Faversham Town 5-3 Walton Casuals - Faversham Town boss Ray Turner: It was a remarkable night!

FAVERSHAM TOWN  5-3  WALTON CASUALS
(after extra time)
FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 11^th October 2011
Paul Parkinson reports from Salters Lane

Epic! Pulsating! Mesmerising!  Just three of the words that can be used to describe the events at Salters Lane, as Faversham Town fought back from a 3-1 deficit, to claim a 5-3 win over Ryman League Division One South rivals Walton Casuals.

Lilywhites’ manager, Ray Turner was overjoyed after the game saying, “It was a remarkable night.  If that doesn’t get people up to Salters Lane, I don’t know what will.  I’m so proud of the players.  We’ve had to come back from two goals down twice, there’s a sending off, it’s had everything.

“I’m a very positive person and I try to get across a belief to the players, telling them to go out and work hard, and when you work hard you get your rewards.  We got those rewards tonight.”

After a scrappy opening 10 minutes as both sides struggled to assert themselves, Faversham had the best of the chances, from an Aaron Quain free kick that went straight to Craig Bradshaw in the Casuals’ goal. 

Then, after Walton had cleared their lines, the keeper had to save with his legs as Adrian Stone outpaced Liam Hind to reach a long ball back into the box.

Casuals’ skipper Craig Lewington was booked in the aftermath for comments made towards referee Mr Kaye.

Quain came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute; latching onto a misplaced Ben Brown header, and hitting a first time 30-yard drive that beat Bradshaw, only to crash back off the bar. 

Five minutes later, Quain played a through ball to Stone, whose shot was blocked by Hind, then Ben Brown also saw his follow-up blocked by Hind as Casuals defensive desperation almost reached breaking point.

Against the run of play though, Walton took the lead through Jake Duffy in the 27th minute. 

Danny Buckle, who looked all night to be the most composed of the visitor’s attacking players, played in Michael Barima, whose cross hit the back of Ashley Alexander.  The ball fell to Buckle but his shot was blocked by a combination of Rob French and Matt Bourne, and rebounded for Duffy to slot into the corner of the net.

The game was delayed for 13 minutes due to an injury to assistant referee Mr Bonneywell, who was replaced by Ryman League vice-chairman, Nick Robinson.

The delay seemed to affect Faversham more as Walton doubled their lead three minutes before the interval as Alexander tapped in at the back post. 

A quick throw by Barima was returned to the winger by Buckle, and Barima’s cross along the six-yard box found Alexander unmarked to finish.

Faversham had two late chances to get back into the game before half-time, with Stone seeing his header shovelled behind by Bradshaw, then from the resulting corner, Bourne’s acrobatic volley flew over the bar.

Turner, reflecting on the fist half performance, said, “I think the first half has gone like that for most of the season.  We haven’t taken our chances when they’ve presented themselves, and I don’t think I’m wrong when I say we could have been two or three up before they’ve score their first goal.”

“They’ve got some very experienced players, who worked their game plan well.  They got a fairly fortunate goal from a ricochet, I mean Rob’s done well but the ball has bounced out to the guy and they’ve dealt with going ahead better.  They got control of the game and dealt with the stoppage due to the linesman better, then we’re up against it going in behind 2-0.”

So at the break, Faversham were down, but definitely not out, and took only 8 minutes to revitalise the home support. 

Stone’s goal on 53 bore remarkable similarities to Walton’s second, albeit with Tom Hickman releasing Justin Ascheri into the area, where he was able to roll a ball across to the unmarked Stone to coolly tap in for his fourth goal of his first season at Salters Lane. 

Turner was quick to praise his impact saying, “Stoney has settled into the squad really well and I’m pleased with what he has brought as a person in the changing room, and his desire to score goals.  He’s worked hard for the team tonight and was outstanding.”

But Walton hit back just after the hour, with a free kick of a quality you rarely see outside of top-class football.  After a foul by Bourne on Buckle, Mark Nicholls (once on Chelsea’s books) hit a fierce, curling 30-yard effort over and round the wall, that French could only reach once it had entered the net.

If Walton thought this would seal the match, Faversham took only five minutes to lift themselves, as Ascheri started and finished a move for his first goal of the season - and what a finish! 

Ascheri broke down the left side, rolled the ball back to Hickman on the edge of the area, who passed on to Quain.  Quain, as the defence moved to meet him, curled the ball back to Ascheri who hit a first time half volley in at the right hand post.

Hickman fired over from inside the box with a difficult chance, before Stone brought two good saves out of Bradshaw in two minutes as time ticked agonisingly away.

First, Stone cut inside full back Marvin Farrell, who couldn’t challenge due to an earlier caution, but fired his shot against Bradshaw’s legs.  Then the keeper parried away a drive after Stone had chased down a hopeful long ball.

In the last few seconds of stoppage time, Faversham found their equaliser from the outstanding Quain. 

A quick free kick from Sam Gore was pumped towards the edge of the box, missed by Hind, leaving Quain one-on-one with Bradshaw, and the Lilywhites winger rounded the keeper to tap in for his sixth goal of the campaign.

If the last 15 seconds of normal time were dramatic, they had nothing on the first 15 of extra-time as Stone put Faversham ahead for the first time in the match. 

Dave Botterill’s ball split the heart of Walton Casual’s defence and Stone was quicker off the mark to bead Kristian Webb, and his shot bobbled across goal and in off the right hand post.

With this goal, the fight almost visibly drained out of a tiring Walton Casuals’ side. 

Quain could have sealed the match with at the end of the first period of extra-time but, having taken on three visiting defenders, he blasted a shot over the bar from the edge of the area.

At the break, Casuals task became greater as Hind saw red for whatever he said to Mr Kaye, and it was little surprise that a fifth goal followed in the second period. 

Quain produced a lung-bursting break down the right wing and delivered a cross towards the back post.  The defensive header fell for Botterill who controlled the ball towards Hickman, who volleyed in beyond Bradshaw’s despairing dive.

Quain could have made the scoreline even more emphatic in the last minute, but his shot rebounded off Bradshaw’s legs by the left post.

Summing up, Turner said, “We asked for a reaction at half-time and got one. I thought the third goal would be crucial, but then to let Walton put a third go in has caused us a problem, but again the players have reacted.

“We’ve got pace all over the pitch and I think we thoroughly deserved to come out winners.”

Turner added:  “Justin has picked up the man-of-the-match, thoroughly deserved, but I think it could have gone to any one of four or five.  But, crucially, you have to put the ball in the net and the front three (Stone, Ascheri and Quain) between them have scored four out of the five goals.  I believe Aaron is different class.  His performances show that he is happy here and long may that continue.”

Faversham Town:  Rob French, Shane Hamshare (Tom Axford 90), Sam Gore, Tom Hickman, James Peacock, Matt Bourne, Justin Ascheri, Simon Brown (Dale Skelton 66), Adrian Stone, Ben Brown (David Botterill 66), Aaron Quain.
Subs: Dan Ellett, Dan Ellis.

Goals: Adrian Stone 53, 91, Justin Ascheri 66, Aaron Quain 90, Tom Hickman 109

Booked: Shane Hamshare 48, Aaron Quain 101

Walton Casuals:  Craig Bradshaw, Jordan Knight (Dave Green 107), Marvin Farrell, Craig Lewington, Liam Hind, Kristian Webb, Michael Barima (Tyrone Newton 97), Jack Duffy, Danny Buckle (Kai Francis 91), Mark Nicholls, Ashley Alexander.
Sub:  Lee Dearle.

Goals: Jack Duffy 27, Ashley Alexander 42, Mark Nicholls 61

Booked:  Craig Lewington 13, Marvin Farrell 43, Liam Hind 66.

Sent Off: Liam Hind 106.

Attendance: 109
Referee: Mr E Kaye
Assistants: Mr Phillip Rowley (Canterbury) and Mr Daniel Bonneywell (Canterbury) (replaced by Mr Nick Robinson after 37 minutes)