Kentish Football 
Erith & Dartford Town 0-4 Phoenix Sports - We weren't good enough tonight, admits embarrassed Abbott
Friday 19th August 2011
ERITH & DARTFORD TOWN 0-4 PHOENIX SPORTS
Kent Invicta League Opening Game
Friday 19th August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakwood
PHOENIX SPORTS manager Scott Saunders says his side will be challenging for the inaugural Kent Invicta League title after their comfortable victory over a poor Erith & Dartford Town side at Oakwood.
They made the short journey to VCD Athletic’s ground to embarrass the hosts, who were out of their depth, as Kent’s new Step Six League got off to a lopsided start.
Fears that the new League will contain strong sides alongside poorer sides that aren’t ready for this level of football was evident tonight and even a manager of the calibre of Gary Abbott couldn’t prevent Erith & Dartford Town from suffering at the hands of their neighbours.
A crowd of exactly 300 saw Phoenix Sports striker, Dominic Websdale create history as he was the first ever goalscorer in the new league as he opened the scoring on exactly eight minutes and further first half goals were scored by Martin Driscoll and Adam Cuthbert. The impressive, Alfie Harris capped off a good night when he added a fourth, although he later missed a penalty.
Saunders, 37, said: “Absolutely over the moon! I thought the first half display was the best we’ve played all pre-season really and to bring it into the league form, yes excellent!”
Abbott, 47, who has signed a three-year contract to manage Erith & Dartford Town, admitted his side’s showing was “embarrassing,” especially as his side could not score past substitute central midfielder, Danny Frost, who played in goal for 53 minutes after keeper Chris Tuley was forced off the pitch with a thigh strain.
The legendary striker, who managed Sittingbourne in Ryman League Division One South for over three years, was bitterly disappointed by his side’s showing.
“To be honest with you, I was honest with the boys afterwards and six or seven of them ain’t good enough,” Abbott fumed, after it took him at least 45 minutes to emerge from the dressing room.
“I’m not going to take that and I’m not going to make the chairman take that!”
Richard Whyte, the Erith & Dartford Town striker, kicked off the Kent Invicta League, but for the rest of the game he was well marshalled by Lew Watts (who was Tony Russell’s assistant manager at Erith Town last season) and Adam Cuthbert.
Phoenix were eager to put in the tackles, making 22 of the 36 fouls committed. Their first one came after just eleven seconds when Gary Phillimore clattered into Jake Britnell – and Callum O’Sullivan escaped punishment for a late challenge on Rikki Stevens after just five minutes, which later forced off the left-back with a leg injury.
Such a hard-fought contest ensured the game was poor, although Phoenix Sports were clinical in front of goal as they had a 100% strike rate during the first half – three shots equalled three goals.
The historic goal arrived with exactly eight minutes on the clock.
Alife Harris gave Stevens a nightmare as he reached the right by-line and produced an excellent cross with his right-foot to find Websdale at the far post and his bullet header found the near corner from four yards out.
Saunders said: “Very good start. I don’t think we had the best first eight minutes to be fair. I thought they started quite brightly but as soon as we got the goal, I thought we was on top and went on to score another two in that half and (the game was) pretty much done and dusted by half-time really.”
There was concern for visiting keeper Tuley as early as the 25th minute as he went down in a heap inside his penalty area after his team-mates were awarded a free-kick at the other end.
But Phoenix doubled their lead with their second chance seven minutes later.
Tom Dennington delivered an in-swinging corner from the left and Driscoll bundled the ball over the line from a yard out at the near post.
Tuley’s last action of a dire game saw him rush out of his penalty area to body block a right-footed chip by Whyte (who was released by a ball over the top), but the former Cray Wanderers striker left a leg in to leave Luke Cuthbert in a heap. The Phoenix right-back, and goalkeeper, both required treatment, but it was Tuley who played his last part in the game and Frost came off the bench to don the grey jersey.
A concerned Phoenix manager said: “It doesn’t look good. It looks like he’s torn it (his thigh), but Frosty’s put the old gloves on. I thought he done excellently when he came on, made one great save with his heel, which will go down in the notebook. I thought he done really well when he came on.”
But despite not having a proper goalkeeper on the pitch, Phoenix Sports grabbed a third goal in the 40th minute.
O’Sullivan and Alife Harris combined down the right and Harris whipped in a first time cross towards the far post and Adam Cuthbert headed the ball across keeper Neale Manning to find the far corner.
Abbott was furious about his side’s defending.
“They’ve got three crosses in the first half and they scored three goals, whose marking up?” he fumed.
“No-one’s marking! They thought the ball wasn’t going to come in. They’ve not reacted to it to be honest with you.
“I’m embarrassed and I hope the players are as well. Perhaps that’s the kick up the a*** that they need because like I said five or six ain’t good enough!”
