Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 0-1 Tonbridge Angels - I'd settle for 1-0 because a win's a win, says Alex O'Brien
Tuesday 23rd November 2010
CRAY WANDERERS 0-1 TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 23rd November 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane
TONBRIDGE ANGELS assistant manager Alex O’Brien praised his defence for keeping the league’s leading goalscorer Laurent Hamici quiet throughout their comfortable 1-0 win at ten-man Cray Wanderers.
The French striker - with sixteen goals in all competitions already this season - was marked out of the game by the superb Ben Judge and Sonny Miles, as Chris Piper’s early header gave the Angels the points to send them into the top ten.
Cray Wanderers handed a debut to goalkeeper Charlie Mitten, 36, as he comes in on a short-term deal to stand in for Dave King, who is expected to be out nursing a back injury for 2-3 weeks.
Mitten’s arrival meant Aaron Day regained his place in midfield, having taken the gloves for Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at Canvey Island, although he picked up two yellow cards for challenges on Frannie Collin and mate Scott Kinch tonight as the home side played the last 23 minutes with ten-men.
Mitten, who was released as a non-contracted player by Blue Square Bet South neighbours Welling United, as a result of budget cuts at the end of September, has since featured briefly for Hastings United, Faversham Town and Thurrock, but he was beaten within nine minutes of his Wands debut tonight.
Frannie Collin’s run took him inside the penalty area and he looped a cross towards the far post and Piper’s run wasn’t tracked by the flat-footed Cray defence and the former Croydon Athletic midfielder powered a header down and past Mitten to find the bottom left-hand corner.
“We work on people arriving in the box and tonight it worked,” O’Brien told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after he emerged from the players tunnel at a chilly Hayes Lane.
“It’s just getting the boys to believe that if you make different runs the ball might fall to you and I think it was Frannie who stood the ball up and it was an easy opportunity for Chrissy because he’s made the right run at the right time just to stick it away.”
O’Brien, who spent last season managing Chatham Town, was pleased a move worked on the training pitch paid off to seal the club’s seventh league win of the season.
“We’re always working, we’re always looking at new things,” he said. “We’re always looking at the games where we went wrong and what we can do and what we can address. It is 24 hours a day at times but it’s nice to come here because Cray are a very, very good side, they’ve been on a good run themselves, the work ethic and togetherness is hard to break down at times.
“If someone said you’d come here tonight and you nick a one-nil, you’d take it all day long.”
Tonbridge Angels dominated proceedings and squandered a hat-full of chances and they almost paid the price as Cray Wanderers almost grabbed an equaliser following Day’s sending off.
Lee Browning ballooned a right-footed effort over Mitten’s crossbar after just 67 seconds following Piper’s pass, before Ross Lover drove a right-footed shot past Lee Worgan’s right-hand post from 20-yards at the other end.
Then came the only goal of the game, and Cray Wanderers manager Ian Jenkins bemoaned the way his defenders failed to track Piper’s run into the box.
“We had a good chance before that when Wills (Mark Willy) done the same thing far post, put a nice little header across the goal and we didn’t gamble,” Jenkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“Their goal, their bloke (Collin) put a lovely little cross but they gambled and put a player (Piper) at the end of it, so fair play to them.
“I’m just disappointed we didn’t gamble on the first one!”
Tonbridge Angels carved open the home side’s defence in the 13th minute when Piper released Lee Browning down the left and after cutting inside he sprayed the ball across the goal to Rory Hill and the winger’s driven shot was spilt by Mitten at the near post.
Hill then turned provider when he whipped in a free-kick from the right and Kinch rose to plant a header just over from inside a crowded six-yard box.
Hamici was snuffed out throughout a disappointing 90 minutes from the home side and his sole chance arrived in the 20th minute, but he blazed a right-footed free-kick over the crossbar from 30-yards.
Mitten’s fingers were stung by a right-footed pile-driver from Collin from 25-yards on the stroke of half-time - but Tonbridge Angels were full value for their half-time lead.
Tonbridge Angels’ first corner of the game finally arrived in the 61st minute and Hill swung the ball in from the left and Miles came up from the back to nod into Mitten’s arms from an acute angle.
But Cray Wanderers performed much better following Day’s second yellow card six minutes later for a challenge on his former team-mate Kinch.
Both camps were asked their views on the incident.
O’Brien said: “It’s funny really because I’ve just spoken to Kinchy in the changing room and he said he spoken to Aaron today.
“But from where I was it looked like a committed challenge but whether they were both high or if he was high I just think the way that the officials set his stall out today was that someone was going to go unfortunately.
“I thought it lifted Cray. I thought they came out and gave it a go when they went down to ten-men but hand on heart I can’t comment on tackles like that, well you know why!”
Jenkins added: “I just think it was one of them. I said to the ref at the end of the game ‘do you know Scott and Aaron are good mates?’
“I thought they both went for the ball and it happened, but they collided together and Aaron’s picked up another yellow.”
Within minutes of being reduced to ten, Cray Wanderers created their best two chances of the entire game.
Lover swung in a corner from the right and this was met by a glancing header from midfielder Liam Bellamy and the former Charlton Athletic under 18 skipper was denied by a fine goal-line headed clearance from Tonbridge substitute Jake Beecroft.
Lover took the resulting corner from the other side of the pitch and picked out John Guest at the far post and his header brought the very best out of Lee Worgan, who dived to his left to prevent a certain equaliser.
Tonbridge squandered five decent chances to make the game even more comfortable than it was.
Piper worked his magic down the left and his cut back was smashed against the near post by Collin, with Mitten rooted to the spot in the 78th minute.
Collin then turned provider for his strike partner Jay May, who somehow missed the target when it seemed easier to score from six-yards.
Mitten then dived full-length to his right to prevent Hill scoring with a fierce right-footed drive, which skidded off the turf and was bending towards the bottom far corner, before 12-goal Collin saw his chip sail over the bar before the former Dover Athletic striker was denied by Mitten at the death.
O’Brien admitted he was satisfied with the single goal success against a side that came away from Longmead Stadium with a 4-0 win back in September.
“We had a few chances, it could’ve been maybe three, but I’ll settle for one,” he said.
“I’ll settle for one-nil because a win’s a win but wherever you are, Man United or no disrespect Hythe or anywhere if you don’t score goals you haven’t got a chance.”
O’Brien was delighted that his side kept a clean sheet and kept Hamici and Cray’s other attacking flair players quiet.
“I thought they done superb,” he said. “The back four we’re organised extremely well and he (Hamici) is a very, very lively forward.
“That speaks volumes. If anyone came here and said how many chances did he get, I don’t remember him one so credit to us as a side defending wise.
“But I would like to see us a little bit more ruthless at the other end.”
When asked whether his strikers will do extra shooting practice at training on Thursday night, O’Brien replied, “We work at it all the time. We always do shooting. I always take them to one side and we always finish (training) with shooting. Maybe this week I won’t!”
Jenkins, meanwhile, was disappointed to lose his second game of the week, a couple of results that takes his side out of the play-off zone into sixth place after 18 games.
“It’s a bit disappointing to lose really to be honest with you,” he said.
“I thought it was a pretty even game. An early mistake and a gaol and they sort of held on quite well. We created quite a few half chances towards the end but disappointed to lose.
“I don’t think one team deserved to win the game. I think it was a stalemate really, both teams cancelled each other out football wise. They happened to get the goal and held on, which is fair play to them.”
When it was put to him that his side played better when they only had ten players on the pitch, Jenkins replied, “I think it works on a negative towards the other team who have got eleven. They sat back like we did the other week. When they went down to ten men you just seem to sit back, you don’t play your natural game.
“We knocked on the door, we put in a few good balls into the box and made a couple of chances. Their keeper pulled off a worldy from Guesty’s header and a good header from Liam Bellamy, which was cleared off the line.
“We had opportunities to get one back but it’s one of those things.”
When asked about the length of Mitten’s stay at Hayes Lane, Jenkins replied, “Kingy’s going to be out between two or three weeks so Charlie’s done me a favour and his come down to help us out, which is brilliant.
“He’s a decent keeper, he’s played at a good level, so nothing really changes in the goalkeeper area, which I’m well happy with. He’s here until Dave’s back.”
The long-serving Jenkins was disappointed with Hamici’s contribution
“He’s been a bit off, of late Laurent,” he said. “He hasn’t really been playing too well and he’s a confidence sort of player.
“People are going to make him much tighter than normally, he’s the top goalscorer in the league, so people are going to look after him a lot more.
But he added: “He’s a good lad and he works hard so he’ll be alright.”
Cray Wanderers: Charlie Mitten, Allan McLeod (Joe Dolan 83), Tyrone Sterling (Lewis Perkins 64), Liam Bellamy, John Guest, Ross Lover, Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, Steve Lozano.
Subs: Alex Bentley, Adam Cotterill, Chris Saunders.
Booked: Aaron Day 29, Steve Lozano 90
Sent Off: Aaron Day 67
Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Jon Heath (Jake Beecroft 63), Danny Walder, Scott Kinch, Ben Judge, Sonny Miles, Lee Browning, Chris Piper, Jay May (Claude Seanla 87), Frannie Collin, Rory Hill.
Subs: Luke Blewden, Jamie England, Alex O’Brien
Goal: Chris Piper 9
Booked: Chris Piper 34, Scott Kinch 87
Attendance: 203
Referee: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone) & Mr Elad Amir (Maidstone)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd