Burgess Hill Town 0-1 Whitstable Town - We rode our luck, admits heroic Fewell

Sunday 16th August 2009

BURGESS HILL TOWN 0-1 WHITSTABLE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Sunday 16th August 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Leylands Park

HEROIC goalkeeper Kevin Fewell admitted he rode his luck during Whitstable Town's smash-and-grab raid at Burgess Hill Town - as the Oystermen got their campaign off to a winning start at Leylands Park today.

The 28-year-old Gravesend based stopper is now in his fourth season at Belmont Road, and he produced a man-of-the-match performance with a string of stunning saves to ensure Mark Munday got his managerial career off to a good start.

Whilst Fewell blocked everything that the Hillians’ threw at him during a one-sided game, when he was beaten team-mates Greg Smith and Alex Hossick were on the line to clear.

Munday handed debuts to right-back Smith (signed from Ashford Town), striker Stuart Vahid (Deal Town) and winger Dan Dolton (Ramsgate), and although midfielder Clint Gooding was serving the first of his three-match ban, it was Vahid that grabbed the points with a 20th minute header.

Resilient defending, Fewell’s heroics and lady luck ensured the battling Kent side came away with sunny Leylands Park on the front foot ahead of Wednesday’s home clash against big-spending Croydon Athletic, who trounced Ashford Town 7-0 yesterday.

“Everyone wanted to start the season with a win especially (after) scoring early on,” Fewell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the raid. “Yes, we rode our luck, we admit that.”

Burgess Hill will be wondering how they lost this game. Steve Harper’s eighth minute header looped over after Jon Lansdale launched a long throw towards the near post beside the corner flag - and then left-back Will Berry cut in after a mazy run and rolled a right-footed drive across Fewell and thankfully past the far post.

Whitstable midfielder Hossick cracked a left-footed half-volley from 35-yards, which brought a comfortable save from Joe Adams.

Whitstable played their better football before the interval, and Gareth Cornhill whipped in an excellent free-kick from the inside left channel, which looked destined to end up in Adams’ arms at the near post.

But Vahid slid in from nowhere at the near post and beat Adams to the ball and could only loop the ball agonisingly over the bar from close in.

But Whitstable grabbed the hard-working victory by scoring the only goal of the game after 20 minutes.

Wide-man Dan Dolton whipped in a teasing free-kick with his left-foot from the inside right-channel and this was met by a glancing header from Vahid, which looped over Adams into the roof of the net.

Step forward Fewell. In the 29th minute a penetrating run straight down the middle from Lloyd Cotton presented Harper with a chance and his rasping angled right-footed drive was superbly tipped over by Fewell.

The goalkeeper was, however, beaten seven minutes later, following Burgess Hill’s sixth corner of the half.

Lansdale swung in the flag-kick from the right and this was met by a thumping header at the far post by giant central defender Danny Gainsford, but Smith’s spectacular bicycle kick hacked the ball off the line beside the near post.

Harper, who plays out wide on the right, was thwarted by Fewell at his near post on the stroke of half-time.

Fewell saved his best in the 51st minute, however, as Lansdale cracked a goal-bound right-footed drive from 35-yards, which Fewell’s fingertips ensured the lead was intact.

He rode his luck at times. An example of this was when Harper poked the ball straight at him from six-yards and later on Harper’s right-footed free-kick just yards outside the box glanced the wall before finding Fewell’s grateful hands.

Whitstable battled well but strikers Vahid and Dominic Elmes were not getting much change out of a Burgess Hill side that had made a double substitution and changed their formation from 4-4-2 to a desperate 4-2-1-3 late on.

As so what usually happens, defensive Whitstable almost grabbed a second against the run of play, with eleven minutes remaining.

Cornhill ballooned a long free-kick from midfield into the penalty area and substitute Dan Wisker rose high to plant a bullet header agonisingly against the crossbar. Had he headed down, the game would have been won!

Cotton was denied by an excellent goal-line clearance from Hossick and Harper really should have netted a deserved last-gasp leveller but he powered his header inches past the near post following a cross from the right.

And Fewell said: “That headed one, when it was easier to score, and he’ll say that as well! I’m happy with the performance to be fair. It was nice to keep a clean sheet, first game of the season.”

He added: “I think we played the better football. We got the goal, settled us down. Second half you know they’re going to come onto you, they’re 1-0 down at home and they threw a few bodies forward.

“We done the work, we got the goal so we just hung on.”

Speaking about the goal-line saving clearances, a grateful Fewell added: “I think you don’t normally get them for quite a while so two or three of the line today, but that’s what their there for on the post at set pieces!”

Munday was delighted that his side got their new campaign off with a win.

“Everyone performed well out there today,” Munday told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “There were lots of big performances.

“We knew what it was all about today,” he added. “It was about grinding out a result, being resilient, being still in the game, defending well and maybe taking our chances from set pieces.

“I thought first half we did ok against the wind. Second half they penned us in and Fewell’s made some great saves.

“Sam (Denly) and Dan Tanner at the heart of the defence were absolutely fantastic, along side Greg (Smith) and GS (Gary Sayer) and Jake Gess and Hossick in the midddle, who have all put in a massive shift today.

“Three points, all it is, are three points, but it’s a great start for us.”

Speaking about his tactics, which worked a treat, Munday, who played under former boss Marc Seager in midfield last season, said, “First games of the season are absolutely imperative to come here and get a result, irrelevant if you’re favourites for the league or whether you (escaped) relegation last year.

“It’s never going to be easy because when the pitches are good, everyone’s got everything to play for. We’re all on zero points, everyone puts in that extra shift. It was about today setting ourselves up to be tough to beat to defend and we’ve got a result because of that hard work.

Winning here didn’t come down to luck, insisted Munday, but careful planning.

“They were throwing bodies forward, we’ve stood firm, we stood resilient, we’ve been comfortable-ish,” he said.

“We had a couple clearances off the line, but I don’t put people on the post just to lean against having a rest. I put them on there for that job so that’s not luck. That’s planned.”

Burgess Hill Town: Joe Adams, Matt Piper, Will Berry, Toby Phillips, Danny Gainsford, Leo Day, Steve Harper, Lloyd Cotton, Danny Curd, Joe Lansdale (Peter Martin 71), Max Barnard (Matt Hurley 71).
Subs: Lloyd Skinner, Jason Holwick, Mike Abbott.

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Greg Smith, Gary Sayer, Dan Tanner, Alex Hossick, Sam Denly, Gareth Cornhill (Ian Batten 83), Jake Gess (Tom Parker 66), Stuart Vahid (Dan Wisker 71), Dominic Elmes, Dan Dolton.
Subs: Steven Lloyd, Dylan Mcvicar.

Goal: Stuart Vahid 20

Booked: Jake Gess 56

Attendance: 322
Referee: Mr Tim Robinson (Bognor Regis, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Dominic Lyons (Lewes, East Sussex) & Mr Stuart Green (Eastbourne, East Sussex)