Beckenham Town 2-0 Faversham Town - It's another one of those last game's of the season where we've got something to play for and so have they, says excited Beckenham Town assistant manager Billy Walton

Beckenham Town 2 – 0 Faversham Town
Location	Eden Park Avenue, Beckenham, Kent BR3 3JL
Kickoff	18/04/2023 19:45

BECKENHAM TOWN  2-0  FAVERSHAM TOWN
Isthmian League South East Division
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

BECKENHAM TOWN assistant manager Billy Walton insists his players will be able to handle the pressure that will come during their final day trip to Burgess Hill Town after reclaiming their place back in the play-offs after beating already relegated Faversham Town.

Jason Huntley’s side were knocked out of the play-off zone after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to East Grinstead Town at the weekend but talisman striker Louie Theophanous’ 30^th goal of the season (from the penalty spot) and an own-goal from Faversham centre-half Jacques Kpohomouh gave Beckenham Town the victory they needed to climb into fourth-place in this exciting Isthmian League South East play-off race.

Champions Chatham Town (76 points from 37 games) are waiting to see who will join them in the Isthmian League Premier Division next season, as six clubs are fighting it out in a nail-biting final 90 or so minutes of the season on Saturday.

Ramsgate (69 points), Whitehawk (68); Beckenham Town (67) and Cray Valley (65) go into the final day sitting in the play-off zone, with Sheppey United (64) and Hythe Town (64) ready to pounce.

Ramsgate go to eighth-placed Ashford United on Saturday; Whitehawk are at home to bottom side Corinthian; Beckenham Town are away to a Burgess Hill Town side with survival at stake and Cray Valley lock horns with Sheppey United at home, while Hythe Town host Haywards Heath Town, who also have survival at stake.

Sammy Moore has failed in his bid to keep Faversham Town in this division and this was his 10^th defeat in his 21^st game in charge, with the Lilywhites picking up 28 points, a point more than Michael Golding’s Corinthian.

“Highly delighted to get the three points, which we needed to get us back into the play-offs, job done really,” said Walton.

Beckenham Town claimed the Combined Counties League Premier Division South title on the final day of last season by beating Camberley Town here 3-0.

“It wasn’t the greatest performance, it wasn’t the greatest game but with one game to go or two games to go with tonight’s game, you just want to win the game.

“Give them their due, they didn’t come here and roll over. They played some good football and they gave us a hard game, so full credit to Faversham and I wish them all the best and hopefully they’ll come back up.

“The thing is this group of lads can handle the pressure.  It was the same as last year. We had to win the last game to win the league so they’re used to being under pressure.  It’s a good thing having all that experience, when you’ve been playing all of those games under pressure, they looked after it really well.”

However, relegated sides always seem to play with no fear and this was the case tonight and Faversham were the better side for large parts of this encounter at Eden Park Avenue.

The first 30 minutes was a stalemate, as Faversham Town showed plenty of heart, desire and character to keep their promotion-chasing hosts at arms’ length.

Centre-half Darren Phillips was cajoling his team-mates and Ollie Gray (who sat in front of the back four and helped out in defence to slam the door shut) put in a typical Ollie Gray performance full of heart and commitment.

“Listen, fair play to them, a lot of people don’t give teams a lot of credit, fair play to them,” said Walton.

“They dropped into a 4-5-1 when they were out of possession and sat back and asked us to break them down really and it’s something that you don’t really work on, how do you break them down when they’re keeping their shape, so we asked the boys just to be patient on the ball but give them credit.

“Listen, when you’re relegated and you’ve got nothing to play for and they came here and got a free hit so I thought Faversham done really well.”

The game started to open up with Faversham creating the first real chance of the game in the 33^rd minute.

Central midfielder Toby Ajala swung in a corner from the right, goalkeeper Nick Blue flapped at the ball, there was pinball inside the Beckenham box and the ball finally came out to lone striker Ronald Sithole, who drilled a low shot through the crowd of players, which was blocked by the goalkeeper’s outstretched right leg.

“He had a great chance to score there. I thought he sort of scuffed his shot and it ended up being more of a little back pass than a shot at goal and it was quite comfortably for Bluey.  I would expect him to save that anyway,” said Walton.

Beckenham Town immediately raced up the other end and created their first opening just 77 seconds later on the counter-attack.

Right-winger Stefan Cox came alive and floated in a cross from within the right channel into the middle where Theophanous jumped and skimmed his header off target.

“It was one of the first time in the first half when we broke at pace and we had literally three or four passes and we had an effort at goal, where really we should’ve scored,” added Walton.

Beckenham Town grabbed the lead, however, with 40 minutes and 26 seconds on the clock, courtesy of an emphatic penalty from Theophanous.

Nick Curran played the ball over to the left towards Danny Waldren (the first time that the holding midfielder had ventured over to that side of the pitch) and he played the ball down the line for left-winger Ibrahim Jalloh.

He twisted and turned Faversham’s right-back Harry Barkaway, who ended up fouling his opponent close to the by-line and referee Benjamin McDonald pointed to the spot.

Bailey Vose dived to his right but Theophanous drilled his right-footed penalty straight down the middle but into the roof of the net.

Walton said: “There again, it was the first time where we moved the ball quicky and Ibrahim done a little bit of magic and turned and he even confused me really. I was watching and I didn’t know which way he was going to turn, so I don’t know where the defender thought he was going but he turned, got himself in the box, where he’s got those long, gangly legs and he’s unorthodox and you’re going to get your penalties.”

On the penalty itself, Walton replied: “It’s what I’ve been saying to people all day long. Nine times out of 10 the goalkeeper will dive. I very rarely see a goalkeeper stand pinpoint in the middle and think ‘go on then, if you hit it straight at me, I’m going to stop it.”

Sithole – who has scored five goals for Faversham since his arrival – unleashed a left-footed drive which only just screamed past the top of the near post from the corner of the Beckenham Town box, before a long ball out of defence released right-winger Harry Codd, whose low right-footed angled drive from 16-yards was comfortably held by Blue low to his right.

Beckenham Town produced a sweeping move 69 seconds into stoppage time when Curran’s first time pass from inside the Beckenham half released Jalloh in the middle and he fed Theophanous through on goal but his left-footed drive from 20-yards was kept out by a flying Vose to his right.

Faversham Town went close to equalising with the last kick of the first-half, however.

No one was pressing Phillips as he played a long diagonal out of the Faversham defence and Sithole cut inside before drilling a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which saw Blue drop down to his knees and comfortably gather.

“It did open up a bit.  Faversham still kept their shape really well. They were organised and kept it nice and tight and it was difficult for us to open them up, so I don’t think there were a lot of opportunities for us in the first half,” admitted Walton, who would like to express best wishes to Owen Jones (the former Greenwich Borough, Erith & Belvedere and Sporting Club Thamesmead manager) who is currently ill in hospital.

“We totally, totally, totally lost concentration all of us and actually I lost concentration as well because I weren’t looking and I looked up and the next thing I see was two of them on the edge of our box with a free shot at goal just before half-time as well.  You don’t want them to score there.”

When asked about his thoughts at the break, Walton replied: “We didn’t really pass the ball quick enough. When a team is sitting in like that, just keep moving it.   They let us have the ball in our half so if they’re letting us have the ball and they’ve got a five-man midfield and a four sitting behind, then we’ve got to move them apart and keep it.  Instead of keeping it for three or four passes, keep it for eight, nine, 10 passes.  Eventually, they’ll come out and you’ll get in.”

Beckenham Town created their first opening of the second half just 60 seconds into it.

Steven Townsend - who played in the number 10 role behind Theophanous as Jalloh was operating in his usual position down the left-wing - floated in a deep right-footed free-kick from within the left and right-back Harvey Brand put the ball back to where it came from and Theophanous took a touch before drilling his shot into the foot of the side netting.

Ajala slid in to win the ball from Waldren inside the Faversham half and the ball was worked up to Codd, who rolled a 20-yard pass into Kieron McCann but the central midfielder’s left-footed drive from 25-yards bounced once before Blue comfortably gathered.

Walton joked: “I think Bluey was picking a bit of his bacon roll that he dropped off the floor, that’s why he was on his knees.  I’m sure it was a routine save for him and I expect him to save that…”

Ajala split open the two Beckenham centre-halves and gave Codd his big moment as he faced Blue in a one-v-one dual in the 12^th minute, rolling the ball across the goalkeeper but it lacked power and centre-half Robert Carter was on hand to clear his lines.

Beckenham Town were guilty of dropping too deep as Faversham Town continued to play on the front foot and with momentum and were the better side.

“It reminded me of England in the Euro’s, go 1-0 up and then we defend on the edge of our penalty area,” said Walton.

