Beckenham Town 2-1 Carterton - Beckenham start dreaming about a day out at Wembley

Tuesday 17th November 2009

BECKENHAM TOWN 2-1 CARTERTON
FA Carlsberg Vase Second Round
Tuesday 17th November 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

CHAIRMAN Chris McCarthy has revealed that Beckenham Town came close to going out of business during the close season, as he now looks forward to the club playing in the last 64 of the FA Carlsberg Vase.

Goals from striker Antony Weir and midfielder Charlie Hearn sent Hellenic League strugglers Carterton crashing out of the competition at Eden Park Avenue - although George Belchamber saw a late penalty saved in what proved to be a one-sided second half.

And following league leaders Faversham Town being knocked out by Badshot Lea in Farnborough tonight, it means that Beckenham Town will be the sole Kent League representatives going into their third round clash at Essex Senior League outfit Tiptree United (who play at Maldon Town) on 5th December.

Wins over Wealden, Banstead Athletic, Mole Valley and tonight has banked the club £3,900 in prize money from the Football Association and the club are only FIVE wins away from playing at Wembley Stadium - in their first season back in the competition following a five-year ban.

Mr McCarthy, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, revealed the club was on the brink of going out of business a few months ago.

“I’m more pleased with the progress off the field if the truth be told,” he said.

“The club was belly up six months ago, going nowhere and probably gone like Fisher. We’ve turned things round, Jason (Huntley) and myself, Peter Palmer works very hard, Jason Taylor works very hard off the field.

“If it hadn’t been turned round, we wouldn’t have been in this position now!

“It was that bad! We would have gone out of business, Beckenham would have folded!”

Beckenham were playing a side that were sitting in the bottom three in the Hellenic League table and hadn’t won away from home all season, but in lone-striker Miles Mason, Carterton had a threat during an even first half.

And the striker almost stunned the hosts inside the opening three minutes but he was denied by a fine block from highly-rated Beckenham goalkeeper Nick Blue.

After Beckenham skipper Nick Curran headed Belchamber’s free-kick into the side netting, Curran was denied by a fine low save from Carterton keeper James Domm after being played in by Danny Gorman.

The Carterton keeper made a fine finger-tip save to deny striker Gary Gorman after Durrand Jemmott’s cross was chested to the striker by Carterton defender Gary Smales.

Weir struck a fierce 30-yard angled left-footed drive across the keeper, who made sure by diving low to turn aside for a corner before Beckenham took a deserved 28th minute lead.

Danny Gorman, who plays on the right of a three man defence, floated in a cross towards the far post, which was brought under control by Weir’s chest before the striker smashed a low right-footed drive across Domm and into the bottom far corner.

Mason missed a gilt-edged chance to bring Carterton level - before the impressive striker levelled on 39 minutes.

Firstly, after being released by Ryan Kiteley, the Carterton number eight beat the offside flag but flashed a right-footed shot past the post from fifteen-yards.

But he immediately made amends, by finishing off a fine slick move just 47 seconds after that miss.

The move involved Mark Threlfall and Kevin Lewis, who played in Mason behind the Beckenham back three and after rounding Blue, the striker slotted the ball into the bottom far corner of an empty net with ease.

However, a rousing half-time team talk from Huntley, inspired his troops and they created a couple of early second half chances before scoring what turned out to be the winner after 50 minutes.

Curran’s right-footed drive deflected agonisingly past the foot of the post and from Hearn’s resulting corner, Danny Lawson rose to head over from just six-yards out.

But Beckenham went on to dominate the rest of the second half and should have added more goals.

Carterton central defender, Carl Evans, was penalised for tripping Jemmott just twenty-yards from goal and despite facing a four-man wall, Hearn stepped up and smashed a low driven curling free-kick around the wall to find the bottom far corner to score the winner.

The back-peddling Carterton keeper made a fine finger-tip save to deny Danny Gorman scoring from a driven angled 30-yard screamer as the Kent side pressed.

Despite the lead being comfortable, Jemmott should have put the game beyond the Oxfordshire side in the final twenty minutes, but he lifted the ball over an open goal from just eight-yards following Weir’s cut-back.

