Bromley 1-0 Vale of White Horse - My players' rose to the occasion, says proud Jack Parkinson

BROMLEY 1-0 VALE OF WHITE HORSE
English Schools Inter Association Trophy Under 15 Semi-Final
Wednesday 7^th March 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

BROMLEY manager Jack Parkinson says it’s a massive achievement for his side to reach a national final – after they secured a deserved victory over their Oxfordshire opponents Vale of White Horse.




Striker Harry Jacubait, who slotted into midfield, notched his seventh goal of the tournament as Bromley secured their sixth win in the English Schools Football Association Inter Association Trophy to book their place in the final, where they will meet their teenage counterparts from Newcastle Upon Tyne, York District or Warrington.

It was fitting that Ravenswood School pupil Jacubait, who is on the books of Bromley FC, would send his side through after finishing well from 20-yards, six minutes into the second half.

Bromley resident Parkinson, 22, the captain of Blue Square Bet (Conference) South Welling United, was pleased that his players rose to the occasion, in front of a supportive crowd of 145 at Beckenham Town’s Eden Park Avenue.

“The boys’ done really well tonight.  I’m over the moon,” said Parkinson, a UEFA A Licenced coach and valued member of Jamie Day’s high-flying Welling United side.

“The facilities at Beckenham are absolutely fantastic and it suited the way we played.  The last ten minutes they got on top a little but where they had a few big lads’ and they caused us a few problems, but they didn’t really hurt us at times. The boys’ were fantastic tonight.”

He added: “You do wonder sometimes, although you’ve got a really good footballing side, in semi-finals, a semi-final is a semi-final, sometimes the nerves can get the better of you.

“The lads’ done really, really well.  They wanted the ball, they got on the ball. They tired a bit towards the end where they’re not getting as much playing time with their clubs but they definitely rose to it tonight.”

Vale of White Horse, who needed penalties to defeat Cambridge & District and Swansea in their last two rounds to reach the semi-finals for the very first time, formed a rather negative 5-3-2 formation and with Bromley lining up with a 4-4-2 formation, first half chances were at a premium.

Bromley left-back James Knapp was rather hesitant in clearing his lines and he gifted possession to striker Jordan Davies, whose right-footed drive was saved by John Green (who is on Fulham’s books) at his near post.

A penetrating run through the heart of the opponents’ midfield from winger Greg Cundle released Kieran Owusu through on goal but visiting keeper Eddie Cavanagh (who is on the books of Oxford United) came out to save at the striker’s feet.

Man-of-the-match Cavanagh made a string of smart saves to thwart Bromley during the game and his fingers were stung following Charlie Munnery’s rasping drive from 30-yards after Knapp’s cut-back.

A well worked training ground routine resulted in Knapp cutting a corner back from the left, which resulted in Cundle hitting a right-footed drive from the edge of the box over the crossbar via a deflection.

Cavanagh was called into action inside the final minute of the first half when he got down smartly to his left to parry Jacubait’s low right-footed shot after the Bromley attacker brought the ball under his spell after Alex Arif played him in.

But Vale of White Horse almost grabbed the lead – against the run of play – inside first half injury time.

Set-piece taker, left-back, Ross Tanner floated in a free-kick from the right and Robbie Cundy, who came up from the heart of their defence, peeled away from his marker to make room for himself at the far post and planted a header on top of the Bromley crossbar.

Parkinson revealed that he had done his homework on the Vale of White Horse skipper.

He said: “I spoke to the manager of the team they played in the quarter-finals, Swansea, and he said they’re a big side.  They’ve got a centre half who is a big lad and he is a danger from set-pieces.

“We did switch off slightly, but they’re still young lads and they’re going to switch off at times but we were fortunate enough nothing came of it and we went on to dominate the second half.

“That’s how football goes.  We should’ve scored down this end and they’ve gone straight down the other end and they hit the bar.”

Bromley keeper John Green, however, almost gifted the visitors’ a lead they didn’t deserve, inside the opening minute and a half of the second half.

Aiden Hayes – who was later forced off with cramp – played a harmless back pass back to Green, whose clearance went straight to the onrushing Anthony Martin, but the Vale of White Horse striker lacked the composure to hand out the punishment.

That was the wake-up call that Bromley needed as they delighted their supporters with attacking raids that their Oxfordshire opponents couldn’t live with.

Cundle burst down the left and cut into the penalty area and his curling shot was pushed away by Cavanagh, who then got down low to his right to parry a right-footed drive from Cundle in a later phase.

Bromley scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game in the 46^th minute.

Munnery (who is one of five players on Gillingham’s books) played a sublime diagonal pass to put through Jacubait, who cracked a low right-footed drive across a flat-footed Cavanagh into the bottom far corner from 20-yards.

Parkinson said: “It was a great ball from Charlie.  We changed the shape a little in the second half to get Greg (Cundle) on the ball out wide and that would cause them problems, but by doing that we created a lot of chances and it’s a great strike by H.

“H is a centre forward as well so we mixed it up a little bit today. We thought if we could play him in midfield, coming on to things he might be a little bit better – it paid off!

“He’s got a few (goals).  He’s worked hard to be fair to him.  He’s had a bit of a tough time over the last year but he’s worked hard and I’m pleased for him tonight because that will do his confidence the world of good.”

Vale of White Horse almost levelled when Owen Shaw almost delivered a piece of magic from the left, a right-footed curling free-kick, which was destined to find the far corner, but for Green, who turned the ball away from underneath his own crossbar.

Bromley striker Dominic Lelliott was then put through on goal but squandered the opportunity, his right-footed shot sailing over.

Bromley played yet another sublime diagonal pass, this time from Arif, which found Hayes down the right and his right-footed angled drive was tipped onto the crossbar by Cavanagh.

Lelliot, meanwhile, should have done better within a minute, but the Bromley striker rolled his shot into Cavanagh’s gloves at the near post.

Just before the half-way mark of the second half, Lelliott cut in from the left and tried his luck from an acute angle, but Cavanagh got down low to his left to block the shot and gather at the second attempt.

Parkinson was pleased with Lelliott’s impressive display up front.

He said: “Dom's done really well. He’s struggled recently. He’s just signed for Gillingham but he’s struggled a lot with injury. It was good for him to get a bit of a blow tonight and he got eighty minutes under his belt.  With him he’ll get goals because he’s completely two-footed.”

Another training ground corner routine from Bromley saw Cundle cut the ball back, Knapp sold a dummy and the unmarked Munnery sent a right-footed drive over from 25-yards.

With Bromley players’ tiring, the game opened up during the final fifteen minutes and Vale of White Horse looked favourites to snatch a late equaliser to force extra-time.

“They got on top,” admitted Parkinson, who has led his Cray Wanderers under 16 side to two Cup Finals this season.

“When we got tired we were giving away silly free kick’s but that’s something that we knew we had to cut out but they never really threatened our goal. Our keeper pulled off two good saves, one in each half, but apart from that he wasn’t really tested.

“We held on, that’s the pleasing thing for us because we’ve got a very technically good side but sometimes we’ve been beaten up a little bit where other teams are physically a little bit stronger but the last two rounds we have proved we can mix it up.”

Tanner swung in a corner from the right which found Tom White at the far post but he directed a powerful header which only just skimmed the top of the Bromley crossbar.

Then at the other end, Munnery came up for a corner and his towering header bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Knapp got into a dangerous position down the left and whipped in a low cross, which saw Lelliott turn and his shot turned away by the busy Cavanagh.

Cavanagh denied Lelliott again, beating away an angled shot from the impressive Bromley striker, and Mason Curtis sent a right-footed shot over the Bromley crossbar from 25-yards inside injury time and the final whistle brought joy from the Bromley players and followers.

Parkinson praised visiting keeper Cavanagh, who kept his side in the game with a string of saves.

“To be fair their keeper is their best player,” he said.  “I think the keeper’s at Oxford and he kept them in the game on a number of occasions.  As much as Dom could’ve had a couple, the keeper’s pulled his weight in that as well.”

When asked who his man-of-the-match was, Parkinson said that award should be shared.

“I thought the two centre halves (Cameron Bennett and Jordan Gallifant, who play for Millwall and Bromley respectively) done really well tonight,” he said.

“It’s a dangerous way they were playing, five at the back and three in midfield. We had to be switched on all of the time.  They were quite quick in the counter attack. I thought the two centre halves were excellent. I thought Greg (Cundle) was excellent as well. They were all great but for me the two centre halves and Greg.”

Bromley can now look forward to the final and Parkinson hopes his lads’ are given the opportunity to play at one of the country’s top stadiums.

“I’m not sure where it’s played. I believe it was at Anfield (Liverpool FC) last year. Whether it’s somewhere like that, I don’t know. It gives us something to look forward to until the end of the year.

“It’s just nice for them now. It’s a little ego at school, they can walk round and say they’re in a national final out of 143 teams, we’re one of the teams in the final.

“It’s a massive achievement for a small borough like Bromley.

“I think wherever it will be, it will be a great day out.  If it’s somewhere like Anfield then it will be a little bit special. I’m sure we can make a weekend of it.

“The parents have been fantastic as well, as you can see tonight. You need supportive parents at this age, you need keen parents and we’ve definitely got that for a side that are not together that often.  Not only for the boys’, it’s something that the parents’ can look forward to as well.”

Bromley: John Green, Aiden Hayes (Rian Bray 80), James Knapp, Charlie Munnery, Jordan Gallifant, Cameron Bennett, Alex Arif (Hayden Baker 80), Harry Jacubait (Dan Vaughan 70), Kieran Owusu, Dominic Lelliott (James Burtonshaw 58).
Subs: Sam Willis, Tyler Gable

Goal:  Harry Jacubait 46

Vale of White Horse: Eddie Cavanagh, Alex Thomas, Ross Tanner, George Francis, Robbie Cundy, Eima Meade, Jared Jones, Jordan Davies, Anthony Martin, Tom White, Owen Shaw.
Subs: Sam Barder, Cameron Taylor, Jack Ploszynski, Mason Curtis

Booked: Ross Tanner 50, Mason Curtis 66

Attendance: 145
Referee: Mr Nick Cornwell (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Noel Bevan (Upchurch) & Mr Liam Hobbs (Maidstone)