Erith & Belvedere 0-2 Forest Hill Park - I just don't think it's right that we have to play the week before a big FA Vase game - I just didn't want to be here tonight, says Erith & Belvedere joint-manager Billy Hamlin

Erith & Belvedere 0 – 2 Forest Hill Park
Location	Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY
Kickoff	15/01/2025 19:45

ERITH & BELVEDERE  0-2  FOREST HILL PARK
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup Third Round
Wednesday 15 January 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH & BELVEDERE joint-manager Billy Hamlin criticised the Southern Counties East Football League for giving his side a Challenge Cup tie just three days before their FA Vase Last 32 trip to play Essex side White Ensign.

Successful You Tube Sunday League outfit SE Dons took over Forest Hill Park last summer and took their place in the tenth-tier of English football - but the name Forest Hill Park will live on for the rest of this season before The Football Association grant permission to change the club’s name to SE Dons.   A similar situation occurred during the 2016-17 campaign when Stansfeld had the same arrangement with Eltham Palace.

Both sides made five changes to their sides that last played a league game on Saturday 4 January, with Erith & Belvedere going into this Third Round tie sitting in eighth-place in the Premier Division table, having picked up 32 points from 22 games.

Forest Hill Park, meanwhile, are in second-place in the First Division table, having picked up 37 points from their 19 league outings.

Erith & Belvedere beat First Division side Lewisham Borough 2-1 to reach this stage of the competition, while Forest Hill Park needed penalties to beat Tunbridge Wells after a goal-less draw at the Ladywell Arena, before claiming a 2-1 home win over their struggling league rivals Welling Town.

Erith & Belvedere were the better side for the first half-an-hour but Forest Hill Park dominated for an hour and deserved their place in the Quarter-Finals, courtesy of a clinical, drilled finish from a set-piece from attacking midfielder Georgi Steeds and winger Edward Mbango coming off the bench to seal the deal.

“I’m just glad it’s over – I didn’t want to be here tonight,” admitted Hamlin, who revealed during the post-match press conference that his Erith & Belvedere side are unable to train this week as their training night falls on a Wednesday.

“The team we’ve got on Saturday, White Ensign, they’ve had their game called off on Tuesday.  We would’ve been glad to have this called off tonight, but it is what it is.

“The Essex Senior League had two teams in The FA Vase Final last year didn’t they, Great Wakering Rovers and (winners) Romford. They’ve obviously helped them out. We would’ve loved to have trained this week.  We just didn’t want to be here to be honest with you.”

The Isthmian League allow their member club’s to postpone their midweek games before FA Cup and FA Trophy ties but the three remaining Kent sides have all played this midweek.

“I think the League have got to look at it, not just us. VCD and Whitstable played last night, so you’ve got three teams who are flying the flag for the SCEFL in the Vase.

“I don’t know whether there’s any other League who have got three teams left in the Vase? I don’t know, I don’t look to be honest with you.

“Give us a hand! Help us out because you can guarantee if VCD, Whitstable or Erith & Belvedere get to the Final, oh the banners will be out then won’t they? Everyone will be out then.

“Help us out! What are we in? The Fourth Round and you’ve made us all play midweek! Come on! Help us out, help the club’s out.

"With the Vase on the horizon, sometimes you don't run 100% like they should but I can't have a go at them, you can't have the hump with them."

Forest Hill Park manager Antonio Gonnella, wearing his SE Dons tracksuit, added: “I’m very, very proud of the boys. To go against a very good Step Five side who are not too far off the play-offs in their league and are still in the last 32 of the FA Vase.

“They (my players) were outstanding, especially second half and I think we could’ve scored a few more in the second half.

“First half was a bit gritty but we still went 1-0 up but I’m just proud of the boys because off the ball, the work-rate was just outstanding.”

When asked what his side gave him tonight, Gonnella replied: “Just passion. Passion, hard-work, but also good composure in the right areas and they just didn’t stop until the end and that’s the team we’ve built.”

The game started at a very high tempo, with Erith & Belvedere playing on the front foot.

Forest Hill Park’s holding midfielder Ainsley Everett hit a long ball along the deck and Erith & Belvedere goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell came out of his penalty box to go route one.  Danny Lear flicked the ball on for strike partner Tunde Aderonmu, who drilled his right-footed drive high over the crossbar from 18-yards after 197 seconds.

Both sides won five corners-a-piece and four of the home side’s came in the first half-an-hour.

Left-back Joe Chalker swung the ball in from the right and centre-back Rob Curtis steered his header across the keeper and past the far post.

Erith & Belvedere’s right-back Samuel Smith launched six long throws into the penalty area and the ball was cleared away at the near-post and recalled central midfielder Ernie Cheeseman looped his left-footed hooked volley high into the air and the ball dropped down and was comfortably caught in the midriff of visiting goalkeeper George Kamurasi.

“No disrespect to these boys, they were really up for it and all that screaming and shouting and hollering behind the goal.  They were professional about it but it was just a case of getting through tonight without getting no injuries,” said Hamlin.

Gonnella added: “I think the first half-an-hour, they were pretty much all over us in my opinion in terms of a lot of corners, a lot of long throws into the box and I thought George pulled off some amazing saves to keep us in it, If I’m honest.”

Forest Hill Park created their first goalscoring chance in the 27^th minute when winger Oluwatobi Coker found himself in the middle of the pitch before feeding Ryan Palmer, who easily cut inside Cheeseman before stroking his low right-footed drive past the left-hand post from 25-yards.

“I mean, Ryan Palmer, when I joined he was here as a right-back and we put him into midfield and he really leads us through games now,” said Gonnella.

“He’s been a pinnacle player for us in terms of leading us through on and off the pitch and off the ball and on the ball. He’s been amazing.”

Hamlin added: “You’ve got Ernie in there, who’s come back to the club. He hasn’t played for weeks and then you’ve got little Billy Ford, he’s a right-back playing centre midfield for the under 18s, so they’ve had a lot of experience in there. They had Ryan Palmer in there, they were experienced, he got on the ball and they were big and strong and probably bullied us a little bit.”

Kamurasi pulled off a vital save to deny Erith & Belvedere taking the lead with 28:47 on the clock.

Joe Chalker’s first long throw was flicked on by Whitnell at the near-post and the ball fell at the feet of Smith, who poked his shot towards the bottom left-hand corner and the very vocal Kamurasi got his large frame swiftly down to his right and used a big strong hand to prevent the home side taking a deserved lead.

“We had a couple of chances, didn’t we. Their keeper made a save.  One of them goes in, it gives you a little bit more confidence doesn’t it,” added Hamlin.

Gonnella added: “George is another player that when I joined wasn’t playing. He is so instrumental for us and I do believe George is going to be a big factor in why we’re going to be successful this season.

“So for someone of his size should not be making the saves he does and it’s incredible. He’s an incredible person as well.”

Forest Hill Park started to grow into the game after the half-hour mark and you got the impression that they would be the side that would take the lead.

That moment arrived with 36 minutes and 19 seconds on the clock, following their first shot on target.

Lone striker Ulrich Fischer drew a foul from Whitnell and Palmer floated a deep right-footed free-kick into the box some 40-yards from goal.

Erith & Belvedere right-winger Samuel Archibald switched off and failed to pick up the unmarked Steeds, who clinically drilled a low right-footed drive on the angle from 10-yards into the bottom near-corner of the net, past Charlie Cottrell’s dive.

“Georgi in those areas is clinical. I think he’s got three goals and he’s had an amazing season. He’s a really, really, really top talent and when he gets in those areas, if he shots, it’s a goal,” said Gonnella.

“I think once we got the goal, we relaxed a lot more because when you do play against a team in the league above, there’s always that early respect as such and I thought once we got the goal the belief was there then and I just thought we carried it through.”

Hamlin added: “They grew into the game didn’t they? They’ve got good players haven’t they? They’re fit and strong. We were away with the fairies tonight to be honest with you.

“It was a good finish wasn’t it. We’ve got Sam Archibald playing tonight, a young kid as well. He was playing on the right with Sam Smith. It was his first start for the club as well.