Beckenham squandered another excellent chance to make it 3-1 in the final seven minutes.

Weir’s run was ended by a challenge from Carterton substitute Michael Fellows, but Belchamber’s right-footed penalty was too close to Domm, who comfortably dived to beat out the spot-kick.

But tonight’s win means we can all start dreaming off a Kent side going all the way to Wembley Stadium again - just like Deal Town (2000) and Ebbsfleet United (2008) who have won the FA Vase and FA Trophy respectively.

“It’s closer, very close,” admitted manager Jason Huntley, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, with a big smile on his face afterwards.

“I keep emphasising to the players, they don’t realise what a good chance they’ve got in this Cup! When they play like that, they can hold their own with anybody!”

Looking forward to playing Tiptree United, Huntley added, “I mean, we’d like to have a home draw, of course, but the draw we’ve got has been quite kind to us. I’m not disrespecting the other side, but I think we can get a result there as well.”

Reflecting on tonight’s game, Huntley admitted his side didn’t have it all their own way, against a side that are supposedly struggling in their own league.

He said: “First half performance, first twenty minutes, I thought we dominated, got the goal, and then we took the foot of the pedal a bit and to be honest to them, they were a good side, I thought they were a very good side going forward.

“Once they got their goal their heads were up and they could’ve come in, in front.

“But our second half performance, you could see, we could’ve had four or five!

“We did have a few hot words in there at half-time - and at full-time I went in there and said ‘you shut my mouth by responding as you did!’”

Praising Carterton, Huntley added, “You could see that tonight they’ve got some decent players. They played some lovely football as well to be fair and someone did tell me they’re a good, attacking side.

“First half we switched off after the goal, our defending became sloppy, our midfield play, we kept giving the ball away, we weren’t winning second balls.

“Second half, everyone was up for it more!”

Beckenham’s chairman, meanwhile, is looking forward to the next round - the one before the competition goes national - and maybe, just maybe, getting to Wembley Stadium.

Mr McCarthy said, “Why not?” If we was to perform (like we did during the) second half for 90 minutes against any team at this level we’d give anyone a game.

“I’ve said to Jason numerous times, us being in the Vase is the equivalent to, say West Ham in the FA Cup. There’s a few teams better than us in the Vase but West Ham beat Arsenal in the FA Cup; Wimbledon beat Liverpool in the FA Cup Final.

“Why can’t we do what any of them have done?

“It’s only self-belief and the players have got the self-belief.”

When Huntley was asked “can you win the Vase?”, he replied, “Big question! We’ve got a good a chance as anyone! I wouldn’t say we’ll win it. I’m pleased we’re in the next round, who knows? I’d love to win it!

“I’m pleased for the club, pleased for Peter Palmer, Jason (Taylor) and all these people who have been here for many years now.

“It’s nice to be back in the FA Vase, it’s a great cup to be in. I’ve told all the lads it’s a prestigious cup, there’s money in every round and you play some good sides and the cherry at the end of it is a day out at Wembley!”

We can all dream, but let’s turn those dreams into reality!

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Danny Gorman (Jamal York 66), Danny Lawson, John Farley, George Belchamber, Matt Howard, Nick Curran, Charlie Hearn, Anthony Weir, Gary Gorman, Durrand Jemmott.
Sub: Darren Wise, Ibrahim Fuseini, Tom Youle, Alan Brooks.

Goals: Anthony Weir 28, Charlie Hearn 50

Booked: Danny Gorman 45, Nick Curran 81

Carterton: James Domm, Gary Smales, Ryan Pratley, Jamie Butt, Carl Evans, Chris Blakely, Craig Wood (Peter Hutt 72), Miles Mason, Ryan Kiteley (Michael Fellows 77), Mark Threlfall, Kevin Lewis.
Sub: Tim North.

Goal: Miles Mason 39

Booked: Kevin Lewis 7 , Ryan Pratley 60

Attendance: 120
Referee: Mr Gavin Collins (Aldershot, Hampshire)
Assistants: Mr Barrie Gayle (Cheam, Surrey) & Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey)