Erith & Belvedere 1-2 Bromley - Consolidation is the word at this club at the moment, says Collins

Thursday 29th July 2010

ERITH & BELVEDERE 1-2 BROMLEY
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 29th July 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

CAUTIOUS Erith & Belvedere manager Micky Collins has tonight played down his side’s chances of clinching the Kent League title next April.

After his side’s impressive display, against Blue Square Bet South opposition Bromley, Collins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he is keeping his feet on the ground.

“It’s early days for us. It’s a new squad, we’re trying our hardest to build it and the lads have performed very, very well,” he said.

When asked it’s about time that his club clinched promotion out of the Kent League, Collins replied, “Possibly! I don’t buy into that. At the end of the day I came in here and they had a poor season last year, which was unfortunate. There were a lot of changes.

“Consolidation is the word at this club at the moment. We’ve got a new squad, it’s very young. We haven’t got a big budget at all. It’s not a big budget but we won’t moan about that. We’ll move forward and we’ll get where we want to get.

“At the end of the day, if we’re in the top seven or top eight I’d be more than happy with that!

Collins’ new-look side clearly impressed, despite going down to their first pre-season defeat.

Bromley fielded seven players that held Crystal Palace to a goal-less draw at Hayes Lane just 48 hours earlier.

David Graves, Wes Daly, John Scarborough, Reece Boyle, Tony Finn, Tutu Henriques and Leon McKenzie all started against the Eagles, and only one, goalkeeper Jamie Butler, started last night’s 2-0 home defeat to a young Charlton Athletic side.

The Blue Square Bet South visitors’ should have defeated their Kent League hosts by more goals, but only a McKenzie penalty was the difference at the break, before former Welling United and AFC Wimbledon attacker Finn converted a second just after the break.

Erith & Belvedere, who were allowed to play nippy striker Marcus Cassius against his parent club, deserved a late consolation, through substitute Tommy Ewell.

Bromley’s slick passing on the excellent Park View Road carpet looked pretty on the eye, but it rarely troubled former Chatham Town keeper Richard Stroud.

The Deres, meanwhile, were guilty on numerous occasions during the first half of hitting miss-placed passes out of defence towards their intended target, the pacy Cassius, who will score a bag-full of goals at Kent League level, like he did for Erith Town two season’s ago.

Bromley created an early chance when Daly released McKenzie down the right and after the Bromley striker beat the offside trap, his cut-back was played behind Finn, but Henriques drove a right-footed shot, from just outside the box, wide.

Bromley deserved to break the deadlock after 27 minutes, courtesy from the penalty spot.

Erith & Belvedere defender George Kendall and central midfielder Sean Brown were swarming around McKenzie, who was felled following Kendall’s challenge, and McKenzie sent Stroud the wrong way from his right-footed penalty.

The home side’s only first half chance finally arrived six minutes before the break.

Diminutive left-back, Danny Tipple, played the ball out of defence with his left-foot and the ball bounced off closely marked Cassius, who turned on a six-pence and cracked a right-footed angled drive towards the near post, which was turned aside by Butler.

Bromley should have doubled their lead when Omar McClary-Stephens slipped the ball through to McKenzie, who swept the ball wide, after turning Twinn inside the penalty box.

Bromley finally doubled their lead within five second half minutes when Finn was released down the left and after rounding the advancing Stroud, the striker (who played as a left-winger during the first half) fired the ball over the line, despite the efforts of Daly to poach the goal from close in.

Collins made four changes at the break and substitute Chris Kinnear struck a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which bounced into Butler’s arms.

This sparked off a good spell for the Deres, and after being released by Paul Butler, Daniel Westerman cut in from the right and his angled low drive was smothered by a diving Butler at his near post.

Cassius, who was so keen to score against his parent club, beat the offside trap, but once in a good position he lost all composure and blasted his shot over the top of the near post.

Bromley almost grabbed a third after 61 minutes when Naz Ahmed released McKenzie and with only Stroud to beat, the number 10 smashed a right-footed drive against the near post, beating the diving keeper.

But Erith & Belvedere netted a 77th minute consolation, easily beating substitute goalkeeper Paul Agu.

Tommy Morgan floated in a cross from the left and with his back to goal, substitute Ewell got in front of a defender and his back-header sailed into an empty net.

Bromley could have added to their goal tally late on; Ahmed and McKenzie exchanged passes on the break and Ahmed’s driven cross from the right was flicked over by McKenzie from close in.

And Stroud made the save of the night when he prevented Finn from scoring with an angled goal-bound drive.

A buzzing Collins was more than encouraged by what he saw.

“It was a good performance,” he said. “It’s pre-season, it was a good effort, a good work ethic and I’m very pleased with it.

“You have to understand that Bromley have had a tough week. They played Tuesday night, a big game, they played Wednesday and again they’ve played this evening, so let’s not boost ourselves too much! We’ve done ok!”

Collins has used his extensive contacts in the game to entice Tony Dolby and Liam Daish to bring their sides to Park View Road during the final week of pre-season.

Dolby brings his Hastings United side on Saturday afternoon, whilst Ebbsfleet United visit next Tuesday.

Collins said: “Big games. Nice people. People that I’ve been involved with in football as again, tonight with Bromley, and it’s fantastic that they’ve come down and helped us out.

“At the end of the day it’s about fitness. It’s about getting players’ minutes and getting something under our belt, which we achieved tonight.

“The results are irrelevant but it’s about the performances and getting people fit and tonight we’ve done that.”

Four games into his reign, Collins is pleased with life at Park View Road, in what is his first job at first-team level.

He said: “It’s enjoyable. It’s a good club. It’s fantastic and it’s good fun! At the end of the day we’re coming to do a job and hopefully we’ve organised correctly so far and hopefully we’ll push forward.

“We haven’t set any targets. We just want to get a decent squad going into the season and see how we go.”

Collins added that he has more strength to add to his squad, ahead of the big Kent League opener, against fellow much-fancied side Herne Bay at Winch’s Field on 7 August.

“It’s almost a whole new squad,” he explained. “There’s two or three that have stayed on and there’s two or three kids of 17 who have played, but there’s a few away on holiday still.

“We’ve got John Wilfort away on holiday and Paul Gross is away, but it’s early days still for us. Simon Osborn’s yet to come back in the fold, you forget that. I’m pleasantly pleased.”

Erith & Belvedere: Richard Stroud, Paul Butler, Danny Tipple (Tommy Ewell 46), James Lyons, Danny Twinn, George Kendall (Tommy Morgan 46), Kevin George, Sean Brown (Chris Kinnear 46), Marcus Cassius (Harry Morgan 67), Aiden Pursglove (Sam Prett 46), Daniel Westerman.
Sub: Alex Hyde.

Goal: Tommy Ewell 77

Bromley: Jamie Butler (Paul Agu 61), David Graves, Harry Killick, Wes Daly, John Scarborough, Reece Boyle, Tony Finn, Tutu Henriques, Omar McClary-Stephens (Ben Edward Wilkes 46), Leon McKenzie, Naz Ahmed.
Sub: Wes Bartlett.

Goals: Leon McKenzie 27 (pen), Tony Finn 50

Attendance: 65
Referee: Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend)
Assistants: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe) & Mr Tadeuz Kluszcynki (Bexleyheath)