Fisher 1-4 Holmesdale - I'm prepared to quit if someone can do better than me, says Billy Walton

FISHER  1-4  HOLMESDALE
Southern Counties East Football League
Monday 12^th August 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

FISHER manager Billy Walton has threatened to quit if he doesn’t turn around his side’s fortunes.

Both Fisher and Holmesdale lost their opening Southern Counties East Football League games of the season 3-0 to Tunbridge Wells and Cray Valley respectively, but Holmesdale climbed from bottom to eighth-place with an eye-pleasing 4-1 win over Fisher, who are now rooted to the foot of the table at this early stage.

Clinical Holmesdale raced into a 3-0 lead at the break with a 100% strike rate when striker Raul Minodo’s two goals were sandwiched between Francis Bababola’s curler.

Stunned Fisher made a triple substitution at the interval, before substitute Duke Binitie slid home their first goal of the season, before man-of-the-match Kristian Campbell, 19, slotted home a late penalty to get Holmesdale’s campaign up and running.

Holmesdale joint-manager John-Paul Collier, 26, who is suspended for the first four games of the season, was delighted with the result after they bounced back from their defeat against Cray Valley.

“We’re off to a good start now,” he said.  “The first game on Saturday we got beat 3-0, which was a bad reflection I think on how the game went. Their experience paid for them and they’ve ended up winning the game 3-0.”

Collier added: “Coming into this game, we really had a go at the boys after Saturday, we expected a lot more.

“They came out firing, 3-0 at half-time and the only disappointing thing maybe was the second half.  We didn’t keep the ball as well as we could do, which we’re always working on possession but we could’ve got three or four more goals and maybe we should’ve.”

Fisher boss Walton, 51, meanwhile, could only stand and admire Holmesdale’s eye-catching brand of football.

He said: “I thought we was completely outplayed by a very good football side to be honest with you. It was a pleasure to watch people playing football the right way and knocking the ball, what we’re trying to do.

“I’ve no complaints.  They were much better than us all over the pitch and deserved to win.

“Some super goals – sloppy defending by us but super goals and good football.  They played on the floor, which was great. I’m not going to complain about them. A good side and a pleasure to watch.”

A poor piece of defending from Holmesdale’s longest serving player, Lindsey Prescott-Kerr gave a chance to Harvey Hanifan but all the Fisher attacker could do was roll the ball into Alex Hyde’s gloves.

Holmesdale opened the scoring after exactly nine and a half minutes with their first attempt.

Winger Bababola raced down the right wing before cutting into the penalty area before he kept his composure to round advancing keeper Billy Hensman before he cut the ball back from the by-line for Minodo to steer his left-footed shot past a defender on the line to score from six-yards.

Collier said: “Great start!  The football built up to that which we’re always trying to emphasise, keep possession of the football, trust each other.  They got down the wings well, pulled a nice little ball back. A great finish by Raul. Very good!”

Walton added: “Oh yes, it’s all the things we were talking about to go and do and they did it to us!  It’s a thing for us to try and work on and that’s how we want to play, to try and do the same things that they done to us!”

Fisher’s finishing on the night was woeful. A right-footed diagonal pass by Jamie Taylor released Chris Hubbard down the right wing, before he cut inside Campbell before playing the ball inside to Danny Maguire who flicked the ball into David Milton’s path, but the central striker drove his left-footed shot from 22-yards wide of the left-hand post.

Hubbard, who was one of three players hauled off at half-time, stroked a right-footed speculative drive wide of the near post from 30-yards, before another chance failed to test visiting keeper Hyde.

Danny Tipple made progress down the left before he played the ball into Maguire, who laid the ball back to Milton who sliced his left-footed shot wide of the near post from 25-yards.

Holmesdale’s second chance of the night saw them score their second goal in the 38^th minute.

Campbell played a beautiful diagonal ball from left to right to find Bababola who picked up the ball some 40-yards from goal before he danced down the wing before cutting inside and curling a sublime left-footed shot from 15-yards around the stranded Hensman for the ball to nestle inside the bottom corner of the net.

Collier said: “I think that mix-up on the game was started to come into our game now. We always play in front of teams, never get in behind teams. Maybe our philosophy was too much on keeping possession in front of the sides. 

