Cray Wanderers 1-0 Faversham Town - That's why I work so hard to keep Will Godmon at the club, says Faversham Town boss Ray Turner

Cray Wanderers 1 – 0 Faversham Town
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	27/08/2016 15:00

CRAY WANDERERS  1-0  FAVERSHAM TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 27^th August 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

CRAY WANDERERS manager Tony Russell says the world-class goalkeeping display from Will Godmon was the best one that he’s ever seen.

Godmon, 20, produced a one million pound rated performance by making five brilliant saves during this high-quality Ryman League Division One South Kent derby at Hayes Lane.

Godmon’s outstanding performance can even go down as the best goalkeeping display ever seen at this 78-year-old stadium by a semi-professional footballer.

Cray Wanderers went into the game on the back of two league draws against Sittingbourne (3-3) and Guernsey (0-0), although they came away from Badshot Lea with a 4-0 win in The FA Cup Preliminary Round last weekend.

Faversham Town arrived at Hayes Lane in second place in the table having beaten Walton Casuals and Ramsgate 2-0 in the league before knocking Epsom & Ewell out of The FA Cup with a 2-1 win at Salters Lane.

Godmon produced an out-of-this-world performance by making two double saves in each half and saving Grant Basey’s penalty.

But Cray Wanderers sealed a deserved win through an ugly goal scored by substitute Anthony Adesite’s knee from close range following a free-kick with 11 minutes left.

“I thought we made hard work of it, probably sounds a little bit closer than it should’ve been but I’m delighted with the win,” said Russell during the post-match press conference.

“I thought it was going to be one of those days again. We battered Guernsey away, missed loads of chances and all the while it’s 0-0 there’s always a threat at the other end.

“Faversham are a good side and Guernsey are a good side.  I thought we controlled the game from start to finish in terms of with the ball but I just feel second half we went a little bit flat and the game was drifting a little bit.

“We got a penalty, missed and thankfully we got the goal at the end.  I thought we got the result that we deserved if I’m honest.

“Faversham are a good side.  They got into the Play-Off Final last year. Their manager comes across really well as well so I think they’ve got a good side.  They’ve got a few boys out and we’ve got five boys out.

“It was a good game but if I’m honest if I was a neutral I think we were the better side. I thought we probably should’ve been out of sight in the first half with the chances we had but like I say the longer the game goes on good sides always create stuff – and they had a couple of chances.”

Faversham Town boss Ray Turner felt his side should have came away with at least a point.

“I think we’re a little bit frustrated that we didn’t take a point from the game,” said Turner.

“It’s the nature of the goal that got to us the most. It was a very long set-piece and a lack of tracking second balls that’s enabled them to get the winner.

“Overall it was a tight game and we’re looking to take at least a point out of the game and that’s what we’re disappointed about.

“It’s good to hear a remote point of view, I thought there were two good teams there. We set up differently to them. Some of our football on the counter attack was really incisive and we created good chances today and most of their chances came from us giving the ball away in wrong areas and obviously the penalty happened as well.

“I think we need to learn to take something from these games.”

Cray Wanderers played a welcome eye-pleasing brand of passing football on the pristine playing surface, while Faversham Town were effective on the counter attack but will need to work on their finishing after squandering a few good chances.

Faversham Town created the first chance when a big kick upfield by Godmon was hooked on the half-volley by striker Dean Grant, which bounced past the left-hand post from 25-yards after only 108 seconds.

It was a tight opening to the game but Godmon produced his first double-save in the 14^th minute.

Lea Dawson released winger Brandon Scott down the left and he played in Karl Dent, who was denied by Godmon, who advanced to make his first save and the keeper was on the deck but still managed to flick over a follow-up shot from striker Jonte Smith. Remarkable.

Turner said: “That was important.  It came from us really giving the ball away in a bad area and we was struggling with numbers at that point but that’s why I work so hard to keep him at the club.  His double save very late on when the situations different when we’re chasing it was even better than that!”

Russell said: “He pulled off some unbelievable saves.  That’s the first time that I’ve seen him. If that’s his level of performance he’s probably in the wrong league!”

Faversham Town created a chance halfway through the first half, an example of shooting over after good play.

Winger Charley Robertson cut into the right-hand corner of the penalty area and rolled the ball inside to Josh Stanford, whose right-footed dipping drive sailed just over from 20-yards.

Stanford was forced to play inside a lot more playing in the middle of the park alongside Sam Bewick and Stanford was denied by a brilliant diving save from Nick Blue.