The stunned home side squandered an excellent chance to claw themselves back into the game just before the break when Britnell had time and space to cross from the right flank and an unmarked Geo Fullone slid in at the far post but could only stab a left-footed shot past the near post.
Angry Abbott made a double change at the break with former Holmesdale striker Tom Creasey and winger Able Olatunji coming on, but they failed to trouble the rock solid Phoenix defence.
Manning was forced into making a low save beside his near post after O’Sullivan cut inside and drilled a shot towards the near post from 22-yards.
But Phoenix wrapped up the victory as early as the 57th minute when Alfie Harris picked up the ball and left Manning rooted to the spot as his angled right-footed drive from 25-yards flew past him and found the far corner.
“To be honest, Alifie has been different gear for us in pre-season,” praised Saunders.
“He just showed his quality really tonight. I thought he was absolutely outstanding. Just a shame about the penalty miss really – he could’ve capped off a nice evening for him!”
Phoenix were now enjoying themselves, leaving the home dug-out stunned to silence.
O’Sullivan released Alfie Harris down the left and his over-hit cross was struck on the volley by Louie Harris, an ambitious effort, which ballooned over.
It should have been five after 66 minutes when a through ball released substitute Michael Daramola down the right and his cross was met by Alfie Harris, who cracked a fierce right-footed drive, which Manning did excellently to palm up in to the air and he got back well to claw the looping ball away before it dropped over the line.
It took Erith & Dartford Town 71 minutes to register their first shot on target, when Britnell latched onto Richard Boreman’s dinked pass and his left-footed drive from 25-yards was spilt by stand-in keeper Frost, which brought fits of laughter from his team-mates on the subs bench.
Manning excelled when he dived low to his left to deny Alfie Harris from scoring with a right-footed penalty in the 72nd minute after Daramola was sent sprawling to the ground.
Manning then denied the striker again, turning a left-footed drive around his near post whilst diving, before the outclassed hosts rallied and showed a glimmer of pride during the final fifteen minutes.
Winger, Darrell Francis, was unlucky not to pull a goal back in the 78th minute, drilling a low, left-footed shot, which agonisingly bounced off the foot of the near post with Frost beaten.
Skipper Boreman then drilled another shot from distance, but Frost did well to get down low to his left to save with a strong left hand.
And Manning came rushing off his line to get a slight touch to deny Daramola, after the substitute striker was played in by Louie Harris late on.
Saunders said: “I knew we’d come here and win. I’ve got a very good squad. I think I’ve got a squad to challenge for the League and yes, that’s what we’re aiming to do.
“We’re top of the table for now, we’ll probably be top of the table tomorrow as well. I can’t see anyone else maybe winning 4-0. Obviously depends how it goes tomorrow. I thought we were well worth it to be honest and it could’ve been more.”
For a player that has played for at the highest level of non-league football, Abbott admitted tonight’s game was an eye-opener for him.
He said: “Yes, that’s right, it was an eye opener. I’ve never been in this level before but like I say it wasn’t good tonight. They’ve come here, they wanted it more than us.
“The first five minutes, we started and had a go at them and I thought “can we get a goal?”
“The boys’ didn’t do what they were asked to do, certain corners that we’ve worked on. It was like they wanted to go out there and do their own thing and like I said in there, I won’t be having that! If players’ just want to go and do what they want, then they’re not going to do it here and that’s the bottom line.”
Abbott added: “I’ve got no excuses at all. The players weren’t good enough tonight. We got beat and it could’ve been seven or eight!
“There was a lot expected from us tonight but I’m not going to make excuses for that. I’ve only been here for whatever weeks. I’ll hold my hands up. Hopefully this will be the kick up the a*** that we need and what I will say is there will be some new faces!”
Erith & Dartford Town: Neale Manning, Conor Reardon, Rikki Stevens (John Piper 17), Sam Baker, Brett Fairman, Geo Fullone (Able Olatunji 46), Jake Britnell, Mike Morgan (Tom Creasey 46), Richard Whyte, Richard Boreman, Darrell Francis.
Subs: Yomi Dada, Michael Odejode.
Booked: Richard Whyte 35
Phoenix Sports: Chris Tuley (Danny Frost 37), Luke Cuthbert, Tom Dennington, Martin Driscoll (Danny Martin 82), Lew Watts, Adam Cuthbert, Gary Phillimore, Louie Harris, Alfie Harris, Dominic Websdale (Michael Daramola 52), Callum O’Sullivan.
Subs: John Backett, Chris Whitehouse
Goals: Dominic Websdale 8, Martin Driscoll 32, Adam Cuthbert 40, Alfie Harris 57
Booked: Lew Watts 55, Callum O’Sullivan 68, Danny Martin 89
Attendance: 300
Referee: Mr Neil Baker (Welling)
Assistants: Mr Josh Rudd (Dartford) & Mr Barry Jeal (Maidstone)
Fourth Official: Mr Darren Rudd (Dartford)
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