Erith Town 1-2 Lewisham Borough - They wanted it more than us, admits embarrassed Tony Russell

ERITH TOWN  1-2  LEWISHAM BOROUGH
London Senior Cup (Sponsored by Coventry Scaffolding) Third Round
Monday 14^th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Erith Sports Stadium

EMBARRASSED Erith Town manager Tony Russell summed it up perfectly when he admitted “I thought we disrespected them!”

The Dockers were sent crashing out of the London Senior Cup by Kent Invicta League opponents Lewisham Borough as the Kent Hurlimann Football League side suffered their second successive home defeat in the space of three days’.

Lewisham Borough were initially drawn at home for this Third Round tie, but it is claimed that Erith Town officials’ were by far than impressed when they last visited The Ladywell Arena three years’ ago that they requested a switch in venue, which The London Football Association agreed to and said they would pay the stadium hire.

And to rub salt into their wounds, former reserve team striker, Victor Lojtede scored a controversial opener for Lewisham Borough in the fourteenth minute before Erith Town left-back James Hawkins turned from hero to villain early in the second half.

Hawkins levelled for Erith Town but he gave away a penalty just four minutes later, which was converted by Dominic Weston, 22, and Lewisham Borough, who had left-back Anthony John red-carded for a professional foul at the death, can now look forward to a home tie against Ryman League Division One South side Corinthian-Casuals in the next round.

Ray Simpson, 48, who is Lewisham Borough’s chief executive, was delighted with the Cup upset.

“The team were clearly up for the game tonight and I’m delighted to be in the next round,” he said.

“This game did have some toing and throwing in terms of arrangements and facilities and where it should be played. 

“The players’ have responded very well. We haven’t won for six prior to this evening.  It was a big game tonight, they knew there was a lot on it. 

“We played Erith Town three years’ ago in the London Senior Cup and won so there was a lot of tension and rivalry in some ways and we definitely provided an answer this evening.

“The London Football Association have deemed our stadium not to be suitable in terms of staging London Senior Cup matches.  I suppose we just have to get clarification as to exactly why we’re not allowed to play them there.

“We were slightly disappointed.  London Senior Cup matches we’ve played at Ladywell Arena have attracted big attendances for us, well over 100 but hopefully we’ll be able to resolve that but I’ll speak to them about it and maybe they might allow us to play at home but I wouldn’t be overly disappointed going to a Ryman League ground, bring it on!

“We’ve taken a scalp of a Kent League side who are above us, who in recent times have been on a good run of form and we will welcome a visit or travelling to Corinthian-Casuals.”

Lewisham Borough manager, Darrell Queeley, 32, added, “Superb.  The boys’ played really well today.  It was lovely to come to a place like Erith Town and we were lucky enough to get a win so well done!

“I couldn’t wish for more today really.  The boys’ have come out and done everything I’ve asked and made it very difficult for Erith Town, who are an excellent side.  I think today they (Erith Town) passed the ball really well.  They are easily the best team we’ve played all season so all credit for my boys’ for getting a result.”

Erith Town manager Russell fumed: “They’re not a great side, but I could’ve put my reserves out and I’d expect them to give them a good game.

“I don’t know what to say to you!  In all my time in football, as a player or a manager, it’s the most disappointed I’ve ever been.  That’s the first time I actually feel embarrassed!  I generally do feel embarrassed!

“I don’t know whether it means that much to them (my players’), I don’t know, but they will do when I phone them tomorrow.

“It ain’t good enough!  I made a few changes, gave a few of the lads’ who ain’t been getting games, games and I don’t think we were that bad.  I think we controlled the game and passed it but there was no, we  treated, I thought we disrespected them.  I thought we thought we just had to turn up and pass the ball about.”

Erith Town created the first chance inside the opening seven minutes when Hawkins released Liam Burgess down the left and his hanging cross found Billy Shinners at the far post and he looped a header onto the roof of the net.

Lewis Wood then had a goal ruled out for offside when his left-footed shot beat diminutive Lewisham keeper Rilwan Anibaba before the keeper did well to back-peddle to tip the ball over to ensure he was not beaten by a right-footed deep cross from 35-yards from Grant Brown.

But underdogs Lewisham Borough, who are in tenth place in the league below with four wins and three draws from twelve games, grabbed a controversial lead.

