Eastbourne Town 1-0 Corinthian - It's a missed opportunity for the club, admits Matt Longhurst

EASTBOURNE TOWN  1-0  CORINTHIAN
The FA Cup with Budweiser Preliminary Round
Saturday 31^st August 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from The Saffrons

CORINTHIAN manager Matt Longhurst could not hide his bitter disappointment after his side were knocked out of The FA Cup by a poor Eastbourne Town outfit.

The Southern Counties East Football League side were profligate in front of goal during a dominant first half performance at The Saffrons, yet they suffered a hard-to-take defeat as Eastbourne Town snatched victory through Sacha Mbaye’s header early in the second half.

Corinthian went into this hard-fought Preliminary Round tie having defeated their league rivals Beckenham Town 2-1 at Eden Park Avenue in the Extra Preliminary Round two weeks ago - and they lie in eighth-place in the league table after picking up six points from their opening three league games.

The Kent side sensed a Cup shock could be on the cards because Eastbourne Town went into the game rooted to the foot of the Ryman League Division One South table with one point from their opening six games and only two goals to their name.

It was to be Tony Reid’s first game in charge of Eastbourne Town following Kevin Laundon’s resignation on Wednesday morning through increased work commitments.

But the Sussex coast outfit will look forward to hosting the winner of Tuesday night’s replay between Whitstable Town and Tunbridge Wells (which finished goal-less at Culverden Stadium) in two weeks’ time after central defender Mbaye was left unmarked to settle matters.

“Extremely disappointed if I’m being honest,” said Longhurst after the game.

“We should have finished the game in the first half, (but we) didn’t take our chances.

“They’ve crossed one ball in, our goalkeeper hasn’t made a save the whole game apart from the header and it’s a free header and our centre halves have got to do better!

“And then, to be honest it’s difficult to say, but I think we’ve had two penalty shouts that are blatant penalties, two handballs.

“I feel that we controlled the whole game, not that we played particularly great, but we had control of the game. They didn’t offer anything. I’m disappointed to lose a game like that!

“I don’t think you could tell any difference in the two levels. I thought we were the better side if I’m being honest.”

Longhurst criticised the performance of referee Oliver Roguez, who along with his assistants David Hutton and Paul Shea didn’t arrive at the ground until 14:17, going by the clock tower at the top of the Town Hall in the backdrop.

He said: “I thought he was poor. The referee hasn’t cost us the game, that’s down to us! We’ve let somebody score from a set-piece, that’s our fault certainly.

“It just can’t happen. He’s turned up at twenty-past-two, he’s strolled in, he’s come out and warmed up at ten-to-three and came back in at five-two. That’s not a way to prepare yourself for a game. We wouldn’t prepare like that as players and managers. I can’t see how a referee can.”

Corinthian created the first chance of the game inside the opening ten minutes when right-back Jaie Nuttall swung in a corner from the left and the unmarked Jack Pallen hooked his shot into Greg Nesling’s gloves.

Longhurst said: “First half, Jack Pallen was getting the better of the full-back. We had so many chances in the first half.  The ball flashed across the box four or five times. The keeper’s made two, three or four saves that we should then follow up.”

Eastbourne Town’s first chance swiftly followed within 31 seconds when left-winger Arron Watson cut inside before laying the ball off to right-winger Billy Medlock and his right-footed drive from 25-yards brought a comfortable low save from visiting keeper Richard Stroud.

Corinthian forced successive corners which were swung in from the right by left-back Ben Wilson and the second delivery was headed away to Denzel Gayle, who stroked his left-footed drive past the near post from 25-yards.

But Eastbourne Town should have broken the deadlock in the fifteenth-minute, following their best chance.

Watson released Medlock, who took the ball on before cutting inside and stroking a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which forced Stroud to dive low to his right to tip the ball around the post.

Longhurst said: “We kept saying, he’s right footed the lad and he played out wide on the left. We kept saying show him outside and Jaie Nuttall’s let him come inside, he’s hit a fairly decent shot, but we expect Stroudy to save that from 18-20 yards. I felt was their only notable real chance of the majority of the game if I’m being honest.”

Corinthian created another effort on goal when Jack Mahoney and Gayle linked up well in midfield and burly target-man Jack Jeffrey (who was to be forced off through a tight groin) hooked the ball out wide to Wilson, who whipped in a low cross towards the far post and Pallen slid in to poke his shot agonisingly wide of the foot of the right-hand post.

Another chance went begging for the dominant Kent side when skipper Ryan Johnson clipped the ball over the top of Eastbourne hot-headed left-back Ross Sutton to release Nuttall galloping down the wing.  The right-back reached the by-line and cut the ball back to Mahoney, who poked his right-footed shot past the near post from inside the six-yard box.

Corinthian hit Eastbourne Town on the counter-attack following Medlock’s corner from the left and Gayle picked the ball up in midfield before releasing Wilson down the left and his drive flashed across goal and past the far post.

But Longhurst felt his side should have punished Eastbourne Town with their best clear-cut chance in the 29^th minute.

Central midfielder Josh James picked the ball up and played the ball into Gayle’s feet, who played in James through on goal and his right-footed dinked shot was blocked by the advancing Nessling, who then comfortably caught James’ follow-up shot.

“I think he’s got to score,” admitted a frustrated Longhurst.

“I think there’s one or two players that need to stand up and be counted. They need to be a little bit braver in certain situations physically as well as on the ball and I felt he could’ve been a little bit braver there Josh, but as I say I’m disappointed in terms of our end product in the final third certainly in the first half.”

Fine play by Eastbourne Town’s Watson saw him reach the by-line before he cut the ball back and Medlock should have done better instead of hooking his shot back where it came from and out for a goal-kick.

Corinthian cracked a couple of long-range efforts around the half-hour mark when Pallen cut inside before cracking a 30-yard powerful drive which clearly moved in the mid-flight and Nessling did well to keep his eyes on the ball to make the catch.

And 97 seconds later Johnson rolled the ball out to Pallen on the right who cracked a left-footed speculative drive from 35-yards, which sailed past the top of the right-hand post in an attempt to embarrass the keeper.

Eastbourne should have taken the lead nine minutes before the break when Watson floated in a cross from the right which was knocked down by Medlock but former Bromley striker Reid failed to finish off a promising move.

Corinthian were thwarted by a smart save from Nessling inside injury time when James linked up well with Johnson and James’ left-footed drive was beaten away by the Eastbourne keeper high to his left.

When asked what he said during the half-time interval, Longhurst replied: “Just keep doing what we’re doing really; just take a little bit more care in the final third.  We just felt that we could keep creating chances if we were patient.”

The game threatened to boil over early and at the end of the second half with robust challenges going in and the referee failed to stamp his authority on the game.

Corinthian created the first opening of the second half when Eastbourne central defender Mbaye won a robust aerial challenge against Corinthian substitute striker Sam May and James played the ball out to Pallen, who curled his left-footed angled drive bouncing past the far post from 25-yards.

Corinthian squandered another decent chance when Johnson picked the ball up inside the penalty area before clipping a cross which sailed over May’s head.   The ball was retrieved by Mahoney on the by-line and he floated in a cross and Johnson cushioned his header across goal and Gayle’s right-footed drive was blocked by Nessling, low to his right.

Longhurst said: “Again, I think he’s got to do better!  I don’t think we created loads in the second half. I thought we were a little bit hit and miss. It was a little bit scrappy. We made changes, which were a little bit forced with injuries. I don’t think we really stamped our authority on the second half. We had lots of possession, but we didn’t do a lot if I’m honest.”

But despite being on the back-foot for the majority of the game, Eastbourne Town snatched the victory in the 58^th minute following a free-kick.

Eastbourne skipper Luke Denton swung in a right-footed free-kick into the penalty area and Mbaye was gifted space to plant his towering header across Stroud and into the far corner from 12-yards.

Longhurst was clearly angry with the manner his side were eliminated from The FA Cup.

He said: “I’m absolutely fuming with the goal!  The goal’s a disgrace! It shouldn’t happen at this level of football or any other level.

“We spoke about the guy who’s put the ball in the goal. We’ve spoken to the centre halves to make sure he doesn’t get across people and to be fair it’s a fairly decent delivery but it should be dealt with!  We’ve got players who should go and attack that! When one of our centre halves don’t follow runners that’s what’s going to happen!”

Longhurst added: “We’ve had a few injury problems, we’re missing some key players at the moment and I think the goal showed that we’re missing two centre halves, Billy Burgess, Charlie Burgess and we’re missing Jamie Billings who is another centre half or left-back.

“I just feel we’ve been suspect to the ball in the box.”

Longhurst admitted that his side froze when they went a goal behind.

“I felt when they scored we’ve got players that need to grow up a little bit. We’ve got people that need to take the bull by the horns and I feel at times this is the only time that sometimes separates us from breaking into maybe the top four in the Kent League is because we’ve got young players in there who are not experienced as other players.