Dawson’s attempted diagonal pass to his right-back Taylor McDonagh was cut out by Kieron Campbell, who burst down the left to reach the channel.  He cut the ball across the face of goal to the unmarked Stanford, who cracked a left-footed curler towards the top far corner. Blue flew high to his right to flick the ball over the bar with his right-hand.

Turner said: “For the level we’re at, there’s two tremendous goalkeepers on show today. Nick’s got much more experience than Will but he had to pull of saves as well today.

“I suppose it could’ve been a high scoring game in the end and it’s been won by one set-piece.  What’s important is we are creating chances against a very good side away from home and it wasn’t through the lack of trying that we didn’t come here and win the game.”

Russell added: “The way we play, the centre halves have got to split and the full-backs have to split so it’s just the way we move the ball and switch it so the only problem you’ve got, the only downside is when you lose the ball you’re shape’s terrible but you’re so stretched.

“Josh is a good player, he’s bent one for the top corner and Bluey’s makes a great save. He’s also a good goalkeeper so there was two good goalkeeper’s out there and Bluey only had a couple really and I think their goalie only just edged it!”

This sparked a good spell for Faversham Town. Blue punted the ball towards McDonagh, who could only plant a header inside to Luke Harvey, the returning Faversham striker playing the ball to Dean Grant, who curled his shot over the bar and into the banks of empty terracing.

Cray Wanderers created a chance when holding midfielder Solomon Taiwo played the ball into Smith’s feet and he flicked the ball into Dent’s path but he  dragged his shot across the keeper and past the far post.

Harvey held the ball up on the edge of the Cray penalty area to tee up Robertson, whose drive sailed over the bar.

“It’s important to hit targets but you could see what we was trying to do and there was plenty of efforts on goal today and plenty of opportunities for us to come away today with all three points, let alone the draw today, so we’ll keep working on that in front of goal,” added Turner.

Godmon was finally beaten in the 37^th minute – but he had Campbell to thank for clearing the ball off the line to deny Paul Lorraine scoring after meeting Basey’s deep corner from the right.

Russell said: “That was when I was starting to get really frustrated. Before that we’ve had a one-on-one, a double save. Good defending, I thought it was in. I thought everyone did.”

The central defender was to be denied again, this time by Godmon’s brilliant save.

Basey swung in a corner from the left, which was headed back across goal by Taiwo at the far post and Lorraine hit a volley towards the top near corner from eight-yards, which Godmon palmed away.

Turner said: “Set-pieces are very important and we’ve got guys on the line for a reason so that’s why they’re there but the save is an important stage as well. 

“There were quite a few momentum shifts in the game. I thought we was on top and they had spells as well. I thought it was an interesting game, tactically as well so Will’s made a save when he had to just before half-time.”

Russell said: “Excellent save, point-blank, in the top corner. He’s up as high as the crossbar, I think. 

“I like being involved in good games of football if I’m honest.  I’ve always struggled personally against the lesser teams. I like these sort of games because you come up against good managers, good players who are asking you questions, sometimes good goalkeepers.”

Thanks to heroics from Godmon and Blue a high-quality first half for the sun-kissed crowd of 155, somehow ended goal-less.

Russell said: “We camped in their half. The only disappointing thing for me was all they were doing was whacking it up to Luke Harvey. He was having a little bit of joy flicking it and it was annoying me.

“I said to them at half-time, we’ve got to have a little bit more about us. I want the team to work a little bit harder than just whacking it up to the fella up front. Granted, he’s good at it, don’t get me wrong, but I expect my two centre halves (Lorraine and Jay Leader) to deal with that and I thought we done that second half.

“I know he’s (Harvey) come back from (a three-match) suspension so his fitness probably run out but I thought we nullified them second half.”

Russell added: “My biggest worry and I said at half-time, I thought as the half went on in the last 10-15 minutes we started to force it because we hadn’t scored.

“Solomon Taiwo’s a holding midfielder and he’s joining in playing one-twos and going up top and all off a sudden they started to break on us and they looked a bit dangerous.

“I just wanted us to all our jobs and I think we did that and carry on as we were dominating and there was only going to be one winner and that was the chat at half-time.”

Turner revealed he was happy with his side’s performance at the break.

He said: “We’re happy, we’re content because against sides like Cray who move the ball around but it’s where they move the ball, making sure our concentration levels are at its maximum. That’s my disappointment today and in my debrief after the game it’s concentration ultimately that’s let us down and that was a big factor that we emphasised today against a side like Cray because we thought once we won the ball in good areas we could exploit their weaknesses to some extent.

“It was very much of we’re ok, we’re away from home. If we have to take a point today, we’ll take a point so there were no big dramas at half-time.”

The second half failed to live up to the expectations following the first half and not much happened for the first 15 minutes.

Cray Wanderers produced a sweeping move which included four different players, but Dawson fed highly-talented Dent, whose shot on the turn sailed over the bar from 25-yards.

Stanford, who scored Tunbridge Wells’ only goal in their FA Vase Final at Wembley Stadium in 2013, impressed for Faversham Town despite playing out of position.

“He’s had to play out of position with the injuries we’ve had earlier on in the season,” said Turner.

“With a player like Josh he’s got technical ability and he’s given us a bit of a different dimension running from the centre of the pitch rather than from wide areas. It’s difficult to deal with because you’ve got some big lads in the centre of the pitch in the opposition and they struggled to deal with him so he’s done ever so well at the start of the season.”

Stanford hit a right-footed half-volley screaming past the left-hand post, before Cray Wanderers squandered a great chance to break the deadlock when the usually reliable Basey missed from the penalty spot in the 62^nd minute.

“I think it was a snap-shot from outside. I think Bluey had it covered,” added Russell.

“I thought second half they didn’t look overly threatening if I’m honest. I thought first half when they caught us on the break a couple of times they opened us up but I thought we organised that a little bit better at half-time.

“I thought second half in all fairness to us we wasn’t ripping them open second half, they weren’t opening us up. It probably started looking like a draw at one stage, probably.”

Smith found Dent’s run into the penalty area and Daniel Carrington sent the Cray Wanderers man to the ground and referee Robert Claussen pointed to the spot and showed Faversham’s midfielder a yellow card.

Basey stroked his left-footed penalty towards the bottom right-hand corner, but Godmon dived low to his left to make the save and to hold onto the ball.

“I’m sure the fella would agree he’s not struck it great but you still have to stand up long enough to make the right decision and not only that the key with regards to that save was he didn’t spill it. Any penalty save is a good penalty save,” said Turner.

Russell said: “We took Lee Prescott off and pushed Denty more centrally into midfield because we wanted him to get in and around their centre halves.  He’s made a lovely clever run angled across, slipped him in. I didn’t see no major complaints from their end. I thought it was a penalty. I think everyone in the ground could see it was a penalty.

“Basey’s distraught but he’s a good goalkeeper. I say that I don’t know if he’s a good goalkeeper, I’ve not seen him play. Today he as a bl***y good goalkeeper and his levels were unbelievable.”

Taiwo struck a right-footed free-kick straight into Godmon’s midriff from 35-yards, the visiting keeper making a comfortable catch.

Stanford started and so easily could have finished a move with an equaliser.

He swept a diagonal pass to put Ryan Cooper down the right channel and he had time and the right-back had space to cut the ball back towards the near post for Stanford to sweep a first time shot past the near post from six-yards.

Stanford swept in a free-kick from 35-yards, which curled past the post with Blue diving in an attempt to make another worldy save.

Blue kept his side in front with another great save in the 76^th minute.

Stanford wriggled past four Cray Wanderers players to dance into the penalty area and Blue had to be at his best to deny Stanford scoring a goal that he deserved, the keeper saving well at his near post.

Turner said: “I think it was the only thing in Nick’s favour there was it was at a reasonable height. He’s danced his way in, you expect someone to bring him down or something to happen and he’s got his shot off, he’s made a good save.

“I think in that particular part of the game we were coming on strong. They were struggling to get out at that point and I felt that was our moment just before the goal but around the three quarter mark of the match we looked strong.”

Russell said: “He’s good Josh, really good. I was looking at him when he was at Tunbridge Wells a few seasons ago, a good player, a really good player. He scored at Wembley. I’ve never seen him play centre midfield before but he’s definitely alright. He’s a low centre of gravity, he’s got good pace as well, he’s a handful when he runs at you in and around the box.”

The goal that won the game for Cray Wanderers in the 79^th minute was poor though.

Basey swung in a free-kick with his left-foot from the right, Dawson headed the ball across the face of goal and substitute Adesite ghosted in unmarked to knee the ball over the line from two-yards to score his first goal for the club.

Russell signed the former Erith Town and Long Lane player on the recommendation of Joe Ford, who was helping Russell with coach Nathan White unavailable.

“Anthony’s a youngster. I brought him on against Sittingbourne, he came on and gave away a ball in the middle of the park and they scored from it. I brought him on against Guernsey in the last 15 minutes and Denty put a lovely ball in and he headed it over from five-yards.

“I brought him on today and he scored and I said that in the warm-down. I’m glad it’s third time lucky and I’m delighted for him because he’s a very good player.  He’s going to be a very good player but he’s come from Long Lane’s youth team. He dipped a toe in at Erith Town last season, he played a couple of games.

“We had to trim the wage bill this year and it got me back to when I was at VCD, I didn’t have big money, so I had to go out and forge almost and coach. Joe Ford had a load of good youngsters and we took a few of them.

“We’ve got five players out when they come back – I don’t know what everyone is like because I haven’t seen everybody this year – what I do know is it will be the best side I’ve ever worked with.”

Turner added: “Not pretty from our point of view. I’m sure Tony is delighted with the win today but from our point of view it’s really basic stuff, something that we should be better at doing and that was the biggest issue we had in the debrief after the game.

“It’s just not the first ball, it’s the ball that’s bounced across the box and we need to do better to protect Will.  He’s done such a great job in there and the sub’s got in there when that first balls gone in there everyone’s marked up. Responsibility is a key aspect of playing at any level and you’ve got to take that responsibility to see it through until the balls cleared.”

Godmon, though, saved his best for last, pulling off outstanding goalkeeping more suited to a World Cup Final than in the eighth level of English football.

Sub Max Williams played a diagonal pass to Scott, who set up Smith, who was denied by Godmon’s brilliance.

Williams latched onto the loose ball and drilled his shot towards the top left-hand corner and somehow Godmon got up off the ground, flew high to his right in the air to somehow flick the ball over the crossbar.

It’s got to go down as the best save that I have ever seen since watching non-league football from 1989 – sitting there shaking my head in the Hayes Lane press box after seeing something that seemed impossible.

Turner now faces a fight to keep the former Maidstone United Academy goalkeeper at Faversham Town on today’s heroics.

Turner said: “That was special. I expect him to save the first one, the quality I see at training every week but he’s had to get up of the floor as the guy is smashing the ball into the top corner and he’s managed to flick it over the angle.  From where we are we had a good view over there. I’m sure their bench was applauding as much as we were.”

Russell added: “That one is top drawer, both benches just all stood there and we just looked at each other and shaked our heads and we all started clapping.

“Max couldn’t hit it any harder, as clean as a whistle, top corner. That is an unbelievable save.

“Listen, that is probably one of the best goalkeeping performances I’ve ever seen against one of my sides because it wasn’t the amount of saves, it was the quality of them.  He’s made like five top drawer, unbelievable, top drawer saves.

“If that’s his standard, I tell you, I haven’t really seen much of Lee Worgan (the Maidstone United goalkeeper). If Lee Worgan can produce better than that every week then he needs to be some goalkeeper as well.

“I don’t know if that’s his level of performance, Ray will know better than me. If he's had one of those games but listen that’s a ridiculous performance of a player at this standard of football.”

Cray Wanderers travel to Chatham Town on Bank Holiday Monday, while Faversham host Herne Bay.  Faversham then welcome Cray Wanderers to Salters Lane in The FA Cup First Qualifying Round on Saturday and fans are in for one hell of a game when these two sides meet again.

Russell said: “That 1-0 felt really good because we beat a good side and we beat them well.  I know that scoreline didn’t show them but we are new to this league, I don’t know this league. Faversham are the benchmarks because I don’t think they’ve signed anyone, they’ve kept the same squad so it’s a lovely indicator to see where we are.  They finished fifth, they were in the play-offs, they’re a top five side, same manager, same players. Let’s see where we’re at.”

Anyone looking for a new goalkeeper, you better get your cheque book out!

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Taylor McDonagh, Grant Basey, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson, Solomon Taiwo, Lee Prescott (Anthony Adesite 66), Jonte Smith, Brandon Scott, Karl Dent (Max Williams 77).
Subs: Joel Ledgister, Jai McKinlay, Timi Osibodu

Goal: Anthony Adesite 79

Booked: Jay Leader 72, Lea Dawson

Faversham Town: Will Godmon, Ryan Cooper, Renford Tenyue, Daniel Carrington, John Scarborough, Sam Bewick, Charley Robertson, Kieron Campbell (Matthew Bourne 84), Dean Grant, Luke Harvey (Liam King 67), Josh Stanford.
Subs: Mobolaji Dowadu, Stephen Ratcliff, Ryan Cheek

Booked: Luke Harvey 21, Daniel Carrington 61, John Scarborough 78, Sam Bewick 90

Attendance: 155
Referee: Mr Robert Claussen (Stratford, London E15)
Assistants: Mr Terence Barnes (Enfield, Middlesex) & Mr Joshua Howard (Catford, London SE6)

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