Beckenham Town 1-5 Three Bridges - Rest assured it is not something that will be tolerated and some things are going to have to change, either mentality in the changing room or personnel, warns sorry Beckenham Town coach Phil Wilson

Beckenham Town 1 – 5 Three Bridges
Location	Eden Park Avenue, Beckenham, Kent BR3 3JL
Kickoff	09/09/2023 15:00

BECKENHAM TOWN  1-5  THREE BRIDGES
The Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 9 September 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

BECKENHAM TOWN coach Phil Wilson issued an apology to supporters after his side suffered an embarrassing humiliation at the hands of Three Bridges, as the club’s winless run in The FA Trophy continues.

Beckenham Town opened the scoring after only 86 seconds through winger Anthony Adesite’s fourth goal of the season.

Jamie Crellin’s men equalised on the stroke of half-time through a free header from attacking midfielder Kevin Riviera following a set-piece.

Three Bridges dominated the whole second half in 32 degree heat at Eden Park Avenue, with Noel Leighton notching from a rare error from goalkeeper Nick Blue, before Camron Lawson found the top far corner to put Three Bridges 3-1 up.

Three Bridges skipper Brannon O’Neill then tucked home a penalty, before striker Leighton tapped in his fifth goal of the season at the end as the home side capitulated during an awful second half performance.

Beckenham Town were also dumped out of The FA Trophy First Qualifying Round on their debut last season, losing to Heybridge Swifts on penalties after a 1-1 draw and Three Brides will travel to South Park (Reigate) in the next round in two weeks’ time, after they beat Erith & Belvedere 2-1 at home today.

Three Bridges are the surprise Isthmian League South East Division leaders, having picked up eight points from four games, while Beckenham Town (fifth-placed finishers and play-off semi-finalist at the end of their maiden campaign at this level) are in thirteenth-place with three points from three games.

Three Bridges claimed a 2-1 league win over Beckenham Town here on Match Day Two.

Jason Huntley’s side suffered a 7-0 home defeat to full-time National League side Dagenham & Redbridge in The FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round on 15 October 2022, while this was Beckenham’s worst performance at Eden Park Avenue against a club at their own level since Chatham Town won 5-1 here in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division on 10 October 2020.

“Embarrassing! Absolutely embarrassing! I think that second half is probably the worst half of football of any team that I’ve ever been involved in,” said Wilson.

“There was no willingness to run and they (our players) cheated, they cheated today because two weeks ago they played Erith & Belvedere off the park and were absolutely fantastic (in a 2-0 league win at Park View Road), one of the best performances I’ve seen since I’ve been at Beckenham and the only way you put in a performance like that today, from a performance two weeks ago, is cheating!

“It was the same heat for both teams. They (Three Bridges) were more willing to break necks and work hard in the heat, not use the heat as an excuse from the get-go.  No one was willing to run in behind, so it was a congested pitch.  They’ve got a midfield that want to play and they got bodies in midfield and they did that very well today.

“We didn’t react enough. We were lazy physically and when you’re lazy physically in a game, mentally you start to make mistakes as well. There was no communication, no passing people on, it was just nothing!”

Huntley made five changes to his side that were dumped out of The FA Cup First Qualifying Round last weekend, losing 5-4 at Berkhamsted Town, with Mason Whitnell in goal.

Adesite almost gave Three Bridges a chance to score inside 16 seconds, giving the ball away in midfield to Leighton, who cut into the box and went on the inside of Mudiaga Wanogho, before Blue smothered the ball.

However, Beckenham grabbed the lead with their first attack.

Right-back Robert Carter released Adesite down the right and he easily cut inside Three Bridges’ left-back Ridwan Euba, did a couple of step-overs before clinically stroking his left-footed shot around the diving keeper to find the bottom far corner from 16-yards.

Wilson said: “It was a good goal. It was a good piece of play. It’s an example of how we can play and an example that you don’t become a bad player in five minutes.  We did the right thing for 90 seconds of the game and then we didn’t want to work hard. It was a good start but it’s irrelevant.”

The hottest day of the year brought a slow tempo to the game, with Beckenham Town playing out from the back and Euba was the weak link in the away side’s defence in the first half.

Beckenham’s defending was awful.  Left-back Jargal Enkh gave the ball away and Leighton worked the right channel and put in a low cross and centre-half Wanogho was rather fortunate that his poor clearance was sliced over his own goal.

The impressive Riviera drilled a right-footed drive high over the crossbar from 25-yards after centre-half Callum Donaghey played the ball along the deck to central midfielder Harvey Woollard in the 17^th minute.

The home side were patient in their attempts to build attacks with central defender Danny Waldren not pressed so he easily played the ball into deep striker Emmanuel Oloyede.

Carter then fed Adesite, who went on a mazy run towards the edge of the Three Bridges’ penalty area before digging the ball out of his feet and his left-footed rasping drive was plucked out of the air by visiting keeper Mitchell Bromage.

“We had chances in the first half, even though we were poor.  We had a few chances that could’ve ended the game and then we didn’t take them and then we paid the price for it,” admitted Wilson.

The former Dulwich Hamlet goalkeeper was asked why talisman striker Louie Theophanous , 31, hasn’t turned out for the club in any of their six games this season.

Theophanous scored 30 goals for the club last season and 18 the previous season when the club won the Combined Counties League Premier Division South title at the first attempt.

“With regards to Louie, it’s just time at the moment. He’s just got a lot of work (promoted in his job in recruitment) and family commitments.  He’s not looking to go anywhere else at the moment but wants to be able to make sure that he’ll be able to commit full-time.”

When asked about Oloyde’s performance today, Wilson replied: “He couldn’t play last week because he was cup-tied, so he’s lacking a bit of match fitness.

“We all know he’s dangerous. He won the league last year with Chatham and was part of Corinthian’s promotion team. Mentally a winner, so hopefully we can get him fit and firing.”

There were plenty of bodies in front of Leighton in the final third for the former Margate striker to stab the ball inside to Lawson, who unleashed a left-footed angled drive from 25-yards into Blue’s midriff for a comfortable save in the 29^th minute.

Wilson said: “They were starting to creep into the game. We weren’t closing down enough.  There was enough bodies at that point around to not give him a free shot but one we expect Bluey to deal with.”

Beckenham Town went close to doubling their lead inside the final five minutes of the first-half.

Waldren’s right-footed long ball was clipped over the top of Three Bridges’ right-back Daniel Ferrira and he laid the ball off to Bradley Ryan, whose first time angled drive flashed across the keeper and past the foot of the far post from a couple of yards outside the Three Bridges penalty area.

Another chance came Beckenham Town’s way, two minutes and 49 seconds into stoppage time.

Steven Townsend picked the pocket of centre-half Tresor Difika in midfield and sent Freddie Nyhus on his way on the counter-attack but the diminutive central midfielder hit his left-footed shot inches past the top of the far post from 18-yards.

“That could’ve changed that game,” admitted Wilson.

“It would’ve taken the sting out of that half, at least.  We could’ve gone in and re-grouped and tactically been able to not need to push for another goal and perhaps sit in and not work as hard in the heat to go forward – but it wasn’t to be.”

Three Bridges grabbed their equaliser with 49:24 on the clock, following their third of six corners.

O’Neil floated in a left-footed delivery from the left towards the back post and Riviera powered a free downward header into the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards.

“We were slow to get organised and paid the price.  I mean, they deserved their goal towards the end of the first half.  They were pushing and they well worth their money today,” added Wilson.

Beckenham Town created an opening with the last touch of the ball in the first half (51:19 – the referee Billy Woods allowed one water break in each half due to the extremely hot temperatures).

Ryan overhit a corner from the left, Waldren recycled the ball back into a crowded penalty area from the right and holding midfielder George Goodwin looped his header over the crossbar.

Wilson hinted that the riot act was read by Huntley and his management team (Billy Walton, Peter Sweeney, Jason Clews and Wilson) during the break.

Wilson said: “Not good enough! Lazy, not bright enough to see simple things.  When their movement’s good, they rotate well but it’s not impossible to stop and because we were being lazy physically and mentally, people weren’t switching on to have to look after their areas.  People were thinking they can just stay with their man and that’s their job done but when the movement is good and you’re not working hard to track your men, it doesn’t work like that and you have to close areas down and we didn’t do that.”

Wilson revealed they Goodwin was hooked at the break for Nick Curran, who sat in front of the back four and often opened the gate and didn’t track midfield runners, just like his fellow midfielders.

“George wasn’t feeling right.  George said to us ‘he wasn’t feeling right,” revealed Wilson.

“He’s been away so it was his first game back for a couple of weeks, so maybe the heat got to him, so it was a like-for-like swap.

