Faversham Town 2-1 Hythe Town - There's more to come from my side, insists Luchford

Saturday 27th February 2010

FAVERSHAM TOWN 2-1 HYTHE TOWN
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Saturday 27th February 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane

LEVEL-HEADED Faversham Town boss Justin Luchford is not jumping up and down from the rooftops after his side extended their lead at the top of the Bulmers Cider Kent League table to thirteen points with just nine games remaining.

Today’s workmanlike 2-1 victory on a boggy pitch over a disappointing Hythe Town side, meant that they have now won their last eight games, and Luchford defended his side’s direct tactics.

“Well, I mean, you say it wasn’t pretty, but I thought we played some excellent football,” Luchford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I thought John-Paul Collier, the 11 for us today, was outstanding, no-one got anywhere near him.”

He added: “We keep getting touted as this long-ball side. I thought we played some excellent football today. I don’t think at any point we were in danger of losing the game. I don’t remember them having more than two opportunities in the whole game, but I think it was the right result and we move onto next week.”

However, if second placed side Herne Bay win all of their four games in hand over Faversham then they are just one point behind Luchford’s men.

Hythe Town (with five games in hand over Faversham) appear to be out of the running for the title, following their third league defeat of the season.

“We just didn’t turn up,” admitted a dejected Scott Porter, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We didn’t come to the table,” continued the manager. “We spoke about it before hand and we weren’t good enough and that’s the bottom line.

“Faversham are good at what they do, they’re very direct and we didn’t deal with it.

“We spoke about it all week, what they’re going to do and we obviously couldn’t cope with it.

“It’s disappointing from my point of view and for the people who are involved but you know we just didn’t come to the table. It’s as simple as that.”

In a game of very few goalscoring chances, on a pitch that was like a pudding around the centre circle, Faversham were rewarded when a crowd of 327 flocked through the turnstiles at Salters Lane.

Dover Athletic fans gate-crashed the party, as a coach load of supporters turned up at half-time after their Blue Square South game at Bishop’s Stortford was postponed 90 minutes before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

They chanted Lee Shearer’s name during the second half, and Salters Lane could be getting used to such vocal chanting if it stages Ryman League football next season.

“It was one of those important ones today to get the game on,” said Luchford.

“I was up here at half-past-nine in the morning having a look across the pitch. There was only one area really that was a bit boggy and you knew with Herne Bay and Folkestone being off - there was a few games off today - we might get a few in today.

“And with the Dover boys coming back from Bishop’s Stortford it was a bonus in the end it was great to have some singing and things like that.

“That’s what the lads want to do, they want to play in front of that every week and one stepping stone at a time. We’re doing alright so it’s pleasing for the club.”

With former Dover Athletic manager, Clive Walker, at Faversham, as Luchford’s right-hand man, there was concern amongst Hythe officials before kick-off when the team-sheets were handed in as Walker’s step-son, Karl May, was one of the assistants, although to be fair to the Gillingham official, his performance was exemplary.

Faversham created the game’s first chance inside the opening four minutes when left-back Dan Larkin raced towards the by-line and his cross was met at the far post by striker Michael Smissen, but Kieron Mann made a comfortable catch.

Faversham took one another giant step towards the title, taking a fourteenth minute lead.

Ashley Brown looped a throw into the Hythe penalty area from the right and Hythe’s defence failed to get any distance with their clearance and the ball fell to Tom Hickman some 20-yards from goal and after taking a touch the central midfielder drove a right-footed shot across Mann and into the bottom far corner to scorer his fifth goal of the season.

Hythe pair, Kieran Byrne and Dave Cook, were both off target with attempts from outside the penalty area, before the visitors levelled after 29 minutes.

Right-back, Martin Chandler, had time and space to whip in a high, hanging, curling cross from 40-yards, and the ball dropped down for Faversham keeper Rob French to catch.

However, despite being under pressure from Hythe striker Craig Thompson, the former Ebbsfleet United third-choice stopper, stepped back over his goal-line and gave away an own goal, which was confirmed by assessor Ian Gosling (who had passed the pitch playable following a 10:30am pitch inspection)

Mann produced the save of the game when his left hand denied Smissen scoring his 17th goal of the season when he cracked a fierce left-footed angled drive, which was heading towards the far corner.

