AFC Croydon Athletic 2-0 Beckenham Town - We're entitled to be up there where we are, says table-topping boss Kevin Rayner

AFC Croydon Athletic 2 – 0 Beckenham Town
Location	Mayfield Stadium, off Mayfield Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 6DN
Kickoff	28/09/2016 19:45

AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC  2-0  BECKENHAM TOWN
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Wednesday 28^th September 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Mayfield Road

AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC manager Kevin Rayner says his side are entitled to be at the top of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table after 10 games.

The Rams moved five points clear of Cray Valley on 24 points after a comfortable win over Beckenham Town, in a game interrupted by a 25 minute floodlight failure at Mayfield Road.

AFC Croydon Athletic’s pacy striker Warren Mfula, 26, took his goalscoring tally for the season to 11 goals after scoring twice in a man-of-the-match performance.

Beckenham Town’s management team only arrived at the ground at least 45 minutes before kick-off and that translated out on to the pitch as their players’ put in a poor performance in this local derby.

“Happy with the three points and the result,” said Rayner, who has now won eight of his 11 games in charge of the club.

“It wasn’t one of our best performances of the season. I thought we started lively and well, a good tempo, dropped off it a little bit. There wasn’t much in the game so it wasn’t a decent watch at times.

“As soon as we had trouble with the lights, they came back on, I thought it done us a favour more than Beckenham. We were pretty lively and we saw the last 20 minutes out comfortably.  I thought we missed a few. We could’ve scored three or four at the end but good start, good finish, apart from the bit in the middle but at the end of the day we got three points, that’s all that matters.”

Beckenham Town coach Jason Clews said: “Disappointed with the result. I thought we started off a bit slow first 10-15 minutes.

“Obviously a keeper error cost us, they scored a goal. I don’t think they had many shots in the first half.  Then we came back into the game after 15-20 minutes. I thought were on top towards the end of the first half but didn’t create many chances so it was a bit disappointing on that really because you’ve got to shoot to score.

“We didn’t create a lot for us, perhaps it could’ve been our formation because we changed it from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 hoping to get some more but I think we carried a couple of boys tonight and we’re a bit disappointed in the performance.”

AFC Croydon Athletic created their first opening after only 73 seconds when Nuham Green’s laid the ball off to Mfula, the former Clapton striker scuffing a poor shot into Darren Ibrahim’s hands.

But shoddy goalkeeping from someone previously on the books of Gillingham and Welling United (not to be confused with Dartford keeper Deren Ibrahim) gifted the home side the lead, the goal timed at four minutes and 48 seconds.

Morgan Jenden hooked a ball into the Beckenham box, Ibrahim advanced to the edge of his penalty area and failed to collect the bouncing ball and Mfula was on it in an instant and took a touch to sweep his shot on the turn into the bottom near corner of an empty net from 12-yards.

Rayner said: “Warren, that’s what he does and he’s always on the prowl up there and gobbled it up and put it away.

“I thought he had a couple of good chances when we were 1-0 up and didn’t put it away, the keeper made one good save.

“If we’d have got the second one, it would’ve settled us down a bit. Fair play to Beckenham, I thought they had the better of the next half-an-hour. They kept the ball better than us and got themselves back in the game.”

Clews admitted Ibrahim “gifted” the home side the lead.

He said: “It’s a gift that one. It was a bit windy out there and a few of the other players were saying the ball was moving in the air a few times, even for headers, whether that’s done that for Darren…?

“He’s put his hands up and he’s disappointed with the mistake and it’s one of those things. He doesn’t make too many mistakes but he’s come on for us and he's made a mistake and cost us a goal but we’ve still got plenty of time to get back into the game from then onwards.  We didn’t create too many clear cut chances.”

Green spun Beckenham right-back Danny Akers down the touchline and attempted to curl his shot into the bottom near corner but Ibrahim moved to his right to gather.

Beckenham Town got a shot on target in the 16^th minute, Akers’ drilling his 35-yard free-kick which bounced into Dan Burnett’s hands for a comfortable low save.

Clews said: “Dan is a good free-kick taker. We just had no-one following in! We said to the boys at half-time when you get free-kicks like that you’ve got to time your run and go when he runs to strike the ball so you’re there following up.  Obviously no-one’s followed up for that.”

