Kentish Football 
Fisher 0-2 Erith & Belvedere - This win isn't going to decide the league, says Micky Collins
Saturday 13th August 2011
FISHER 0-2 ERITH & BELVEDERE
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 13th August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium
ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins was pleased with his side after they floored Fisher on the opening day of the new Kent Hurlimann Football League season at Champion Hill.
The Deres had a ninth minute Jamie Wood penalty saved by Fisher goalkeeper Danny Firkins, but they took the lead just two minutes later through central defender Paul Gross.
Collins’ charges had to wait until the final nine minutes to seal the victory through Adam Gross – Paul’s younger brother - as the left-back curled in a left-footed free-kick from the right.
Fisher boss Steve Firkins handed all of his sixteen-man squad their debuts, after bringing the majority of them from his former club, Greenwich Borough.
But they found visiting goalkeeper Richard Stroud in fine form, as the Deres were indebted to him for sealing an opening day win.
“Pleased with the result, not overly pleased with the performance,” Collins said afterwards.
“I thought we were very sloppy at times, missed the penalty early, which is a shame; got the first goal, got our noses in front. We should’ve gone on and sorted the game out – but we didn’t.”
“They played some fantastic football again today, Fisher, they’re a blooming good side, they set up really well and fortunately our goalkeeper’s had a great game and we’ve held on and nicked one near the end and got the result.”
Fisher finished rock bottom under previous manager Gary Lisney last season and there was an air of disappointment after today’s defeat.
Fisher boss Steve Firkins said afterwards: “Very disappointed. I’m disappointed for the people that turned up to support us. I weren’t happy with the performance. I spoke to the players, I know some people said we played reasonably well. We’ve had a couple of decent chances that we haven’t put away. Their keeper has made a couple of decent saves. As far as I’m concerned, it’s two sloppy goals.”
Erith & Belvedere started on the front foot and they created the first chance of the game inside the opening two and a half minutes.
Allan Matthews – who formed a solid partnership at the back alongside Paul Gross – threw the ball to midfielder Jamie Wood, who delivered a pin-point cross to Paul Gross at the far post, but his right-footed hooked half-volley proved too comfortable for the Fisher keeper.
Erith & Belvedere’s central midfield enforcer, Lee Morgan, played his part in the penalty incident as it was his mazy run from just inside the Fisher half, which took him past four Fisher defenders, before he was tripped just inside the penalty area by Billy Walton (junior).
Collins revealed afterwards that Wood volunteered to take penalties today, but his left-footed penalty was too close to Firkins, who dived to his left to turn the penalty around his left hand post.
Collins said: “Poor penalty. Good save. The lads’ gone the right way but I don’t think it’s a good penalty and Jamie will be the first to say that. We had a bit of a chat before the game and Woody put his arm up and volunteered. Whether they’ll drag him off from now is up to them.
“It was good football to actually get the penalty. Morgs has done really well there, which he is really good at. It would’ve been nice to get our noses in front after nine minutes or whatever it was.”
But Erith & Belvedere didn’t allow that disappointment to linger for long, as they broke the lead just 138 seconds later.
Mike Azzopardi came up from right-back and swung in a corner from the left, which Firkins did well to turn the ball away from underneath the crossbar, but Fisher went to sleep after the ball looped off Marcus Elliott and bounced off the crossbar. Andy Constable centred the ball across the penalty area and the unmarked Paul Gross steered the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from eight-yards.
Praising his goalscorer, Collins said: “What he gives you is 100% and you’ve got to be in the right place at the right time. He’s popped up and put a goal in the net.”
Fisher boss, Steve Firkins, wasn’t very happy with his defence.
He said: “Again, it just seems a downfall at set-pieces for us. We seemed to deal with the first ball but don’t realise you’ve got to deal with the second ball as well and that’s what happened in there.
“There should’ve been enough people in there to get a block on that and the fella’s had time to turn and smash it in. For me that’s poor defending and I’m not happy with it and I’ve told them that.”
Constable escaped handball appeals to slip the ball through to fellow debutant striker Elliott, but his low left-footed shot lacked power and keeper Firkins made a comfortable save.
However, Fisher bounced back into life and they created a couple of chances at the half-way point of the first half.
Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott showed good skill as he twisted and turned Azzopardi and Matthews on the corner of the penalty area, before unleashing a left-footed drive from just inside the box, which was tipped over by Stroud.
And the goalkeeper got down low at his near post to thwart Jarrett-Elliott after the Fisher midfielder met Jamie Turner’s corner from the right.
The tide was turning in Fisher’s favour, and after Constable committed the visitors’ first foul, in the 24th minute, up stepped Turner to send a stinging right-footed free-kick from 35-yards straight down Stroud’s throat.
Fisher striker, Danny Hunt, didn’t have his best game, as he should have scored two gilt-edged chances.
The lively Jarrett-Elliott struck a low angled drive, which was parried by Stroud, who reacted well to smother at Hunt’s feet.
Erith & Belvedere should have eased into a two-goal lead in the 27th minute, courtesy of winger Kirk Watts’ only contribution of the game.
