Kentish Football 
Cray Valley 4-0 Woodstock Sports - The league table is a bit embarrasing, says Lee Hockey
CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS) 4-0 WOODSTOCK SPORTS
Southern Counties East Football League
Tuesday 25th February 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Middle Park Avenue
WOODSTOCK SPORTS’ manager Lee Hockey says it’s been an embarrassing season for the club.
The Sittingbourne based outfit remain rooted to the foot of the Southern Counties East Football League table on five points from 21 games after tonight’s heavy defeat away to mid-table Cray Valley.
All four goals came from tap ins as Lewis Wood, Dan Gunner, Ola Rabiu and Tyrus Gordon-Young all capitalised on some poor defending from the visiting side, who have now stretched their winless run to a miserable 19 games.
“Well first half we didn’t play as well as we could’ve played. I think we let ourselves down a bit,” said Hockey.
“Second half they gave us some chances. We’re a really young team, we’re a really young side. It’s the final ball at the moment that’s letting us down, but towards the end 4-0 maybe flattered them a little I’d say but they had chances, we had chances but in the second half it’s more how we’ve been playing.
“I was disappointed really because it was quite positive how we played on Saturday but we looked a bit unfit really which is quite surprising because they’re young lads so they should be able to play two games in those three days.
“But we’ve come up against an experienced team and that experience counted but its just disappointing how we started the game but second half we grew into the game as it went on.”
Cray Valley manager Steve Chapman was pleased that his much-changed side bounced back after their embarrassing defeat to Beckenham Town at the weekend.
“It was a comfortable win. A bit disappointed that we didn’t put away a few more chances but after Saturday’s defeat against Beckenham I’m well pleased with that,” he said.
“Beckenham for me was embarrassing! It was a shocking display by us. I made my point to the players tonight by the team selection. I left a few out to shake things up a bit.
“I think we got a response. The players who I brought back in some of them we’re not eligible for Saturday. Phil McBean had a good debut. I think Dan Gunner was man-of-the-match in my eyes. He scored one and made one tonight and Tyrus (Gordon-Young) up front caused Woodstock’s defence lots of problems.”
Woodstock Sports took 79 minutes to register their only shot on target, but they were given a chance inside the opening seven minutes.
Right-back Jason Hollick drove in a low cross towards the near post where striker Rob Welling rolled his shot on the turn across Millers’ goalkeeper Bobby Sturgeon and harmlessly wide.
Hockey said: “At the moment those half chances we’re getting them or the other teams are giving them and we’re not taking them. We’re made to work hard for our chances and we’re making it easy for them, not making it hard for them.”
Cray Valley – who crashed to a 5-0 defeat at Beckenham Town in the Macron sponsored League Cup at the weekend – made six changes tonight and dominated for large chunks, but they were also guilty of wasting a number of chances.
Left-back Adam Gross delivered a hanging free-kick with his left-foot which was punched away by visiting keeper Tom Benham and Gordon-Young blasted his right-footed shot over.
Cray Valley broke the deadlock inside the opening fourteen minutes through Lewis Wood’s 12th goal of the season.
The impressive Ola Rabiu burst down the right flank to reach the by-line before cutting the ball back for Dan Gunner, whose initial shot was blocked by Benham, before he retrieved the ball and cut the ball back for Wood to poke the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from two-yards.
“Tonight has cost me £20 because all four goals are my favourite goals,” said Chapman.
“I tell them to take it to the by-line and pull it back and tap it in and all four goals – unfortunately for me tonight – were tap ins.”
“Just disappointing really,” added Hockey.
“I knew we keep saying they’re young lads but the balls gone in. Instead of reacting to the situation they all stand still. The goalkeeper saved it and instead of following the shot in if you’re a striker or a defender you have to be the one that gets their first I suppose. But it was a good save by the goalkeeper. Wood’s experienced and he followed it in and our boys are still watching it.”
Cray Valley’s central defender Steve Springett made a run towards the edge of the Woodstock penalty area to meet Rabiu’s cut back before seeing his first time shot roll wide from 25-yards.
Woodstock Sports ventured forward in the 24th minute and Welling played the ball to Ian Batten, who cut the ball back for Brad Webb to dummy and Welling cracked a right-footed powerful drive which bounced off Paul Gross’s head and went behind for a corner.
But Cray Valley squandered an excellent chance to double their lead following a sweeping move.
Wood reached the by-line and cut the ball back to Jimmy Rogers, who found Adam Gross on the overlap. The impressive left-back whipped in an excellent cross towards the near post where the unmarked Rabiu planted his header agonisingly wide of the left-hand post from six-yards out.
Chapman said: “We took the micky out of Ola at half-time. He said he shut his eyes. In my opinion it was easier to score on this occasion than miss. The goalkeeper was nowhere and he put it wide of the post!”
Adam Gross floated another free-kick – this time inside the centre circle – into the Woodstock penalty area and Paul Gross’s back-header sailed into Benham’s gloves for a comfortable catch.
Gunner and Adam Gross linked up well down the left before Rogers slipped Gordon-Young through on goal, but Benham raced off his line to make a fine block at the striker’s feet.
Adam Gross ventured forward again and passed to Wood, who blasted his shot high over the bar, before Cray Valley deservedly doubled their lead in the 42nd minute.
Gordon-Young broke down the left before he played the ball inside to Rogers, who played the ball to Wood, who turned his man before skipping past the advancing keeper before cutting the ball back for Gunner to tap into the net from close range.
Chapman added: “Again, the reverse of the first goal. They linked up well. Lewis said he didn’t want to take a shot because it was on his left-foot. Otherwise he would’ve shot and laid it back and I think Dan deserved his goal on the night.”
Hockey revealed he was not pleased with the performance of his two full-backs Hollick and Fornah, 17.
He said: “He’s tapped it in inside the six-yard box. We addressed the shape of our full-backs at half-time really. I think because they’re young and they all watch Arsenal and all these teams playing with flamboyant football with the two full-backs bombing on down the wing.
“We don’t switch the ball right to left first time because no one in our team is really good enough to do that. We pass the ball into midfield and then the full-backs have a chance to get out. We were playing with our two full-backs already on the touchline when the right one’s got it the left one has already bombed on so it’s two-on-two and we were giving it away cheaply and we were causing our own problems.”
Reflecting on the first half, Hockey said: “It was disappointing in the first half because they were not doing the things we asked them to do in the changing room and they were doing their own things.
Woodstock Sports performance improved during the second half and substitute John Shea cut in from the left before flashing his right-footed drive just past the near post inside the opening five minutes.
Adam Gross produced the pass of the match when his diagonal cross picked out Rabiu on the right wing, who cut inside before stroking a left-footed angled drive across the keeper and agonisingly against the far post.
“I think tonight will do his confidence a lot of good,” said Chapman.
“He is an old fashioned winger. He likes to get at the full-backs. I was a bit disappointed with some of his crossing in the second half. He could’ve put the ball back and he’s crossed for goal-kicks but overall that’s his best game for us.”
Gunner’s chipped pass dropped down to Wood, who saw his right-footed chip drop just wide of the left-hand post when he only had Benham to beat.
Webb cut the ball to Woodstock substitute Shea, who cracked a speculative right-footed angled drive which curled and dipped over the far post from a long way out.
Woodstock continued to enjoy their best spell of the game and Hollick played a low free-kick into Welling’s feet, who stooped down to bring the ball under control before turning to send his right-footed shot over the bar from 18-yards.
Hockey added: “Any game you’re going to get a good spell. It’s when you have that good spell that’s when you’ve got to try and score.
“The second half we had a couple of good chances. The best one was probably Sam, that was one and we had Rob Welling hitting it over.
“I said to them if you’re a centre forward and you pass it to your mate and he scores, next week he’s likely to give it back to you but at the moment we ain’t got that little bit of experience I suppose.”
Cray Valley created another chance to increase their lead on the hour mark.
Paul Gross clipped the ball out of defence to release Gunner, who cut inside to play the ball into Gordon-Young, who flicked the ball into Gunner’s path and his shot brought a smart low save from the keeper.
However, Woodstock Sports’ best chance of the game came almost halfway through the second half.
Colin Justin played the ball out to George Batten on the right and he was given time and space to whip in a cross into the penalty area. A run from substitute Sam Musundi wasn’t tracked by the home side’s defence but the diminutive striker couldn’t apply the finish and skied his shot over the bar.
A brilliant save from Benham thwarted Gordon-Young as the Cray Valley striker beat the offside trap to unleash a right-footed drive, which was tipped over by the diving keeper.
Paul Gross pumped another long ball out of defence to release Rabiu down the right and after cutting inside Joseph Fornah the ball came out to central midfielder Phil McBean (who was making his debut after signing from Beckenham Town) who stroked his 25-yard shot into the keeper’s gloves.
Woodstock’s only shot on target arrived when left-back Fornah burst down the flank before playing the ball inside to Justin, whose right-footed angled drive from 25-yards brought a comfortable save from Bobby Sturgeon.
Hockey added: “Really he should’ve passed that off because we had the overload from the inside because they gave us the chance to overload, attack the wings because their full-backs pushed right on but that’s what I mean about young lads and decision making but we need to learn quicker.”
Chapman said he was pleased with his side’s eighth clean sheet of the season.
“I was pleased with that. The defence played really well this evening.
“Paul Gross is an excellent captain. He marshalls the defence well. He’s still getting over his hernia operation so I’m trying to use him sparingly at the moment.”
However, Cray Valley scored twice late on to give the scoreline a fairer reflection on the game.
The Millers’ third goal arrived in the 87th minute when Rogers played the ball out to substitute Tunde Aderonmu on the left hand side of the penalty area to cut the ball back for Rabiu to slot home past the flat-footed goalkeeper.
Chapman said: “We had to wait until the 87th minute before the game was over.
“I think Ola deserved his goal tonight. He looked trouble.
“He’s on dual-registration from VCD and I think he will be a very, very good player. He needs a bit of coaching. I think he needs to get his confidence but I said to him tonight just use this as a springboard and hopefully next season he will be playing Ryman League football at least.”
Hockey was beginning to sound like a broken record when he described the third goal.
He said: “Exactly the same. We were bombing on, our full-backs were both pushed on and we left it two for two but we had to try to go for it but it’s just a bit disappointing really because as I said we’re young lads and they don’t have the legs to get back, which it looked like and they were still bombing forward.
Adam Gross played a diagonal pass out to Wood, who hooked his right-footed volley into Benham’s gloves, before the fourth goal arrived in the 90th minute.
Chapman said: “Tyrus deserved his goal. I thought he worked hard up there tonight. Both him and Lewis linked up well. He had a great shot earlier on and the goalkeeper pulled off a fantastic save. In the end a little tap in is all it needs really.”
Hockey added: “Same again really! We were all pushed on trying but it was a simple goal again. It was an easy tap in for them. Ball in, one turn, pass it across the goal, six yard box, tap in.”
Reflecting on Woodstock Sports’ eighteenth league defeat of the season, Hockey said: “Slowly we’re moving in the right direction. Hopefully we can pick up some points.
“Obviously we have to take the positives out of the second half with the way we played, which I thought we played quite well.
Woodstock Sports are not the same aggressive outfit as they were when former boss Ben Taylor was in charge of the club.
Woodstock Sports welcome Rochester United on Saturday – the Medway side are immediately above them in the table with 13 points from 19 games.
Hockey said: “A big game really. As long as we play the way we know we can play we can get a result, which will be nice.
“We took a point off them away at their place when really we should’ve taken three, so hopefully we can get three points.”
With only one league win so far this season, Hockey appeared to have set his side unrealistic targets for their last eleven games of the season.
“I don’t set targets as such but as long as we’re improving and we see improvements I think that’s all we can hope for.
“Realistically we’ve got to be looking to get at least five wins out of the last eleven games.
“I think we’ll give ourselves a bit of credibility with the season because at the moment we’re cut so far adrift, when you look at the league table it’s a bit embarrassing so we’ve got to aim for five wins.”
Cray Valley, who climbed up one place to seventh-place after this victory, welcome fourth-from-bottom Deal Town to Badgers on Saturday. The Millers’ are 12 points adrift of league leaders Ashford United.
Chapman said: “It’s vary rare when you play a team five times in a season that you win all five games. We’ve won four against Deal so far so we can win the fifth one but it’s who performs on the day and what Cray Valley turns up.”
He added: “I’m pleased that we’ve only lost five league games. It’s going to be difficult in the run-in.
“Laurent (Hamici) is still out for another three games but we’re still looking for top four. I think it’s still achievable but we still need to come out and just perform like we did in every game.
“I can’t see us catching Ashford or Whyteleafe so realistically top four. Again it’s continuous improvement for us. Eleventh in my first year, eighth last year so I’m looking to better that this year.”
Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Bobby Sturgeon, Ricky Hepburn, Adam Gross, Jimmy Rogers, Paul Gross, Steve Springett, Dan Gunner (Tunde Aderonmu 72), Phil McBean, Tyrus Gordon-Young, Lewis Wood, Ola Rabiu.
Subs: Allan Matthews, Ryan Sawyer, Michael McKenna, Mehmet Piro
Goals: Lewis Wood 14, Dan Gunner 42, Ola Rabiu 87, Tyrus Gordon-Young 90
Woodstock Sports: Tom Benham, Jason Hollick, Joseph Fornah, Alfie Norman, Ben Jones, Rob Saunders, Brad Webb (Sam Musundi 63), George Batten, Rob Welling (Dan Pullen 78), Ian Batten (John Shea 37), Colin Justin.
Sub: Lee Hockey
Attendance: 35
Referee: Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley)
Assistants: Mr David Lunani (Bromley) & Mr Jair Guzman (Southfields, London SW18)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd