Didcot Town 4-3 VCD Athletic - It will be the last game that some of them play for the club, insists VCD Athletic boss Keith McMahon

Didcot Town 4 – 3 VCD Athletic
Location	Loop Meadow Stadium, Bowmont Water, Ladygrove, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7GA
Kickoff	15/09/2015 19:45

DIDCOT TOWN  4-3  VCD ATHLETIC
The FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay (Sponsored by Emirates)
Tuesday 15^th September 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Loop Meadow Stadium

VCD ATHLETIC manager Keith McMahon has promised to release a couple of players this week after being dumped out of The FA Cup by lower-league Didcot Town.

The Crayford-based outfit were held to a 1-1 draw at Oakwood on Saturday, by the Oxfordshire outfit that are in eleventh-place in the Evo Stick Southern League Division One South & West.

Despite being rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier League table with three draws from their opening eight league games, Vickers were a dominant force during the first half and led through Kojo Awotwi, 19, who is on loan from Vanarama National League Welling United.

But despite an impressive first 40 minutes, they gifted Didcot Town an equaliser, which was drilled home by striker Mark Janes.

Didcot Town were on the front foot during the second half, as VCD Athletic lacked confidence and three mistakes sent them crashing out of The FA Cup at their first hurdle.

Adam Learoyd planted home his first header of the game to give Didcot Town the lead, but Vickers swiftly levelled only 65 seconds later through Ritchie Graham’s first time finish.

Janes sent Rob Budd the wrong way from the penalty spot to give the Railwaymen the lead, before Vickers’ substitute Nigel Neita restored parity, within a couple of minutes after coming on.

But with the game heading towards extra-time, captain Learoyd capped off a fine display by scoring his second header of the night – the goal timed at 48:46- to send Didcot Town through to the Second Qualifying Round when they will travel to Evo Stick Southern League Division One Central side Northwood on 26 September.

McMahon revealed he gave his players a few home truths inside the dressing room after the game, before voicing his disappointment of his side’s FA Cup exit.

He said: “Really annoyed with some of the lads. We shouldn’t be in this situation if I’m honest.  We should’ve killed the game off on Saturday! We shouldn’t even come here to be fair but defended absolutely appallingly for every goal today.

“We’ve got a couple of lads who don’t really care too much about what’s going on and we’ve just had a bit of a few home truths said.

“Yes, it’s a game we shouldn’t really be losing but they battled until the end, but for 40 minutes we were completely comfortably and we lost the plot for the last five minutes of the first half and let them equalise and we really could’ve been a goal down just before half-tome.

“We came back out second half, again just another mistake and that’s what it was. We can’t pick up from a set-play, two throw ons, one was a pen and last minute from a long throw.”

Both sides were able to zip the ball off a lush playing surface at Loop Meadow, which the stand side of the ground is a mini-version of Kingstonian’s Kingsmeadow Stadium.

VCD Athletic created the first opening inside the opening three minutes.

Didcot keeper Leigh Bedwell’s clearance went straight to Awotwi some 35-yards from goal and he released Arron Wickham down the right, who played Paul Vines on the overlap and his angled drive was tipped around the post by the keeper, diving low to his left.

McMahon said: “Listen, the game got stretched and people done the right things, same as Saturday. We could’ve won by five, six or seven on Saturday and we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net and that’s our problem.”

VCD Athletic were passing the ball around with confidence during the first half and Graham swept the ball out wide to Wickham, who found right-back Mathias Bakare on an overlapping run, but his speculative right-footed angled drive from 30-yards flashed across goal and past the far post.

Didcot then settled into the game and they created their first chance after 12 minutes.

Jack Self whipped in a quality low cross from the right, the ball was cleared out to Andy Ballard and the central midfielder slipped his low right-footed shot towards the bottom corner, which was tipped around the post by Rob Budd, diving low to his right.

Marvin Martin and Self linked up and left-back James Organ reached the by-line and wrapped his foot around the ball to whip in a cross but Josh Dutton-Black rose to plant his header over the Vickers’ crossbar.

McMahon had a strong case for Didcot keeper Bedwell to be at least booked in the 15^th minute when the keeper grabbed hold of the ball outside his penalty area after Ashley Probets clipped a long ball for Awotwi to chase down the left channel.

When asked whether he felt the goalkeeper should have been punished with a card, McMahon replied: “Every other game it is! I’ve never seen a goalkeeper handball outside the box and nothing be done so I’m a bit dumbstruck with that and that was really early on so it could’ve been a different game but that’s just the way things are going for us at the moment.”

Vines, who was kept in Learoy’s back pocket for the majority of the game, released Alex Teniola down the right but he was never going to curl his shot into the far corner from a long way out.

VCD Athletic deservedly opened the scoring with 20 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock.

The Kent side produced a slick one-touch passing move, which included Probets, Wickham and Graham, who produced a defensive splitting pass to put Awotwi through on goal and the  winger swept his right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner from 16-yards.

McMahon said: “We got young Kojo from Welling. I thought he caused them problems every time he got the ball.  He was driving at them. He was Saturday and he caused them problems. He missed quite a few chances on Saturday but today he’s took it with his first one and you’re sitting there thinking ‘right, we’ve got the early goal, let’s just build from there.”

But Probets squandered an excellent chance to double their lead in the 28^th minute.

Right-back Bakare played the ball into Awotwi, who played the ball inside to Graham, who was given time and space by the Didcot defence to take the ball forward.  He saw Probets on an overlapping run, the left-back taking a touch inside the box before blasting his left-footed shot over the crossbar from 15-yards.

McMahon said: “He’s steadied himself, a little bit of composure and he scores!

“But again that’s been us for this season, just lacking a bit of composure in front of goal.  The three goals we scored today, you wouldn’t have thought so!”

Budd’s free-kick from outside his penalty area was cleared out to Wickham, who took a touch before flashing his right-footed angled drive past the far post from 30-yards.

Justyn Roberts played the ball out of VCD Athletic’s defence and Probets produced a deep cross into the penalty area and Vines escaped his man at the far post to head the ball harmlessly past the far post.

But the tide started turning towards Didcot’s favour as the game headed towards half-time.

Martin swung in a free-kick from the left and Ballard rose to glance his header past the far post from 12-yards.

Didcot Town were gifted the equaliser with 42 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock.

Ballard played the ball down the line down the left hand side and Vickers’ right-sided central defender Ricardo Joseph made a costly mistake and Janes latched onto the loose ball, cut inside to drill his left-footed shot past Budd.

McMahon said: “Listen, Ricardo’s been excellent for us all season, but the ball’s come up to him at knee height and he’s completely missed it!  The kid’s gone through and scored. We know it was a mistake, so did he and he’s mostly beating himself up in there about it.

“They don’t score then we come out at half-time and I don’t think we’ve got any problems.”

VCD Athletic were given an all-mighty let-off as the game entered time added on.

Self released Janes down the right and the Didcot striker turned Joseph and raced on to centre low across the face of the penalty area to an unmarked Dutton-Black.  Somehow, the left-winger smashed his right-footed shot over an empty net from 10-yards.

McMahon couldn’t believe his luck!

“Another mistake wasn’t it?! Ricardo again! It looked like he had ice-skates on. He slipped, the geezer’s cut in and crossed it and I don’t know how he’s missed to be fair.  It was a massive let off for us.

“I said to the boys at half-time, we played so well for 40 minutes, dominated the game, should be out of sight again and we’ve had five minutes of madness.”

McMahon made a tactical switch at the interval with Roberts being replaced by Elliott Cox and the substitute sat in front of their back four while McMahon pushed another man up front.

It appeared that another new team played for VCD Athletic during the second half – because the players that impressed so much during the first half were locked in their changing room.

Teniola’s last action of the game was to latch onto a long ball out of defence to drag his left-footed angled drive flashing past the far post from 15-yards.

The home fans in the small crowd of 94 could sense a FA Cup upset – and their team delivered.

Martin whipped in another free-kick from the left into the far post and Ballard jumped to loop his header into Budd’s hands for a comfortable catch.

Didcot Town were a threat in the air from set-pieces and they took the lead for the first time in the tie in the 58^th minute.

