Cray Valley (Paper Mills) 2-2 Sheppey United - We were three minutes away from making the play-offs, it's a bitter pill to swallow, says Cray Valley boss Tommy Osborne

Cray Valley (Paper Mills) 2 – 2 Sheppey United
Location	Badgers Sports Ground, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, London SE9 5HT
Kickoff	22/04/2023 15:00

CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS)  2-2  SHEPPEY UNITED
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 22 April 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Middle Park Avenue

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Tommy Osborne says being three minutes away from being in the Isthmian League South East Division play-offs before throwing it away was a bitter pill to swallow.
 

The Millers went into this winner-takes-all showdown in fifth-place and whoever claimed the victory against sixth-placed Sheppey United would have completed their 38 match league campaign in the play-offs and with a shot at joining champions Chatham Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division next season.

A record crowd at Middle Park Avenue of 787 took advantage of free admission to watch a largely cagey stalemate between two big-budget clubs before there was some very late drama.

Sheppey United drew first blood with striker Warren Mfula slotting home his 28^th goal of the season.

Cray Valley hit the post twice in the second half and deservedly levelled through right-winger Daniel Bennett rifling in his 22^nd goal of the season with only six minutes left.

However, Cray Valley had one step in the play-offs when the talented Ade Adeyemo rolled home his fifteenth goal of the season – to give the home side the lead with 45:25 on the clock.

However, Hythe Town were the team that grabbed a play-off place, as soon as Sheppey United grabbed a dramatic last-gasp equaliser with a fine first touch finish from Eddie Allsopp – the goal timed at 48:36 on the clock.

Chatham Town (79 points from 38 games) will be playing Isthmian League Premier Division football for the first time next season and Kevin Hake’s side came away from Littlehampton Town with a 4-1 win today.

Jamie Coyle’s Ramsgate had to settle for second-place on 72 points and they beat ninth-placed finishers Ashford United 2-1 at Homelands Stadium.

Whitehawk finished in third on 69 points, behind held to a 1-1 home draw by basement finishers Corinthian, who will be joined by Faversham Town in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division next season.

Beckenham Town finished their maiden campaign at this level in fourth-place on 68 points, after being held to a goal-less draw at Burgess Hill Town, who survive.

Hythe Town boss Steven Watt has pulled off a miracle – on limited resources – to finish in fifth-place after thrashing Haywards Heath Town 4-0 at Reachfields Stadium, only the third match day that the Cannons have been within the play-off zone this season.

“Obviously going 2-1 up fairly late in the game and there’s still seven minutes (of injury time) left, we’re disappointed that we didn’t go and manage to win the game,” said an exhausted Osborne.

“I mean it’s disappointing from our point of view to concede the first goal because it’s an error on our part and they haven’t really had to work too hard for that goal.

“Even though we were 1-0 down at half-time, I felt that in the second half, going down the hill, we would be able to create chances and score goals, I did feel that.

“In the second half we were knocking on the door. We were putting Sheppey under quite a bit of pressure and when we did equalise to make it one-all, I feel feel there was another goal in the game, I really did.  That’s either way really because we were pushing on the front foot to get it but Sheppey were always good on the break with Warren Mfula up front was pacey and was getting in between our two centre-halves quite a lot today.

“When we got it to make it 2-1, the biggest disappointment for me is that we couldn’t see the game out.”

Sheppey United manager Jack Midson added: “A good one for the neutral, I would’ve thought.   We knew we had to come here and win and to some extent we done everything we could.

“We put that game down to a lapse moment. It was a lapse moment but a great team like that, we kept them at bay. They’ve got quality players and give them a bit of time, which we did and the guy touched it and turned and it was a great finish and then we kept showing the fight. 

“Every time we’ve gone down, we’ve managed to get back and fair play to the lads, I’m trying to gee them up a bit in the dressing room. They are disappointed and they are young, emotional lads but what a great experience for them.  Hopefully we can keep the majority together and it sets us in good stead for next season.”

As expected, the first 20 minutes was a cagey stalemate, between two club’s with a lot at stake.

“I think the game was going to be like that to a certain extent because you’re getting in that mindset that no one really wants to make a mistake in those sort of games when there’s quite a lot riding on it.  The first 20 minutes or so it was both teams being quite cautious,” said Osborne.

Midson added: “We had to go a little bit brave and go high. If we just sat back and invite the pressure, the way they move the ball and rotate, they would’ve been well on top but it was a pretty even first half.  It was a steady start against a quality team.”

Sheppey United created the first opening of the game inside the opening 14 minutes, following the third of their four corners.

Allsopp floated a deep corner from the left and centre-half Olamilekan Majoyegbe steered his looping header over the crossbar.

Cray Valley then started to play on the front foot and they created their first chance in the 21^st minute.

Central midfielder Sonny Black linked up with fellow midfield partner Julien Anau, who released left-winger Denzel Gayle, who done a couple of step-overs before driving into the box and placing his left-footed shot across the keeper and trickling past the foot of the far post from 16-yards.

“It’s a half-chance really,” admitted Osborne.

“We have got that pace going forward so even it was cagey to start off with, when you have got that pace and power going forward, you can create half-chances.”

Sheppey United then grew into the game and created a couple of chances in and around the half-an-hour mark.

Josh Wisson played a low pass into the left-channel for Mfula to latch onto.  Cray Valley centre-half Cem Tumkaya slipped over and Wisson cut the ball back towards Mfula and Allsopp.  It was Allsopp who hooked his left-footed shot looping up towards the top far corner from just inside the box, which was comfortably plucked out of the air by Cray Valley goalkeeper Craig Lewington.

The Millers almost gifted Sheppey United the lead with an own-goal.

Left-back Frankie Morgan released Allsopp down the left and Mamadou Diallo got involved in the move and cut the ball back towards the near post.

A clearance from Millers’ other centre-half Mitchell Nelson ricochet off Black (who was just a few yards away) and the ball was heading towards the top near corner, only for Lewington to flick the ball over his crossbar.

Midson said: “There were a couple of chances like that. It was pretty even, both sides. They had a couple of half-chances as well but we were working it in the right areas.  We were taking our time and passing to feet when we could and when we were under pressure, we put the ball in good areas.”

Osborne added: “He reacted quite well to that Chris because it was really close to him and to be fair to Chris he’s shown good reflexes there.  I would expect Chris to save that but I’m not going to lie but he still had to do it.  That was a little period in the game where Sheppey had a good spell.”

Midson revealed the reason why seven-goal winger Danny Leonard didn’t feature.

He said: “To some extent we did miss Danny Leonard a little bit today. He was feeling really ill before the game. He gave it a go. You can’t force somebody to do something if he’s feeling that bad.  We had to put someone on fresh and Matthew MacArthur did really well. He’s young and enthusiastic and can play either side.”

Sheppey United took the lead with 34 minutes and 4 seconds on the clock.

Wisson was close to his own defensive third and played a long ball along the deck to send Mfula on his way. However, a mistake from Nelson and Tumkaya some 30-yards from goal sent Mfula on his way in a one-v-one situation.

There was only going to be one outcome, the talisman striker keeping composed to slot his right-footed shot past Lewington from 15-yards, the ball nestling almost in the centre of the goal.

Midson said: “Warren’s been brilliant. When he was injured and he needed a few weeks off and he was disappointed how things were going, we all were but I’m so glad he came back in the frame and his goals have got us (to where we are in the table).

“He’s been fantastic. He runs in behind and if it’s not going his way, he’ll just work so hard for the team and he deserved his goal.

“Warren’s a goal scorer and he creates a lot of his own chances. If he’s not in the game in a while you force balls in behind and he’s supposed to run after them but he shuts down and he turns and runs at people and he creates a lot of his own chances so fair play to him for picking himself up and helping us until the end of the season.”

Osborne added: “The mistake was from Mitchell Nelson.  I’m looking at it, could Cem Tumkaya’s starting position been a little bit better?  Even though Mitch has made the mistake, Cem was on the cover but to be fair to those two they’ve been very good for us this season and these things happen in football so I was a little bit disappointed to go 1-0 down. They didn’t really have to work hard for their goal, it was our own doing.”

When asked whether his players were suffering with nerves, Osborne replied: “Do you know what? They actually wasn’t. Whether it looked like that out on the pitch from a spectators’ point of view, I’m not sure but in the dressing room before the game and in the warm-up the boys didn’t show a lot of nerves. I thought they were looking forward to the game so I don’t think that was an issue.”