“Probably his only save,” said Rayner, before adding, “The back four was very solid, not giving much away at the moment, which is great.

“I can’t think of another save that Dan had to make to be honest. It was quite comfy in that respect but Beckenham had a fair bit of possession for half-an-hour.”

Nathan Palmer played striker Richmond Kissi in behind the home side’s defence and his shot was cleared off the line by AFC Croydon Athletic’s skipper Simon Cooper.

Clews said: “That’s one of the only chances I can remember really, the one that’s near on target because I don’t think we had one in the second half either, so he’s unfortunate there, it’s cleared off the line. It’s only one of none really of chances that we’ve had.”

AFC Croydon Athletic central midfielder Larry Boateng was offered time and space to drill his left-footed drive just past the post from 25-yards.

The home side were to be denied a second in the 29^th minute following a set-piece.

Bradley Wilson drilled in a free-kick from the right, deep towards the far post where right-back Jenichell Santos planted his free header into Ibrahim’s hands from 10-yards.

“We’ve got some big lads, decent in the air. Normally the deliveries’ decent so we expect to get on the end of those,” said Rayner.

Beckenham were found guilty of dropping deep against AFC Croydon Athletic’s pacy front line.

Mfula skipped past three men on a 30-yard run before being denied by a smart save from Ibrahim some 12-yards from goal, as the home side impressed before the interval.

“A great little run from Warren, he’s picked the ball up and had a good go at them. He was a bit unlucky, the keeper’s made a good save.  The keeper’s stuck out his feet to make a good save. It would’ve been a nice goal,” acknowledged Rayner.

Praising Ibrahim, Clews added: “He’s not a bad shot-stopper but he’ll be disappointed with his mistake.”

When asked his thoughts at the break, Rayner said: “I was just a little bit disappointed with the way we finished the half to be honest. We needed to get our tempo back up, just play to our strengths. We were playing a bit too much and we were off the pace a little bit in the last 10 minutes of the half but we got going again in the second half.”

Clews added: “At half-time we just said to the boys ‘you’re in the game still, it’s only 1-0, there’s plenty of time.’

“We changed it to a 4-4-2. We asked to try to get the ball into the front two because we weren’t creating too many chances.

“Jamie Humphries was coming out wide.  We didn’t have a lot of width in the game today. We said to the boys to get it out wide so we get people in the box. We sort of played it through the middle quite a bit and it was a bit crowded so we didn’t create too many chances.”

AFC Croydon Athletic created the first opening of the second half, which in truth was uninspiring.

Wilson floated in a free-kick with his right-foot down the left touchline and Guilford got the slightest of touches at the near post but Ibrahim wasn’t going to be beaten at his near post.

Beckenham Town created a chance when Louis Sprosen played winger Marvin Alubiousu down the left channel and he cut inside Adam Broomfield to drill a dipping angled drive just over the crossbar from  the corner of the penalty area, some 20-yards out.

Clews said: “We kept saying to Marvin, even before the game, because he’s done it in the last few weeks, get the ball to him and he’s an outlet for us because he’s good at going at people. You give it to him for the first 10 minutes of the game and after that we stopped doing it and that’s where your chances comes because he creates a lot of them.”

Central midfielder Guilford found his range in the 56^th minute, hitting a right-footed drive towards goal from 30-yards, the ball dipping just in front of Ibrahim, who dived to his left to push the ball around the post.

“He’s tipped it around the post fairly well,” said Rayner.

“Jack caught it but not as well as he can. The keeper got down well, tipped it around the post. Probably the only chance in the half, but it was fairly tight until that point.”

AFC Croydon Athletic’s left-back Callum Attwood swept forward a deep free-kick which was met by Cooper’s looping header, which cleared the crossbar.

Santos turned Alubiousu in the middle of the park and released Guilford down the right channel and his drive deflected off Jack Hope and was comfortably saved by Ibrahim.

Beckenham Town received a slice of good fortune in the 68^th minute when Mfula’s pace took him to the by-line and his cut-back struck Gassimu Jalloh and was heading towards his own goal only for Andrew Whorms to instinctively head the ball off his line.

“We sort of rode our luck a bit there, you keep it at 1-0 and we’re still in with a shout there,” admitted Clews.

