Beckenham Town 3-0 Littlehampton Town - Gary Gorman has to score in the big games, says Huntley

Tuesday 17th August 2010

BECKENHAM TOWN 3-0 LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 17th August 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

BECKENHAM TOWN eased their way past a poor Littlehampton Town side to book a Preliminary Round trip to local rivals Thamesmead Town on Saturday week.

Dominating from start-to-finish against lower league opposition, twice hitting the post during the first half, Beckenham had to wait until the 53rd minute to take the first of their numerous chances, when young striker Quentin Conteh headed home from close range.

Strike partner Gary Gorman then opened his account for the new season, and the comfortable win was wrapped up when Littlehampton defender Ross McKay sliced the ball into his own net.

“To be fair to them, they acquitted themselves a lot better than they did on Sunday,” said Beckenham Town boss Jason Huntley, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“They were a lot better team, simply because they worked hard. Sunday we played very, very well. In the end we was trying to walk the ball in. It could’ve been 10 goals, but we only had one goal and we gave one away at the end.

“That’s why we had to come back here tonight, but I’m pleased with the second half performance.

“First half we were a bit disjointed. We changed the shape of the team from Sunday because we thought we could attack them a lot better with three at the back and two wing-backs. It didn’t suit us so I changed it around second half and we settled down a bit, played a bit better second half and I was so pleased when the chances came along and we took them.”

Played on an immaculate pitch at Eden Park Avenue, the Kent League hosts should have wracked up a lot more than three goals against their Sussex County League second division opponents.

A curling effort from Conteh, which narrowly missed the target, inside the opening three minutes set the tone for a one-sided affair.

Another chance swiftly followed when Beckenham skipper Nick Curran released Danny McKone down the right and after sliding the ball through Gary Young’s legs, Littlehampton’s keeper James Askew saved comfortably at his near post.

Beckenham first struck the woodwork after 19 minutes when Chris Hill played the ball out of defence, which released Danny Lawson down the left and he cut the ball back to Allie Janard and the left wing-back looped over a cross, which Gary Gorman turned McKay and his driven shot smacked the near post.

Littlehampton’s one and only half chance arrived after 25 minutes when Nathan Peacock rode a challenge from central defender James Holder before racing forward and his cross was met by Barney Boutwood’s header, which looped onto the roof of the net.

Beckenham struck the woodwork again within a minute when Conteh unselfishly cut the ball back to the impressive Curran and the central midfielder’s right-footed drive from 30-yards bounced off the right-hand post.

Beckenham created - and squandered - even more chances before the break.

Lawson beat his man and drilled a right-footed shot from 25-yards straight into Askew’s grateful arms; Gary Gorman slammed an easy chance wide when all he had to do was side-foot the ball home, as Huntley admitted that he thought it was going to be one of those nights.

He said: “First half, again, we created enough chances to go three or four nil up again. You know it’s always on a knife edge. I tried telling that to the players. I told them don’t turn up thinking the job’s done because you’ve seen what the opposition are like (thinking) you just got to turn up to win the game because it doesn’t happen.

“I was not worried as such, it’s 0-0 at half-time and you know it should be 4-0. There’s many games when you come out and the longer the time goes on without you getting a goal people start getting jittery and it’s always a chance you concede a goal.”

Huntley and the larger-than-normal crowd of 137 didn’t have to wait for the deadlock to be broken - and just like London Buses, two goals came along at once.

Curran floated over a free-kick from the right and Littlehampton’s defending was poor and they failed to pick up Conteh, who stooped low to head the ball underneath Askew from just three yards out, to hand the Kent side the 53rd minute breakthrough.

Huntley wanted Gorman to be accredited with the second goal - just three minutes later - to boost his confidence levels.

The former Orpington striker cut in from the left flank and his right-footed drive took a wicked deflection off McKay’s heels, deceiving his keeper, who went one way, and the ball bounced into the bottom far corner.

Huntley, who now lives in Keston, said: “He’s a confidence player, Gary, he’s had a load of chances over the last couple of weeks and he hasn’t taken them.

“In pre-season he started off well, he got a lot of goals but he’s got to do it in the big games. It’s great he’s got one now because his confidence will rise now.”

Gorman was denied a second goal by Askew’s fingertips, the visiting keeper tipping the ball into the side netting, as the striker picked the ball up in space inside the penalty box.

The third goal duly arrived in the final fifteen minutes.

McKone played an excellent diagonal ball that sent Lawson racing down the right and his cut back was destined to be finished off by Beckenham, but McKay got their first to slice the ball backwards and the ball bounced into the far corner of the Littlehampton net.

Beckenham really should’ve rattled up a cricket score as Lawson and substitute Reece Parmenter had late chances and Gorman’s low drive brought the very best out Askew, who tipped the ball around the post.

Littlehampton’s one and only shot on target came in the 86th minute when following a short corner taken by skipper Young, substitute Daryl Wollers’ ambitious long-range effort was tipped over by Nick Blue.

The comfortable victory should boost confidence ahead of Herne Bay’s visit to Eden Park Avenue on Saturday.

“It’ll be a good game,” predicted Huntley, knowing both sides love to get the ball down and play.

“They absolutely murdered us last game of last season when we played them down here so I’m expecting a very tough game against them.

“As you can see the pitch is fantastic, playing well at the moment, and when we do knock the ball about we are a very good side, so hopefully we’ll come with a very good attitude, set ourselves up Thursday for Saturday and I hope to get something out of it.”

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Jason Cook (Nathan Paul 46), Allie Janard (Joe Penny 70), Chris Hill, Danny Gorman, James Holder, Danny McKone, Nick Curran (Reece Parmenter 74), Quentin Conteh, Gary Gorman, Danny Lawson.
Subs: Ibrahim Fusieni, Josh Hawkins.

Goals: Quentin Conteh 53, Gary Gorman, 56, Ross McKay (own goal) 75

Littlehampton Town: James Askew, Ben Crawford (Daryl Wollers 80), Jon Bennett, Gary Young, Ross McKay, Tom White, Steve Taylor, Niall O’Hagan (Nick Kavallierou 82), Barney Boutwood, Jason Jarvis (David Gaskin 69), Nathan Peacock.
Subs: Idriz Adedoja, Shane Collender.

Booked: Niall O’Hagan 67

Attendance: 137
Referee: Mr Greg Read (Woking, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Adam Back (Sidcup) & Mr Trevor Cogley (Sidcup)