Beckenham Town 3-0 Erith Town - We just went through the motions, admits Tony Russell

BECKENHAM TOWN  3-0  ERITH TOWN
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Monday 2^nd April 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

ERITH TOWN manager Tony Russell says former Charlton Athletic striker Tamer Tuna has to use his short spell with the club as a chance to get his career back on track.

The 20-year-old, who came off the bench against Sevenoaks Town at the weekend, failed to impress on his full debut for the Dockers as they crashed to a 3-0 defeat away to Beckenham Town tonight.

Tuna made his debut in the Championship for Charlton Athletic on 18 April 2009 and scored on his full debut six months later against Barnet in the Football League Trophy, but his career at The Valley never took off and spells at non-league clubs followed, including Conference South sides Welling United and Bromley, and he scored only one goal in six appearances for Ryman Premier League side Hastings United before his release last month.

Russell admits the youngster hit a new low when he failed to impress in a Kent League fixture, in front of 82 people, who were expecting better from the striker than a yellow card for dissent.

He said: “A good signing? Not on tonight’s performance, he wasn’t!

“I had a chat with him in the week.  He played against Sevenoaks and done really well for us.

“To be fair to him, I look at him sometimes and I do feel for him a little bit.  Maybe the standard of refereeing or players that do stuff and he looks in disbelief and it’s a hell of a fall that he’s on from Charlton a year and a half ago to now finding himself in the Kent League.

“It’s so hard, that transition from pro-football and semi-pro and we had a nice, long chat about us.  He’s just got to find a level. I just don’t know whatever level it is, just stop falling.  Just find a level where he can make an impact to get his confidence going because the boy’s shattered confidence wise, absolutely shattered.

“You watch him today and he’s got his head down and he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“I’ve told him to come down and enjoy himself and don’t worry about things.  He wasn’t great today but like I said to him if we can help him in any way to enjoy his football, that’s what I want him to do. 

“There’s something there.  You wouldn’t play at levels he’s played at if there’s nothing there.  I’ve just got to get it out of him.”

Beckenham Town, meanwhile, remain in sixth-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table, after they ended fourth-placed Erith Town’s three-match unbeaten run with a comfortable win.

Winger, Jake Hobbs, scored his 27^th goal of the season with an excellent 30-yard free-kick, before French striker Elstrom Die doubled their lead, before striker Ben Slade came off the bench to fire home a late third.

Manager Jason Huntley sent out his coach, Dean Harrison, for the post-match interview and he was pleased with the side’s performance.

Harrison said: “It was a good win.  It was a good, solid performance. 

“First half, I thought we played good football.  We moved the ball well into space and created good chances.

“Second half was a little bit tougher.  Erith came out a lot stronger, a little bit more hungry.  I think we weathered it and we nicked a goal at the end and it was a deserved victory.”

Russell added: “They’ve (my players) been brilliant this year, absolutely brilliant baring Tunbridge Wells at home.  We’ve been in every game and should’ve got something out of it and unfortunately today’s game we’ve put in that bracket with Tunbridge Wells.

“We didn’t turn up unfortunately.  It was really poor.  I got into them at half-time.  We huffed and puffed but we never got going, which is unfortunate, but I don’t know what you can do as a manager.  You stand there and we had nothing about us!

“I think Beckenham are a good side.   Even as poor as we played, they didn’t open us up or nothing.  It was just sloppy.”

Erith Town started well and had they converted two early chances, then it may have been a different story.

Lee Burgess slipped the ball through to Chris Walker – who was hauled off after 33 minutes as part of a tactical switch – but the winger’s left-footed drive from 12-yards flashed just past the near post.

Beckenham Town keeper, Nick Blue, was hardly tested all night, but Tuna could have lifted his depressed state had he converted his only chance of the game in the 12^th minute.

Grant Brown’s corner from the left was punched away by Blue, but the former Orpington keeper got down low to his right to make a comfortable save from Tuna’s left-footed swept shot.

But Beckenham Town opened the scoring with a free-kick of high quality from Hobbs.

Erith Town midfielder Ray Powell – a fans’ favourite when he was playing for Tonbridge Angels – was penalised by referee Tim Burman for clipping Harry Draper from behind.

Hobbs stepped up and sent a right-footed 30-yard free-kick over the wall and curling into the top left-hand corner – past the diving Alex Hyde, who stuck out his right arm, but was well beaten.

Harrison admitted Hobbs has scored a number of penalties this season, but said: “It was a great goal!  It was a great finish!  He’s had a good season, he’s done well.  He’s had a few (penalties).  27 goals is very good for a wide player.  He’s had a great season.  He’s a great asset to the team.”

When asked whether clubs at a higher level of football have taken an interest in prising the winger away from Eden Park Avenue, Harrison replied, “He’s a fantastic player!  You could see what he could do.  He’s got all the ability in the world.

“I would imagine so, they’re interested in a couple of our players.  Luckily we’ve got a tight-nit group here who are pretty loyal so there’s a few players’ who could get money at other clubs, but they’re quite happy here.  It’s a great club.   We play the right way and they seem to be pretty happy, so it’s nice.”

Erith Town boss Russell added: “From our point of view it was sloppy.  We had possession of the ball and Razor (Powell) sort of rolled it into their guy, he nicked it off him and he brought him down.

“From that point on Jesus Christ!  It’s a great free-kick!  The boy’s got good technique!

“I’ve come down to watch him before.   We spoke about it before the game.  They knew everything about Beckenham and I said first 20 minutes you’ll sit there and think this is the best team we’ve played – because they are!

“They are the best side in this league but then they die off and then you’ve got a chance and then they let themselves down with their discipline and you get a chance and after their 30 minute burst I thought that was it.

“For the rest of the game I don’t think they did anything really.  We were just so poor.  We couldn’t get going.”

Alex Tiesse almost scored against his former club when the Beckenham Town striker went close with a right-footed drive from 22-yards, which flashed wide, before the home side deservedly doubled their lead in the 22^nd minute.

Hobbs picked the ball up and cut in from the left before cracking a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which forced Hyde into getting down low to his right to block, but he couldn’t keep hold of the ball and Die nipped in and dinked a right-footed shot over the keeper to score his 16^th goal of the season from two yards.

Harrison said: “Elstrom followed up well.  It was a nice effort and Elstrom’s in the right place and he finished well.  He dinked it over the keeper.  He didn’t lose his head, kept his composure and put it in nicely.”

Russell added: “It was poor from us.  The ball broke and Dean Morris went in for a 50-50 and didn’t really commit to it and it broke.

“We spoke about Jake (Hobbs) already and we said he comes in off that wing.  The boy’s got great technique and we let him do it!  We spoke about it at training.  We spoke about how to stop him.  All the time we’ve played against him before he ain’t really done nothing because we’ve stopped him, but you lax off and you give people of that quality and to be fair to Elstrom he followed it in.”

When asked if he thought Hobbs should still be playing in the Kent League, the Erith Town manager replied, “No! No way!  It’s up to him.  I don’t really know the boy.  I don’t know what his ambitions’ are.  Maybe he likes playing with his mates?  They all seem to be getting on well.  You’re asking the wrong person!”

Beckenham were enjoying their Monday night out on their excellent playing surface and Hobbs almost provided Tiesse with his first goal in Beckenham colours, but the unmarked striker headed wide.

Erith Town created a half-chance soon after when skipper Ben Payne met Burgess’ free-kick with a glancing header, which bounced into Blue’s gloves.

Beckenham midfielder Jamie Turner almost caught Hyde out when his right-footed cross-come-shot from 30-yards landed on the top of the roof of the Erith Town net.

It could have been three when former Fisher left-back Danny Tipple played a crisp one-two with Nick Curran, before curling a left-footed shot from 30-yards agonisingly wide of the near post, with the visiting keeper in full-flight to his right.

Russell said: “I said to them at half-time, I could’ve dragged eight off them (off the pitch).  I just think we turned up and went through the motions.”