Adeyemo threaded the ball through for Gayle, but visiting goalkeeper Aiden Prall came out and narrowed the angle, to smother the shot, before the home side were forced to shoot from distance but Adeyemo and Black both hit shots sailing harmlessly wide as the half-time interval approached.

“Although we were only 1-0 down, I wasn’t bitterly disappointed because going down the hill – we’ve said this before at our place, I do think it’s a bigger advantage than people think,” said Osborne.

“I did think that in the second half we would be able to create chances and score goals.

“At half-time there were no tea cups getting thrown or anything like that. It was just a case of trying to get a little bit of belief in the lads. We’ve still got 50 minutes to play, be patient.”

Midson added: “If it’s 0-0, it’s sort of still a bit cagey but it was important for us to be 1-0 up but not to sit deep and invite pressure because that’s when they’re at their best when they’re popping it around the middle, passing, rotating.  We still had to be a little bit higher and be brave on it.”

Sheppey United were in the driving seat in fifth-place at the interval, with Hythe Town and Cray Valley both outside the play-off zone as the second half kicked off.

Sheppey United went close to doubling their lead in the eighth minute.

Diallo fed Mfula who skipped into the Cray Valley penalty area before stroking his left-footed shot flashing past the foot of the near post.

Midson said: “I think it was pretty close to the goal he scored.  Warren gets into the box and he’s entitled to shoot.  I’m more than happy with what Warren has done for us.”

Osborne added: “We were on the front foot but Warren was a threat all day to be fair to him so that’s why I said even though we were the more dominant team trying to get that goal, Sheppey were still going to be a threat and Warren showed that then.”

Cray Valley responded and were kicking down the slope and started to raise their urgency levels, with visiting goalkeeper Prall taking his time with taking goal-kicks, as Sheppey United sat on their slender lead.

A sweeping move involving Adeyemo and substitute Hassan Ibrahiym saw Gayle, go on the inside of Wilkins, before drilling his shot past the near post.

Osborne lost the services of 16-goal striker Adam Coombes and had to come off seven minutes into the second half.

He said: “Adam’s done his ankle and he’s pulled out all the stops today. If it wasn’t the last game of the season, sort of a cup final scenario which it was today, he wouldn’t have played but because of the situation he had a go and it was always on the cards that he might have to come off, so we did plan for that, unfortunately that’s what happened.”

The Millers almost scored following their third corner of the game in the 61^st minute.

Ibrahiym, who came off the bench to replace Coombes, whipped in a corner from the left towards a crowd of players at the near post.  No one got a touch to the ball and the ball clipped the inside of the far post before the ball was cleared and former Corinthian goalkeeper Prall wasted more time going down for treatment.

“I’ll be honest with you, from the dug-out because there were so many bodies in the box, we couldn’t really see too much.  We heard it had hit he post and came back out,” said Osborne.

“It’s one of those ones, they can hit the post and go in. They can hit the post and come out to one of your players but unfortunately on that situation, it hit the post and nothing come of it.”

Midson added: “There was a lot of players in there. I think one of their players maybe hit the net because I saw the net ripple then the ball came out off the post, so it definitely wasn’t a goal but you sort of panic a little bit.

“I’m normally quite calm but I thought that was in! Sometimes you need a bit of luck.  You need to defend better and then we learnt from that because the rest of the set-pieces we had a header on every single one. 

Cray Valley struck the left-hand post in the 22^nd minute.

Adeyemo and Gayle charged forward again and teed up Bennett, who put his head in his hands after hitting the left-hand post with his left-footed drive from 18-yards before Sheppey United cleared their lines.

“That’s when we were having a really good spell in the game around that time and I did feel a goal was coming,” added Osborne.

“Dan Bennett got in a really good position, which he’s been doing all season and hit the other post. We’ve hit the post twice in the space of five minutes.

“Sometimes you can sit in the dug-out and it’s not going to be our day but I actually didn’t think that. I actually felt we had a goal coming, I really did and it was a cased of keep knocking on the door.”

Midson added: “It was a bit of a weird event because you expect him to go across the goal. It was a sort of a nothing sort of shot near post and it hit the post and came out.  Again, you need a bit of luck and our players are there to clear the ball.”

At this stage, Midson’s men were content to sit on their one-goal lead.

However, Cray Valley deservedly equalised with 38:30 on the clock.

Tumkaya cushioned a header down to right-back Kiki Oshilaja before the ball was played up to Gayle and Adeyemo.

