Beckenham Town 1-5 Bromley - Fantastic night in respect of the result and fitness, says Neil Smith

BECKENHAM TOWN  1-5  BROMLEY
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 17^th July 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

COACH Neil Smith hailed this as a fantastic night after Bromley’s comfortable victory over their Kent League neighbours Beckenham Town.

The Blue Square Bet (Conference) South side outclassed their hosts during this pre-season outing.  Their campaign opened with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of League One side Crawley Town at Hayes Lane at the weekend.

The Ravens endured a miserable campaign last season, escaping relegation with just one game to spare, finishing in seventeenth-place in the table, but they finally brought some cheer to their large following at Eden Park Avenue tonight.

Welsh-striker, Gareth Williams, gave Bromley an early lead, before substitute Aaron Rhule came off the bench for the injured Albert Jarrett (right-knee) and headed home the second with his first touch.

Bromley made five changes at the break and striker Warren McBean, who is effectively on trial as he bids to make his fourth-debut for the club, added two goals, which were sandwiched between another header from a corner, this time from Frenchman Pierre Joseph-Dubois.

Beckenham Town, who finished in sixth-place in the Kent League last season, deserved to score a late consolation and it came with eight minutes left when midfielder Alex Wilks scored a fine solo goal.

This was Bromley’s largest win in any first team game since their 6-3 win at Thurrock on 24 April 2010, which the final day of the 2009-10 season.

Smith said: “Fantastic night in respect of the result and the fitness levels of the players.  The downside is we took a knock on Albert (Jarrett) and obviously we have to see how bad it is in the next few days and fingers crossed.

“But overall, very, very pleased with the boys and the improvement that we’ve made over pre-season so far.

“I’m looking at all the goals. I think they were all very well taken.”

Beckenham Town’s coach, Jason Clews, admitted his side couldn’t deal with a side that play three League’s above them.

He said: “I think the difference between three divisions above us certainly tells out there.  I think the five goals that we’ve conceded were definitely preventable.

“I think we’ve conceded three from a corner, just bad marking and then a couple of errors from the centre half allowed them in for the last one. Again, just some silly mistakes that we’ve got to cut out, especially going into the next few friendlies.

“I think we carried about three players in the first half, which let us down. They let themselves down.   Fitness does count.  They (Bromley) showed that they were a lot sharper in the first half. I think in the second half we came back and we kept the ball well.

“I think we probably scored the best goal of the night from Alex (Wilks). A new signing, which I think will be good for us this year. After that we let ourselves down a little bit.”

Bromley opened the scoring with their first chance of the night inside the opening eight minutes, courtesy of a fine flowing move, with midfield play-maker Ali Fuseini pulling all the strings.

Fuseini exchanged passes with Tony Finn and Marlon Patterson before sweeping the ball in from the left, which was dummied by striker Ali Chaaban and the ball ran through to Williams inside the box and the striker stroked a right-footed shot across goalkeeper Nick Blue to find the bottom far corner from 15-yards.

“The first one sort of set the tone for us,” said Smith.  “You can’t come here and just rest on your laurels, you still have to work hard. 

“They’re a team out there who want to put one over you, like we did with Crawley and we showed a great attitude, which is a fantastic achievement.”

Clews admitted his side needed to keep it tight for as long as they could, adding, “Especially against the so-called bigger sides.  We needed to keep it tight for as long as we can but we didn’t!”

Some of Bromley’s moves in the first half – on Beckenham Town’s immaculate playing surface – was excellent.

Smith praised Beckenham’s groundsman Ian Muir for another brilliant playing surface.

He said: “Fantastic pitch!  I’ve been lucky enough to play in the League and that’s better than some of the grounds I’ve played at!” 

Bromley’s right-back, Sanchez Ming, who has signed a one-year contract with the club following his move from Ryman League Division One South side Dulwich Hamlet, played the ball inside to Chaaban and the former Staines Town striker cracked a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which moved in flight and Blue made a comfortable low save.

A poor touch from Beckenham central defender Malik Fofana gifted possession to Chaaban who burst forward from the just outside the centre circle before he was brought down a couple of yards outside of the box and Jarrett clipped the resulting free-kick over the four-man wall and curling over the top of the near post.

Jarrett was to play no further part in the game despite having his right knee bandaged and he was replaced by Rhule.

The enforced 34^th minute substitution was to be inspired as within twenty seconds of Rhule coming on he scored.

Finn swung in a corner from the left and Rhule made space for himself at the near post and planted a header across Blue into the far corner.

Smith said: “We’ve sort of spoken about getting in that near post area.  He listened. He scored so it was a great introduction for him. 

“I don’t think we scored many set-plays last year so it’s something that we’re going to work on over the course of pre-season.”

Clews added: “The second one, I think it was from the player who just came on, so we’ve switched off there.  I think Joe (Jackson) has held his hand up. He switched off so that’s another error we’ve got to cut out.  He was supposed to be marking him at the time, so he says, but he didn’t.

“He (Rhule) was on, what, 20 seconds, went to the front post, just ran straight off him and he got a free header and you can’t give teams like that, that sort of space in the box.”

Ming’s excellent long ball out of defence released Finn down the right and the midfielder got to the by-line before cutting the ball back to Williams, whose low right-footed drive was beaten away by Blue at his near post.

Beckenham Town created just one chance during the first half – inside the sixth minute of stoppage time – when Jamie Turner burst forward and from 20-yards cracked a left-footed drive, which was beaten away by former Charlton Athletic keeper George Howard.

Both coaches were asked what was said inside their dressing rooms at half-time.

Smith said: “We just said with a new team coming out, go out there and do exactly the same as the boys in the first half. It is still fitness. It is still pre-season and we expected them to put a shift in and they all did.”

Clews added: “We just said to them just keep working hard, try and close them down. When we have the ball try and keep the ball, let them do a bit of work, but first half I don’t think we done it as well as we did in the second half, but it was a good work-out. I think good fitness for them especially against a team three league’s above us.”

Bromley got out of the traps immediately and they increased their lead just 34 seconds into the second half.

Rhule played in a low cross from the right which was blocked inside the Beckenham penalty area and substitute McBean slammed a low right-footed drive into an empty net.

Beckenham’s second chance followed, when right-back Nathan Paul made progress down the flank and whipped in an excellent cross with his right-foot to find Alfie Nunn lurking at the far post but the striker sent his bullet header onto the roof of the net from a tight angle.

But Beckenham Town faced a mountain to climb when Bromley made it 4-0 in the 50^th minute – as they scored from another corner kick.

Michael Malcolm swung in a corner from the right and Joseph-Dubois was left unmarked at the near post and his bullet header found the far corner, despite Blue’s efforts to keep it out with a strong hand.

Smith said: “Again, it was the same ball as in the first half with Aaron Rhule.  Near post area and he’s taken it well, so again we’re really, really chuffed to score two set-plays in a game.”

Bromley went close again when another substitute, Mike Jones, showed quick feet to get past his marker inside the box and was denied a goal from a tight angle as Blue made a smart block at his near post.

Bromley did score their fifth goal in the 63^rd minute, with their best goal of the night.

Bradley Goldberg, who has benefited with a spell in the Ryman League with Hastings United, played the ball inside to an unmarked McBean, who sent a delicate right-footed chip over Blue and into the open net from 25-yards.

Smith was full of praise for McBean, saying, “He was brilliant!  He was fantastic with Ali Chaaban on Saturday without getting a goal and he scored two great goals today.”

Smith wants the striker to settle down at Hayes Lane, after playing for at least four clubs last season.

He said: “We want to get the best out of Warren and he’s got to get the best out of himself as well so at the moment he’s looking very good.  He’s looking very sharp.  He’s looked after himself in the close season and we’ll just keep plugging away and see where we are on August 18^th.

The long-suffering Bromley faithful behind the goal wanted a sixth goal and that almost came when McBean latched onto an excellent diagonal pass from Joseph-Dubois, but the boomerang striker (leaves the club and keeps coming back!) was denied a hat-trick when Blue pounced at the striker’s feet to make a fine block at the near post as McBean slid a low left-footed shot from a tight angle towards goal.

To their credit, Beckenham Town didn’t give up, and they pulled a deserved consolation back inside the final eight minutes.

Wilks cut in from the left and unleashed a low right-footed angled drive from 25-yards, which flashed across Howard and nestled into the bottom far corner of the net.

Clews said: “Alex has come from Chipstead. He’ll be a good addition to the side. He works hard. He’s up and down and we’ve got Jamie (Turner) as well on the right hand side.  He’s a strong player, holds the ball up well so he’ll be someone to look out for.”

Smith added: “They worked their socks off, fair play to them, but I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m disappointed that we’ve let a goal in. Whether they deserve it or not, as a coach we pride ourselves on doing everything right.

“You could say to them we’ve won the game anyway. I still want with my own pride especially Mark’s (Goldberg), wanted a clean sheet for George. I don’t think George had done anything wrong to let a goal in.”

Beckenham Town have four remaining friendlies, starting with a home game against Southend Manor on Saturday to get things right ahead of their Kent League opener away to VCD Athletic on 4 August.

Clews said: “There’s a lot of things to work on. We can take a lot of things from that game. We’ve got to work on set-plays, try not to concede from set-pieces.

“I think we’ve kept the ball well second half, that’s a positive especially against a team three league’s higher. They did close the ball down but we kept the ball and we worked out a good goal.”

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Nathan Paul, Jamie Taylor (Byron Beard 46), Jason Rose (Steve McNamara 71), Malik Fofana, Alex Wilks, Harry Draper, Jamie Turner (Matt Man 46), Elstrom Die (Alex Tiesse 57), Alfie Nunn (Ben Slade 57), Joe Jackson (Jamie Barton 48).

Goal:  Alex Wilks 82

Bromley: George Howard, Sanchez Ming, Marlon Patterson (Michael Malcolm 46), Ali Fuseini (Mike Jones 46), Moses Swaibu, Liam Harwood, Tony Finn (Pierre Joseph-Dubois 46), Danny Waldren, Ali Chaaban (Warren McBean 46), Gareth Williams (Bradley Goldberg 46), Albert Jarrett (Aaron Rhule 34).

Goals: Gareth Williams 8, Aaron Rhule 34, Warren McBean 46, 63, Pierre Joseph-Dubois 50

Attendance: 230
Referee: Mr Ian Bentley (West Wickham)
Assistants: Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley) & Mr Alexis Stacchini (Orpington)