Dutton-Black swung in a corner from the left towards the far post and Learoyd showed more desire than Vickers’ defenders to plant his diving header into the bottom left-hand corner.

McMahon said: “We were caught. People weren’t doing their jobs. They know who they need to mark, didn’t mark and we’ve stopped and the geezer’s headed it in at the far post. Poor, poor, poor defending!”

But VCD Athletic’s response was swift and they were back on level terms only 65 seconds later.

Bakare released Wickham down the right and he picked out Graham with a fine low cross and Graham drilled his first time right-footed angled drive past Bedwell.

“It was a good move to be fair. Matty Bakare, who played at right-back had another good game today again. A great pass down the flank, Arron’s nipped in front, crossed it and Ritchie’s showed his experience and coolness and scored.

“He’s been excellent for us all year. He’s a 36-year-old that shouldn’t be having to do that! The other lads, the youngsters around him should be into that. It was a good finish!”

VCD Athletic should have gone on and re-stamped their authority on the game from this moment on.

When asked how he was feeling at 2-2, McMahon replied: “Just keep our shape, go back to controlling the game but at the moment you’re telling people to do things and they’re not doing it!

“You know what you’re getting here.  It’s a Cup tie, so you know you’re going to be in a battle. You want people to roll their sleeves up and compete and press the ball and if we’d done that, we would’ve dominated but some people lost their shape, didn’t go with runners and I think it was end-to-end and both defences looked awful!”

Didcot Town squandered another excellent opportunity to regain the lead.

Janes shrugged off Marvin Hamilton down the left by-line and cut the ball back to Dutton-Black, who unselfishly laid the ball outside him to an unmarked Self, who sliced his shot past the near post when he only had Budd to beat.

This was a cracking FA Cup tie and Didcot grew stronger the longer the game went on.

Dutton-Black delivered a high hanging out-swinging corner from the left and Janes’ shot was blocked and the ball fell invitingly to Joel Thompson, the Didcot central defender hooking his shot towards goal from 22-yards which Budd held while diving to his right for a comfortable save.

VCD Athletic gifted Didcot Town their third goal, which was scored in the 72^nd minute.

Ballard launched a throw from the right and the ball bounced up and hit Hamilton on his hand and referee Neil Morrison pointed to the spot.

Janes stepped up and sent Budd the wrong way, by placing his right-footed penalty to the keeper’s left to give Didcot Town a deserved advantage.

McMahon said: “You can’t let it bounce in your box! People haven’t stepped towards it, haven’t taken responsibilities and it’s bounce up and hit his hand. It was a pen.

“People on our line went ‘a bit harsh’ but it’s come up and we should’ve dealt with it. We should’ve just dealt with it first time, gone and attacked the ball. We didn’t and we’ll learn from it.”

McMahon brought Neita on with ten minutes remaining in search of an equaliser and within two minutes he came up with the goods.

Vines released the striker, who capitalised on some poor defending from fellow sub Matthew Woodley, and slipped his left-footed shot past Bedwell, the ball rolling into the bottom left-hand corner.

McMahon added: “He got in between and a really cool finish minutes later and that’s what he can do but he’s just a bit too inconsistent.

“After that we drifted out, people thought that’s it, we go and win the game, taking things for granted.”

VCD Athletic should have won the game when Probets was given time to whip in a great cross from the left towards the near post where unmarked substitute Austin Lipman planted his past the near post.

“We had a perfect chance to win it,” admitted McMahon.

“Ashley’s put in an unbelievable cross and how Austin’s missed the header from four-yards out, I don’t know!  Someone of his quality as well. It’s beyond me and that’s the story of our season. He heads that in with three or four minutes to go, over, and then we give a silly throw in away.”

Didcot, too, went close, only 47 seconds later when Woodley cracked a stunning rasping dipping drive with his left-foot from 30-yards, which screamed just over the crossbar, despite Budd raising his right-hand above his head.

Wickham’s attempted long ball cleared out of Vickers’ defence went straight to Ballard, who played the ball inside to Martin, who drilled his left-footed shot over the bar from 30-yards.

But with extra-time looming and referee Mr Morrison already glancing at his watch, VCD Athletic were hit by a cruel knock-out.

Ballard launched another long throw into the penalty area from the right and Learoyd’s looping header from within a crowded penalty area sailed across goal and dropped into the bottom left-hand corner, his fourth goal of the season coming at a great time for the home club.

McMahon revealed Vines was supposed to track Kearoyd.

“Again, Vinsey knows he hasn’t gone with him and we’re shouting and shouting and he’s thrown it in, slipped it over. It’s something at our level we should be easily dealing with. There’s teams at our level bigger than them and that’s our problem, people are not taking responsibility and until they do, they’re going to learn a very, very harsh lesson!”

The stats for VCD Athletic look grim tonight.  They have played 11 games in all competitions and have not celebrated a victory.

McMahon has promised to ship out players who are not pulling their weight – otherwise they’ll be suffering relegation.

He said: “People need to listen. I will make changes and I will continue to do it!

“We had to start from scratch, people keep forgetting. Three weeks before pre-season starts we didn’t have a player so we’ve got them in there, bedded in, but a lot of games we’ve dominated but just haven’t put the ball in the back of the net when we ‘re on top.

“But at the other end, normally we’ve been solid at the back. We looked rocky tonight and that’s just with a bit of confidence.

“We just need that first win desperately. The lads need to get together as a side and dig deep and grind one out and if they had done that tonight they would’ve won but they didn’t and until they do it players are going to come in and out the door all day long.

“We need people who are going to listen to us. We’ve got eight players who put a shift in tonight and a couple who just do their own thing. They just come in to the game here and there and when they do they look great. When they don’t we’ve persevered and persevered. Sometimes you want a bit of continuity and you don’t want to keep changing the side or the shape or getting new players in.

“But if people aren’t going to listen then we may have to do that.

“It’s going to be very hard lesson but I will get it right! We’ve got the weekend now, we have to brush ourselves down and we’ll work really hard on (at training on) Thursday and we’ll get it out of them!”

VCD Athletic are away from home for their next two games.  On Saturday they travel to Metropolitan Police, who were knocked out of The FA Cup tonight at Sittingbourne, before Vickers travel to Canvey Island on Tuesday 22 September.

McMahon has promised changes ahead of their trip to Imber Court.

“I’m gutted for the club, the chairman, who’s brilliant and the committee that’s come tonight.

“Some of them (my players) have let them down and it will be the last game that some of them play for the club!

“It’s that serious and I’ve told them and they will find out in the next day or so. I’m not going to name names, it’s unfair on them.

“We’ve got consistently eight or nine players who put in a shift for us and we’re being let down by a couple.

“You see in the first half, we done the same at Kingstonian, we played really well but you need to get in front and you need to get in front well and your confidence will come.

“But a couple of our lads, some of them are youngsters, they just think they can do a bit better instead of the basics and put you under pressure. They give silly fouls away, free-kicks and give the ball away cheaply, instead of them doing what we told them to do because they think they’re better than they are because we’ve gone a goal up or we’re dominating. Until we’ve done that we’re not going to go anywhere.”

Didcot Town: Leigh Bedwell, Jamie Heapy, James Organ (Matthew Woodley 81), Andy Ballard, Joel Thompson, Adam Learoyd, Marvin Martin, Jack Self, Mark Janes, Mark Francis (Jack Powell 77), Josh Dutton-Black.
Subs: Ian Concannon, Jack Longford, Lance Williams, Josh Gannon

Goals: Mark Janes 43, 72 (penalty), Adam Learoyd 58, 90,

Booked: Adam Learoyd 50

VCD Athletic: Rob Budd, Mathias Bakare, Ashley Probets, Marvin Hamilton, Ricardo Joseph, Justyn Roberts (Elliott Cox 46), Ritchie Graham (Nigel Neita 80), Arron Wickham, Paul Vines, Alex Teniola (Austin Lipman 55), Kojo Awotwi.

Goals:  Kojo Awotwi 21, Ritchie Graham 59, Nigel Neita 82

Attendance: 94
Referee: Mr Neil Morrison (Staines, Middlesex)
Assistants: Mr David Cox (Banbury, Oxfordshire) & Mr Simon Maynard (Reading, Berkshire)