Bly Spartans 0-0 Sutton Athletic - We've not lost the title today, says Bly Spartans boss Matt Hume

BLY SPARTANS  0-0  SUTTON ATHLETIC
Kent Invicta League
Tuesday 13^th March 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Rede Court Road

BLY SPARTANS’ manager Matt Hume has told his players’ to remain positive despite being held to a bore draw by in-form Sutton Athletic.

The Strood outfit could have moved five points clear of Phoenix Sports at the top of the Kent Invicta League had they claimed three points tonight, but they were left frustrated as sixth-placed Sutton Athletic remained resilient during a  game that lacked any quality in the final third.

When asked what was going through his mind at the final whistle, Hume, 42, said: “A number of things really. It was a tight first half, we didn’t play very well and I think what’s going on in my mind now is after the game we clearly feel we should’ve got something out of it and gone on and won it.

“I think there was only one side in it in the second half and our quality shone through.

“I’m disappointed but going towards the end of the season now it’s as much about results as well as performances and we have to feel confident about the way we played over the last 45 minutes to go into Saturday’s game (away to Lewisham Borough).

“You can’t be negative about what’s happened today.  You’ve got to keep being positive and go into Saturday’s game remembering how well we played in that second half.”

Sutton Athletic manager, Guy Eldridge, 52, who has managed the club for the last six years, added: “Pleased with it. We’ve been going really well lately.  We had the better of the first half. To be fair to them they probably had the better of the second half, but we kept our shape. 

“We restricted them to not many chances, which was really good and we might’ve nicked it a couple of occasions at the other end, but it was good. I thought we played quite well.  Nil-nil, for me, was a fair result, I thought anyway.”

Bly Spartans, however, stretched their unbeaten run to six, while Sutton Athletic extended their unbeaten run to nine games, having arrived at Rede Court Road with eight wins on the spin.

Both goalkeepers were hardly tested in a game where both defences won the day, with Peter Hawkins and Aaron Burrett forming a solid wall in front of Spartans’ keeper Luke Watkins, while at the other end, visiting keeper Carl O’Neill had Chris Mirless and Neil May in commanding form.

Sutton Athletic started brightly and they almost stunned the league leaders inside the opening four minutes, but Michael Close’s stroked a deflected free-kick agonisingly wide of the near post from 25-yards.

Bly Spartans should have opened the scoring when Matt McHugh whipped in a cross from the right and Anthony Uden stabbed a left-footed volley wide, despite being left unmarked inside the penalty box.

The game then turned into a midfield battle, with challenges flying in from both sides, with no-one able to get their foot on the ball and play a passing game.

Hume said: “I think it took a little while for everyone to get used to the conditions.  Although it looked nice out there, the pitch was a little bit bobbly.

“I think both teams were finding their feet.  It was competitive and a bit scrappy and I think the second half there was a few changes made by both sides but we definitely dominated it and played much better football and created the better chances.”

Bly Spartans won the foul count 19-14 and the game was rather uninspiring for the 73 people that turned out to watch the battle on a chilly March evening.

Sutton Athletic shaded it on minimal first half chances and they really should have taken the lead on the half-hour mark.

Left-back Luke Underdown pumped the ball upfield and striker Lee Sperring rose and knocked the ball down and Gary Wisdom picked the ball up and burst forward before whipping in an excellent low cross across the face of goal towards Jack White, who had ghosted in at the far post, but the midfielder’s low drive was parried by Watkins at his near post.

Bly Spartans were lively down the right during the first half and Craig Beckwith and right-back Martin Defidi combined and Defidi’s cross wasn’t cleared by May at the near post, but Scott Beale snatched at the chance, firing wide from ten-yards.

Sutton Athletic went close again at the end of the first half when Mirless pumped a free-kick forward and Michael Mills sent a towering header looping over the post.

Hume revealed he told his players’ a few home truths during the half-time interval and they responded with an increased level of urgency during a 25 minute spell.

He said: “Yep.  They had a few home truths told! I didn’t think the whole team was playing bad.  There were a few individuals’ I know who could do lots better.  We had to give an ear bashing the other day in last week’s game but you’ve got to be careful at half-time. It’s no good constantly doing the same thing but it seemed to do the trick what we said at half-time anyway.”

Mirlees floated in a free-kick which was plucked out of the air by Bly Spartans’ keeper Watkins, who launched a long throw to release right-back Defidi.  His pacy run set up a chance for 25-goal striker Stuart Zanone, but his dink was parried by O’Neill, who did ever so well to claw the ball to safety with an outstretched hand, with a defender behind him on the goal-line.

A number of chances peppered then Sutton Athletic's goal as the home side pressed for the winner, their second half play deserved.

Eldridge said: “They really pressed, they pushed us back. All credit to us we dug in. They were stretching us, pulling us all over the place but we kept our shape.  I thought the back four were excellent.  The keeper’s made one, probably two saves to make the whole game so I thought we were really good.   They had a few shots high and wide but overall, I’m very, very pleased.”

McHugh blasted a right-footed shot over despite being left unmarked in a good position on the edge of the Sutton Athletic penalty area.

A rare Sutton Athletic chance should have been taken in the 56^th minute when Close was released down the left and he played the ball across to Lee Sperring, their ten-goal striker, but he cracked a first time shot into the ground and the ball flashed agonisingly wide of the foot of the right-hand post.

Zanone missed a couple of decent chances for the home side after the hour mark.

McHugh swung in a deep corner from the left, which was headed back across goal, but the highly-rated striker struck over.

