Kentish Football 
Faversham Town 2-4 East Thurrock United - It was a missed opportunity today, admits Ray Turner
Saturday 05th November 2011
FAVERSHAM TOWN 2-4 EAST THURROCK UNITEDFA Carlsberg Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 5th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane
FAVERSHAM TOWN manager Ray Turner rued missed first half chances as his side were dumped out of The FA Carlsberg Trophy by East Thurrock United at a drizzly Salters Lane.
The Essex side were there for the taking as they went into this Second Qualifying Round tie sitting third-from-bottom in the Ryman Premier League and it appeared they had next Saturday’s FA Cup First Round home tie against Macclesfield Town on their mind as Faversham dominated the early stages.
The Lilywhites, who went into this game in fourteenth place in the Ryman League Division One South table, sensed an upset and Turner’s men created four chances before Ascheri swept home his third goal of the season to give the Kent side a deserved 12th minute lead.
But East Thurrock, who hit the woodwork on three occasions, levelled just three minutes before half-time through Kris Newby, before striker Petrit Elbi gave the Essex visitors the advantage early in the second half.
Faversham striker, Adrian Stone, who otherwise had a quiet game, levelled with his ninth goal of the season before East Thurrock scored a controversial penalty with fifteen minutes remaining with Newby’s second, before substitute Freddie Ladapo netted a flattering late fourth.
The returning Lee Shearer blasted an injury-time penalty high and wide with the last kick off the game as last defender Tom Stephen was red-carded for bringing down Ascheri.
Turner said: “I thought we had an opportunity today and I thought we played very well first half. I thought we were very solid.
“I just think we’ve got the attacking players that caused them problems but once again it’s no good if we can’t come away with a result so they’ve gone away happy today. The players’ are disappointed that we haven’t managed to win the game.”
Faversham got off to an explosive start on a drizzly and murky November afternoon and Ascheri’s right-footed snap shot from 30-yards whistled past the post after just 26 seconds.
This high-tempo start excited the home faithful and after Tom Hickman released winger Aaron Quain down the left and whipped in a low centre from the left, the ball found its way to Ascheri at the far post, whose right-footed drive was turned around the near post by the diving Richard Wray.
Ascheri swung in the resulting corner from the right where the lethal Shearer powered his header past the near post.
Lively winger Ascheri, voted the sponsors’ man-of-the-match, latched onto a mistake from left-back Stephen and flashed a low centre across the face of goal but Damian Abel snatched at a shot with his left-foot, stabbing the ball agonisingly past the foot of the near post from six-yards.
Faversham’s dominant play deserved a goal, and it finally came after 12 minutes.
Faversham keeper Rob French pumped the ball straight down the middle of the pitch and Abel flicked the ball on and after the ball dropped kindly in the box the target-man managed to loop the ball across goal over a defender’s head and Ascheri swept a right-footed shot past Wray to find the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards.
Turner said: “I think we created chances and that’s always a good thing, but I think once you score that goal, if you can back it up with a second and I think that gives the team an awful lot of confidence.
“All the time you’re only one goal up that gives the (other) team a bit of belief and East Thurrock have got some very decent midfield players and obviously got some dangerous forwards who will always cause you a few problems, but we need to be able to take that step forward and once you go a goal ahead can we get that second goal?”
However, East Thurrock struck the woodwork for the first time just four minutes later and then began to get themselves back into the game.
Reiss Gilbey played a delightful diagonal pass to release winger Sam Collins through on goal and his low left-footed drive from 25-yards flashed across French and bounced off the (outside of the) foot of the near post. The ball was picked up by Newby, who drove his low cross across the face of goal and Collins slammed his shot just past the foot of the near post.
Abel squandered another good chance to double Faversham’s slender lead in the 38th minute.
He rolled a ball to Quain who cut in from the left and whipped in an inviting low centre which went through a crowd of onrushing players and Abel flicked a first-time shot across Wray and agonisingly wide of the far post.
Faversham were made to pay for missing all those earlier chances as East Thurrock United grabbed an equaliser three minutes before the interval.
Collins swung in a corner from the right which sailed over Kye Ruel’s head at the near post and Newby turned and swept a right-footed shot through a crowd of players and the ball rolled into the bottom far corner.
Turner said: “They managed to get an equaliser before half-time that’s gone through about three bodies and I think that’s given them a lift and boosted them for the rest of the game. I just think they certainly came out strong second half.”
Visiting keeper Wray made his second diving save inside stoppage time when Stone picked the ball up on the right and cut in and cracked a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which was rocketing towards the far corner, but Wray dived to his left again to tip to safety.
Whatever was said by visiting manager John Coventry inside the away dressing room during the interval had the desired effect as his side were more interested in the second half.
And they took the lead within the opening three minutes when Ruel was played through on goal and he managed to get a shot away, which was parried by the diving French, but Elbi appeared to push Shane Hamshare over before stabbing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from two-yards.
Turner added: “Shane’s been pushed over but I’m not in the habit of blaming decisions. It’s a clear push from that point of view.
“They’ve got the second goal, we had to battle our way back in again and we’ve done that all season.
“We’ve come back from so many situations this season and that always bodes well from the point of view from the team spirit but obviously we needed a degree of control once we got back to two-all.”
Faversham Town, however, didn’t dwell on that set-back for too long, as Stone clawed the home side back into the game in the 55th minute.
Full credit must go to Ascheri, who collected the ball from French just outside of the Faversham penalty area, skilfully nut-megged a challenge from Elbi and took the ball forward before playing the pass of the match, splitting central defenders Ben Wood and Simon Peddie to release Stone through on goal, who took a touch before slotting the ball underneath the advancing Wray to curl a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
Turner added: “It was a good goal. Justin’s played the ball from deep and he’s drilled a ball straight through the heart of their defence and Stoney’s very calm. He’s got another goal. I think it’s his ninth of the season. He’s done well.”
East Thurrock took a stranglehold on the game after the hour-mark and after a poor headed clearance up rather than out by Shearer, Newby’s looping left-footed shot from 25-yards gave French no chance as the ball bounced off the left-post and Ruel was denied a certain goal with the follow up when his shot was blocked by Hamshare.
Collins then released Ruel through on goal – who appeared to be yards offside – but he curled a right-footed shot just wide of the far post with only French to beat in the 68th minute.
The turning point came when referee Harry Lennard controversially awarded East Thurrock a penalty after he adjudged Matt Bourne to clip Newby.
There was a delay when the Peacehaven-based official booked Ascheri for protesting, but Newby kept his cool and sent French the wrong way with his resulting right-footed corner, which he clipped his penalty half-way up the goal into the left corner in the 75th minute.
Turner said: “Yes, controversial because Matt Bourne’s come off and said he hasn’t touched him and he’s not the type of character that makes things up, but the ref’s given it. He’s at the angle where it’s looked like Matt’s put a leg out and the guys gone over it and he’s given a penalty.
“That was the deciding factor in the game. It’s certainly difficult coming back from that!”
East Thurrock substitute Greg Cohen’s inswinging free-kick from the corner of the penalty area bounced off the top of the near post, leaving French relieved, just three minutes later.
Faversham defender Shearer, who is on a dual-registration with Kent Invicta League side Ashford United, his home-town club, came up for an Ascheri throw, but his ambitious overhead kick looped over the top of the near post.
And with Shearer left up front, Faversham left holes at the back, and East Thurrock took advantage of this bold tactical switch, by scoring a flattering fourth just four seconds before the start of stoppage time.
Ruel played a low through ball to put through substitute Ladapo, who slotted a low left-footed shot underneath French to steer the ball into the back of the net from a tight angle from eight-yards.
Turner explained why he asked Shearer to leave his position alongside Bourne at the back to join the forwards.
“I think (the 4-2 win) flattered them but you’re always going to take a chance in a Cup fixture. We were a bit open towards the end but that was always going to be the case,” he said.
Faversham won themselves a last-gasp penalty when Tom Hickman put through Ascheri but he was brought down by last-defender Stephen, who was red-carded, but Shearer’s return to Salters Lane didn’t finish with a goal, blasting his right-footed penalty high and wide.
Turner added: “Once he’s given the decision, he’s left himself nowhere to go other than to give a red card. Obviously (he’s the) last defender. It’s unfortunate for him. Hopefully it doesn’t affect him for next week’s (FA Cup First Round) game but once he’s given a penalty he has to give the red card as well.”
Reflecting on Shearer’s penalty miss, Turner replied, “Well, the only good thing is it didn’t matter! That’s the way it goes. Normally he just sticks those away.
“He’s come in and done a job for us today. We have been struggling a bit defensively, PK (James Peacock) is suspended, Ashley Brown is still struggling with a knock. I thought he done well today.”
Turner admitted his side’s dominant start should have warranted a healthier lead.
“I just think we were very solid first half, that’s the disappointing factor. We controlled particularly that period and what we’re not doing at the moment is not getting away from teams,” the fire fighter bemoaned.
“We are creating those chances and we just have to keep believing that we’re going to score the goals.
“I’m not going to grumble about the result. I just think it was a missed opportunity. I think our chance was in the first half of stamping our authority and I think that was our big opportunity of going two or three goals in front before half-time and I think that could’ve been the time when we could’ve won the game.”
Faversham Town: Rob French, Shane Hamshare, Dave Botterill, Tom Hickman, Lee Shearer, Matt Bourne, Justin Ascheri, Dale Skelton (Sam Gore 81), Adrian Stone, Damian Abel, Aaron Quian 81.
Subs: Ashley Brown, Tom Axford, Tom Hills, Dan Ellis
Goals: Justin Ascheri 12, Adrian Stone 55
Booked: Lee Shearer 32, Justin Ascheri 73
East Thurrock United: Richard Wray, Ryan Sammoms, Tom Stephen, Ben Wood, Simon Peddie (Greg Cohen 76), Matt Hall, Kris Newby, Reiss Gilbey, Petrit Elbi (Freddie Ladapo 72), Kye Ruel, Sam Collins.
Subs: Jake Cass, Michael Ramkin, Jamie Riley
Goals: Kris Newby 42, 75 (pen), Petrit Elbi 48, Freddie Ladapo 89
Booked: Ben Wood 50
Sent Off: Tom Stephen 90
Attendance: 137
Referee: Mr Harry Lennard (Peacehaven, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Timothy Hatt (Redhill, Surrey) & Mr Nick Brown (Redhill, Surrey)
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