Erith & Belvedere 5-1 Frimley Green - We want to stay in the Vase for as long as we can - Collins

ERITH & BELVEDERE  5-1  FRIMLEY GREEN
The FA Carlsberg Vase Second Round
Sunday 18^th November 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins says Frimley Green took his side all the way, despite his side sealing a flattering 5-1 victory to book their place in the last 64 of the FA Carlsberg Vase.
 



The Kent League leaders inflicted the Surrey club’s first defeat of the season to book their place in tomorrow’s draw, alongside their Kent League rivals’ Lordswood and Tunbridge Wells.

This was Erith & Belvedere’s seventh win on the bounce and it extended their unbeaten run to twelve games.

George Benner settled any nerves against their lower-league opponents with a close range header inside the opening nine minutes, before the central defender doubled the home side’s lead in the 54^th minute with another header.

But Frimley Green, who went into the game sitting in third-place in the Combined Counties League Division One table, with ten wins and a draw from eleven league outings, equalised through Louis Hibbert’s thunderbolt, before enjoying a dominant twenty minute spell.

But striker Andy Constable volleyed home the killer goal with fifteen minutes remaining, before heading home his eighteenth-goal of the season, before substitute Lewis Wood fired home a flattering fifth.

Frimley Green can expect to collect a £160 fine after picking up SEVEN bookings during the game – four of them for dissent, which included unused substitute Paul Denness being shown a yellow as the visiting substitutes began their warm-up as the two teams began to make their way down the players tunnel at the end of the first half.

Collins, who was without cup-tied trio Jack Bradshaw, Mark Akoye and Alex Waugh, has banked a total of £2,150 following his side’s two wins in The FA Carlsberg Vase so far this season.

But Collins admitted afterwards: “I think the 5-1 flattered us a little bit!  I think maybe towards the end of their heads had gone but they took us all the way.   It was a really good game.”

When asked whether he is dreaming about reaching Wembley, Collins said: “Not at all!  The Vase could be just a flick of a coin.  You look at Frimley today, flying in their league, everything’s going really well for them and they’ve drawn us!   They could have drawn an easier game and gone through.  It’s the luck of the draw.  Again, if we get a good draw, maybe a home draw, I’ll be happy with that.”

And Collins’ Set-Piece Kings got off to a flying start, taking the lead with their first attempt on goal.

Jamie Wood swung in a precise left-footed free-kick from the right touchline, which sailed over keeper Stuart Norman and Benner planted his header inside the near corner from within a yard.

Collins said: “That’s us, long ball.  It’s what we do!  It’s a set-piece.  We watched them,  we’ve had them watched three times and we knew they had one tall lad and the rest weren’t that tall and if you think how many of the five that we scored were from set-pieces today, it works.”

Speaking about Wood’s delivery towards the far post, Collins added: “He does that occasionally, puts the ball in good areas.  That’s what we’ve got.  We have some quality in the side that can do that.  If you put balls in areas and you’ve got big lads attacking it, you get the rub of the green, they go in.”

Frimley Green’s opening chance came in the thirteenth minute when Michael Lacey played the ball inside and his midfield partner Bobby Hogg had time and space to drive a right-footed effort from 30-yards wide.

Erith & Belvedere ditched their long-ball game and were desperately unlucky not to double their lead with a slick passing move.

Left-back Richard Davies slipped the ball into Adam Birchall’s feet, but the striker’s dummy saw striker Constable play the ball across the face of the penalty area and winger Orlando Smith’s right-footed drive from 22-yards sailed past the diving keeper but the ball agonisingly clipped the outside of the right-hand post.

Collins said: “It was a great move!  I’ve said this to you before, people berate us by our style of play but at times we play some really good football and I think people don’t expect it.

“There was a move, I think, just after it when we put together 10-12 passes and we were too integrate in the area and we could’ve buried it but again that’s us – we can mix it up!”

Erith & Belvedere squandered an excellent chance to double their lead in the 28^th minute when Kieran McCann’s delicious through ball put Birchall through on goal.  Visiting keeper Norman advanced towards the edge of the penalty area and stuck out his left arm to force Birchall wide before  the striker stroked his right-footed shot towards the near post but central defender Dan Griffiths managed to get back to clear the ball off the line.

Norman made a fine save, following another Erith & Belvedere set-piece.

Jamie Wood’s floated a free-kick towards the far post and Benner knocked his header across the face of the penalty area, but his central defensive partner Drew Crush’s right-footed volley was beaten out by Norman.