But he really should have won the game, with Bly’s best chance coming in the 65^th minute.

Anthony Uden laid the ball off to Zanone, who drove a low right-footed shot on the angle towards the near post, but keeper O’Neill stuck out his left leg to block.

And from McHugh’s resulting corner, Sutton cleared their lines as far as Zanone, who blasted a right-footed shot over from the edge of the box.

McHugh made space for himself when he cut in from the left before cracking a dipping effort with his right-foot from 30-yards, the ball only just missing the target.

Robinson squandered yet another chance with his last contribution before being substituted.  The central midfielder was left unmarked at the far post after McHugh’s free-kick, but his shot from an acute angle, flew across O’Neill and past the far post when he really should have called the visiting keeper into action.

Zanone missed the last chance of the game with three minutes remaining when he sent a towering header wide after Uden and Beale combined well down the left.

Hume was disappointed that his star-striker failed to shine on an crucial night in the Kent Invicta League title race – Phoenix Sports are now three points behind with a game in hand.

“Stuart was one of the ones who we talked about at half-time and we know how well he can do for us,” said Hume.

“We know how important he is for us to play well.  First half we knew he could’ve done a lot better and second half he showed it, but he wasn’t quite as good and as on his game as he has been because the chances he’s got week in week out he’s been putting them away.”

Eldridge expected one of Kent’s prolific strikers to do a lot better.

“Did he have a shot on target?  I don’t think so!  It just shows how well the back four played today.  My back four are very young.  Having to say that, I had to draft two players in, played two players’ out of position tonight.

“First half we probably couldn’t nicked a goal. Second half it was backs against the wall for a bit but the last 10-15 minutes I thought we came back into it.  I thought we was going to nick a goal, which would have been good!”

With six league games left to play – and a Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy Final against title challengers Phoenix Sports to look forward to on Good Friday – Hume insists his side aren’t suffering from pressure.

“It’s my job to not make them feel under pressure,” said Hume, who is standing down at the end of the season.

Bly Spartans confirmed that they have already received three enquires about the job today.

“I don’t feel under pressure.  As I’ve said before, it’s about taking each game as it goes, making sure they focus on each game and as I’ve said to them after the game let’s be positive about what’s happened today.  We haven’t lost. We got a point out of it. They’ve (Sutton Athletic) got to play Phoenix as well.  Phoenix are the other team I believe (will be challenging) and maybe Hollands & Blair still.  As you can see every game for us now are going to be very, very tough.”

Hume revealed what he told his players’ at the final whistle.

He said: “Don’t believe that you’ve lost anything today, there’s going to be loads more twists and turns yet.  It’s about being men about it and really having some character now.  I’ve been here before towards the end of the season when every game’s counting.

“I know a number of (my) players have won leagues and things before.  We have to use that experience and put it together and make sure we just focus and concentrate and if we work hard enough, we’re still top of the league.  I know we can beat every team if we perform and we just have to be confident that we can do that.”

Eldridge, meanwhile, says he is pleased that his side have gone to the league leaders and have carried on their impressive run of form.

“Nil-nil, league leaders, good stuff!,” he said.

“We’re on a good run, it’s eight undefeated, seven wins on a row, so very, very pleasing.

“We’ve won our last six at home, we’re in the final of the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shied as well, which we’ve got coming up, so we’ve lost one in ten games.  We’re on a good run. I thought we done ok today. We’ve given them a good game with two or three players missing.

“Was there many chances either way?  I don’t think there was, was there?  We kept their striker (Zanone) quiet.  We probably had two first half chances.  A game of few chances, a lot of midfield (battles).  We squeezed them hard and made it hard for them.”

When asked to name his man-of-the-match, naturally it had to go to a central defender.

He said: “I would say young Chris Mirlees, the young blonde lad, he’s only nineteen.  He was very, very good and was playing with a cold as well. The other centre half (Neil May) stepped up from the reserves tonight so he’s done very, very well. My normal centre half was playing at right-back (John Shevlin).

“With the players’ we’ve got missing tonight and the run we’re on, we’ve done really, really well.”

Eldridge says he is satisfied with their top-six status in the Kent Invicta League with six league games remaining as today’s point takes them three points clear of Bearsted, going into Saturday’s home game against Woodstock Park.

He said: “We’ve started ok. We had a poor little bit in the middle.  Since the turn of the year we’ve only lost one game. We’re going really well.  I’m pleased where we are.  I think we can push on from here, a couple of new additions and we can be challenging.  We’re not even that far off the top.”

Bly Spartans:  Luke Watkins, Martin Defidi, Andrew Forster, Craig Beckwith (Craig Allen 46), Aaron Burrett, Peter Hawkins, Ryan Robinson (Kevin Penfold 83), Scott Beale, Anthony Uden (Ashley Cooper 90), Matt McHugh, Stuart Zanone.
Sub: Shane Uings

Booked: Martin Defidi 14, Craig Beckwith 45, Peter Hawkins 75, Craig Allen 85, Scott Beale 89

Sutton Athletic: Carl O’Neill, John Shevlin, Luke Underdown, Chris Mirlees, Neil May, Michael Mills, Michael Close, Jack White, Gary Wisdom (Luke Newman 73), Ben Young, Lee Sperring (Kevin Pinner 80).
Subs: Danny Ball, Baldeep Thind

Booked: Chris Mirlees 63

Attendance: 73
Referee:  Mr Paul Seller (Dover)
Assistants: Mr Paul Cruttenden (Maidstone) & Mr Matt Sell (Rochester)