“I’ve never seen a team that really survives it. Luckily enough for us we did survive it and we were talking to Rob Carter, who marshalls the back quite well, to get us up the pitch.

“I don’t know why on earth people do it. We just retaliate, retaliate, retaliate. If you think that’s the best way to defend, why don’t you do that from the start?!

All that was missing was a clinical finish from the Lilywhites because it felt like that the relegated side were the team that were looking to score the next goal.

Barkaway threw the ball short to Kpohomouh, who floated in a deep cross into the box but substitute Hafeez Irawo lacked composure on the edge of the box and sliced his half-volley off target.

Beckenham Town needed a second goal to kill the game off and it arrived with 36:01 on the clock.

Slender substitute central midfielder Freddie Nyhus, 18, – who is going on trial at Derby County – played a sublime 40-yard through ball along the deck from inside his own half that split open Kpohomouh to put Theophanous through on goal with former Folkestone Invicta goalkeeper Vose to beat.

The striker’s right-footed shot was kept out by Vose’s right-leg but the ball ricochet off the unfortunate Kpohomouh and looped over his goalkeeper and dropped in underneath the crossbar into the centre of the goal.

It's the luck that you get when you’re in the higher reaches of the league table and the bad luck you suffer from when you’re not.

“It’s an own goal, really unfortunate because I thought (Kpohomouh) had a good game, I felt sorry for him really,” said Walton.

“Going back to Freddie, that’s what the kid can do. He’s got bundles and bundles of talent the kid. He’s going to be a player the lad.  Every time I see him come on the pitch and he gets hold of the ball, nine times out of 10 he’ll make something happen.”

The referee played seven minutes and 23 seconds of stoppage time and towards the end, Waldren went on a 60-yard run with the ball towards the corner of the Faversham box but his left-footed drive deflected off Matthew Parsons and was comfortably gathered by Vose.

“Listen, when everyone’s looking at results elsewhere and asking what’s going on elsewhere, just win our game. As long as we win the game and get three points, that’s all that matters but you are nervous because there’s so much at stake,” said Walton.

With Corinthian and Faversham Town playing Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division football next season, the relegation play-off contains Haywards Heath Town (36 points) and VCD Athletic (37) and Burgess Hill Town (38) welcome Beckenham Town on Saturday currently safe, but suffered a 4-0 defeat at Sittingbourne tonight.

 “Who would’ve thought that way back in August when we were down at Lancing and we won our first ever game in this league that we would be in the play-offs that we’d be fourth in the league – it’s remarkable really,” said Walton.

“Fair play to every single person that’s involved, from Yvonne Cunningham who makes the sausage rolls and the hotdogs to people like me who have to fill up the water bottles and all the players – what a great achievement!

“It will be another nerve wracking and exciting game for us, another one of those last games of the season where we’ve got something to play for and so have they and that’s why you’re in football surely to go and do things like that.

“It’s really exciting.  I really enjoy them personally. It will make me want to go to work (as a painter and decorator) and look forward to Saturday and have something to play for.

“There will be loads of people who would want to take our position and going there on Saturday and try to win the game and finish in the play-offs (in our first season at this level), so I’ll take that all day long.”

Walton revealed that left-back Archie Johnson was not risked through injury but was impressed with his replacement, Henry Griffin.

“Archie’s got a bad cut and really damaged his elbow really bad (crashing into the advertising hoardings against East Grinstead) so hopefully a few days’ rest.  Listen, what a great replacement, the young kid Henry came in tonight and played as though he played for us all season.” 

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Harvey Brand, Henry Griffin, Danny Waldren, Mudiaga Wanogho, Robert Carter, Ibrahim Jalloh (Jamie Humphris 86), Nick Curran (Freddie Nyhus 58), Louie Theophanous, Steven Townsend, Stefan Cox (Alfie Bloomfield 65).
Subs: Freddie Cray, Yahaya Kamara.

Goals: Louie Theophanous 41 (penalty), Jacques Kpohomouh 82 (own goal)

Booked: Alfie Bloomfield 75

Faversham Town: Bailey Vose, Harry Barkaway (Sebastian Koloko 89), Matthew Parsons, Ollie Gray, Darren Phillips, Jacques Kpohomouh, Egid Aydin (Hafeez Irawo 50), Kieron McCann, Ronald Sithole, Toby Ajala, Harry Codd (Zeus McCully 83).

Attendance: 210
Referee:  Mr Benjamin McDonald
Assistants: Mr Nik Garside & Mr David Spain