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Club is moving in right direction, insists Miles

Despite being without first team regulars, skipper Tony Gallagher, Dave Martin and Mark Sabatino all on a Sunday League team holiday in South Africa, Green secured their first home win of the season following a commanding first half display that saw the Greenwich rearguard continually stretched.

Shaun Malyon’s acute angle shot struck the post after Dean Kearley had flicked on Wayne Barrett’s pass, Kearley then sent an effort flashing narrowly wide from Billy Bond’s corner while Mark Penny was unable to keep his header on target from Danny Little’s neat flick. 

Green’s pressure finally paid off on 27 minutes, the Borough defence failed to clear Bond’s corner and Mark Penny rose high to powerfully head the ball home.  

After Green keeper Paul Vines had brilliantly tipped away a goal bound shot from Stephen N’Guessen the home side doubled their lead on the half hour mark as Ryan Hayes coolly dispatched the ball past keeper Michael Holder having picked up Danny Little’s short taken free kick. 

Three minutes later Hayes pounced again with a brilliant solo goal.  Wayne Barrett unleashed a pin point pass from deep inside his own half to find Hayes out on the left having skillfully turned his marker, Hayes then cut back the other way again beating the same player before then weaving his way past a second Borough defender and despatch a quite audacious strike into the bottom left corner of the goal. 

The early part of the second half almost saw Green add a fourth goal as Little produced dazzling skills before setting up Shaun Malyon whose strike was foiled by the keepers legs.  

The remainder of second period saw Greenwich change their formation and they did enjoy long period of possession but at the same time were unable to create any worthwhile attempt on the Green goal.

Speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk editor Stephen McCartney, Phil Miles' joint-manager of Slade Green said: "It was a pleasing win.  We played well for the first 45 minutes and went 3-0 up by half-time.

"In the second half we just closed the game out, defended well and the second half was a non entity."

Miles takes his side to Wested in their next game on Saturday 27th November, looking to reach the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Trophy when they play Crockenhill, a side that clinched the British Energy Kent County League Premier Division title last season.

And the 36-year-old, who lives in Hornchurch, is expecting a tough game against the Crocks.  He said: "We played them last year at the same stage.  Playing at Wested, it will be unfair to call it a culture shock, but it's a tough game, and hopefully for the first time this season we should have everyone available.

"It will be quite pleasing to have a nice headache with team selection."

With a fence soon to be erected around the Small Glen, Miles admitted his side - which operates without a budget - is going in the right direction, both on and off the pitch.

"The club is moving in the right direction.  We should have the fence going round the ground soon and the reserves are picking up their results and are unbeaten in seven games, so hopefully we are turning the corner as a football club.

"Our budget is nothing but to be fair the players will pay to play because they are fined for various things and this goes towards an end of season trip away or a night out - it's part of their team spirit."

Sixteen-year-old, right-back Matt Lynch, who played in the under eighteen side last season, and has just broken through into the first team has pleased his manager with his progress.

Miles added: "He has come from our youth team last year and played in the reserves this year, so when you have got no budget you look to progress players.

"I know we are third from bottom in the table but there's not a lot between any teams in the league.  The pleasing thing for the last three games is we are starting to work hard for each other.

"It's picked up in the last few weeks, we will try to continue in the Kent Senior Trophy, which could set up another tie with Thamesmead Town.

"We have the difficult tie to get past Crockenhill, who are the reigning Kent County League champions and it's not going to be an easy game."

Slade Green:  Vines, Lynch, Bond, Barber, Kearley, Penny, Abbott (Sallis), Barrett (Brown), Malyon, Little, Hayes.  Other subs:  Bowey, Heywood.