“Things like that, long-throws, corners, on Saturday we’ll have Freddie Cray back, we’ll have Ryan Fowler back. Hopefully we'll have Rob Strachan back. We’re going to be a different, a completely different animal.

“I just hope White Ensign came to watch us, I really do because that’s nothing like the team we’ll play on Saturday. I’ll tell you that now.”

Both manager’s were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Hamlin said: “We just said ‘keep it going boys.’

“I’m not being funny, it’s not kids’ football, it’s not Sunday morning football but we knew we were going to give Whitnell five or 10 minutes in the second half. We knew our subs.  I’m not being funny, Danny Lear could’ve had seven tonight and we would’ve still had taken him off after an hour.

“It’s a bit like Sunday morning kids’ football where you know your subs, so it was just a case of protecting people and I thought the kids’ done alright when they came on. I thought they done really well.”

Gonnella added: “I just said some of our patterns weren’t very good and I do think we could get in better positions in the final third.

“One thing I say to the boys here is they’ve played for a lot of non-league clubs and some of them have played for professional clubs and they’ve got loads of history now. This is the first year of this club so there’s history to be made now. There’s no history before us so it’s exciting in every game now. They want to make history.”

Erith & Belvedere were to be denied an equaliser, five minutes and 13 seconds into the second half when Kamurasi denied the 36-year-old Whitnell following the home side’s final corner.

Chalker whipped in a right-footed delivery from the left and Whitnell found a pocket of space at the near post to flick his header across the keeper towards the far corner, only for Kamurasi to palm the ball towards safety with a strong left-hand.

Hamlin said: “It’s hard to see from over there, it really is. My eye-sight isn’t the best these days but Whit always gets across the front and he’s made a good save to be fair.”

Gonnella added: “Just going back to George, he’s been magnificent and how he makes these saves with his size, I don’t know but he’s been outstanding.”

Forest Hill Park dominated for large chunks of the second half, as the home side decided Whitnell (54 minutes) and Lear (65) had run their race.

Forest Hill Park’s left-back Patrick McKay cut the ball onto his right-foot and his angled drive was tipped around the post by Cottrell, diving to his right.

Forst Hill Park produced a well-worked move in the 56^th minute when Fischer was released down the left-channel, the ball was cut back to Steeds, who cut the ball back for Everett, who cut onto his right-foot and cracked a drive towards goal, which saw Cottrell dive high to his right to tip the ball around the post.

"Charlie had the hump becasue he actually spilt two tonight, did you notice that? That's a rare one.   I'm not being funny, if Charlie's spilling them, you know where our mind is, we're not really at it, if Charlie's spilling them," said Hamlin.

"I don't even know the word, he's been immaculate this season, immaculate. He's different class and I wouldn't swap him for the world!

Hamlin provided an unusual answer and revealed he was more interested in tonight’s top-flight action.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, we were more worried about what the scores were. Pete (Springett) was worried about the Newcastle game. I was worried about the Arsenal game. Like I say, no disrespect to these boys, they’ve done really well but we just didn’t want to be here tonight.”

Despite lacking in height, Cottrell is a very highly-rated goalkeeper in the ninth-tier.

“I thought their keeper done really well to be fair because he’s quite a small sized keeper. He’s very, very good. He comes out and claims really well and I thought he pulled off some very, very good saves because if he didn’t, it could’ve been three or four nil,” added Gonnella.

Erith & Belvedere centre-half Donnell Anderson – who was on a booking – was warned by referee Jordan Whitworth following his trip on Coker, who had cut in from the left towards the edge of the penalty area.

“Donny wanted to come off but he hasn’t played for five weeks, so we made him stay on. We wanted to give Anthony Morrison 10-15 minutes (at left-back), just a little run out because he’s played every minute of every game.  We’ve had Rob Strachan, Rob Curtis and Donnell Anderson injured and AJ (Morrison) had to go in at centre-half so we wanted to give AJ a rest.

“Freddie Baker’s played a lot of football this year, so we’ve given him a rest, We’ve left Freddie Cray out, Ryan Fowler out, Ladic Melconian out, Rob Strachan out and Ronnie McLean out, so I hope they (White Ensign) read this report. I really hope they do read it because it will be a completely different team on Saturday.”