Hyde made a fine save seven minutes into the second half when he tipped over Curran’s bullet-header from eight-yards after Hobbs delivered a driven corner towards the far post with his right-foot.

Harrison added: “He tipped it over.  Either side it was a goal but it was straight down the keeper’s throat.  He made a good save, got a good hand on it.”

Beckenham defender Jason Rose became the fourth home player to be booked by referee Mr Tim Burman in the 65^th minute when assistant referee Mr Digenis Koumas flagged for a tug on Erith Town substitute Junior Alabi.

There was a delay before the free-kick could be taken as Mr Burman spoke to the Beckenham bench and when the whistle did blow, Tuna sent a right-footed free-kick just over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Tuna’s right-footed shot on the turn, from 20-yards, rolled into Blue’s arms, after Burgess delivered a driven cross from the right flank.

Erith Town’s best chance of the second half, however, came in the final seventeen minutes of a poor display when Powell launched a throw into the penalty box and Payne’s glancing header was pushed away by Blue, high to his left, by the keeper’s left hand.

Beckenham went close through Jamie Turner’s right-footed smashed volley, after Hobbs’ right-wing corner was headed away.

Beckenham Town sealed a comfortable win, with a third goal in the 89^th minute.

Nathan Paul and substitute Danny McKone combined down the right, inside their own half, and one long ball released Slade, who cut inside Lee Craig and bent a low, left-footed drive, which flashed through Payne’s legs and the ball nestled inside the bottom far corner of the net.

Harrison praised Slade by saying, “He’s got a lot of potential Ben.  He’s raw this year, he’s a young lad, needs a bit of work, but he’ll learn next season.   He’ll come on.  He’s a good boy, a good lad.”

Russell added: “It was a good finish, to be fair.  Out of all the goals, you’ve got to take your hat off and go well played. He come inside and bent it into the corner.”

Beckenham squandered an excellent chance at the death when Slade’s right-footed shot was palmed over by Hyde after McKone had dummied Draper’s low cross from the left.

With the Beckenham Town defence well marshalled by Byron Beard and Jason Rose, Harrison was delighted with the clean sheet.

He said: “Our back four has been solid all year.  We don’t fear anyone.  Our back four has been very good and I think our midfield boys did well tonight as well.  The two wide boys tucked in and we got nice and compact and I don’t think we had a problem. 

“I don’t think Bluey had a shot all night.  He did what he had to do really well but I don’t think they had any out and out chances.

“We’ve kept a few clean sheets this year and we’re getting stronger at the back.”

Russell was bitterly disappointed at the final whistle and admitted it was a bad night.

“It was a bad day at the office,” he said.  “Someone said to me you’re going to have them sometimes as a manager. 

“We had a chat after I didn’t go mad.  I just said it’s not something I associate myself with and there’s ways of losing games of football and unfortunately we went down with a whimper.”

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Nathan Paul, Danny Tipple, Jason Rose, Byron Beard, Harry Draper, Nick Curran (Jamie Taylor 82), Jamie Turner (Danny McKone 82), Elstrom Die, Alex Tiesse (Ben Slade 82), Jake Hobbs.
Subs: Joe Jackson, Malik Fofana

Goals: Jake Hobbs 17, Elstrom Die 22, Ben Slade 89

Booked: Nathan Paul 15, Byron Beard 59, Danny Tipple 61, Jason Rose 65

Erith Town: Alex Hyde, Dean Morris, Lee Craig, Nick Davis, Ben Payne, Ray Powell (Marcus Perona 79), Liam Burgess, Chris Walker (Junior Alabi 33), Bradley Killick, Tamer Tuna, Grant Brown (Calum Comerford 54).
Subs: James Hawkins, Tristan Gordon

Booked: Ray Powell 17, Tamer Tuna 57, Ben Payne 83

Attendance: 82
Referee: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe)
Assistants: Mr Digenis Koumas (Camberwell, London SE5) & Mr Martin Cook (Sidcup)