Lojtede challenged Peter Smith – who was playing in the heart of Erith Town’s defence alongside Calum Comerford – and Smith fell over and was expecting referee Mr Mike Barnes to award him a free-kick as the pair tussled.

No whistle came, but the finish from Lojtede was top-drawer, turning and curling a right-footed shot over a stranded Kevin Fewell and into the bottom far corner from 12-yards.

Queeley admitted Lojtede, who has now scored two goals in two games since his switch from Erith Town committed a foul.

“I think it was two fouls to be honest,” admitted Queeley.

“The centre half was holding Victor, it wasn’t enough to give a pen and then as Victor’s got him off, like removed his arms. It’s like do you now give a foul because it was a foul because I think Victor fouled the centre half but the centre half was dragging him first and whether he’s going to give a pen for that is questionable.

“He took his time, curled it into the top corner – I couldn’t ask any more of the lad!”

Russell added: “It was almost too easy in the first half.   They get a goal out of nothing.  It looked, it was a foul but as I just said to them, you can’t, both the refereeing decisions, one is not a penalty and one’s a foul but if you’re relying on a referee to beat this team then you’re in trouble!

“I know we hit the woodwork twice. We haven’t really ripped them apart. I thought our application was horrendous today!”

Erith Town continued to press following Lewisham’s slice of luck and winger Chris Walker went close when a right-footed snap-shot dipped just over from 30-yards and after right-winger Goma Lambu looped in a cross from the other side, Chris Walker’s right-footed shot bounced into the Lewisham keeper’s arms.

Anibaba made a comfortable save to thwart Liam Burgess from sixteen-yards after some slick play with Fraser Walker.

But Lewisham squandered a decent chance to double their lead in the 33^rd minute, following their first corner.

Weston swung in the ball from the right which was deflected back to central defender Billy Simpson, who snatched at his shot, leaning back to send a right-footed shot high over the bar.

With half-time approaching, Chris Walker did all of the hard work when he cut along the penalty area after making inroads from the left, evading three challenges, but blazed a right-footed shot over from eighteen-yards.

Ironically, Erith Town struck the woodwork twice tonight, both times with virtually the last kick of each half.

Fraser Walker, who linked up well with Burgess in the middle of the park, played in Wood, whose left-footed drive bounced off the crossbar and was cleared to safety.

Erith Town responded and levelled just 201 seconds into the second half.

Brown smashed a low right-footed shot into the penalty area from and Simpson stuck out his right leg to deflect past the far post for a corner.

Hawkins’ whipped in the resulting corner from the right which Anibaba, like many previous occasions, opted to punch away.  Hawkins picked up the loose ball and whipped in a curling left-footed cross, which bounced into the net, after striker Shinners ran across the unsighted goalkeeper.

Russell said: “The goalie had a bit of a mere to be fair with it!  It was nothing we done, created.  James Hawkins has put the ball in a great area and the goalkeeper’s missed it and its gone straight in!”

But Queeley felt the goal should have been disallowed.

“I personally feel Billy Shinners was offside,” he bemoaned.  “He did try to turn it in.  He was standing right in front of the keeper.  As he’s gone to turn it in he hasn’t touched it, it’s bounced and the keeper’s misjudged the bounce but the keeper believes he (Shinners) was obstructing his view, he was in the way.  He made a play for the ball and it’s hit the ground and gone in so I take his word for it.”

Anibaba punched Chris Walker’s floated cross from the left just two minutes later and Shinners’ hooked a right-footed volley over from sixteen-yards.

But Lewisham Borough recovered from that set-back and scored the goal that turned out to be the winner in the 53^rd minute.

Olakune Akinnwande forced a challenge from Hawkins on the far side of the penalty area and referee Mr Mike Barnes awarded the penalty, which Weston converted with his right-foot, burying the spot kick to the diving goalkeeper’s right.

Queeley added: “I think if I’m being honest, I think he’s sold him that one!  The ball was outside the box, he’s played it inside the box, read the tackle, left a leg and I think he’s got clipped inside the area.  He’s blatantly been clipped but I think he’s fooled the full-back, who had an excellent game, and he’s won us a penalty, which Dominic Weston has slotted in lovely.