Gayle’s right-footed chip was superbly clawed away by Prall, stretching high to his left to push the ball away, to prevent the ball sailing into the top right-hand corner.

However, the ball fell to Bennett, who clinically lashed his right-footed drive into the roof of the net.

Osborne added: “What Dan does really well – he’s an experienced player now – he pops up in good positions unmarked and it’s not a coincidence, it’s a skill to do that and Dan does it very, very well.

“Then it was just a cause of trying to keep that momentum because we did have good momentum at that period, trying to use that momentum to our advantage to go and get a second.”

Midson added: “Aiden’s disappointed with their goal they scored but the ball floated up and he made the save and it ended up going to their player for their goal. 

“We needed to track back and if you give good players like that space in and around the box, they finish it.”

A draw was no good to either of these sides and both started to throw caution to the wind and the tempo was raised for the first time.

Sheppey United had a chance to score with 44:05 on the clock when Allsopp was in no rush to walk over from the right to the left to put in a left-footed free-kick which was met by Majoyegbe’s header at the far post, which looped over Lewington and dropped behind for a goal-kick.

Cray Valley celebrated taking the lead with 45:25 on the clock and they face a tough job in the summer to keep the talented Adeyemo in Eltham next season.

Prall was rooted to the spot as Adeyemo twisted and turned before clinically drilling a low left-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from 25-yards.

Osborne said: “One of Ade’s biggest attributes, he can drop the shoulder and kick with both feet, so you look at his goal and his goal today this time he went with his left-foot and got his shot off and he’s just as capable of doing that on the right and it's very hard to defend against him because whatever way he goes, you know he can get his shot off and hit the target and he’s shown it then.

“The biggest disappointment that came out of today, it’s not the performance or the character from the boys because I was very happy with the performance, the character and the desire the players showed to get themselves back into the game and in front.

“I’ve got no problem with that. The biggest disappointment for me is that once we got our nose in front we really need to do better.”

Midson added: “They were knocking on the door, they’re getting chances, they’re getting goals and fair play to us, we didn’t give up.  We kept going trying to get goals, trying to get chances. We were fighting and we managed to do it!”

Sheppey United’s holding midfielder Richard Hamill was pushed further up the pitch and with 47:33 on the clock, he rolled the ball to Frankie Morgan, who lacked composure and rolled his weak left-footed shot straight into Lewington’s hands for a routine save.

However, Sheppey United grabbed an equaliser with 48:36 on the clock.

Hamill played a long ball along the deck to release substitute left-winger Bradley Schafer in behind Cray Valley right-back Oshilaja.

Schafer cut the ball back to Allsopp, who hit a first time left-footed hook past the diving Lewington and his outstretched left-hand to find the back of the net, after being left unmarked in the centre to score his fourth goal for the club this season.

Midson said: “I didn’t realise he was that late. They said it was seven minutes (the board for seven minutes of injury time was raised) and I didn’t realise we were into injury time already. It was late on.

“Eddie, what an amazing player he’s been with us. He deserved his goal. He does a lot of the other work, setting people up, assists, all of the set-pieces, getting on the ball in that 10 role and I’m glad he got his goal.”

Osborne added: “I think Chris got a hand to it. I’ll have to watch it back a little bit. I mean Kiki Oshilaja has been different class since he’s come back from his operation on his jaw.  Whether he could’ve dealt with that, I’m not too sure.  Whether Chris could’ve said something too him, I’m not too sure. It’s always difficult to see and hear from the dug-out so I’ll probably have to watch that back.

“We’re three minutes away from making the play-offs. It’s difficult to swallow.”

The final whistle was blown by referee Chris Williams at 52:54 – but Prall kept Hythe Town in the play-offs with a big save just 48 seconds earlier.

Adeyemo played in Bennett, who got in behind Sheppey United’s Wilkins and Majoyegbe before drilling a left-footed shot towards the near corner, only for Prall to dive to his right to beat the ball towards safety.

“I still felt there was a chance left and it’s fallen to Dan Bennett, who probably out of all of the players in our team, you want it to fall to and the keeper’s made a save,” said Osborne.

“I think you always feel disappointed when you concede a goal late in the game or something like that.  I think if we drew one-all and there wasn’t late drama, you don’t feel as dejected because you say ‘we didn’t do enough today.;

“But going 2-1 up in injury time, even though there was still a lot to play, it’s a bitter pill to swallow and the players, myself and (my assistant manager) Paul Lorraine are very down and gutted that we didn’t get it over the line.”

Midson added: “They’ll be a little bit disappointed (they didn’t score the winner there), but Aiden’s been doing that all season. He’s been making saves and keeping us on games and he’s fantastic and another one I’m desperate to keep hold off.”

Ramsgate will host Hythe Town in the play-off Semi-Finals on Tuesday night, while Brighton-based side Whitehawk welcome Beckenham Town.

Michael Power’s VCD Athletic (38 points) and Haywards Heath Town (36) must win their home play-offs next Saturday, against Step Five runners-up next Saturday, to stay in this division.  The Football Association will confirm their fixtures tomorrow.

For Cray Valley and Sheppey United, meanwhile, both managers will be looking to retain their assets for next season’s expected promotion pushes.

“Ideally, what I’d like to do, or what I think the club should do, is try to keep the nucleus of the players and then improve by adding two or three, but you don’t know what’s going to happen in the summer,” said Osborne, who wants the Cray Valley fans in today’s record crowd to return next season.

“I’d say it was probably an enjoyable game to watch, even though we just couldn’t get over the line.  Out of that 700 odd that came today, it would be lovely to keep some of them for next year so we can get a few more through the gate. I hope they enjoyed it. Just sorry we couldn’t get it over the line.”

Midson didn’t seem so devasted as his opposite number post-match and took the positives out of Sheppey United’s maiden Isthmian League campaign.

“I can’t be disappointed with the players, I’ve just said to them individually, I went round to every single one individually in the changing room – I know it takes a while but just to thank them and credit them for what they’ve been doing.

“The togetherness is brilliant but the individuals that we’ve had in there since we’ve signed them have been fantastic in their attitudes, togetherness and their ability.

“We came here with something to play for, otherwise it could’ve so easily fizzled out with nothing to play for in the last five or six games. 

“We couldn’t quite get over the line but we had honesty here today against one of the better teams.  Cray Valley really should be in the play-offs, they really should be up there. They’re expected to and we’re not so we’ve over-achieved. If I can keep the group together, I think we can be a real threat next year.

“We had some chats on Thursday night and individual chats and we’ve got a couple of players on contract and some players have said that they will stay but I’m not naïve, I’ve been around football to know, you won’t know until pre-season who you have got.

“There are a couple of singings that I’d like to make – I can’t name the names. People are talking about Sheppey United.  The chairman Matt Smith has given us free reign.  We’ve got a healthy budget in this league and we’ve got great facilities, great backing from the top and the staff have been brilliant.

“Since (my assistant manager) Jono Richardson has come in, he’s really supported me in what I needed. I hadn’t found that person up until then and our results changed since he came in. He’s been fantastic, the knowledge of this league, the intelligence and the other stuff.

“I know everyone says it but it is a special football club and I’m hoping we give a good credit to ourselves next year.

“I don’t have any regrets and I even see this as a positive.  We could be down. I’ve tried to pick the players up. I understand why they’re emotional and disappointed.  I try to see the positive in everything. I’m trying to stay positive and if I’m down, the players are down so I’d like to think the squad and the players’ personality reflect mine.”

Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Chris Lewington, Kiki Oshilaja, Tom Chambers, Sonny Black, Mitchell Nelson, Cem Tumkaya, Denzel Gayle, Julien Anau (Barney Williams 71), Adam Coombes (Hassan Ibrahiym 52), Ade Adeyemo, Daniel Bennett.
Subs: Ayo Majekodunmi, Vinnie Medhurst, Jacob Bennett

Goals: Daniel Bennett 84, Ade Adeyemo 90

Sheppey United: Aiden Prall, Connor Wilkins, Frankie Morgan, Richard Hamill, Sam Gale, Olamilekan Majoyegbe, Mamadou Diallo (Bradley Schafer 71), Josh Wisson (Benjamin Beard 73), Warren Mfula (Jake Embery 82), Eddie Allsopp, Matthew Macarthur.
Subs: Danny Leonard, Alex Willis

Goals: Warren Mfula 35, Eddie Allsopp 90

Booked: Richard Hamill 77, Olamilekan Majoyegbe 80

Attendance: 787
Referee: Mr Chris Williams
Assistants: Mr Richard Marus & Mr Charles Roberts