Then the stadium was plunged into darkness in the 69^th minute as two of the four floodlight pylons switched off and play was held for 25 minutes before referee Bobby Kwatt re-started the game with a drop ball.

Rayner admitted he was in “shock” when the lights went out.

“We’ve had five games down here, we had a FA Youth Cup tie that went to extra-time and penalties and they’ve been fine. They’re serviced and everything so it’s a shock they went out. But we wanted them back on and wanted to finish the game. We didn’t want it replayed.

“It’s a difficult one. The most important thing was keeping the players’ warm. The last thing you want is people cramping out and going out and pulling muscles, that type of thing, so when you’re coming out, stretch properly in the changing room and come out and stretch again. Once the lads come back on I thought we were really back at it and looked a side we should’ve been at the start basically.”

Clews added: “That sort of killed us a bit because I thought we was on top up until that point.   We were getting back in the game and it stopped us in our traps because we didn’t know what was happening.”

Neither did the crowd watching the game as the home club failed to relay any details over to the 89 supporters.

Clews continued: “They told us it was going to be 10-15 minutes and it was 25 minutes, then once we started again we started a bit slow. A few players were a bit stiff and then started doing their own thing out on the pitch.  We’ve asked them to play to a system, given them a game plan to do, I thought they executed it alright up until that point and stopped doing it!”

Beckenham Town are either very good, or they put in poor performances like they did here tonight, which probably explains why they’re sitting in 12^th place on 11 points from their 10 league outings.

Clews added: “We got the boys off the pitch, it was getting a bit windy and we didn’t want them to seize up a little bit because it was quite a big break.

“We needed to keep them moving around so we were just hoping the lights did come on sooner than what they did but then you start thinking after 25 minutes is it going to carry on and we’re thinking like we’ll take a replay, we’re not performing, a couple of boys haven’t showed up tonight as well, so we’re disappointed with that because they got stuck in traffic.”

AFC Croydon Athletic were the better side following the stoppage as Beckenham Town’s night was just one of misery.

Rams substitute Emanual Oloyede got down the right channel and his excellent whipped in low cross evaded everyone inside the box. Fellow sub Carlton Murray-Price then laid the ball into Jenden, whose first time drive from 20-yards stung Ibrahim’s fingers.

Oloyede then released Boateng towards the right by-line and he cut the ball back for Mfula to sky his shot over the bar, whilst under pressure, from inside the six-yard box at the near post.

“We’ve had some good chances but he’s got to be in there,” said Rayner.

“Larry’s done well there, good little run, pulled it back. Warren normally tucks them away.

“He’s missed a couple of sitters tonight as you’ve seen but he’s tucked two away and he could’ve had four or five but at the end of the day we’ve won the game 2-0 and he’s got them both!”

Clews added: “In the last few minutes, we’re 1-0 down and we were chasing the game. We’re trying to get back in it so we’ve gone three at the back. We know they’ll have a few more chances then, which is where they’ve come from.

“Warren’s had a few chances, he’s hit one wide, one-on-one with the keeper as well. They had a chance to go three or four but we rode our luck then.”

Beckenham Town created a chance in the 85^th minute when Gassimu Jalloh’s well-timed tackle stopped Oloyede in his tracks. The central defender then looked up to ping a quality 50-yard diagonal ball to substitute winger Kelvin Ogboe, who cut the ball back for Sprosen to sweep his first time shot over the bar.

“I thought he played well on the right-hand side actually tonight,” said Clews.

“He hasn’t taken his chances. He scored a couple against Dorking (in the FA Vase) a few weeks ago, since then he hasn’t taken his chances but it was unlucky, he’s getting in the right spots, the right places.”

AFC Croydon Athletic doubled their lead with a fortuitous goal in the 86^th minute.

Santos clipped a hopeful ball into the Beckenham box from 40-yards, which appeared to be sailing over, but the ball dipped at the final second and bounced down off the crossbar.

The ball landed at Mfula’s feet – the only outfield player inside the penalty area – and he controlled the ball before stabbing the ball into the back of the net from four-yards.

“Again, he’s alive, isn’t he? The only player within 20 yards, everyone else is standing and watching, he’s alive and it’s fallen to him and he’s put it away and that’s why he’s got two goals,” said Rayner.

“He may have missed a couple of sitters but he’s still put two in the back of the net that counts.”