Palmer whipped in the resulting free-kick and the shot was too hot for Cottrell to handle at his near-post but the home side escaped with the rebound flashing just past the foot of the left-hand post from within a crowd of players.

Forest Hill Park produced a three-man counter-attacking raid (27:58) and the highly-rated Cottrell made another fine save.

Centre-half Reece Barrett played the ball down the line to release right-back Alfie Saunders who reached the channel before whipping in a great low cross towards the near-post for Steeds to take a touch before his shot was smothered by Cottrell, low to his left.

“I think Georgi probably could’ve dummied it really to Ulrich. I think Ulrich could’ve communicated it better and then Ulrich has an open net but Georgi is on fire at the moment so he probably wanted to try to get the goal himself but again that keeper pulled off an amazing save to stop that,” said Gonnella.

However, Forest Hill Park deservedly doubled their lead to seal their place in the last eight, with 28 minutes and 43 seconds on the clock.

Left-back McKay reached the by-line and cut the ball back towards the near post where Mbango took a touch before slamming his right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from inside the six-yard box.

Gonnella said: “They both were with me at Croydon and both have been key factors of our season so far, why we’ve done so well.

“Pat is an amazing talent, getting forward from left-back, he’s brilliant and I think he’s only 21-22 and Ed Mbango has been a massive player for me this season and got his goal to score his second goal for the club.”

Hamlin added: “Yes, a good goal wasn’t it – but I don’t really care! I don’t really care if I’m perfectly honest with you.

“Good luck to them. They do what they do with all the cameras and the people behind the goal and all their interviews. Good luck to them but it’s just I don’t want to be here.”

Erith & Belvedere linked up well down the right with substitute Luca Sanford charging down the line before the ball was worked into fellow sub Frederick Baker but lone striker Tunde Aderonmu’s weak first time left-footed shot rolled into the gloves of the visiting goalkeeper.

“I know they said they’ve dropped a few but looking at their line-up, they played Tommy Whitnell, Danny Lear and Tunde, so I don’t think that’s resting many, so I think they still have a very strong squad out with their full attacking power,” added Gonnella.

“If I’m honest, it was a bit risky, considering you’ve got the biggest game of the season on Saturday in my opinion, so you could say we caught them at the right time but I was still confident whenever we caught them, we would’ve caught them.”

Chalker whipped in a deep cross and the ball was allowed to bounce but Sanford’s flicked header was straight at the visiting goalkeeper as the game entered the final 10 minutes, but the home side lacked the desire to try to fight their way back into the game.

“Young Rohan Pinto’s come on, the right-back, 18 and done really well.  Billy Ford and Luca Sanford got more minutes for the first team. They’re the under 18s and Ernie Cheeseman got some minutes under his belt. Donnell Anderson hasn’t played for five weeks so we got legs into people.”

Erith & Belvedere pulled off a shock in The FA Vase by knocking out Tommy Warrilow’s Faversham Town 1-0 at Salters Lane in the last round.

Erith & Belvedere travel to White Ensign on Saturday as favourites as their hosts are in ninth-place in the Essex Senior League table, having picked up 30 points (nine wins, three draws and eight defeats).

“We turn up a completely different animal on Saturday. We will have five or six back and we’ll go down there and we’ll have a go,” said Hamlin.

“It’s a bit of a weird one this time round because you know who you have in the next round. You know you’ve got another home tie so you can’t think too far ahead. You’ve just got to play the games in front of you.

“They’ve had a nice week off. They’ve probably trained twice and set-up their set-pieces and their shape and we wasn’t allowed to do that because we had to play and we haven’t trained this week because our training night is Wednesday.

“Ryan Fowler, Freddie Cray and Ronnie McLean have done the warm-up (tonight) just to keep them ticking over.

“I just don’t think it’s right that we have to play the week before a big game! I just don’t think it’s right. It’s just not us, VCD and Whitstable have had to do it as well. It’s wrong!

“We’ve watched them on the videos and we were going to watch them last night but their League played a blinder and called it off to help them out, so I just hope they were here tonight, I really do hope they were here tonight and I hope they read this because we’ll be completely different to what it was tonight.”

