Crockenhill 0-4 Lydd Town - We want to go as high as we can in the league, says Lydd boss Dave Smith

CROCKENHILL 0-4 LYDD TOWN
Kent Invicta League
Good Friday 29 March 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Wested Meadow

LYDD TOWN boss Dave Smith says he faces restrictions over his team selection for their first Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy Final on Easter Monday.

They warmed up for their clash against favourites Hollands & Blair with a comfortable 4-0 victory against Crockenhill, who went into the game sitting one place higher than the tenth-placed Lydders.

All four goals were scored in the second half, with central midfielder Mark Wallis opening the scoring, before striker Steve Harris scored an eighteen minute hat-trick to extend Lydd Town’s unbeaten run to seven games.

However, Crockenhill await their first point under their new boss Gary Davies.

It was the Fisher assistant manager’s third game in charge at Wested Meadow, after going down to two home defeats, 3-1 to Rusthall on 2 March and 6-3 at home to Seven Acre & Sidcup seven days later.

Davies or his assistant James Mullane didn’t accept an invitation to explain their crushing home defeat, but Lydd Town boss Smith was pleased with his side’s second half performance.

The former Bromley Green boss said: “I was disappointed with our first half display. We were a bit wasteful.  Second half we came out and got an early goal and then after that I thought we bossed the game.

“Unbeaten in seven, it’s a good run going into the final. We needed that.  Like I said there’s restrictions on our team for the final so it will be a changed side for the final and it will be a struggle, but we’ll go there with the confidence of winning and being on a good run and give it all we’ve got.”

Lydd Town created their first opening with only 63 seconds on the clock.

Winger Jordan Wright travelled down the right and whipped in a cross, which flashed across goal and a back-pass from Crockenhill defender John Martin saw his goalkeeper Chris Scott kick the ball straight to Alex Coyne, who took a touch before steering his shot against the foot of the near post.

That proved to be a sign of things to come as Lydd Town dominated the entire game.

Wright then played overlapping right-back Matt Hadlum in behind Crockenhill left-back Steve Lee and his cross was met by an onrushing Wallis, who planted his header over from six-yards out.

Crockenhill’s first chance arrived in the ninth minute when central midfielder Jack Baines sent a speculative left-footed volley ballooning high over the crossbar from 30-yards.

But Lydd Town continued their dominance of the game when Wallis cut the ball back to Wright, who cut inside before cracking a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which sailed wide of the far post.

Visiting keeper Craig Smith made a comfortable catch above his head as left-winger Reece Cullen – the chairman’s son – unleashed a right-footed drive towards the Lydders’ goal from 30-yards.

Lydd Town striker Gary Lockyer rode a sliding challenge from Walsh and raced forward before cracking a dipping right-footed shot from 30-yards, which keeper Scott was relieved to see the ball drop just over the bar.

Crockenhill didn’t have the quality to get in behind a solid Lydd Town back four, well marshalled by skipper Barrington Beaney and his partner Jordan Miller.  This forced the home side into shooting from outside the box.

The home side should have done better when presented with a free-kick 22-yards from goal, but central midfielder Louis Dean sent his right-footed driven effort sailing over the bar.

Lydd Town should have opened the scoring in the 26^th minute when Hadlum released Wright down the right and he whipped in an excellent first time cross which was met again by Wallis, who had continued his run into the penalty area, but he glanced his header wide.

Crockenhill keeper Scott made a comfortable save when Lydd Town should have scored, following a sweeping three-man move.

Lockyer played the ball inside to Wright, who played a diagonal pass across the face of the penalty area to find an unmarked Alex Coyne, who swept a poor right-footed shot from 18-yards, which was easily gathered by the Crockenhill keeper.

A corner from Richard Quigley was met at the near post by Linton Hayles, whose drilled shot was cleared off the Crockenhill line, just nine minutes before the break.

But heroics from Crockenhill keeper Scott ensured the score was goal-less going into the break.

Hayles swung in a free-kick from the left and the ball dropped to Coyne, whose left-footed shot on the turn produced a fine save from the keeper, who dived low to his left to parry the shot.

Lockyer then used his strength to shrug off the attentions of tracking Joe Plant before unleashing a right-footed drive, which forced Scott into diving low to his left to make a fine block to prevent the ball finding the bottom near corner.

Smith said: “It’s one of those games. We’ve created chances but we didn’t take them!

“We’ve got to be patient. Every week I say to the guys ‘you’ve got to be patient in this league’. No team’s going to roll over seven or eight-nil in this league so you’ve just got to be patient.

“When you get chances, you’ve got to take them.  Once you’re playing decent football and keep playing the chances will come again and hopefully you’ll take them and this time we got one in the first minute which changed the game and their heads dropped straight away and we grew in confidence after that.”

Smith was delighted that his wise words at the break had the desired effect after his side finally broke the deadlock inside the opening two minutes.

They were awarded a free-kick in the bottom left-hand corner of the pitch and Hayles swung in the ball with his right-foot towards the near post and Wright’s flick was scooped away by Scott but Wallis poked the rebound into the bottom left-hand corner.

Smith praised Wallis for his persistence after missing two headers earlier on.

He said: “To be fair to Mark he missed two good chances really, but I said to him at half-time that I was well pleased with what he done because he was getting in that position even though he missed those chances and it proved right because he was the man in the right place at the start of the second half and he actually took the chance this time. Full credit to him because he kept going, kept making the runs and he got his reward at the end.

“He’s not a natural goalscorer, he’s more of a battling midfielder. He’s scored one out of three so fair to play him.”

Lockyer then stroked a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which bounced into Scott’s gloves, before Dean’s speculative right-footed half-volley sailed over at the other end.

Scott made a flying save to thwart Lockyer from scoring with a hooked shot from a tight angle, but the Crockenhill keeper was lucky not to be sent-off with the manner in which he conceded the second goal in the 63^rd minute.

Coyne’s hooked ball over the top of a flat-footed Crockenhill defence released Harris through on goal.  Keeper Scott advanced off his line and Harris got to the ball first, flicking the ball beyond the keeper, who took out the striker, but the ball rolled into the bottom left-hand corner and referee Kelvin Clare awarded a goal and didn’t punish the keeper.

When asked whether the Aylesford-based referee could have sent the keeper off, Smith said: “Possibly, yes.  With the way the referee refereed I’m not quite sure what would’ve gone on to be fair!  If Steve had fell down and we’d hadn’t scored I’m not sure the referee would have sent him off or what?”

Speaking about Crockenhill’s keeper, Smith added: “He had a good game actually. He was quite solid and his kicking was decent. He was a good keeper to a good standard.”
 
Scott was forced off through a groin injury following his challenge on Harris and was replaced by substitute keeper Josh Levine, who was to be beaten twice in 60 seconds as Lydd Town made the scoreline more comfortable.

Lockyer delivered the ball in from the left, which was brought under control by Harris, who stroked a right-footed shot past the replacement keeper from 15-yards to give Lydd Town a three-goal advantage going into the final ten minutes.

But Lydd Town didn't take too long to make it four.

Attendance: 36
Referee:  Mr Kelvin Clare (Aylesford)
Assistants: Mr Trevor S Bailey (Gravesend) & Mr John Pitts (Orpington)