“Dominic has done really well for us.  He’s probably been the only player who has been available every game this season.  We’ve had a lot of injuries so it’s good to see those people back tonight and we got our reward for it.”

Russell added: “We’re in our penalty area and our centre half is trying to spin out of a tackle and whether it was a penalty or not – just get rid of it!  There’s time to play and a time not to play and it’s taking a liberty!

“That’s what I talk about, taking a liberty!  You wouldn’t do that in a league game!  You take liberties and it came and bit us on the bum today good in a way because people need to learn!

Despite Erith Town playing pretty football, they lacked any real threat in front of goal as resilient Lewisham Borough shut them out.

And Lewisham Borough forced a rare shot on goal when Jonathan Nwaordu’s angled drive forced Fewell into making a comfortable low save to his right in the 66^th minute.

Fewell made his best saves of the game in the final ten minutes when he was nearly caught out by Weston, who cut in from the left before cracking a stunning, right-footed curling shot, which dipped at the far post and forced the keeper to back-peddle and tip the ball over high above his head.

Erith Town rued some late chances as they failed to force extra time.

Chris Walker's left-wing cross was knocked down at the far post by substitute Alex Tiesse and fell invitingly at the feet of fellow substitute Kirt King, who scuffed his low right-footed shot agonisingly past the post from just four-yards.

Fewell made a fine double save in the sixth minute of injury time, first blocking Garrick’s right-footed shot with his body, and then swiftly getting back to his feet to catch Tristan Toney’s rebound.

But Lewisham Borough were reduced to ten-men when John was red-carded for bringing down Fraser Walker on the very edge of the box and Hawkins stepped up to take a left-footed free-kick which bounced off the crossbar with the last kick of the game.

Queeley admitted he raised his troops up wanting to beat Erith Town over the venue issue pre-match.

He said: “To be honest I’m not going to get involved in where the game should or should not been played.  I’ll leave that down to higher personnel than myself.  I had a little word (to the players’) and we got the result.”

Looking ahead to the home tie against Corinthian-Casuals in the next round, he said: “We’ll do our best, that’s all I can say.  We’ll go there to win and we’ll do our best. As long as the boys’ do what I ask of them that’s enough for me.”

Russell revealed he will start making changes to his squad.

Without naming names, he fumed, “I’ll have to release them, I can’t have that!  I can lose to people and shake people’s hands.  I just felt some players’ took a liberty today and they’re not players I want wrapped around me.

“I don’t ask people to pass the ball as I want people to stand there and go ‘Erith Town are a pretty passing side’.  I pass the ball because it’s the best way of scoring goals.  The last two games we’ve been passing the ball without really opening teams’ up and it ain’t good enough!

“It’s hard because I don’t really want Lewisham Borough to sit here and read it (my displeasure) because all credit to them, they’ve won and I wish them all the best.  They played their way, they rode their luck a little bit, battled, but they worked hard for each other and their manager but my personal point of view it’s s**t!

“When a team wants it more than you and has a little bit more desire as a manager it’s so hard to take!”

Erith Town: Kevin Fewell, Grant Brown, James Hawkins, Peter Smith, Calum Comerford, Fraser Walker, Liam Burgess, Lewis Wood, Billy Shinners (Kirt King 73), Goma Lambu (Alex Tiesse 62), Chris Walker.
Subs: Martin Chirimuuta, Conor Boon, Flavio Tavares

Goal:  James Hawkins 49

Booked: Peter Smith 65

Lewisham Borough: Rilwan Anibaba, Jonathan Nwaordu (Dwayne Morris 86), Anthony John, Sean Palmer, Billy Simpson, Errisson Ahwan, Olakune Akinwande (Jay Garrick 67), Ashley Reid, Victor Lojtede (Michael Brown 77), Tristan Toney, Dominic Weston.
Subs: Chris Scott, Eden Blake

Goals:  Victor Lojtede 14, Dominic Weston 53 (pen)

Booked: Jonathan Nwaordu 82, Jay Garrick 90

Sent Off:  Anthony John 90

Attendance: 56
Referee: Mr Mike Barnes (Stoke Newington, London N16)
Assistants: Mr Graham Rodber (Mitcham, Surrey) & Mr Marlon Williams (Stockwell, London SW9)