Dorking 1-4 Beckenham Town - The FA Vase is a competition that we can go far in and we can possibly win, says Beckenham Town coach Jason Clews

Dorking 1 – 4 Beckenham Town
Location	Westhumble Community Ground, London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6AD
Kickoff	11/09/2016 15:00

DORKING  1-4  BECKENHAM TOWN
The Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Sunday 11^th September 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Westhumble

BECKENHAM TOWN coach Jason Clews says The FA Vase is a competition the club can go far in this season after their comfortable win at Dorking.

Jason Huntley’s side extended their unbeaten run to five games after coming away from lower-league side Dorking with a 4-1 win in the First Qualifying Round to set up a trip to Rochester United or Chessington & Hook United (who replay on Wednesday night), on 24 September.

Beckenham Town arrived in Surrey sitting in 12^th place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table on eight points from six games, while Danny Fox’s Dorking were in the bottom six in the Combined Counties League Division One table on 6 points from as many games.

Beckenham Town got off to a dream start as Louis Sprosen, who was playing behind lone striker Marvin Alebiosu, scored twice inside the opening nine minutes.

But despite the Kent side creating chances to increase their lead further, Dorking pulled a goal back from Kieran Lunn’s textbook header.

Alebiosu capped off a fine display with a header of his own on the hour, before he was joined in attack by substitute Hassan Jalloh, who added a fourth goal with the last kick of the game.

“Great performance, great performance.  First half, first 25 minutes, superb. We kept passing the ball around, creating triangles, passing triangles all around them. I don’t think they could keep up with us in the first 30 minutes,” said Clews.

“The only problem is we didn’t capitalise on a few other chances, which we should’ve put in to make it three or four. Then it would’ve been a bit more comfortable.

“But for the last 15 of the first half we stopped doing what we were doing, we were slowing down the play, not moving the ball quick enough, which gave them time to get back in and gave them a lifeline to get back into it at 2-1.

“But I’m pleased with the first 30 minutes of the first half and then the second half, again pleased with the second half performance because we told them what to do at half-time and they went out and done the job again in the second half so I’m pleased with that.”

It could have been a different story had the Chicks scored with a glorious opportunity after 177 seconds.

Owen Hunte’s corner from the left sailed over goalkeeper Darren Ibrahim (not to be confused with Dartford’s keeper Deren Ibrahim) and the ball was knocked down by Brandon Watts and George Knight poked the ball into the keeper’s hands from close range.

It proved to be a costly miss, as Beckenham Town opened the scoring with their first shot on goal, timed at 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

Harry Draper played a first time ball to release Alebiosu down the right channel and he reached the by-line to cut the ball back for Sprosen to slam his first time shot into the bottom right-hand corner from 10-yards.

“Good finish from Sproz, he’s done well in the last couple of games. The whole team has really because we’ve gone on a run, which is good for us. It was a good finish,” said Clews.

Dorking’s impressive and diminutive right-winger Hunter drove an angled drive past the near post, before clinical Beckenham doubled their lead with 8 minutes and 5 seconds on the clock with a great header.

Danny Akers hung over a cross from the right and Sprosen rose unmarked to plant his powerful header past Nimmo from 10-yards.

Clews said: “I think Sproz’s header, the second one was even better, great header! He rose up, his hang time was good. He’s stayed up well for it and put it in beyond the keeper’s reach. It was a great finish from him.

“I think it was a good start for 25-30 minutes. It was a brilliant start from us, then we stopped doing the easy things and allowed them to get back into the game.”

Draper, Gassimu Jalloh and Sprosen linked up well in midfield and Nathan Palmer played the ball out wide to Jack Delaney, who cut inside and his 30-yard drive was saved low down by Nimmo.

Beckenham Town should have increased their lead further in the 18^th minute when Akers controlled George Mitchell’s ball out of defence, turned and cracked a thumping drive that flew over Nimmo’s right shoulder and crashed off the top of the far post.

Akers hobbled off shortly afterwards with a pulled hamstring and was replaced by Adam Allen, who played in his position of right-midfield.

“Great strike! I thought he was crossing it but then it sort of looped towards the goal and I saw it struck the bar. It was a good strike from him,” said Clews.

“It looks like he’s going to be out for a few weeks, again, disappointed for Dan because he’s played in the position that he’s not used to, a wing-back of the five on two away games which we had to go in that formation.”

Beckenham’s play outclassed Dorking for the first 30 minutes and Palmer’s cross down the left channel was cleared out to holding midfielder James Fitzgerald, who hooked his shot into Nimmo’s hands.

Nimmo looked shaky for the first 30 minutes and his clearance struck Alebiosu, but he pounced on the ball to deny the Beckenham striker accepting the gift.

But Dorking enjoyed a good spell in the last 15 minutes before half-time and they were almost gifted a lifeline.

Hunte’s cross from the right struck Mitchell and forced his own keeper to dive to his right to pull off a save.

“It’s deflected across and it’s a reaction save that he’s had to make,” said Clews.

“I thought George possibly should’ve gone with his other leg but he went with his right leg.  He should’ve gone with his left leg and it probably gone the way the cross had come in.  Darren’s pulled off a good reaction save there for us.”

Clews explained why Rilwan Anibaba wasn’t in goal, while five-goal striker Omari Delgado (dropped) and Jamie Humphries (suspended) were also missing.

He said: “Work commitments. He thought it was on a Saturday and he swapped his day off to be available for Saturday but he didn’t know that it was Sunday so we had to bring in Darren.”

Dorking right-back James Brazil was given time and space to take a touch before delivering a cross towards the far post, which Darrel Mothee failed to head in.

Sprosen floated over a great cross from the left channel towards an unmarked Allen who rose at the far post and his header rose above an open goal.

Dorking pulled a goal back with 38 minutes on the clock, courtesy of some poor defending from Beckenham’s right-back Andrew Whorms.

Hunte delivered a hanging cross from the right and caught Ibrahim in two minds whether to catch the cross or let it sail over him and an unmarked Lunn guided his header back across Ibrahim and into the back of the net from six-yards.

“Great header because that’s what strikers normally should do when the cross has come across, you head it away to the opposite corner,” said Clews.

“I thought we gave the ball away in midfield for them to create that chance because Andrew Whorms has played it from right-back right across the middle of the park and then lost the ball and he’s out of position then because the lad has pulled out into his position to head the ball back.  We haven’t made too many mistakes in the last few games, that was one today that we’ll cut out.”

The goal rocked Beckenham Town for a bit and Hunte cut into their penalty area but produced a woeful sliced shot that failed to trouble Ibrahim.

Good play down the right channel by Stuart Russell saw him cut the ball back to Brazil, who whipped in a deep cross towards the far post but Mothee lashed his left-footed volley past the near post.

Clews said :”We let them back into the game towards the end of the first half. We said at half-time they’ll probably have their 10-15 minute spells as well. We gave them a lifeline to get back into the game, which really we thought they’ll come at us more in the second half but we done our job. We told them to get the ball moving, as we were in the first 30 minutes, switch the play quicker, which we did as well in the second half.”

And Dorking went into the break having called Ibrahim into making a low save to deny left-back Richard Webber stroking his right-footed free-kick into the bottom left-hand corner from 27-yards.

Beckenham’s classy performance had Huntley in a calm manner inside the wooden dressing room during the interval.

“Happy dressing room at the break. Jason’s normally one for shouting if we’re doing things wrong but after the last few performances he’s a little bit more relaxed because we are playing well,” revealed Clews.

“He’s a bit more relaxed with what he says at half-time. He was a bit disappointed that we allowed them back into the game when we knew we should’ve gone in at three or four nil up but he said his bit and to be fair to the lads they took on board what he said and carried out what he said in the second half.”

Sprosen was guilty of diving as Brazil came across him and Lunn went over to the crowd standing in front of the clubhouse and asked for someone’s cap and trotted back to his goalkeeper, who dived to his left to prevent Sprosen curling his right-footed free-kick into the far corner from 22-yards.

“The sun’s beating down here today, so he’s pulled off a good save with his cap,” added Clews.

Palmer delivered a deep free-kick into Dorking’s box where Mitchell came up from the back to steer his header straight into Nimmo’s hands at his near post from a tight angle, appealing for a penalty.

Fitzgerald swung in Beckenham’s second corner and Mitchell rose at the far post to plant his header over the crossbar.

Nimmo pulled off another fine diving save to his left to prevent Delaney whipping his left-footed free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner from the right-hand corner of the box.

Clews said: “Danny Akers is the normal one that takes free-kicks on the edge of the box, he’s got a great strike on him but he was of the pitch so Jack Delaney’s taken it. He’s made the keeper work, which is what we’ve asked, he’s kept it on target and made him work.”

Beckenham Town scored their third goal from the resulting corner in the 60^th minute.

Delaney whipped in the perfect corner from the right and Alebiosu steered in his header from two-yards out at the near post.

“Obviously with the formation Marvin’s worked his socks off today, one man up top. We did change it for the last 15 minutes of the second half just to go 4-4-2 for Hassan to pick up the ball in the space.

“But Marvin’s capped his performance off today with a really good header. He’s left his marker and he’s got in at the near post. It was a good delivery from Jack as well, low and flat with a bit of pace and he’s stuck it away.”

Beckenham’s third goal killed off the game but Dorking missed a glorious chance to claw themselves back into the game in the 72^nd minute.