“They haven’t seen certain situations.  We’re away from home to a team down the coast that we haven’t played before and we’ve gone 1-0 down and that’s knocked the stuffing out of us a little bit.

“The teams that win stuff carry on doing what they normally do throughout the whole game but we stopped doing what we’re good at and that was disappointing.

“That’s what we said to the boys at the end. We’re just disappointed that we didn’t carry on doing that but it’s becoming a little trait in games that mean something – sometimes in the league games we relax. Games like today when it’s a one-off and even the cup final against Erith & Belvedere some of them freeze in certain situations and stop doing what they’re good at, but that’s something that we need to look at.”

Eastbourne central defender Ryan Cooper clipped an intelligent ball out of defence to release Medlock down the right and the impressive winger cut inside before smashing a left-footed shot embarrassingly wide of the far post from 22-yards.

With just under fifteen minutes remaining, Nuttall swung in another corner from the left and Pallen’s header looped onto the roof of the net whilst under robust pressure inside the box at the near post.

Eastbourne Town substitute James Vaughan called Stroud into making a low save to his left with six minutes remaining, before Corinthian immediately went up the other end and substitute Taylor flashed his left-footed angled drive past the far post.

Eastbourne left-back Sutton went for goal with a speculative left-footed drive from 30-yards, which was spilt by Stroud, who gathered at the second attempt.

Corinthian’s players demanded two penalties for handball inside stoppage time – the first one being a clear-cut decision.

The London based referee failed to spot Denton had raised his arm inside a crowded penalty area and made contact with the ball.  The referee consulted his colleagues and decided a contested drop-ball outside the box down the left channel was his best option – instead of pointing to the spot.

And with the last kick of the game there were more handball appeals following Nuttall’s corner from the left, which resulted in Nessling grabbing the ball after it bounced down off the crossbar with players surrounding him and men in green and white appealing for a penalty for a handball on the line.

“I thought some of the decisions we’re absolutely shocking,” claimed the Corinthian boss.

“From where I was standing, one absolute stonewall penalty for handball and then one literally the last kick of the game, the boys were saying, I couldn’t really see it, but Tony (Sitford, director of football) was standing in the stand and he said the guys pattered it down on the line.

“We don’t seem to be getting too much luck in terms of penalties at the moment, but at the end of the day they’ve scored from a set-piece and haven’t caused us any other problems, but if you don’t defend set-pieces you lose games.”

Corinthian banked £1,500 from their win over Beckenham Town at the first hurdle but missed out on £1,925 in prize money with their defeat here today.

Longhurst said: “We’ll concentrate back on the league now! We’ve still got the other couple of cup competitions. It’s just extremely disappointing to lose to a team I feel weren’t better than us!

“It hurts when we lose. It’s a massively missed opportunity. It’s a missed opportunity in terms of the money in the club. It’s a missed opportunity to play in the next round. It’s disappointing to come here, let’s be honest they’re not a good side.  They’re not as good as teams in our league.

“It’s so disappointing to lose to the goal we lost to. Having said that if our choices were better in the first half we win the game two or three nil and the games done and that set-piece doesn’t matter but you have to be a little bit clinical.

“We’re not going to win The FA Cup. Everyone knows that. It’s a nice little bonus that we haven’t got any more so we’ll deal with that tonight. It’s disappointing.

“Every manager will tell you the same, Saturday night is a nightmare when you lose because you’re sitting there thinking about how you could change it, what you could have done differently.”

Eastbourne Town: Greg Nessling, Nathan Daley, Ross Sutton, Adam Davidson, Ryan Cooper, Sacha Mbaye, Billy Medlock, Luke Denton, Tony Reid (Mike Brown 89), Leighton Schlaaf (James Vaughan 46), Aaron Watson (Dominic Cole 76).
Subs: Matt Carruthers, Ryan Waterman, John Trotter, Sam Read

Goal: Sacha Mbaye 58

Booked: Ross Sutton 44, Luke Denton 80

Corinthian: Richard Stroud, Jaie Nuttall, Ben Wilson, Josh James (Jamie Taylor 71), Jack Sparrow, Sam Groombridge, Jack Mahoney, Ryan Johnson, Jack Pallen, Jack Jeffrey (Sam May 35), Denzel Gayle (Jack Howlett 59).
Subs: Peter Afoylan, Henry Goodwin, Eric Astrom, Rob Fry

Attendance: 109
Referee: Mr Oliver Roguez (Isle Of Dogs, London E14)
Assistants: Mr David Hutton (Basildon, Essex) & Mr Paul Shea (Poplar, London E14)