Picking the ball up down the left flank, just inside the Fisher half, Watts’ executed an inch-perfect diagonal ball over the top of the Fisher back four which was brought down by the onrushing Elliott, but the former Redhill striker hit the shot into the ground and the ball looped into Firkins gloves.
Azzopardi then pumped a free-kick into the Fisher penalty area with his right-foot, but the unmarked Constable glanced his header straight into Firkins grateful arms from sixteen-yards.
But Fisher were to rue Hunt’s woeful finishing, as they should have restored parity two minutes before the break.
Jarrett-Elliott released Hunt through on goal and the striker did all the hard work as he rounded an exposed Stroud but he skied the ball over an empty goal from just eight-yards out.
Boss Firkins admitted it was a key miss at a crucial time.
He said: “That gets us right back in the game and I think that’s something that we needed at the time, especially after going one-nil down.
“I’m just not happy at all! It’s poor! Like I said in the week it could’ve been a draw – if Hunty bangs in his two chances it’s two-all.”
Firkins added: “We looked nervous as well. I think if Hunty would have scored you would’ve seen a little bit of a difference – but I don’t know – as the game went on and chances were becoming fewer and fewer. We were just edgy and nervy.”
Man-of-the-match Stroud thwarted Fisher within the opening six minutes of the second half, turning around Peter Afolyan’s rasping drive from 25-yards.
Erith & Belvedere were then denied by Fisher keeper Firkins, who beat out Marcus Cassius’ right-footed drive after the nippy right-winger shrugged past Danny Tipple following Morgan’s cushion header forward.
Hunt looped a right-footed shot from 25-yards into Stroud’s gloves before Fisher manager Steve Firkins made a triple substitution but Danny Macguire, Mark Sisson and Richie Monan failed to breach a solid Erith & Belvedere defence.
The game turned into a midfield battle and there was concern when Morgan was stretchered off the pitch with fifteen minutes remaining after jarring his knee after Macguire turned him in midfield.
It brought back horrific memories for Morgan, who suffered from a six month injury after being on the end of an ugly over-the-ball lunge from Fisher’s Ernest Simon, whilst playing for Erith Town on this ground back on 7 February 2011.
Morgan, who suffered ankle ligament damage that night, doesn’t seem to be so harmed this time around.
Collins said: “He’s ok. He’s jarred his knee. We don’t know the extent of it. There’s not much swelling. Let’s just say he maybe a bit tired, he’s pretending his knee hurts! He’s ok. We won’t know the extent until tomorrow and we’ll have a look at it.
“At this level, the one thing I will say, the physio’s and the care that some of these players receive is second to none. It’s not a massive, high standard of football. That (stretcher) is a precaution. Fair play to Fisher to organise it, giving us a stretcher. Their physio (Alison Maloney) has helped, we’ve taken him from the pitch then we’ll assess it and we’ll deal with it from there, but he’s up and walking around, he’s fine.”
Erith & Belvedere sealed victory with nine minutes remaining, and Constable must take credit.
Adam Gross whipped in a free-kick with his left foot from the inside right-channel and Constable used his frame to block Firkins’ vision and the ball bounced past his right leg and curled into the far corner.
Collins was pleased that hard work on the training ground has paid off.
“The thing is at any level of football if you’re organised and you work on certain things during the course of the season they will get fruition.
“From playing at a high level, I look at managers, the way they set up. They look to sometimes play percentage football, sometimes they look to get a set piece and nick something from it – that’s from the Premier League down. If you look at Stoke City and other teams, that’s what they do and that’s how games are won.”
Collins added: “That’s not a fluke that goal! It’s worked on. It’s a good goal and it’s a good delivery from Adam and Andy’s been around, that’s why he’s here.
“It’s a frustrating day for them two up front for Andy (Constable) and Marcus (Elliott). They’ve worked very hard but Fisher marshalled them very, very well at the back.”
Firkins admitted the second goal was “unacceptable.”
“Again, it’s just poor defending,” he bemoaned. “There’s no excuse for it whatsoever. It’s not good enough and it’s not acceptable at this club. I’ve told them that and I’ll be making changes. I’ve got a big enough squad to do it. The lads’ who were sitting on the bench are defenders. If they can do better than that you’ll be starting Tuesday.”
Poor defending from Jarrett-Elliott and left-back Danny Tipple allowed Cassius to sprint in between the Fisher pair, but the winger drilled a shot across goal and wide from eight-yards.
Fisher are bottom of the table after their first game, and Fisher didn’t live up to expectations.
Firkins bemoaned: “Everything was a bit nervy. I really don’t know. I just can’t put my finger on it. Totally disappointing! If we had played at a high tempo, what we normally play at and we got beat two-nil then fair enough, but we just never got to grips with the game.
“First half, I nearly fell asleep in the dug-out. It was that poor! We had no tempo. It obviously suited Erith and we just never got going and that’s the simple truth of it. We just never, ever got going.”
Firkins gave his personnel – even the nine or so watching from the stands – a public dressing down out on the pitch after the final whistle.
“I just told them that sort of performance is not acceptable,” fumed Firkins. “It wasn’t everything that we’ve done through the summer, what we’ve asked the players to do we just didn’t do it.”
Collins knows there is a long way to go if he is to guide the club into the Ryman League at the end of his second season in charge at Park View Road.
“It’s great to get a start and get three points on the board,” he said.
“Last year we did it and went four games without winning. I’m not going to read into it too much. There were times during that game through big percentage of it, we never stuck to the game plan because that’s credit to Fisher and they’re a blooming good side. Secondly, a little lack of discipline so yes, it’s actually opened up my eyes a little bit to where we need to be and that’s how you have to look at the first game.
“There’s no point trying to draw conclusions. At the end of the day it’s a good result, we’ve got three points, kept a clean sheet, but in the realms of it, it’s not going to decide the league at the end of the year is it?”
Fisher: Danny Firkins, Micah Banton, Danny Tipple, Ellis Wilson-Joseph, Kobi DeGraft-Johnson, Billy Walton, Chris Hubbard (Richie Monan 63), Jamie Turner (Danny Macquire 63), Peter Afolayan (Mark Sisson 63), Danny Hunt, Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott.
Subs: Adam Wadmore, George Kendall.
Booked: Jamie Turner 40, Micah Banton 47, Chris Hubbard 58, Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott 60, Billy Walton 83
Erith & Belvedere: Richard Stroud, Mike Azzopardi, Adam Gross, Lee Morgan (Huseyin Budak 75), Allan Matthews, Paul Gross, Marcus Cassius, Jamie Wood, Andy Constable, Marcus Elliott (Badar Mohamed 90), Kirk Watts (Lee Radford 63).
Subs: John Wilfort, Luke May.
Goals: Paul Gross 11, Adam Gross 81
Booked: Jamie Wood 58, Lee Morgan 70
Attendance: 107
Referee: Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath)
Assistants: Mr Thomas Vandapeer (Maidstone) & Mr Mark Jenkins (Welling)
STAT ATTACK
Both sides started with a 4-4-2 formation.
Fisher (from left to right): Defence: Danny Tipple, Kobi DeGraft-Johnson, Billy Walton (junior), Micah Banton. Midfield: Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott, Ellis Wilson-Joseph, Jamie Turner (skipper) and Chris Hubbard. Danny Hunt partnered Peter Afolayan up front.
Erith & Belvedere (from left to right): Defence: Adam Gross, Paul Gross, Allan Matthews, Mike Azzopardi. Midfield: Kirk Watts, Lee Morgan, Jamie Wood, Marcus Cassius. Andy Constable (skipper) partnered Marcus Elliott up front.
All of Fisher’s sixteen-man squad were making their debuts for the club. Fisher had at least eight players sitting in the stand as manager Steve Firkins announced yesterday that he is utilising a 28-man squad. Midfielder Michael Jones didn’t feature as he has signed for Blue Square Bet South side Bromley.
Former Bromley manager, Hayden Bird, was sitting in the stand, as he is the newly appointed commercial director at Erith & Belvedere, a position he held at Hayes Lane.
Fisher committed 19 fouls, compared to Erith & Belvedere’s twelve. Andy Constable committed Erith & Belvedere’s first foul after 24 minutes when he fouled Peter Afolayan.
Fisher skipper, Jamie Turner was the man to take their corners, whilst Erith & Belvedere’s full-backs, Mike Azzopardi and Adam Gross shared their flag kicks. The corner count was eight-a-piece.
Referee Martin Lehane issued seven yellow cards, five of them handed to the home side. Fisher manager Steve Firkins confirmed the players will pay their own fines this season.
Fisher striker, Danny Hunt, didn’t score from any of his four shots on target. Defender Paul Gross and strikers Andy Constable and Marcus Elliott each had two chances on target for Erith & Belvedere.
Fisher were caught offside just once, but Erith & Belvedere were caught on eight occasions, with striker Marcus Elliott being the main culprit, being caught offside on four occasions.
The first half lasted 46 minutes and 03 seconds. The second half lasted a little bit longer at 53 minutes and 59 seconds.
Erith & Belvedere’s third substitute, Badar Mohamed entered the field of play at 46 minutes and 19 seconds on the clock at the end of the second half.
Erith & Belvedere also won their opening game last season, a 2-1 win away to Herne Bay on 7 August 2010. Only Richard Stroud, Paul Gross, Marcus Cassius and John Wilfort remain from that sixteen-man squad. Fisher’s Danny Tipple and George Kendall were involved in the Deres’ sixteen-man squad that day. Just like a year ago, Kendall warmed the bench for the entire 90 minutes.
Goalscorers, Paul Gross (29) is four years older than his brother, Adam.
On Tuesday, Fisher travel to Greenwich Borough (Oakley Road, Bromley), whilst Erith & Belvedere welcome newcomers Cray Valley (Paper Mills) to Park View Road. Both Greenwich Borough and Cray Valley (Paper Mills) lost their opening games today, to Corinthian and Tunbridge Wells respectively.
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