Lunn ran with the ball down the left for half the length of the pitch and once he reached the by-line he cut the ball back to the unmarked Mothee, who lashed his left-footed shot over the crossbar from inside the D.

Clews said: “Again, a little bit of sloppy marking on that one, not tracking back, they hit us on the break. That’s what they looked to do today, catch us on the counter attack but we switched off a few times but we’ll take the chance that gone over and we moved on and created a few more chances for us.”

Mothee swung in a corner from the right which bounced off Allen’s leg at the far post and only just missed the foot of his own near post.

Beckenham went close again when substitute Jamie Turner played the ball into Alebiosu, who twisted and turned on the edge of the box and drilled his shot across the keeper, flashing just past the foot of the far post.

Draper then fed the ball to Turner, who unleashed a stinging right-footed angled drive from 25-yards, which stung Nimmo’s fingers, the keeper grabbing hold of the ball at the second attempt.

Turner was supposed to be playing wide on the right but he drifted into the middle of the park and Clews revealed that Turner will be playing in midfield from now one instead of right-back.

“He’s created the chance himself, made himself a little bit of space and he’s got a great shot on him, he’s stung the keeper’s hands,” he said.

“He’s come on as a right winger today. He’s looking to get into midfield more now because we’re comfortable at the back with Jack Delaney and Andrew Whorms. Jamie is looking to get his spot and he’s looking to play in midfield a bit more, maybe more central to what he has done.”

Good wing play from substitute Hassan Jalloh set up a chance for Palmer, who hit a right-footed drive flashing just past the left-hand post from 35-yards.

Dorking substitute, James Herouvin cut in from the right wing and tried to curl the ball around Ibrahim from 25-yards, which was comfortably saved by the former Gillingham, Welling United and Holmesdale keeper.

Alebiosu slipped the ball through to Hassan Jalloh, whose right-footed angled drive from 25-yards brought a comfortable save from Nimmo.

But Beckenham Town’s impressive performance deserved a fourth goal and it came with the last kick of the match.

Alebiosu was on the same wavelength as Hassan Jalloh again and the substitute striker skipped past one challenge, sped past a couple of defenders, cut past the keeper and had composure to slot his left-footed shot into the back of an empty net from a tight angle.

“You get that from Hass, he’s a very skilful player,” said Clews. “Sometimes he’s a bit lazy for us but he’s been away for the last few weeks, he’s dropped out of favour but he’s come back in today and it was that sort of game in the last 10 minutes that he would pick up the loose balls off the front man so that’s why we brought him on to do that and it’s paid off. He’s got a goal from it and he’s picked up the ball and stuck it away for us.”

Rochester United will have home advantage in Wednesday nights’s replay after coming back from (Combined Counties League Division One leaders) Chessington & Hook United with a 3-3 draw after extra time.

“We’ll look forward to that, another away game. We prefer to be at home,” said Clews.

“With Rochester being in our league we probably should know what they’re about so we’re on a bit of a run so we’re happy with our performances so we’re looking forward to our league game on Wednesday (at home to) Cray Valley first and the next round is a couple of weeks away.

“Cray are a good team. We know James Collins and Neil Hunter there so we’re expecting a tough game. They’ll probably bounce back from that result (losing 1-0 at home to SCEFL1 side Glebe in The FA Vase on Friday night) so it will be a tough game at home.”

When asked about what The FA Vase means to Beckenham Town, Clews added: “It means a lot because it’s a competition that we can go far in and we can possibly win. It’s a little bonus for us, all teams are at our level (or one below) and they’re all beatable teams. It’s something that we are looking to go far in.

“Other teams in the league have done it in the past and it’s something that we’ve got a good squad there that we feel is capable of going a long way in it so we’re pleased with today and looking forward to the next round.”

Dorking: Jamie Nimmo, James Brazil, Richard Webber, Andy Miller (Jack Wisbey 55), Paul Gough, Brandon Watts, Owen Hunte (Russell Hartt 86), Stuart Russell, George Knight (James Herouvin 73), Kieran Lunn, Darrel Mothee.
Subs: Matt Finn, Jordan Boukhari

Goal: Kieran Lunn 38

Booked: Andy Miller 48, Darrel Mothee 58

Beckenham Town: Darren Ibrahim, Andrew Whorms, Jack Delaney, Gassimu Jalloh, George Mitchell, James Fitzgerald (Hassan Jalloh 83), Harry Draper, Nathan Palmer, Marvin Alebiosu, Louis Sprosen (Jamie Turner 74), Danny Akers (Adam Allen 22).
Subs: Harry Stacey, Kelvin Ogboe

Goals: Louis Sprosen 7, 9, Marvin Alebiosu 60, Hassan Jalloh 90

Attendance: 126
Referee: Mr Robert King (Crawley, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Barry Cox (Crawley, West Sussex) & Mr Daniel Hague (Crawley, West Sussex)

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