Frimley Green had penalty claims turned down in the 39^th minute when Lacey clipped pass released Nathan Thomas keeper Scott Chalmers-Stevens came to the corner of his penalty area and clattered into the midfielder but referee Mr Sandlin awarded the home side a free-kick.

When asked his thoughts on the big talking point of the first half, Collins said: “I’m 60-yards away.  I believe it could’ve gone either way.  The linesman’s six-yards away and he’s given it as a free-kick to us.” 

Erith & Belvedere created the last chance of the first half when Davies clipped the ball up field and Constable’s cushioned header from inside the penalty box dropped to Jamie Wood, who snatched his left-footed volley over the bar from fifteen-yards.

When asked what he said to his players during the interval, Collins said: “Keep going!  We knew they would come out. We knew we were down the slope. We knew the pitch. We did feel if we’d get two we’d get a lot more but to be honest we switched off for their goal.”

He reflected: “I think first half we possibly could have had a few more with the chances that we had!”

There was a five minute delay to the second half whilst referee Mr Sandlin waited for both sets of floodlights to brighten up the gloomy Welling sky, before restarting the game.

McCann’s second raking pass saw Constable shrug past Frimley Green’s two defenders before stabbing his left-footed shot narrowly wide of the foot of the left-hand post.

And then the home side should have scored again when Smith’s clipped in his free-kick towards the far post for Benner to nod the ball back into the middle and Crush inexplicably headed over from inside the six-yard box, when it seemed easier to score.

However, Erith & Belvedere finally doubled their lead in the 54^th minute, courtesy of Benner’s second goal of the season.

Inevitably it had to come from a set-piece.  Allan Matthews’ deep free-kick sailed over the visiting side’s defence and keeper Norman did well to claw Constable’s header away but the ball didn’t go far and Benner looped his header over the stranded keeper and into the back of the net from six-yards.

“Another set-piece,” said Collins, now sounding like a broken record!

“When we get into the areas and that’s what we’ve done, we put the ball in there and put them under pressure and when you’ve got the height and some of the presence that some of our players have got it’s going to work to your advantage, not always.”

Benner was awarded the sponsors’ man-of-the-match award and Collins added: “George is carrying a knock at the moment and he’s struggling through every game.  I’m half tempted to pull him off and he’s playing through the pain barrier a bit.   I’m chuffed for him that he’s got a couple of goals.  Funnily enough on Wednesday night in training we were saying through the year George will get 10 or 12 goals for us from centre half and he’s starting to chalk them off now.”

However, Frimley Green started to make a game off it, following their goal against the run of play in the 57^th minute.

Collins said he was impressed with Hibbert’s finish. Dan Simmonds played the ball out to the midfielder, who lashed an unstoppable right-footed drive into the top near corner from 16-yards.

“Great finish!  You watch any level of football, it doesn’t matter where you play and what you watch, you want to see goals like that!   The kid’s picked it up, his driven into the area and he’s absolutely unleashed it into the top corner.  No-one’s saving that. It’s a great goal and to be honest the impetus swings then at the time.”

That put Frimley Green on the front foot and had they possessed a striker then they might have gone on and won the game.

They should have done better following a couple of Lacey free-kick’s, but skipper Hogg glanced his towering header over, before James Mepham skied a right-footed volley towards Danson Park from 20-yards.

Lacey then hurled a long throw into the home side’s defence, but Hogg looped a header over the struggling Chalmers-Stevens, before the ball dropped just over.

But Chalmers-Stevens made a match winning save in the 72^nd minute, which thwarted Frimley Green the equaliser they deserved.

The keeper swiftly got down low to his left to turn behind Mepham’s right-footed shot on the turn, much to the delight of his manager Collins.

Collins admitted: “We were under the cosh then and it was theirs to go and win it and Scott’s made a great save.  The kid’s spun and he’s hit his shot and Scott’s saved it and to be honest I think that was the moment we went on and then Andy does what he does!

“At that point we looked leggy. I thought they had the impetus and at the time you look at that 15-20 minute spell they were the better side!”

Erith & Belvedere killed Frimley Green off, following a magical finish from Constable, who answered the abuse from the visiting supporters sitting in the Welling United stand.

Smith and Matthews combined down the right leaving Frimley Green left-back Andy Newcombe in trouble and the cross came over towards Constable, who poked a low right-footed volley straight into the bottom left-hand corner from fourteen-yards.