“Cuzzy played in the Erith & Belvedere game and did absolutely fantastic at that role. He was probably unfortunate not to start today but he came in and we asked him to do what he did at Erith.”

Three Bridges created their first chance of a dominant second half after only 93 seconds.

Centre-half Donaghey played a sublime right-footed through ball from the heart of defence, which split open Wanogho and played in Riviera in a one-v-one but Blue saved his side’s bacon by coming off his line and tipping the ball around the post.

“I thought it was a midfield runner, he wasn’t tracked and the gaps between the centre-halves and the full-back was too big,” admitted Wilson.

“I don’t think he meant to play the pass as well as he did but it was a good pass and Bluey put us out of the mess there.”

The home side went close in the tenth minute when Adesite cut in from the left into a pocket of space before cracking a right-footed drive towards the goal from 35-yards, which only just flashed the foot of the left-hand post.

But as soon as the former VCD Athletic man was forced off with an ankle injury in the 64^th minute, Beckenham’s attacking threat subsided.

“He got a knock on the ankle.  It was taped up today. He picked up the injury at Erith & Belvedere but at that point we didn’t want to take any risk with him,” added Wilson.

Three Bridges deservedly took the lead with 10 minutes and 27 seconds on the clock.

Riviera was inside the centre-circle and his fine pass split open Wanogho to play in Leighton.  Blue came rushing out of his penalty area and attempted to hook the ball clear but he missed his clearance and poacher Leighton held his composure to hook his right-footed shot bouncing into the bottom right-hand corner of an open goal from 18-yards.

“Again it was sloppy.  Mudi (Wanogho) should’ve headed it. He was trying to bring it down, had a big touch and given it straight to him.  It’s an individual error and we’re pushed up the pitch, so not tracking the runners again.

“Bluey, he’s had an absolutely fantastic career and he’s allowed an off-day sometimes and he’s unfortunate on that one.”

Referee Billy Woods allowed Beckenham Town to make a fourth substitution in the 64^th minute when Ibrahim Jalloh came on for the injured Adesite.

“Their first substitution was a concussion substitution so when their number two (Ferrira) came off because they get the extra sub, we get an extra sub as well.  Teams are allowed to make four subs (when a player goes off with a concussion injury), that’s what I was told.”

Difika’s hooked pass released Riviera charging down the left and he played the ball inside to Leighton, whose deflected shot from 15-yards was comfortably smothered by Blue, low to his right.

Three Bridges scored their third goal of the game with 25 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.

Substitute full-back Gianni Ashley stormed down the left wing and he was denied a goal by Blue.

The ball was then worked to Ethon Archer outside the box, who put it on a plate for Lawson, who curled his left-footed shot sailing into the top left-hand corner from 18-yards, with Blue rooted to the spot.

“It was a good finish but he was allowed a lot of time,” said Wilson.

“Again, we weren’t pressing people on the ball enough and no disrespect to the boy but if anybody has got that sort of time on the edge of the box, you can have a go at picking out the top corner. He’s done well to find it but it’s poor from us. He shouldn’t have that time.”

The ineffective Ryan cut into the Three Bridges penalty area before cutting the ball back to Jalloh, who drilled a low deflected angled drive, which flashed across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from inside the box.

“I don’t remember us having many other chances to that so it was a bit of a half-chance - because we weren’t working hard enough to create proper chances,” added Wilson.

Jalloh was then tripped by Riviera some 25-yards from goal and Nyhus’ free-kick was pushed towards safety by the flying Bromage, diving to his right and using both of his hands to prevent the ball flying into the top left-hand corner inside the final 12 minutes.

“It was not a bad strike from Freddie to be honest. It was good for us to have a free-kick and hit the target, a good save from the keeper,” added Wilson.

Three Bridges notched their fourth goal of the game with 37:22 on the clock.

Ashley cut in from the left and played the ball into Leighton, who played Archer on the outside and he was tripped in the corner of the six-yard box by Blue, the last man of defence.

O’Neill drove his left-footed penalty past Blue to find the bottom right-hand corner to score his third goal of the season.

“Again, just not tracking runners back. I think it came from our goal-kick and three or four people around the ball but not challenging for the ball, so he was able to break free,” added Wilson.

Three Bridges scored their fifth goal of the game with 41:25 on the clock, as Carter and Waldren opened the gate again and Three Bridges punished the pair on the counter-attack.

Difika released Riviera charging down the left and after reaching the channel he put it on a plate for an unmarked Leighton to tap the ball into the bottom right-hand corner at the far post.

Wilson said: “I think that epitomised the performance really. They just cheated. I don’t understand how you can play like you can at Erith one week and then put in a performance like that?

“Three Bridges were fully deserving of their win today. I mean no disrespect to them, when we talk how poor we were, you can’t play well when it’s going nice and easy and not have enough fight when you’re in a bit more of a battle.  You’ve got to think a little bit harder and they play a way that you have to think and we didn’t do that.”

Wanogho opted against launching in his fifth long throw into the box, throwing it some 20-yards inside to an unmarked Waldren, who drilled his 35-yarder just past the foot of the left-hand post (44:49).

Leaking 10 goals in two games is a concern for the Beckenham Town management team, who need to bring in reinforcements as several players’ performances were not good enough for this level.

“Yes (it’s a concern), for lots of reasons, like I say, the performances have been inconsistent and I didn’t think there’s an issue with technical ability in the team but certainly mentality they’ve got to be a lot tougher and willing to work a lot harder, particularly when things aren’t going well, otherwise if you’re going to give up in games, you’re going to concede a lot of goals,” warned Wilson, who was asked what message he’s got to the fans after today’s humiliation.

“Sorry! For them to put their money into watching that today and rest assured it is not something that will be tolerated and some things are going to have to change either mentality in the changing room is going to have to change, or personnel.

“We’ve got a lot of thinking to do over the weekend.  I don’t want to react emotionally to it but I think if you look at the inconsistency in performances, we’ve shown how well we can play and probably, arguably the two tougher games that we’ve had, where we’ve won have been against better teams and I don’t mean that any disrespectfully against anyone.

“Both Ashford (who we beat 3-2 away in The FA Cup Preliminary Round) and Erith & Belvedere are teams that people have been talking about as doing well and I’m sure they will both do well, so it’s not about ability, it’s about mentality, so people need to start showing that ugly side of the game as well. It’s all well trying to play nice football but if you’re not willing to work hard and battle first, it's irrelevant.”

Beckenham Town travel to Sheppey United on Tuesday night in the Kent Senior Cup First Round. 

Ernie Batten’s men are unbeaten in the top eight in the Isthmian League South East Division table with five points from three games and came away from East Grinstead Town with a 1-0 win in the FA Trophy today.

Beckenham Town return to League action at home to sixteenth-placed Broadbridge Heath on Saturday.

“It’s always going to be a tough game down there (Sheppey), so again it’s going to be a kind of battle. It’s going to be tough mentally. They play on a 3G pitch and they play on it very well at home.

“It’s a Cup that it will be quite nice to get a little run in, so we won’t be going in their kind of resting people. We need to win and start a little run going, so it’s a big game now.”

Wilson added: “The table standings don’t really mean that much at the moment. I’m sure we had conversations like this last year when we were top of the league.

“At this time of the year the table doesn’t kind of mean anything. It’s about building good runs and getting some good performances and consistency in which we’re not doing at the moment, so regardless of positions in the league, the performances haven’t been good enough. The results have reflected that and something has to change.”

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Robert Carter, Jargal Enkh, George Goodwin (Nick Curran 46), Mudiaga Wanogho, Danny Waldren, Anthony Adesite (Ibrahim Jalloh 64), Freddie Nyhus, Emmanuel Oloyede (Henry Griffin 73), Bradley Ryan, Steven Townsend (Cameron Brown 61).
Sub: Yahaya Kamara

Goals: Anthony Adesite 2

Booked: Emmanuel Oloyede 58, Danny Waldren 90

Three Bridges: Mitchell Bromage, Daniel Ferrira (Gianni Ashley 42), Ridwan Euba, Brannon O’Neill, Callum Donaghey (Billy Irving 78), Tresor Difika, Ethon Archer, Harvey Woollard (Bryan Villavicenco 49), Noel Leighton, Kevin Riviera, Camron Lawson.
Subs: Elliot Hanslow, Reegan Jeffrey, Leo Anderson, Harvey Griffiths

Goals: Kevin Riviera 45, Noel Leighton 56, 87, Camron Lawson 71, Brannon O’Neill 83 (penalty)

Booked: Brannon O’Neill 22

Attendance: 115
Referee:  Mr Billy Woods
Assistants: Mr Emre Arslan &  Mr Adam Shimmin
Observer:  Mr Valentine Anekwe