Faversham though they had scored from the resulting corner, when a bullet header in a crowded goal-mouth, appeared to have crossed the line, despite a defender, positioned behind the goal-line, heading the ball up and onto his own crossbar.

Hythe lacked quality in the attacking third of the pitch and rarely troubled French again - he did make a comfortable low save from Cook’s downward header following Gary Clarke’s floated free-kick, before the break, but the second half was pretty dull.

A poor clearance from Mann went straight to the lively Collier, who struck a first time shot from 40-yards which dropped just over the crossbar with the former Folkestone Invicta keeper struggling to get back.

Faversham substitute, Richard Sinden, meanwhile, won the game for the home side when he netted his 11th goal of the season in the 53rd minute.

Faversham played some slick football down the right and the ball was centred for Sinden, who stabbed the ball past his marker, from six-yards, only for the ball to bounce off the foot of the right-post and the former VCD Athletic striker fired home the rebound at the second attempt from close range.

“Richard Sinden is Richard Sinden,” Luchford said afterwards. “He’s a professional at this level. He’s a professional, a true professional, on and off the pitch. He trains, he works hard.

“He’s been on the bench a lot and he’s been in form at the moment. He scored a good goal for us last week and he scored one this week so I’m delighted for him and I’m pleased for him.”

The remainder of the game turned out to be a scrappy affair, although three chances were created in the final fifteen minutes.

Thompson tried his luck with a smashed half-volley from 35-yards, which was never going to beat the Faversham keeper.

And Sinden almost scored again, against one of his former sides, but he was denied by a smart near post block by Mann.

Hythe came within inches of grabbing a point when Cook slid the ball past French from fifteen-yards, but the ball bounced agonisingly off the foot of the post.

When asked if Hythe’s title hopes have now disappeared, considering they are now 25 points adrift of the league leaders (although with five games in hand), Porter replied, “You never say no, but we’re a long way off and obviously if we win our games in hand we’re seven points behind.

“We have to look at them now slipping up but they’re good at what they do. They’re direct and the runners pick off things and that’s how they get their goals.

“They don’t mess about, they don’t go back, they just go forward, forward, forward and the runners pick off the pieces.

“If they win games like that, it’s fair enough, I hand my hands up to them.

“We was quite direct last year (under Paul Fisk’s management). I tried to change it. I’ve got players to play football and that’s what’s football’s all about but everyone can kick and run but obviously that’s how he (Luchford) plays it and fair play.

“They’re getting their rewards for it because their top of the league.”

But Luchford hit back, saying, “I’m very pleased with the lads, very pleased. We’re doing well and we just go one game at a time and we’ll see where we are with five games to go.

“We’ve still got some work to do. I still don’t think that we’ve been at our best. I think there’s a lot more to come.

“I think we’re a side that works hard on and off the pitch and if we continue in the same way that we’re doing at the moment then hopefully we’ll get a little bit of success.”

Faversham Town: Rob French, Shane Hamshare, Dan Larkin, Tom Hickman, Ashley Brown, Lee Shearer, Dale Skelton, Dane Luchford (Richard Sinden 35), Michael Smissen (Dave Botterill 64), Dave Soutan, John-Paul Collier (Michael Dodsworth 85).
Subs: Dan Elliott, Nick Shaw.

Goals: Tom Hickman 14, Richard Sinden 53

Hythe Town: Kieron Mann, Martin Chandler (John Walker 60), Mark Bond, Sam Marsh (Tom Adlington 46), Steve Ward (John Driscoll 67), Gary Clarke, Dave Cook, Michael Yianni, Craig Thompson, Pat Kingwell, Kieran Byrne.
Subs: Lee Winfield, Greg Smith.

Goal: Rob French (og) 29

Booked: Kieran Byrne 56, Pat Kingwell 70, Dave Cook 75, Tom Adlington 89, John Driscoll 90

Attendance: 327
Referee: Mr Elad Amir (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Tom Vandepeer (Maidstone) & Mr Karl May (Gillingham)