“A diagonal ball from a set-piece switched straight over the top of their left back and he’s in. We’ve brought that in our game now and he’s had a good bit of skill, got round his man, cut in and scored a very good goal.”

Walton added: “I don’t know what really happened to be honest, I wasn’t really looking at the time!”

Walton criticised left-back Danny Tipple for his poor defending.

He said: “All I saw was the lad cut in, basic defending that. You don’t let someone cut in on their favourite foot and have a shot on goal. You send them out wide. It’s just poor, really poor defending.”

Clinical Holmesdale then raced into a 3-0 lead just 189 seconds later.

Campbell’s pass released winger Mert Varli down the left hand side before he cut in and cut the ball across the face of goal for Monodo to take a touch before stroking home a low right-footed shot from eight-yards.

Speaking about his side’s ruthless streak in front of goal, Collier said; “We won’t shoot in positions. We could’ve had ten shots prior to that and they could’ve have all gone wide and then we could’ve said on the thirteenth shot we’ve had a goal etc.

“The reason why we try to build up our play is to create better goalscoring opportunities so we’ll have less attempts but the attempts that we do have gave us more of a chance to score a goal so that’s what happened.”

Walton added: “They broke through. They played it well.  Really too much time in midfield to play a nice defensive splitting pass.  With that sort of time on the ball he can pass that all day can’t he in between our full-back and he wrong footed Danny Akers to split the defence but we didn’t put enough pressure on the midfield player to stop him passing the ball through did we?”

And the Bromley-based side almost scored their fourth goal from as many chances inside stoppage time but this time Varli’s right-footed dipping free-kick from 35-yards was spilt by Hensman as he dived low to his right before the pink-shirted keeper gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Walton was upset with his troops during a shortened half-time team talk.

He said: “I wasn’t at all happy! We came in and we talked about all the things we should’ve been doing to them.  I’ve watched them a couple of times and I know exactly how they play. We just didn’t do enough pressure on the ball. We did not go and put enough pressure on the ball to stop them playing out and when we won it we just didn’t pass the ball as well as Holmesdale did we? We gave the ball away too cheaply.

“We tried to change things and basically played the second half a different formation, against my principles and put two big men up front and try and get something out of the game really.

“I thought personally the game was over to be honest with you. I never say it’s over until it’s over.

“I just wanted to get something for Saturday, give the lads a chance and see what we could do for Saturday really.  I changed the personnel and a totally different shape, we went to 4-4-2 to see if we could put a bit of pressure on them, which I think we did in the second half. We put a bit of pressure on.”

In contrast, Collier revealed it was a happy changing room further down the corridor at Champion Hill Stadium.

He said: “We were pleased but there’s always room for improvement so going 1-0 up inside the first 10 minutes I assumed that our passing ability and keeping possession of the football will take over and really it didn’t happen like that.

“Fisher came back at us, we panicked a little bit and to be fair we’ve taken our chances well to lead 3-0, which was fantastic we were winning 3-0 but possession of the football is key and we must keep it.”

Walton sent his woeful side out early for the second half and brought on James Hawkins out on the left and two big target men in the shape of Piers Hanifan and Binitie and the team performed better during the second half.

Fisher almost pulled a goal back with only fourteen seconds on the clock when they went route one.

Tipple clipped the ball up field and Binitie used his height advantage to flick the ball into Piers Hanifan’s path and he caressed his right-footed curler across Hyde and agonisingly past the far post.

Walton said: “What we asked them to do it worked so we got something out of it. We got more chances out of the formation we played second half than the entire first half. It was much better!”

Collier added: “Straight from the kick-off they changed their game straight away. They put two big lads up front and they went direct from the kick and they pinged it straight up front, got a flick on and they’re in. We’ve learnt from that and we did ok from then on.”

Holmesdale were denied a fourth goal in the 53^rd minute when they played the ball out to impressive left-back Campbell who was given plenty of time and space to float over a cross towards the near post where Minodo stuck out his right leg and thumped a volley against the crossbar from fifteen-yards.

Collier rued his side’s bad luck and said; “Again, that’s the build-up play that we’re working on. The patterns of play that we go through to achieve those situations.

“It was perfect. A great delivery and Raul got on the end of it and he’s hit the crossbar, really unlucky.  Could’ve done with that. It gives us a 4-0 lead and then we’re ahead. It didn’t happen like that and they could’ve got a chance to get back into the game.”

Holmesdale’s football was a joy to watch and substitute Teddie Bailey’s right-footed shot from 25-yards lacked conviction and dribbled into Hensman’s gloves beside the upright.

But Fisher pulled a goal back in the 67^th minute when Piers Hanifan played a fine diagonal pass from left to right to find his brother Harvey out on the right and he cut the ball back for Binitie to slide in at the near post to poke the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from two-yards.

You don’t associate long-ball tactics with the Fisher manager but on this occasion he felt he had to adopt that method with two big players up front for the second half.

“Just something we asked them to do,” Walton said. “We put the two big lads on up front and asked them to put the ball up to them nice and quick and we tried to get something. We did get something out of it. You never know we might’ve got a bit more out of it if we knocked it up to them a little bit quicker.”

Collier admitted he was disappointed that his side did not claim their first clean sheet of the new campaign.

“We’re disappointed because we’re trying to aim on keeping clean sheets and it’s not something that we did a lot last year,” he said.

“At 3-0 it was just keep a clean sheet, that’s what we really wanted, possession on the ball, clean sheet. It didn’t happen so that’s disappointing for us.”

Holmesdale were denied another goal thanks to a smart save from Hensman.

Former Fisher midfielder Zak Henry clipped a right-footed pass from inside his own half to release substitute Emmanuel Florain down the right and he cut inside before playing the ball inside to Varli, who cracked a left-footed shot from 22-yards which was pushed away by Hensman high to his right for the save of the game.

More good play from The Dalers saw substitutes Florain and Romario Hart link up well with Minodo, who played the ball to Bailey and the former Bromley Academy player was unlucky with a dipping shot which only just cleared the crossbar from 30-yards.

However, Fisher rallied and they should have pulled a goal back inside the final eight minutes following their third and last corner.

Harvey Hanifan floated over a corner from the right and central defender Tom Hopkins planted his header towards goal which was heading towards the top corner, but Binitie got in the way and nodded the ball agonisingly over from close range.

“It was going in, I thought he cleared it off the line for them,” smiled Walton.

Former Bromley academy prospect Campbell capped off his man-of-the-match performance by slotting home a penalty in the last minute.

Hart danced his way into the Fisher penalty area and was tripped by central defender Billy Walton (junior) and Scottish referee Mr Gerry Heron pointed to the spot.

Campbell left Hensman rooted to the spot as he slotted home his left-footed penalty just left of centre.

Collier said: “Ramario got brought down, a young lad, only eighteen. He’s come on, he was aggressive, went at players, won his penalty and to be fair I thought Raul would’ve taken it being on his hat-trick but I did have Kristian as a penalty taker before the game and he took a great penalty and rounded off his display fantastically with a goal.

“Kristian is a great player.  We’re on his case all the time. Again, another young lad. He can play centre back, left-back, left-wing for us, great ability, but sometimes he’s over doing it and I think he’s learning and that’s a great stage for him to do it at a nice ground, a nice pitch and he was excellent and he’s got to be our man-of-the-match.”

Walton was asked his thoughts on the penalty decision and said: “From where I was, he just stuck out a token leg to block him and he went over.  In my eyes, I can’t see that far to be honest with you so I didn’t see it. It was too far away from me. I should get glasses so I can see better! It must be the lights.”

Minutes later Hensman appeared to have sent Hart crashing down to the ground inside the Fisher penalty area but the referee ignored penalty shouts.

When asked whether the Fisher keeper could have been sent-off, Collier replied: “I think everyone baring the ref and maybe the linesman didn’t see.  Ramario round the goalkeeper, he’s taken him out. I wouldn’t like the goalie sent off but I’d like to have seen a penalty so yes, there was a good shout for that.”

Walton added: “No! I think there was more players behind him. I think the referee used his loaf with a minute to go, 30 seconds to go.  Fair play to the referee. He could’ve sent him off but it wasn’t malicious. It was just a token little trip I think but not malicious.”

Both sides each created a chance on target inside stoppage time as the game opened up.

Holmesdale’s former Fisher keeper Hyde made a comfortable save to deny Piers Hanifan, whilst at the other end Varli shot straight at Hensman following a good move from the men in yellow and green.

On this impressive display, Holmesdale will certainly improve on their third-from-bottom finish of last season.

The highest the club has finished in this league was in fifth-place back in 2008-09 when the club gave their players a £25 win bonus.

Holmesdale are now an amateur side and Collier said: “Our aim for the season is to play our style of football and emphasise that as much as possible and finish a lot higher up the league that this club has previously finished.

“We’re not unrealistic with our targets. We do want to be finishing midtable or higher.  We’ve played one more game than everyone else but it’s good to get off the mark really for the FA Cup on Saturday.”

Fisher, who attracted a higher-than-average crowd of 117, finished fourth-from-bottom last season and Walton was full of all praise for Holmesdale for their performance.

He said: “Listen I come out here, I’m full of praise for Holmesdale. I will never, ever, you never see me moan about a side that pass the ball and beat you like that. I’m not happy. I clapped them at the end. It was a pleasure to watch. Fair play to them.”

But the long-suffering Fisher faithful will demand to see much better performances and results.

Walton agreed and said: “Absolutely terrible! We’ve just had a long chat in there. It’s not acceptable for this club. I take full responsibility and I want you to publish that!  The blame is solely with the manager. It’s totally down to me!

“Saturday, I thought, it was a blip, we played well. Tonight we got well outplayed and the formation I sent out in the first half just wasn’t right and that’s totally down to me. The personnel I sent out just wasn’t right and basically I got it wrong so I’m going to take full responsibility for whatever the result is, it’s totally down to me.”

Walton admitted he didn’t prepare his side well going into the new league campaign.

“I personally got pre-season totally wrong,” he said. “I messed about with too many players pre-season and the games ran out and I haven’t got a settled side out to play them for the first two league games and I’m still experimenting with two league games in and I still can’t honestly tell you my best side so I take full responsibility for that. It was my decision in pre-season and I should’ve got pre-season sorted out better.”

Walton threatened to quit the club if he feels another man could do a better job than him on a zero playing budget.

“Hopefully the supporters that were here tonight will come back and support us, but we need to get things right on the pitch for them to come back,” admitted Walton.

“Without a doubt. I won’t come back if we lose 4-1 every week and I’ll be the first to say that. I’ve said to many people if I’m not good enough then I’ll be prepared if someone is out there that can do better than me  and can take the club forward I’ll give them all my support and I’ll become a supporter of the club rather than the manager.

“But I’m still in charge and I hope, I’m sure the board will stick with me for a while and I personally feel I can turn these few bad results around.

“If after ten games and we’re still bottom and we’ve still got no points then I think it will be adios Bill.”

Fisher: Billy Hensman, Danny Akers, Danny Tipple, Jamie Taylor, Tom Hopkins, Billy Walton, Harvey Hanifan, Tom Carr (Piers Hanifan 46), Danny Maguire, David Milton (Duke Binitie 46), Chris Hubbard (James Hawkins 46).
Subs: Kieron Campbell, Mike Damarola

Goal: Duke Binitie 67

Booked: Jamie Taylor 45, James Hawkins 72

Holmesdale: Alex Hyde, Daniel Stewart, Kristian Campbell, Zak Henry, Lindsey Prescott-Kerr, Marc Cumberbatch (Ramario Hart 76), Tyrone Guthrie (Teddie Bailey 63), Mark Axel, Francis Bababola (Emmanuel Florain 60), Raul Minodo, Mert Varli.
Sub: Steven O’Rourke

Goals: Raul Minodo 10, 41, Francis Bababola 41, Kristian Campbell 90 (pen)

Booked: Tyrone Guthrie 35, Daniel Stewart 50, Raul Minodo 81

Attendance:  117
Referee: Mr Gerry Heron (Beckenham)
Assistants: Mr Matthew Sell (Rochester) & Mr Tom McCourt (Gillingham)