Erith & Belvedere 0-3 Erith Town - Performances like that get managers sacked, warns Julian Leigh

Tuesday 14th September 2010

ERITH & BELVEDERE 0-3 ERITH TOWN
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Tuesday 14th September 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH TOWN boss Steve O’Boyle praised his defence for keeping out neighbours Erith & Belvedere - as tonight’s derby win stretched their unbeaten run to seven games and took them into fifth place in the Safety Net Associates Kent League table.

Both sides produced FA Cup shocks at the weekend, with Erith & Belvedere knocking out Ryman League Division One South strugglers Corinthian-Casuals and the Dockers stunned highflying Zamaretto League Division One Central outfit Slough Town.

But the Deres couldn’t replicate their heroics at the weekend and put in a woeful performance as goals from Chris Walker, Billy Shinners and Lawrence Collins made it a special night for O’Boyle, who lives just around the corner from the ground.

“We said to the boys before the game, after a good result on Saturday we had to get out of the traps quick tonight, which I thought we did first fifteen minutes,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I thought we passed the ball well, got off to a good start. When the old rain started bucketing down maybe it affected us a little bit.

“We finished the half strongly and to be fair the start of the second half, with twenty minutes to go I thought the game was dead and buried.

“Defensively, again, when we didn’t have the ball our shape was good, defending really well.”

Erith Town’s success was built upon a solid defensive back three of Ben Payne, Dean Kearly and Lew Watts, who were hardly troubled by pacy Erith & Belvedere striker Marcus Cassius for the 72 minutes that the former Docker was on the pitch.

O’Boyle added: “Let me tell you, we’ve got those three at the back there tonight, they played in defence on Saturday, they were brilliant!

“We’ve got Martin Chirimuuta, whose out injured at the moment with ligament damage and Callum Comerford, who came in at the summer as well, whose got a broken hand, so basically there’s another two guys fighting for those shirts back there.

“We’ve got some good defenders at the club.”

In fact, the only shots that reigned in on visiting keeper Tim Roberts were ones from way outside the box.

Heavy rain lashed down during the first half and by the time it stopped the Dockers had already scored three goals to claim a deserved victory.

Erith Town started brightly and Roberts’ kick up field was flicked on by much-travelled striker Leroy Huggins for Walker to shoot straight at Richard Stroud from 30-yards.

Erith & Belvedere almost grabbed the lead when a cross-come-shot from left-back Danny Tipple from 40-yards had Roberts struggling as the ball sailed over his head but the ball bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Adrian Deane and Matt Newman both tried their luck from at least 30-yards but visiting keeper Roberts had enough time to get his body behind both efforts.

The Dockers forced two successive corners and as they packed the goal-line, Liam Burgess’ corner fell to Huggins, who blasted his shot over, just before the half-hour mark.

A clever pass from Shinners gave Walker an opportunity on the angle but his shot was blocked by the sliding Aaron Hamilton and the low shot diverted past the near post.

The impressive Huggins slipped the ball through for Shinners and his right-footed drive was tipped around the post by Richard Stroud - but the Deres keeper was soon to be picking the ball out of the back of his net just before the break from the resulting 45th minute corner.

Burgess swept an out-swinging corner from the right and Lee Morgan looped the ball back into the danger area for Walker to blast the ball into the roof of the net with his right-foot from 10-yards.

Considering Erith Town were without their star-striker Rikki Cable, who went in for an operation for a hand injury on the day off the game, no-one was expecting the visitors to score a further two goals early in the second half.

They doubled their lead after 54 minutes when right wing-back Ted Hart slipped the ball through for Shinners and the former Sevenoaks Town striker clinically drove the ball across Stroud to find the bottom far corner.

Erith Town wrapped up the comfortable victory within three minutes as Hamilton fouled Huggins and up stepped left wing-back Lawrence Collins to curl a low left-footed free-kick into the bottom far corner from 25-yards, although the former Chatham Town keeper did get a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep the ball out.

Tipple’s second effort on goal - after 63 minutes - sailed over from 30-yards, but they went closer following their first of only three corners, just three minutes later when substitute Sean Brown met Daniel Westerman’s corner from the right with a bullet header which flew past the post.

The home side finally called Roberts into action inside the final four minutes when he tipped over Newman’s right-footed central free-kick from 35-yards.

O’Boyle admitted it was important to come away from Park View Road with more than just the bragging rights and keep their unbeaten run going, although he did admit he drove the 100-yards from his front door to the ground!

“What we did say, if we wanted to do well this year, we’d have to come here and maybe get a result,” he said.

“We weren’t playing for a draw, we were playing for a win tonight. I’m pleased that we have and I would say it’s another good performance and we are getting better and better every week and I’ll tell you we’re playing some good stuff and we’re looking a decent side.”

It was so easy for the Dockers to, as assistant manager Tony Russell put it last night, dine off Saturday’s heroic FA Cup win over Slough Town.

O’Boyle added: “A couple of years ago when we beat AFC Wimbledon (in the London Senior Cup) we had a great result on the Wednesday night and we went to Slade Green on the Saturday and they were down to nine men and we lost 1-0, so it was like we can’t be doing that tonight.

“That was my biggest worry tonight, that we’d turn up and go through the motions but I would say our boy’s attitudes, you could see it at the end there, what that meant to the boys with the win. We’ve got a good dressing room, some good characters. I’m well pleased with what we’re doing.”

Erith & Belvedere assistant manager, Julian Leigh, meanwhile, was clearly not happy losing the Erith derby as they slumped to their third defeat in four league games, which leaves the club languishing in the bottom four.

“The performance was completely the opposite ends of the spectrum. On Saturday we did really well, played well, moved the ball around well,” Leigh told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“Today, no desire, no heart, fair dos to Erith Town, they had a good win on Saturday, came here and did a job.

“The goals we conceded, when you look at them, were poor, poor defensively, very poor. Obviously Richard (Stroud) has got to be disappointed with the free-kick and the second goal, Richard’s positioning wasn’t particularly great. He held his hands up in the changing room afterwards so fair dos for the lad, but overall Tim Roberts’ only had one save to make in the whole game, I think, which got tipped over the bar.”

Leigh and manager Micky Collins emerged from the dressing room a good half-an-hour after the final whistle and demand better from the players.

“We basically told them they’ve got to have a look in the mirror,” said Leigh.

“They need to look at themselves and be very honest. It’s up to them. We’ve got the FA Vase on Sunday and then we’ve got the big FA Cup game down at Hythe the following week and to be honest playing a Kent League side we seem to have this mental block at the moment. I don’t know what it is but it’s up to us, I’m sure, Micky, Oz (Simon Osborn) and myself that we can overcome the problems but it’s how we do it.”

Leigh admitted he can’t put his finger on tonight’s poor form in the Kent League, after impressive FA Cup wins over higher-league sides Gosport Borough and Corinthian-Casuals.

He said: “To be honest it is a Jeckyl and Hyde team at the moment, that’s the crazy thing!” It’s just Jeckyl and Hyde. The Gosport and Corinthian-Casuals performances were good and to be fair the early rounds of the FA Cup we performed well and also the game at Herne Bay at the beginning of the season.

“Tonight was just unacceptable. There’s too many good players in this team and in this squad. What they need to get is a little bit more bottle!”

A club like Erith & Belvedere should be playing Ryman League Division One South football at the very least, not struggling towards the foot of the Kent League table and attracting a pitiful gate of 65 against one of their local rivals.

Leigh agreed saying: “If you look at the surroundings and you look at the club and you look at the history of the club, I mean nobody’s got the divine right to be a Ryman League side. We haven’t got a divine right to go up this league and go out of it.

“But when you look at it, looking at history and facilities etc, we should be in the Ryman League.

“At the moment, to be honest, and on tonight’s performance, we’re a million miles off and that’s the truth.”

Leigh added: “We’re going to do a (training) session on Thursday night and obviously we’re going to be looking for a reaction from the players.

“Unfortunately it’s players that get managers the sack with too many of those performances. I’d say no more.”

Erith & Belvedere: Richard Stroud, Lee Gledhill (Daniel Westerman 43), Danny Tipple, James Lyons (Sean Brown 57), Danny Twin, Paul Butler, Adrian Deane, Aaron Hamilton, Marcus Cassius (Steven Weatherly 72), Sean Rivers, Matt Newman.
Subs: Tommy Malyon, Simon Osborn.

Booked: Richard Stroud 35, Matt Newman 56, Danny Twin 59, Sean Brown 87

Erith Town: Tim Roberts, Ted Hart, Lawrence Collins (Cris Borchescu 74), Ben Payne, Dean Kearley, Lew Watts, Liam Burgess, Lee Morgan (David Hall 54), Leroy Huggins, Billy Shinners (Jamal York 85), Chris Walker.
Subs: Callum Comerford, Craig Clark.

Goals: Chris Walker 45, Billy Shinners 54, Lawrence Collins 57

Attendance: 65
Referee: Mr Elad Amir (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Josh Rudd (Dartford) & Mr Andy Butler (Maidstone)