Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 2-5 AFC Hornchurch - My worst opening day defeat, admits Wands boss Ian Jenkins
Sunday 21st August 2011
CRAY WANDERERS 2-5 AFC HORNCHURCH
Ryman Premier League
Sunday 21st August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane
IAN JENKINS confirmed that he has suffered his worse opening day defeat as Cray Wanderers’ manager after his side slumped to the foot of the Ryman Premier League table.
The Wands boss handed debuts to goalkeeper Andy Walker (Maidstone United), central defender Danny Young (Carshalton Athletic), holding midfielder Enoch Akosah (Belgium football) and returning striker Tommy Whitnell (Croydon Athletic).
There were four new faces on the bench; Sam Long (Dover Athletic), Jamie Humphris (Sunday football), Luke Coleman (Aveley) and Billy Parkinson (Chatham Town).
But Young lasted only nine minutes as he dislocated his shoulder whilst heading the first chance of the game. Tyrone Sterling vacated his position on the right flank – to be replaced by substitute Long – to slot in beside skipper Mark Willy in the heart of defence.
Cray Wanderers began well and they fully deserved to take a thirteenth minute lead as striker Leigh Bremner scored the first of his two goals.
But AFC Hornchurch went into the break with a 2-1 lead as left-back Michael Spencer scored directly from a whipped in free-kick and striker Martin Tuohy volleyed home – their only shots on target before the interval.
Tuohy – who scored 18 League goals for the Essex side last season – applied the finish following a corner early in the second half, before three goals were scored in the final seven minutes of the game as Jenkins threw bodies forward.
Tommy Black punished the Kent side on the counter attack, before Bremner scored his second goal of the game, before Walker’s second blunder gifted substitute Jo Flack an injury time strike, which sent the Kent club to the foot of the table.
“Gutted, to be honest with you, absolutely gutted with the defensive performance,” said a furious Jenkins after he emerged from the tunnel into the Bromley Sunday afternoon sunshine.
“Anyway, FIVE! I mean every goal was well avoidable. Manager’s say it all the time. There wasn’t a worldy scored against us today. The keeper’s had an absolutely torrid for two goals and switching off for the other three really. I’m gutted with the way we defended but going forward we looked bright and we created chances and could’ve taken them.”
Jenkins added: “I think it’s the worst defeat I’ve had as a manager on the first day of the season, so gutted really, so gutted really. It’s disappointing because we’ve had a good pre-season. The endeavour was there from the players’, the work-rate was good, going forward, we looked good.”
Cray Wanderers looked dangerous from crosses from winger Jack Clark and Young should have scored with his only action of the game.
Clark whipped in a cross from the right and Young glanced a header straight into the grateful hands of visiting keeper Darren Behcet from three-yards out.
“Obviously you’ve got to make changes, but we’ve got players who can go in,” explained Jenkins.
“Tyrone can fit in at centre half all day long. He played seven or eight games there last year for me so it’s a shame that Youngy’s come off and I hope he’s alright. It’s a serious injury to be honest with you. He’s first game for the club. Tyrone slotted in well. Longy’s a naturally right-sided player. I left him out today for Tyrone. We’re alright there, that ain’t the issue to be honest.”
When asked about Young’s injury, a concerned Jenkins replied, “He’s dislocated his shoulder. His shoulder’s out, his collar bones out and he’s been rushed to hospital and we’ll find out a little bit more later.”
Cray Wanderers deservedly opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute, courtesy of another precise delivery from Clark.
He swung in a free-kick from the right and Bremner peeled away from his marker to reach the near post and glanced his header into the net from four-yards out.
Jenkins said: “And fully deserved, I think. They huffed and puffed, they created a couple of half chances against us but we looked like we were the team that were likely to win the game and play the football. Good start, yes, what happens after that? CRAP!”
Cray went close halfway through the half when Long skipped past a challenge from the physical Tambenson Eygong and sent a right-footed drive just over from 22-yards.
Hornchurch took 24 minutes to create a chance when Spencer played the ball down the channel and Tuohy cut inside and sent an angled right-footed drive over from the corner of the box.
But Bremner went agonisingly close to doubling the home side’s lead in the 34th minute.
Long whipped in a left-footed cross from the right flank and Bremner stabbed the ball past Hornchurch skipper Elliot Styles and clipped the crossbar with a right-footed shot.
Hornchurch were gifted an equaliser five minutes later by Walker, who you don’t expect to make such sloppy mistakes.
Left-back Spencer whipped in a free-kick on the right some 35-yards from goal and Walker came rushing off his line into a crowd of players and flapped at the ball and the ball sailed into an empty net.
Jenkins blamed the keeper for the goal, by saying, “By all accounts he got impeded but I didn’t see that! He just has got to do better at the end of the day! Fact!”!
Cray had a goal chalked off for offside as right-back Allan McLeod had time and space to find Whitnell at the far post and his knock down was swept home by central midfielder Chris Saunders, but he was denied by Lee Dyson’s flag.
It then went downhill for Cray Wanderers, as Hornchurch took the lead a minute before the break.
Dave McSweeney and Black combined down the right by the corner flag and McSweeney whipped in a right-footed cross and found the unmarked Tuohy at the far post. The prolific striker called out his name and swivelled and smashed a right-footed volley into the corner from six-yards.
A furious Jenkins added: “I could have scored that! You shouldn’t leave anyone unmarked at the far post whoever it is, Tuohy or anyone, but he is a good centre forward but you shouldn’t be leaving anyone in that position. Poor defending all round.”
With Jenkins’ words still ringing in their ears, his players were denied an equaliser, just 58 seconds into the second half.
Saunders went on a 50-yard run with the ball and slipped the ball to Bremner on the edge of the penalty area and he cut the ball back to Long, who took the ball into the box before cracking a fierce right-footed drive, which was beaten away by the Hornchurch keeper.
The game swiftly got away from them, as Hornchurch scored their third goal in the 50th minute.
Spencer swung in a corner from the right and Lewis Smith scooped down low to head the ball across the face of goal and Tuohy applied the finishing touch at the far post from close range.
Jenkins added: “The first initial header was just headed, I don’t know, three foot in the air. He didn’t even have to make a jump of the floor to make a header so again, crap!
Akosah was guilty of an embarrassing miss – and with his side 3-1 down at the time was a key moment in the game.
Alex Bentley floated in a cross towards the far post and a Willy rose high above his marker to plant a header across goal towards the far corner, but a diving Behcet stuck out a right arm and turned the ball away, but Akosah hooked a left-footed volley against the near post from six-yards and held his head in his hands in embarrassment.
“That was a key moment,” admitted Jenkins. “If Enoch don’t do that, I think Tommy was in good line to score it but that would’ve been a good end to the game.”
That was as good as it got for Jenkins’ troops, as the game went downhill from then.
Sterling and Walker were involved in a mix-up and Tuohy rolled the ball into an empty net, but Mr Dyson’s offside flag saved more embarrassment.
Shaky Walker gifted Hornchurch a corner as he dived to his right and dropped Tuohy’s off-target right-footed shot after he was released down the inside left-channel.
Clark swung in a left-footed free-kick and Bentley rose above a crowded Hornchurch penalty area and looped a header over.
Jenkins hauled off McLeod and brought on Humphris for the final eight minutes, changed formation to three-at-the-back and pressed Hornchurch, who hit them on the counter attack to make it 4-1 with seven minutes left.
Tuohy released Black through on goal, who rounded an advancing Walker on the very edge of the penalty area. Although Long and Sterling got back, Long slid to his left in an attempt to block a shot that didn’t come as Black selled the dummy and slotted home with his right-foot from eight-yards.
“Good finish! Probably the best goal they scored,” admitted Jenkins. “We were pushing the game, I just stuck another forward on and we went three at the back and they over run us and got one in. It was a good finish from him but we were chasing the game then.”
With the Cray faithful looking at each-other as to how Hornchurch had picked off their team, Bremner pulled a goal back with his second within two minutes, showing quick feet inside the penalty area before steering a right-footed shot past Behcet into the corner.
Jenkins said: “Then we got back into it, a great goal. He had a great game today Leigh. He was a massive plus for us today.
“I reckon he’ll be gutted because of the result. He’s scored two goals, which is good personally but still you want to be winning games. You don’t want to be losing 5-2!”
As the game went into injury time, Behcet saved Long’s right-footed shot from 22-yards, before a blunder from Cray Wanderers keeper Walker gifted Hornchurch a fifth goal with 48:50 on the clock.
Bentley rolled the ball back to his keeper, who instead of pumping the ball upfield, took too many touches and tried in vain to play the ball to the outside of Flack, who stole the ball off Walker, rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into an empty net.
When asked what all that was about, Jenkins shrugged, “Walker started doing tricks and skills. I don’t know what’s that all about to be honest with you. You’d have to ask him!”
Cray Wanderers: Andy Walker, Allan McLeod (Jamie Humphris 82), Alex Bentley, Enoch Akosah, Mark Willy, Danny Young (Sam Long 9), Tyrone Sterling, Chris Saunders, Leigh Bremner, Tommy Whitnell, Jack Clark.
Subs: Tony Dolby, Luke Coleman, Billy Parkinson.
Goals: Leigh Bremner 13, 85.
AFC Hornchurch: Darren Behcet, Dave McSweeney, Michael Spencer, Elliot Styles, Reiss Noel, Frankie Curley (Ronnie Fletcher 86), Tambeson Eyong, Simon Glover, Martin Tuohy, Lewis Smith (Jo Flack 78), Tommy Black (Ashley Taylor-Forbes 86).
Subs: Jonathan Hunt, Aaron Gayle.
Goals: Michael Spencer 39, Martin Tuohy 44, 50, Tommy Black 83, Jo Flack 90
Booked: Michael Spencer 16, Jo Flack 90
Attendance: 173
Referee: Mr Ben Wright (Walworth, London SE17)
Assistants: Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend) & Mr Karl May (Gillingham)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd