Erith Town 1-2 Greenwich Borough - Ogoo repays Firkins' faith

New manager Steve Firkins has got together an impressive young side full of energy and they took advantage of an Erith Town side that’s still coming to terms with Mark Tompkins’ sudden departure last Wednesday.

However, the only player that remains from last season’s Greenwich Borough squad, Joseph Ogoo, was to become the match winner tonight, as the substitute popped up to score an injury time winner.

Greenwich Borough came out of the starting blocks the quickest in what was also Dockers’ manager Steve O’Boyle’s first game in charge, taking the lead inside the opening five minutes, through left-back Ryan Watts.

However, Erith Town striker, Marcus Cassius, who netted 19 goals throughout the club’s best ever campaign last term, levelled proceedings with a stunning strike seven minutes before the break before seventeen-year-old central midfielder Ogoo got Firkins reign off to a good start.

Erith Town goalkeeper Joe Skillman had already made a flying save to thwart Richard Monan but was picking the ball out of his net, with just 252 seconds on the clock.

Kyle Demetrius cut his second corner back to Watts and the tiny left-back whipped in a left-footed shot on the angle from thirty-yards and the ball arrowed past the thumbling Skillman to find the bottom near corner.

Erith Town almost equalised soon after but Adam Young’s shot took a deflection before looping over the crossbar following Wayne Grizzle’s cut-back.

There was concern from the match officials about the floodlights not coming on until the half-time interval as the first half ended in near darkness.

Borough created at least three more chances before Erith Town levelled against the run of play with seven first half minutes remaining.

Cassius latched onto a ball over the top down the right hand side and in a two-against-two counter attack he decided to shoot - and cracked an angled right-footed screamer from thirty-yards that rocketed across Danny Firkins to crash into the top far corner.

Firkins, the managers son, complained to the referee about the poor light and almost immediately was forced into action to prevent Cassius scoring his second.

Early in the second half Greenwich Borough striker Danny Hunt rolled a left-footed shot agonisingly past the far post in what was another excellent chance to give his side the lead, after he was played in by his impressive strike partner, the pint-sized Louis Bajeux, who checked his marker before sliding the ball in behind the defence.

But then came a good chance for the home side. Myrie Allen whipped in a low cross from the right and Ashley Douglas, who made a late run into the box from his midfield role, slid the ball, under pressure, past the post.

Immediately, at the other end, Demetrius’ right-footed shot brought a fine low save from Skillman, diving to his right.

Both goalkeeper’s were called into action, making a save each but the introduction of Ogoo was inspirational.

A move down the left involving Bajeux and Hunt saw the latter cut the ball back to the supporting Ogoo, who drilled a right-footed shot just past the post.

Ogoo was then thwarted by Skillman but he had the last laugh, when with 132 seconds into stoppage time, he rolled a right-footed shot into the bottom far corner after a good night’s work from Bajeux.

Borough boss Steve Firkins, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, was delighted to have won his first game in charge at a Bulmers Cider Kent League club.

“The amount of chances that we created we should have put some away, but we’re pleased,” he said.

The former Corinthian-Casuals reserve team manager heaped praise on seventeen-year-old match winner Ogoo.

“We liked the look of him in pre-season,” he explained. “He came back, he didn’t train very well, we just thought he was one of them, just turning up and making the numbers up and we had a little training session match and he just looked superb.

“He can pop the ball forty, fifty, sixty yards sometimes. I’m not saying that’s our type of game but sometimes you need that in your game.

“I think he’s an extra asset, he’s seventeen-years-of-age and he can only get better!”

But Firkins was delighted with the way his side started, left-back Watts getting on the score sheet.

“I’m pleased for Ryan because he’s just come back off holiday so I think he’s a little bit jet-lagged,” said Firkins.

“But he saw the ninety minutes out and we’re pleased with him.”

Firkins praised the equalising strike from Cassius, which pegged back his side just before half-time.

He said: “We just lost our way a little bit I thought, back end of the first half and they scored a good goal, against the run of play.

“But to be fair, the fella took the chance well - excellent strike.”

Erith Town’s recently installed manager, Steve O’Boyle, meanwhile, says he’s taking nothing but positives out of this defeat.

Admitting it wasn’t a good start, O’Boyle, 31, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk said: “We ran through a few things before the game and (we conceded a) soft goal but I thought after that the reaction from the players was superb.

“We could have caved in, new manager, 1-0 down, and from then on we gave a positive reaction so obviously going in at one-all, I was quite happy.”

O’Boyle hopes Cassius can emulate what he did today during the course of the season.

He said: “I’ve got to say that was superb. If he could do that week in week out that’ll be brilliant!

“Solo goal, he was going nowhere and he made a goal out of nothing - it was brilliant!

O’Boyle was, however, pleased with the reaction from his players, considering Tompkins’ sudden departure last week.

“They maybe edged it but I thought maybe a draw would have been a fairer result, obviously I’m biased.” he said.

“I thought I’ve had a positive reaction tonight. I’ve come in, it was hard. I had to come in a little bit earlier (today), try to run through as many things as I can.

“They’ve had to take a lot of things on board (but) I’ve tried to keep it basic as we could and I’ve had a decent response.

“We’ve got a lot of disappointed boys in there at the moment. They’re not happy that they’ve got beat in the last minute so in a way I’m happy with their reaction.

“In a way I’m happy their feeling like that and it hurts to lose and hopefully they can raise themselves for Saturday.

“They never lost many games last year but what’s gone on this week (they) didn’t know what to expect and I can take the positives out of the game.”

Erith Town: Joe Skillman, Aran Heyrattin, Alan Matthews (Jack Baines 88), Adam Young, Danny Twinn, James Holder, Myrie Allen (Anthony Pace 77), Ashley Douglas, Marcus Cassius, Wayne Grizzle (Roland Duo 58), Edward Hart.
Subs: Adam Ebery, Remi Obanfemi.

Goal: Marcus Cassius 38

Booked: Ashley Douglas 15, Alan Matthews 55, Adam Young 64

Greenwich Borough: Danny Firkins, Micah Banton, Ryan Watts, James Brown, Moses Spencer (Louie Hollingworth 68), Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott, Richard Monan, Kevin Sefaah, Louis Bajeux, Danny Hunt, Kyle Demetrius (Joseph Ogoo 73).
Subs: Jason Mabbs, Matthew Barrand, Omar Elimlahi.

Goals: Ryan Watts 5, Joseph Ogoo 90

Attendance: 113
Referee: Mr Keith Scudder (Gravesend)
Assistants: Mr David D’Wan (Bromley) & Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend)