Faversham Town 5-1 Lordswood - Luchford refuses to listen to title talk

Tuesday 08th September 2009

FAVERSHAM TOWN 5-1 LORDSWOOD
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Tuesday 8th September 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane

LORDSWOOD coach Martin Telford threatened to quit as he stormed out of the dressing room following his side’s capitulation at new Kent League leaders Faversham Town.

The Scot ripped into his well-beaten side before making a swift exit as poor Lordswood remained rooted to the foot of the table after three games.

But excellent Faversham Town stormed to the summit, although they had to wait until the 42nd minute before Dane Luchford broke Lordswood’s resilience.

The Lilywhites had to wait until the last twenty minutes for Dave Soutan, substitute Richard Sinden, defender Lee Shearer (his fifth goal of the season) and a Paddy Behan own-goal to add gloss to the scoreline.

Lordswood substitute Joel Melville grabbed a late consolation - but the game was dead and buried by then.

It appears that Lordswood are not a happy bunch at present, despite taking Ryman One South side Whitstable Town to extra time in their recent FA Cup preliminary round ties.

Since going out to a late goal at Belmont Road seven days ago, Lordswood were dumped out of the FA Vase by Crawley Down at the weekend and confidence has been shot to pieces following tonight’s “awful” display at Salters Lane.

Midfielder Elliott Payne showed how disgruntled he was, as when he was one of three players to be substituted in the 67th minute, he refused to shake the hand of his team-mate and walked off towards the dressing room - much to the disgust of manager Kevin Metcalf.

And there was a state of bewilderment from Lordswood players and staff as they came to terms with yet another defeat that leaves them rooted to the foot of the table.

But Metcalf, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, insisted that he and Telford will be in charge off the beleaguered side when they travel to Sevenoaks Town on Saturday.

When asked if anyone resigned inside the dressing room, the former Faversham Town coach insisted Telford will calm down ahead of their trip to Greatness Park.

“No! Not at the moment,” he replied. “It was muted. No! Not at the moment! Hopefully it’s just heated words (from Martin).”

And when asked if he can take any positives out of tonight’s awful display, Metcalf remained his usual upbeat self.

“Yes I can!” he replied. “I’ve just come out of the dressing room and the boys, although that’s another
defeat, and it’s a big defeat, but they’re trying to take some positives.

“We’ve just had a chat in there and they’re taking a lot of positives out of what’s happened.

“We’ve built a team spirit and they will get over it - it’s tough!”

Faversham Town, meanwhile, dominated from the very first minute to the last and created numerous chances before Luchford broke the deadlock just three minutes before the interval.

The Lilywhites were wasteful during a one-sided first half and their better chances saw a Shearer header saved by visiting goalkeeper Rowan Arnott.

The goalkeeper was then tested when Luchford drove a shot towards the corner, but Arnott made a smart low save to prevent a rampant Faversham breaking through.

But Faversham finally broke the deadlock through right-sided midfielder Luchford grabbing his third goal of the season.

Dale Skelton’s low deflected cross flashed across the face of the goal and the unmarked Luchford, at the far post, steered the ball into the back of the net with his right-foot.

Arnott was called into action inside the opening five minutes of the second half.

The goalkeeper punched Ashley Brown’s throw, back towards the central defender, who, from the left by-line whipped in a teasing low centre and Smissen slid the ball into the keeper’s grateful arms from close range.

Lordswood did have a couple of chances to grab a flattering equaliser - they were never in the game.

After Faversham skipper Tom Hickman was cautioned for a foul on Scott Penford, Jamie Humphreys stepped up to send a right-footed free-kick straight into Rob French’s arms - and left-back Ben Hilden struck the near post just past the hour-mark.

Just before Hilden’s effort, Smissen was released down the left and his low centre was stabbed towards goal by Faversham striker Damian Abel and Arnott did superbly to save at the near post.

The Lordswood management team bravely made a triple substitution - and three minutes later the floodgates began creaking open.

Soutan played a one-two with his strike partner Damian Abel and Soutan rolled his angled drive across Arnott to find the bottom far corner, despite the efforts off Lordswood right-back Behan to clear the ball off the line.

A shockingly poor communication mix-up involving Arnott and Behan allowed Sinden to pounce on the through ball and slotted the rolling ball into an empty net to give Faversham a deserved three-goal lead after 73 minutes.

Three minutes later it was four, as Luchford whipped in a free-kick from the left and the ball bounced off Shearer’s head and sailed into the top far corner, leaving Arnott rooted to the spot.

Sinden tried to claim his second of the night with seven minutes of the miss-match remaining - but it will go down as a Behan own-goal.

Lordswood failed to pick up Dale Skelton on the right following a quickly taken throw and his low centre was going to be turned in by former VCD Athletic striker Sinden, but Beehan got the last touch to slam the ball into the back of his own net - summing up Lordswood’s poor night.

And the vastly experienced Shearer almost netted his sixth of the season in the 85th minute. Skelton whipped in a free-kick from the left and Shearer's towering header bounced agonisingly off the left post with Arnott well beaten.

Lordswood defender Wes Hammond was heard shouting to his team-mates “we’ve got to look like we want it boys!” - before substitute Melville added a late consolation.

The pacy striker latched onto a ball over the top, through the heart of Faversham’s defence in the final two minutes and slotted the ball past goalkeeper French - but by that time they had already surrendered meekly, which led to fiery Telford to blow red mist inside the away dressing room afterwards, before storming out of the ground and heading towards his car.

“We are letting in too many, too many stupid goals,” added Metcalf, after he was reminded of the statistic that Beehan’s own-goal was the eleventh goal conceded in just three league games.

“I’m not hear to blame anyone. Faversham deserved it and they could’ve won by more, so they’ve got to go away and learn from it.

“I’ve just said to them, Thursday night we’ll be in the dressing room and we’ll sit down and tell them what we want them to do and hopefully they’ll do it.

“Me personally, we just want one win and I think we’ll be on a run.”

Faversham Town, meanwhile, were excellent, and their 32-year-old manager Justin Luchford was pleased with his side’s professional display.

“I don’t think we left it late to be fair,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “We were in control from the first minute to be honest. I think we could’ve had five or six first half and we got four in the second half.

“I thought we were professional. We did the job and they’ve had one chance and they did score from it, but we were chasing, trying to get more goals, so all in all, very happy.”

Boss Luchford was pleased with this week’s efforts, coming away from Culverden Stadium with a goal-less draw at Tunbridge Wells and tonight’s home win.

“If you gave me four points from the two games before the weekend I would’ve taken them,” he said.

“Yes I’m happy, it’s so early in the season, there’s no bearings on it. There’s no bearings on Lordswood, they’re bottom of the league but they’ve only played three games.

“Let’s see where they are after 23, the same with us. There’s a long, long way to go.”

Despite hitting top-spot tonight, Luchford is not getting carried away.

“As far as the league is concerned, I don’t think we are the title contenders,” he insisted.

“Everyone keeps telling me we are by you guys (the press), by everyone on the forums and things like that because apparently we’ve got bucket loads of money and we’re able to attract people like Sinden down here for 150-160 quid per week.

“It’s just not true! We’re not the favourites at all! It’s only my second full season in charge so what does that say? Everyone that goes into a club within two years you’re expected to win the league?

“Of course not! We’ve got a 2-5 year plan, myself, Clive (Walker), Ray (Leader) in there in the boardroom. We have a plan for the next few years and eventually that plan is to get out of the Kent League but as far as this year is concerned, it’s all about improving on last year.

“We’re not title contenders as far as I’m concerned.”

Faversham Town: Rob French, Jamie Sparks, Dan Larkin, Tom Hickman, Ashley Brown, Lee Shearer, Dale Skelton, Damian Abel (Craig Thompson 73), Michael Smissen (Richard Sinden 67), Dave Soutan, Dane Luchford (Aaron Quain 76).
Subs: Jack Tanner, Joe Dart.

Goals: Dane Luchford 42, Dave Soutan 70, Richard Sinden 73, Lee Shearer 76, Paddy Behan 83 (own goal)

Booked: Tom Hickman 55

Lordswood: Rowan Arnott, Paddy Behan, Ben Hilden, Wes Hammond, Kevin Skinner, Elliott Payne (Darren Bridges 67), Alec Osborne (Jerry Fagan 67), Lloyd Gofton, Scott Penfold (Joel Melville 67), Nathan Nelson, Jamie Humphreys.
Subs: Aaron Nelson, Grigola Zulmatashvili.

Goal: Joel Melville 88

Booked: Nathan Nelson 57

Attendance: 124
Referee: Mr Robert Ailing (Dover)
Assistants: Mr Paul Grant (Rainham) & Mr Mark Joy (Halling)