“It’s a great goal,” hailed Collins.  “It’s come out to him, he’s had to keep his eye on it for quite a while and it’s dropped and you know Andy, if he gets something on it, it’s accurate and it’s a great finish for a big boy! He’s got technique sometimes not just for eating!

“That’s Andy.  If you never knew him and you came to watch him he’ll be the first to say he’s not built like an Adonis. People will watch him and go ‘he’s rubbish’, but unless you’ve done your homework on the kid, he’s not rubbish! He’s played at a level and he’s had a great career and scored hundreds of goals. That’s what he does!”

However, the last two goals were harsh on Frimley Green and made the game seem a lot more comfortable than it was.

Frimley Green substitute Jack Keenan was booked within seconds of his introduction and his side paid the ultimate price against the Set-Piece Kings.

Jamie Wood swung in the resulting free-kick towards the near post and Constable glanced his header over the keeper’s head to find the top right-hand corner in the 86^th minute.

“It’s a great delivery and Andy rose above them and the goalkeeper’s stuck on his line and he’s headed it in. It’s game over then!”

When asked whether he has set Constable a goalscoring target for the season, Collins replied, “I don’t need to!  He sets his own targets!  He had a great season last year, I forgot how many he got, 30-odd goals or whatever and this year if you go and get 30 again and Birchy gets 30, Lewis Wood’s up there and Richmond Kissi scores that the difference with us this year. We’ve got five or six players that are in the top fifteen goalscorers in the league. If one’s not doing it, the other one is doing it and that’s what you need to go and win the league.”

All ten outfield players who started today’s game have all scored at least one goal this season, including three of the five substitutes listed.

Goal number five arrived just 82 seconds later, this time Constable turned provider.

The striker was left in acres of space down the inside right channel and he played a fine diagonal pass behind the back four for substitute Lewis Wood to latch on to and stroked home his tenth-goal of the season with his right-foot into the bottom corner.

“Lewis is a poacher and it’s great that he’s come on and he’s finished it,” said Collins.

“It’s a great finish.   The keeper’s showed him the angle and he’s just popped it in. Lewis has been around.  He knows the game and he’s a good goalscorer.”

There have been 107 goals in only 21 games involving Erith & Belvedere this season.  The Deres have scored 74 goals, they have scored at least three goals in seventeen of their games.

Collins said: “It’s a positive.  We’ve looked at it.  It’s not a Kevin Keegan method where if they get four we will get five!  If you score that many goals at our level it’s inevitable you’re going to win games. 

“I don’t know how many times this season we’ve scored more than three in a game.  I know we’ve scored 50 in the league in thirteen games and with the cups, I don’t know how many we’re up to.

“The boys are here to win things and we want to stay in the Vase as long as we can.  We’re in a fortunate position here that unfortunately for Erith & Belvedere over the years until we’ve come in we’ve lacked trophies and success.  At the moment we’re bringing it to them and if we can get through and get a good draw and we managed to get through to the next round it’s another record broken and that’s what we want to do.”

Meanwhile, Erith & Belvedere are searching for a new club secretary and interested parties should contract chairman John McFadden on 07932 83 88 91. 

Erith & Belvedere:  Scott Chalmers-Stevens, Allan Matthews, Richard Davies,  Paul Springett, Drew Crush, George Benner, Kieran McCann, Jamie Wood, Andy Constable (Richmond Kissi 88), Adam Birchall (Lewis Wood 83), Orlando Smith (Sean Johnson 88).
Subs: Karl Knight, Sam Hasler

Goals: George Benner 9, 54, Andy Constable 75, 86, Lewis Wood 87

Booked: Adam Birchall 82

Frimley Green: Stuart Norman, Ryan Page (Ben Hill 87), Andy Newcombe, Bobby Hogg, Lee Page, Dan Griffiths, Nathan Thomas (Michael Lee 80), Michael Lacey (Jack Keenan 85), James Mepham, Dan Simmonds, Louis Hibbert.
Subs: Louis Coutts, Paul Denness

Goal: Louis Hibbert 57

Booked: Michael Lacey 41, Dan Simmonds 42, Paul Denness 45, James Mepham 62, Louis Hibbert 70, Dan Griffiths 84, Jack Keenan 85

Attendance: 85
Referee: Mr John Sandlin (Great Dunmow, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Andy Jamieson (Harlow, Essex) & Mr Carl Whay (Harlow, Essex)