Erith & Belvedere will have to play a lot better than they did for 60 plus minutes tonight if they are to progress through to the Last 16, where they will play the winner of March Town United or Daventry Town on Saturday 1 February.

“The Vase is like our FA Cup. I know we’re in The FA Cup but you’re not going to win that are you and I’m not saying we’re going to win the Vase but we’ve got White Ensign and then we’ve got a home draw," said Hamlin.

“It’s still going to be a tough game. Everyone you play is going to be a good side but a few of the boys in there have got the hump, throwing their boots about (the dressing room) disappointed because they’re winners.”

The Kent trio all had their original Vase ties postponed last weekend due to the frosty conditions.

“You can’t fault White Ensign, they’re trying to get the game on but we were sitting on the coach at half-past-12 (last week) outside the ground thinking are we going or are we not going? It was so disruptive on Saturday. The weather’s turned and hopefully we won’t have those problems on Saturday and we can go down there and prepare properly.”

Meanwhile, Gonnella’s side host Tooting Bec in the First Division Cup Second Round at Ladywell Arena next Wednesday, 22 January, before welcoming Dan Lawrence’s Canterbury City in a top-of-the-table-clash three days later.

Canterbury City are top of the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table with 37 points from their 22 (of 34) games.

Forest Hill Park (37 points from 19 games), Faversham Strike Force (34 points from 19 games), Soul Tower Hamlets (34 points from 18 games) and Croydon (33 points from 20 points) are in the play-off zone.

“For me personally, it was a tough task to leave Croydon but I knew this was the right decision.  We’re five unbeaten now, we went from sixth to joint top, so we’re just going forward,” said Gonnella, who has now won five, drawn one and lost one of his seven games in charge of the club since his switch, taking over from sacked former Sevenoaks Town manager, Mark Dacey.

“At the beginning of the year I had two goals and my goals personally were to win the league and reach the final of the Challenge Cup because it was the Cup that I don’t think any Step Six side has reached the Semi’s, so I want to go one further and reach the final and then it’s gods work that day to see who wins it.”

Praising his club’s vocal fan base, Gonnella replied: “They’re unbelievable, they truly are unbelievable for such a new club within non-league. I know they’ve got a history on Sundays but they are in numbers away and home and I’m impressed with the supporters’ – they are truly incredible.

“Tooting Bec at home next week is a great opportunity to give players’ some minutes that haven’t been playing but we want to win everything, so when I’m talking about giving players’ minutes, it’s very, very good players, so hopefully we’re going to get to the Quarter-Finals of that as well.

“We’re joint top on points (with Canterbury City) but goal difference is letting ourselves down a bit but I’m confident to play against them, especially at home. I don’t think we’ve lost a home game since I’ve been here, so we’re very full of confidence.

“Yes, there’s always pressure to go up. I mean this is a club with ambition so you have to embrace it but there’s pressure on me in terms of myself because I left the club that was six points clear at the top to come to a team that was sixth but I’m so happy I’ve made that decision and I think the pressure’s good.”

Erith & Belvedere: Charlie Cottrell, Samuel Smith (Rohan Pinto 75), Joe Chalker (Anthony Morrison 83), Ernie Cheeseman, Rob Curtis, Donnell Anderson, Tyller Davis-Whitlock, Tommy Whitnell (Frederick Baker 54), Tunde Aderonmu, Danny Lear (Luca Sanford 65), Samuel Archibald (Billy Ford 71).

Booked: Donnell Anderson 30

Forest Hill Park: George Kamurasi, Alfie Saunders, Patrick McKay, Ryan Palmer, William Bell, Reece Barrett, Malachi Morris (Edward Mbango 64), Ainsley Everett (Brandon Barrance 82), Ulrich Fischer, Georgi Steeds (Zak Ansah 84), Oluwatobi Coker (Muriano Banjoko 70).
Sub: Jordan Anderson

Goals: Georgi Steeds 37, Edward Mbango 74

Booked: Muriano Banjoko 81

Attendance: 221
Referee: Mr Jordan Whitworth
Assistants: Mr Tom Marshall & Mr Aaron Saunders
Observer:  Mr Nolan Wilde