Clews insisted the goal should have been chalked off by Daniel Sanchez’s offside flag.

He said: “We were just thinking about that and discussing it just at the end there. I still can’t believe he’s not offside because he was offside when the shot was hit.

“Speaking to Darren and a few of the other boys said it looked like it was going over the bar and the wind dipped it and at the last minute, the last second, it’s dipped right in and it’s hit the bar.

“But the striker, we said to the linesman as well, he’s in an offside position from the start. It’s offside! How he’s let that go, we’re disappointed about that one.”

Mfula stole the ball off Akers (who needed treatment) and cut into the penalty area and was denied by Ibrahim, saving low to his right and the keeper had his fingers stung by Murray-Price’s rasping drive.

Mfula squandered a great chance for his hat-trick inside stoppage time when Oloyede’s cross sailed over Akers head, Mfula cut into the penalty area, skipped past Ibrahim and sliced his shot past the far post of an open goal.

Rayner said: “He could so easily had four but he’s got two.  You don’t get any extra points but it would’ve helped the goal difference but we still won the game.

“He’s been playing well as well. That’s why he’s come in (from Clapton). He’s got a good goalscoring record where he’s been, he lives local and it’s a bonus to have him with us.”

Clews added: “We’re pushing to get back in the game and they’re going to catch us on the break, which they did, sloppy marking and he’s got through, he’s taken it around the keeper but he’s sliced it. I think it’s hit his standing foot first and he’s kicked it wide.”

AFC Croydon Athletic have a 100% home record in the league this season.

“They play to their strengths,” said Clews.

“They get it out wide and then they’ve got a couple of quick lads up top. It’s not a great surface to play on, it’s a bit bobbly, you can see that when the balls rolling along the floor, it pops up a few times.

“No disrespect to them, they don’t play good football, with passing football but they’re top, fair play to them. They play to a system and play to a way that’s making them top so good luck to them and they’ll probably continue to take three points every home game with the way they play.

“They battled hard. They came out with a game plan and they’ve stuck to it like.  We had a game plan and we changed it half way through, not through choice. For the last 20 minutes a few players started doing their own thing. We came out with a game plan and some players went on their own and done their own thing so we’ll be talking about that.”

AFC Croydon Athletic host third-placed Ashford United at Mayfield Road on Saturday.

Rayner said: “I think the league’s fairly open. You’ve got Ashford, who expect to be up there doing well. I do expect Cray Valley, Crowborough, who have got quite a good budget this year, Sevenoaks and Whitstable to be in the frame at the end.

“I certainly think we’re going to be up there. We’ve got good squad, got some very good players and we’re entitled to be up where we are.

“I’m looking forward to it.  It’s going to be a tough game isn’t it. We’ve had three or four lads missing tonight so they’ll be back for Saturday so we’ll be a little bit stronger so I’m expecting a close, tight game and who knows we’ll certainly be looking to get something out from the game and I’m sure they will be.”

When asked whether his side are serious title contenders, Rayner replied: “We’ll just keep plugging away and see where it takes us. We’ve got a good squad. I’m happy. We set our own targets. If we achieve that, we’ll be up there.”

AFC Croydon Athletic: Dan Burnett, Jenichell Santos, Callum Attwood, Simon Cooper, Adam Broomhead, Larry Boateng, Bradley Wilson (Emanual Oloyede 74), Jack Guilford (Carlton Murray-Price 65), Warren Mfula, Morgan Jenden, Nuham Green (Chevan Xavier 76).
Subs: Kristian Mole, Jason Coates

Goals: Warren Mfula 5, 86

Booked: Bradley Wilson 22, Jenichell Santos 84

Beckenham Town: Darren Ibrahim, Danny Akers, Andrew Whorms, Gassimu Jalloh, Jack Hope, James Fitzgerald, Louis Sprosen, Nathan Palmer (Kelvin Ogboe 66), Richmond Kissi (Hassan Jalloh 66), Jamie Humphris, Marvin Alubiousu.
Subs: Harry Draper, Frankie Warren, Adam Wadmore

Booked: Danny Akers 27, Jack Hope 90

Attendance: 89
Referee: Mr Bobby Kwatt (Camberwell, London SE5)
Assistants: Mr Billy Woods (Bexleyheath) & Mr Daniel Sanchez (Camberwell, London SE17)

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