something from it.

“I looked and they had six back at one point. We pushed many up for a corner and ultimately game management wise they manged to do enough to keep us from getting something out from the game.”

Joy said: “We know what we’re getting when we come here.  There’s a few people in the crowd and we knew it was difficult but I feel once it went to 3-2, that’s when we started worrying.

“It was poor marking. I think a little bit of panic had set in. A little bit of tiredness and they were coming hard.  They were coming for us.  Once the second one went in, you’re now counting down the seconds, so in the end I think the second half they feel that they deserved a point but I think we done more than enough in the first half to more than warrant (the victory) – but it wasn’t easy!”

VCD Athletic were now hanging on during the seven minutes and 28 seconds of stoppage time at the end of the game.

Glebe squandered another great chance to salvage a point from the game (51:54) when Santana cut in from the right-channel and cut the ball back for substitute striker Fred Obasa, but Walker dived to his right to pull off another save to grab the man-of-the-match award.

Joy added: “I think it got to the point of the game where we were just trying to clear our lines, even that was difficult because their tails were up and they found a second wind and they started to press us really hard but we luckily managed to see it out.”

This game was the second time this season when brothers have played on opposing sides, after twins Jack and Alfie Paxman played against each other during Deal Town’s 4-2 home defeat to Ramsgate on 26 August 2024.

James Fitchett (Glebe) and Ben Fitchett (VCD Athletic) both featured at centre-half tonight and both manager’s were asked how theirs did.

Dillon said: “I was pleased with James. He’s had a right go over the summer to get himself right. He’s been with me a long time, so I know him inside out but he’s pushed himself hard. He’s been working hard to get right and tonight I thought he did himself proud.”

Joy added: “I don’t think that happens very often.  Listen, Fitch is the captain for a reason. I thought he was excellent again tonight. He’s been immense for us this season.  Games like that, Fitchett excels. People like Walker excel. They know what is expected and they know how to see us through and I thought Fitchett was excellent for us tonight.”

The early pace-setters in the division are VCD Athletic (16 points from six games), Holmesdale (14 points from eight games), Punjab United (11 points from five games), Whitstable Town (10 points from six) and Lordswood (nine points from five) – while Glebe are in thirteenth-place with seven points from six outings.

“It’s very early in the season. It’s more for the boys than us. We’re not getting carried away. We know there’s big nights to come and there’s going to be bumps in the road,” warned Joy.

“There’s a good togetherness in the changing room and we try and play a nice, exciting style of football that everyone sort of seems to have brought into.  We’ve got a lot of backing from the committee and they’re enjoying watching us play.

“It’s been a good start but it’s only a start. We know we’ve got real tough days ahead.”

VCD Athletic make the trip to play Jamie Coyle’s Whitstable Town, while Glebe report for training, before travelling to play Chipie Sian’s Punjab United side in Gravesend next Tuesday 10 September.

VCD Athletic will be without Connor Dymond for four weeks.

“Connor is a massive loss to us. Connor’s broken three fractures in his cheekbone and his jaw and he’s in for an operation tomorrow.  We’ve been told he should be back within four weeks,” revealed Joy.

“Whitstable are a lot of people’s favourites.  Whitstable is going to be tough. I will expect 300-400 there. Their fans baying for blood.  I mean our little committee will go full strength and expect a result but we go there full of confidence.

“Sometimes we feel the sides who will come and have a go at us probably helps us a little but because it makes the pitch a little bit more open.  The sides that tend to sit in and we have to break it down is a bit more difficult but that’s football.

“I mean they’re flying, we’re flying. On paper, it’s a fantastic game.

“We keep saying to the boys, every time you win, the target gets bigger on your back but you have to be professionals, stick to the game plan. We back those boys 100%. If they stick to the game plan, they’re going to be in every game that we play.”

Dillon added: “We train on Saturday, which should be good. We’ve got everyone in and if we can set the same level of the spells that we had in good possession and in good play against Punjab, we’ve got every chance of getting something out from the game.”

Glebe: Justin Lee, Dayo Santana, Kelvin Bakare (Zak Loveridge 55), James Fitchett, Sam Wood, Daniel Okah, Reggie Rye (David Ajao 55), Femi Ogunbiyi (Red Jenkins 76), Jamie Philpot, Paul Lee (Fred Obasa 68), Alex Arif.
Sub: Max Juniper

Goals: Red Jenkins 82, Jamie Philpot 90

Booked: Reggie Rye 28

VCD Athletic: Andy Walker, Harry Lawrence, Tom Cousins, Zak Bryon, Ben Fitchett, Michael Fenn, George Whitelock (Richard Jimoh 75), Lee Bird (Kwasi Amoah 65), Ollie Freeman (Wale Odedoyin 71), Bethel Gboda (Emmanuel Shoderu 75), Nathanial Olawole (Lewis Clark 81).

Goals: Ollie Freeman 10, 52, Bethel Gboda 45

Booked:  Bethel Gboda 72

Temporary Dismissal: Ollie Freeman 32

Attendance: 187
Referee: Mr Jacob Miller
Assistants: Mr Alexis Stacchini & Mr Ben Wright