Erith & Belvedere 6-1 Slade Green - The agony and the ecstacy - EXCLUSIVES

Tuesday 14th August 2007

ERITH & BELVEDERE 6-1 SLADE GREEN
Kent League Premier Division
Tuesday 14^th August 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

Erith & Belvedere romped to the top of the Kent League table with a demolition job on their local rivals, Slade Green, tonight.

With joint-manager, Chris Cosgrove insisting the Deres will win the Kent League title this season, his classy side didn’t disappoint against a Slade Green side that’s simply not good enough for this level.

But fans had to be patient for their goals, with three of them coming in the last three minutes of the game, as yellow shirted Slade Green capitulated after losing their discipline late on.

Former Lordswood striker, Nick Smith, scored two of his three goals with his head, for the home side, as it looks to be another depressing season for Slade Green, having finished in the bottom two last season under a different managerial team.

Despite being listed on the team-sheet, Deres’ defender, John Farley, was replaced just before the kick-off by Lee Morgan due to a hamstring injury, and it was Morgan who opened the scoring after 19 minutes.

Matt Johnson’s far post free-kick was headed across goal by Marlon Button, a summer signing from Ryman League newcomers, Whitstable Town, and Morgan was on hand to steer the ball past Billy Webb from just four-yards.

Before that goal, however, Slade Green performed well, but were restricted to long range shots, which zipped off the lush but wet playing surface as the rain fell for the majority of this derby.

Slade Green striker, Paul Springett, unleashed a long-range right-footed drive, which brought a flying save from Deres’ defender, Grant Wallis.

The former VCD Athletic stopper was criticised for shipping two goals in their opening day 4-2 win at Holmesdale.

And the impressive, John Gallagher also brought a fine save from Wallis, tipping the angled left-footed shot around his near post.

Smith issued Slade Green with a couple of early warnings, but both attempts went over.

But Erith & Belvedere held the upper hand as Morgan opened his account for the season from close range after 19 minutes.

Then, Gallagher drilled a left-footed shot straight into Wallis’ grateful arms, after he cut in from the left, and tried his luck from 25-yards, four minutes later.

And some slick passing by the home side, carved open a chance for Tom Maycock, but he hooked the ball past the left-post from eight-yards.

Erith & Belvedere created three chances later in the half, with Dave Hassett shooting straight at Webb after the former Tunbridge Wells striker latched onto a ball over the top.

And that was followed by Webb saving at the second attempt from Adrian Deane’s drive and the goalkeeper was relieved to see Button’s right-footed shot dip just over his crossbar.

But Deane sent Webb the wrong way from the penalty spot to give the Deres a two goal advantage within the opening three minutes of the second half.

Slade Green, however, responded quickly from this set-back, by pulling a goal back within a minute.

Gallagher latched onto a ball over the top of the Deres defence, and although he looked yards offside, the striker kept his composure and dinked the ball over the advancing Wallis and was celebrating as the ball bounced into the bottom left-hand corner.

Matt Johnson cracked a fierce right-footed angled drive, which clipped off the near post before Hassett’s glancing header brought a flying save from Webb and from the resulting corner, Smith steered a shot from six-yards onto the crossbar.

Gallagher gave his defenders some respite, drilling a long-range effort into Wallis’ arms, after 66 minutes.

But Smith scored his first goal of the game just two minutes later, sliding the ball past Webb from just three-yards, after Bedford’s low centre from the right.

More shots reigned in on Webb’s goal as Erith & Belvedere dominated for the remainder of this one-sided half.

Mitchell Crawley clipped the top of the far post from distance with nineteen minutes remaining - but remember the score was 3-1 at the time.

And Erith & Belvedere netted goal number four after 87 minutes when Bedford whipped in a cross from the right and Smith popped up to loop a header into the top right-hand corner.

A clever free-kick almost allowed Slade Green to pull a goal back - before Erith & Belvedere scored twice inside stoppage time.

Springett’s chipped the ball into the penalty area with his 30-yard right-footed free-kick, but Adam Morrish glanced his header past the near post from eight-yards.

A cross from the left flank from substitute Mark Nougher was met by Bedford’s header which gave Webb no chance, and Smith slid in a low cross from another substitute, Lee Benavente, to make it six of the best.

And the Deres are the best, according to their larger than life manager, Chris Cosgrove.

“Ten goals in two games now, we’ve given a few silly ones away at the back obviously, which we have to work on, because we’re working towards perfection,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“But ten goals in two games, I think we’re going to be a match for anyone.

“It’s going to be very hard to stop us scoring this year.

“I’m just really optimistic. The football we played tonight was too good for this league to be honest, in patches. I’m really chuffed at the moment about what we’re doing.”

But he warned that his side can only get better.

“The frightening thing is, we’re only in third gear at the moment,” he said. “We’ve got another three gears (that) we can go through!

“We aren’t even playing well, considering how we can play, so once we hit top button, we won’t get stopped.”

Cosgrove, formerly of Greenwich Borough, believes his side can emulate last season’s double winners, Whitstable Town and remain unbeaten for so long.

He said: “We’re going to try and go unbeaten all the way through, that’s my aim obviously.

“Realistically, we’ll have an off-day, but overall, we’re going to stack up so many points, we’re going to be well prepared for the off-day we have.

“We’ll have so many points and goals, we’re going to draw clear (of our promotion rivals).

Wayne Baldacchino, returning to Park View Road for the first time since quitting his post as reserve team manager, to take up his role as assistant manager at The Small Glen, admitted his side aren’t good enough.

“What I would like to say possibly, is apologies to any Slade Green fans that came tonight and paid six pounds to watch,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Because if I was paying money to watch that, I would question whether I’d pay six pound to watch (our home game against Croydon) on Saturday, to be totally honest.

“It was slightly embarrassing the scoreline after ninety minutes but to let in three in the last five minutes is unacceptable so that’s an area that we need to look at.

“The fans have been very, very good so far. We’ve had 100 plus in pre-season and against Sporting Bengal on Saturday - that’s twice as many as Thamesmead get and they’re one of the favourites for the league.

“So apologies from myself, Peter and everyone at Slade Green for what they saw tonight, stick with us and hopefully we’ll get it right.”

Baldacchino has promised to make changes ahead of Saturday’s clash against Croydon.

“We’re not overly impressed with certain individuals, obviously I’m not going to mention any names, but there’s at least three or four that did not stand up and not counted, so Peter and I will have a good chat tomorrow.

“We’ll definitely make three or four changes on Saturday, but it’s obviously we need to get right very quickly.

“Baring in mind, on paper, Erith are one of the favourites, but to concede six at any level, for us, is not acceptable.

“So we will need to crack the whip, no more Mr nice guys. We’ve been a little bit patient with a couple of the lads because they done well in pre-season, they done ok Saturday against Sporting Bengal, they showed a lot of character to get goal in the 94^th minute on a very hot, very bumpy pitch - but after tonight it’s back to the drawing board.”

Erith & Belvedere: Grant Wallis, Mitchell Crawley, Adrian Deane, Tom Maycock (Joe Fitzpatrick 75), Paul Gross, Lee Morgan, Matt Bedford, Matt Johnson, Dave Hassett (Lee Benavente 70), Nick Smith, Marlon Button (Mark Nougher 80).
Subs: Ricky Hardie, Ashley Dunkley.

Booked: Tom Maycock 28

Goals: Lee Morgan 19, Adrian Deane 48 (pen), Nick Smith 78, 87, 90, Matt Bedford 90

Slade Green: Billy Webb, Casey Scotter, Terry Murphy, Lee Barber, Shaun Malyon, Jon Paul Mckey (Terry Hodge 80), Kris Hollidge, John Gallagher, Adam Morrish, Paul Springett, Tom Kelliher (Zviad Kurhuashvili 59).

Subs: Sam McNally, Stevie Lee, Harry Harris.

Booked: Tom Kelliher 52, Casey Scotter 77, Terry Murphy 83, Shaun Malyon 89.

Goal: John Gallagher 49

Attendance: 114
Referee: Mr Steve Roots (Tunbridge Wells)
Assistants: Mr Christopher Myatt (Dartford) & Mr Tim Edwins (Gravesend)

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