APM Contrast 3-3 Farnborough Old Boys Guild - The future looks good, says FOBG boss Darren Burkett

Sixth-placed APM Contrast were gifted two first half goals, courtesy of an own goal from Farnborough Old Boys Guild’s right-back Ben Middleton and a poor clearance from visiting keeper Stewart Copeland was punished when striker Damian Rollinson chipped the ball over the injured keeper to find the corner from 30-yards.

And when striker Tom Manning scored a third, early in the second half, past stand-in keeper Cameron Zegeling, the game appeared to be out of reach.

But the turning point came in the 61^st minute when APM Contrast manager Kris Browning, 37, came off the bench to play his first game in two years and sat back as a holding midfielder.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild, who can only finish in ninth-place in the Haart of Kent County League Premier, upped their tempo and they left it late to snatch an unlikely point as Alex Wray, substitute Billy Webb and Matt Ellis all scored in a dramatic final fifteen minutes.

Burkett was pleased with his young side’s character, as they came back when all seemed lost.

He said:  “When you’ve got half of your team that’s seventeen-years-old playing in men’s football - they’re from our Academy and our youth team - to come back from 3-0 down to three-all and with a young kid who ain’t a goalkeeper in goal, you’ve got to be proud of them and if that’s the future of Farnborough Football Club with these youngsters, we’re looking good!”

Burkett added: “It was a bad start and then the goalkeeper can’t obviously kick the ball.  He kicked it straight to them and they scored again.  A little mistake in the second half, they go 3-0 up, but then we score a great finish and then a great header and the one at the end from Matt Ellis.”

APM Contrast manager Browning admitted tiredness proved to be his side’s downfall.

“I think we just got tired towards the end there,” he said.

“We gave them a goal back with about 15 minutes to go.  Their tails were up.  They pushed about four or five up front and to be honest with you we were treading water to be fair.

“They’re a young side under the age of eighteen.  In the end we just ran out of steam really, but fair credit to them, fair play to them, they kept going and going and going and they got their just deserves really.”

Farnborough Old Boys Guild started their campaign with a 2-1 home win over APM Mears, but the return game was finally played at the FIFTH attempt.

They shamefully failed to turn up to APM Contrast’s Cobdown Sports Ground on 7 May, despite the home side going through their warm-ups by the time they contacted their hosts to explain their non-arrival.

But at least they turned up today, albeit by mini-bus thirty-minutes before kick-off.

And they had the approach of a pub-side when only their keeper of their thirteen-man squad actually wore the number that he was listed on the official team-sheet that was handed in to referee Andrew Butler before the game.

Former Tunbridge Wells keeper Copeland had a day to forget as he didn’t arrive at the Sittingbourne sports ground until eight minutes before the two o’clock kick-off and he paid the price for not having a proper warm-up as he was forced off with a groin injury and was replaced by left-winger Zegeling at the interval.

Birkett added: “He’s got a hernia, but he had to come off, but you’ve got to be proud to be 3-0 down to come back to three-all. If it was five minutes more I think we could’ve nicked it because they were tracking back and back, but I’m proud of my boys and hopefully I can keep these youngsters at the club for next year.”

Praising his stand-in keeper, the manager said: “He ain’t even a goalkeeper!  He was playing left-midfield at the start!  At seventeen he put his hands up for it as well!"

APM Contrast had the first chance of the game inside seven minutes when Jeff Funnell cut the ball back to Gary Robinson, whose shot was easily gathered by Copeland.

And within seconds it was time for home keeper Dean Fincham to make a comfortable save from Alex Wray’s driven right-footed shot.

But APM Contrast opened the scoring through a slice of luck in the fourteenth minute.

Skipper Mark Smith clipped a speculative ball forward into the Farnborough Old Boys Guild penalty area and an unchallenged Middleton inexplicably glanced his header beyond am advancing Copeland and the number 5 held his head in his hands after he saw the ball clip the near post before it crossed the line.

But Farnborough Old Boys Guild recovered well from that embarrassing set-back as Wray cracked a tricky low drive towards goal with his right-foot, which Fincham spilt before the keeper collected at the second attempt.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild thought they had levelled in the fifteenth minute, but their goal was ruled out.

Striker Wray cut inside Neil Smith and clipped the ball towards the far post where Danny Holmes knocked the ball across goal and Reis Boyle jumped up with the keeper to nod the ball over him into the roof of the net from two-yards, but eagle-eyed referee spotted a foul on the keeper.

But APM Contrast upped the tempo from that point and they squandered some decent chances to increase their lead, against a visiting keeper who was struggling with his kicking.

Copeland made a comfortable save to thwart Funnell, who sent a left-footed half-volley towards goal from 20-yards, before APM Contrast’s strikers (Manning and Rollinson) combined and two shots from Rollinson were easily gathered by the struggling stopper.

But Copeland was guilty for gifting APM Contrast’s second goal in the 35^th minute.

Former Ashford Town left-back Ian Ross clipped a left-footed ball up field for Rollinson to chase, but Copeland got to the ball first and woefully kicked the ball straight at Rollinson, who sent a first time right-footed chip from 30-yards sailing over the red-faced keeper and the ball dropped down into the bottom right-hand corner.

Browning admitted: “We were 2-0 up and I think what always happens in the last couple of games of the season you take your foot of the gas.

“At half-time we could’ve been four or five up and put the game to bed, but it always happens, we take the foot of the accelerator.  It’s just one of those things really.  We were fortunate to be 2-0 up but then again we did have chances so if we came in anything else then I would’ve been very disappointed.”

Burkett added: “I was thinking I don’t want a cricket score to be honest!  I didn’t want the boys, the youngsters get six or seven against us and I felt that when the third one went in!”

A second quality pass from Ross’s left-foot released Mark Smith through on goal and with only Copeland to beat, his right-footed half-volley chip dropped agonisingly wide of the foot of the right-post.

Rollinson and Neil Smith combined down the right and Smith floated in his cross towards the far post and Manning powered a towering header wide.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild should have pulled a goal back just before the break when Wray once again cut in from the left before cutting the ball back to midfielder Ellis, who lost composure at the near post and his shot rolled into Fincham’s gloves.

Browning told his side to pepper Copeland with shots and crosses but he was bitterly disappointed that his side failed to trouble Zegeling, who bravely volunteered to take the gloves for the second half.

Zegeling must have thought he was going to concede more than the one goal that he leaked just 108 seconds into the second half.

APM Contrast central defender Jordan Wiggan played the ball over a flat-footed defence straight down the middle of the pitch for Manning to latch on to and the striker calmly slotted the ball to the flat-footed keeper’s right to score from six-yards.

But Browning wasn’t pleased that the seventeen-year-old wasn’t tested again.

“We are disappointed we haven’t won today and we didn’t test him a little bit more, but to be fair it got very scrappy, very overplayed and I’m disappointed to come away with a draw,” he said.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild’s best chance actually came a minute after Browning entered the field.

Boyle clipped an excellent diagonal pass with his right foot to pick out Holmes out on the right and he cut the ball back to supporting Middleton, who in trying to make amends for his earlier howler, unleashed a fierce low right-footed drive on the angle, which forced Fincham into making a fine low save to his left beside his near post.

Browning, who played for Faversham Town in their Kent County League days, was playing his first game for two years.

He said: “It was interesting. The condition of the pitch was poor so I didn’t enjoy it that much and obviously they scored three when I’ve come on as sub which the lads will rib me forever I think but it’s good to get out there and have a run.  I’ve been promising them all year because I’m always telling them what they should do but I feel I did alright.”

Burkett admitted his youngsters would get back into the game the longer it went on.

He said: “3-0 down and then all of a sudden we started playing and it changed the game.  I think they tired as well.   With our bit of youth showed a little bit.

“He (Browning) tried to block it up at the back.  He was playing more people at the back and he suffered in midfield for it.”

APM Contrast should have wrapped up the game up in the 63^rd minute when Ross swung in a left-footed corner from the left and Mark Smith was left unmarked at the near post and his bullet header was hacked off the line beside the post by Middleton.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild showed signs of improvement when Boyle and substitute Webb combined down the right channel to play the ball inside to Holmes, who snatched at his shot, which sailed over from a tight angle.

But they pulled a goal back with fifteen minutes remaining and full credit must go to Wray for his solo goal.

He picked the ball up inside the home sides half by snatching the ball off seventeen-year-old Joe Cragg before going on a 30-yard run and drilling a fine right-footed drive across Fincham, which nestled into the bottom left-hand corner.

That should have been a consolation goal and APM Contrast should have wrapped the game up when Manning cut the ball back to his manager Browning, who had time and space to float in a cross towards the far post but Funnell ghosted in and hooked a half-volley, which bounced into Zegeling’s hands.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild had the upper hand in the final ten minutes against a tiring APM Contrast side.

They pulled a goal back with ten minutes remaining, courtesy of a quality goal.

Tom Rush had time and space down the inside left channel to whip in an inch-perfect cross which resulted in substitute Webb to nip in front of keeper Fincham to glance home his header from six-yards to score his fourteenth goal of the season.

Burkett added: “Great goal and the young boy came on Billy and scored. Brilliant!  He scored a great header!  He’s proud of himself, to score a great header like that.  I’m pleased.  I couldn’t be much pleased!”

Farnborough Old Boys Guild could sense blood and they scored a dramatic equaliser 45 seconds into time added on.

Once again they were given time and space down the left and this time it was Wray who floated in a cross towards the near post and Ellis smashed a right-footed shot into the top near corner from three-yards.

Burkett added: “Overall, it’s a great comeback. I’d take a point coming down here!

“I just think they tired.  They’ve got a few big fellas and older fellas in their team and we’ve got youngsters and they can keep running and they couldn’t keep running!

“I felt they dropped further and further back towards their keeper and it gave us more room to go at them, where in the first half they were coming at us!”

Browning blamed playing too many reserve team players proved costly.

He said:  “I’ve been promising reserve team lads a run out. They’ve been pestering me for a run-out so I just thought today was a perfect opportunity really to see what they’re like because we’re building for next season.

“It was good to get the reserves in.  The reserves are very, very important at any level of football so if you keep shelling them or not giving them a chance or see them in these situations you’ll never get a good chance to look at them so I’m really pleased to see some of the reserve team lads coming in and put them into the ring for next year.

“It was sort of a friendly game for us really trying different players and everything else.  I’m disappointed that we drew but on the whole to see lads and see how they can cope with this level in these circumstances was good really.”

And Farnborough Old Boys Guild almost snatched the victory at the death when Wray danced past Browning and fired a low left-footed shot towards the bottom near corner, but Fincham made a swift reaction block by sticking out his right leg to turn the ball aside, which pleased his manager.

Browning said: “As it happens in this football we got tired in the last ten minutes. We made a couple of mistakes down the right hand side where we had a sixteen-year-old (Joe Cragg) playing.  He got caught the wrong side a couple of times, but it’s an experience.  I’d rather him make those mistakes now.

“They were coming forward and they started cheating at the end.  They were looking for the equaliser with five or six staying up.

“It’s very hard to play against.  The pitch was hard and bobbly and horrible but give Farnborough every credit, they kept on going, going and going and once they got the first goal back they smelt blood so you can’t knock a side like that.

“Our goalkeeper made a fine save, but that’s what goalkeeper’s are there for.  They had the momentum with them in the end.

“We got what we got out of it, with a three-all draw, but the game should’ve been dead and buried in the first half, but you can’t take credit away from them.  They kept going the youngsters and fair play to them.”

APM Contrast: Dean Finchman, Mark Smith, Joe Cragg, Ian Ross, Jordan Wiggan, Alan Budden, Jeff Funnell, Gary Robinson, Tom Manning, Damien Rollinson, Neil Smith (Kris Browning 61).
Subs: Rob Sedge, Alex Stocker

Goals: Ben Middleton 14 (own goal), Damien Rollinson 35, Tom Manning 48

Farnborough Old Boys Guild:  Stewart Copeland (Barry Cleaver 46), Reis Boyle, Tom Rush, Ben Middleton, Matt Ellis, Danny Holmes, Jack Hampson, Dominic Boorman, Alex Wray, Jack Birkett (Billy Webb 57), Cameron Zegeling.

Goals: Alex Wray 75, Billy Webb 80, Matt Ellis 90

Booked: Dominic Boorman 53

Attendance: 20
Referee: Mr Andrew Butler (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Ian Sands (Platts Heath) & Mr Paul Cruttenden (Maidstone)