Glebe 4-0 Erith Town - The board have given us every tool that we’ve asked for to try to be successful and now it’s our job and the players’ job to perform on the pitch, says Glebe boss Harry Hudson

Glebe 4 – 0 Erith Town
Location	Foxbury Avenue, off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD
Kickoff	03/08/2021 19:45

GLEBE  4-0  ERITH TOWN
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 3 August 2021
Stephen McCartney reports from Foxbury Avenue

GLEBE manager Harry Hudson insists there will be more than three horses in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title race this season.

The Chislehurst based outfit have lived up to their expectations after winning their opening two league games by thrashing Bearsted 5-0 at Honey Lane at the weekend and returning to Foxbury Avenue tonight to produce clinical finishing in a 4-0 win to reach the summit at this early stage.


The Dockers opened their campaign with a 4-1 home win over Lordswood but they produced some poor defending in key moments as they slipped down to ninth-place in the pecking order.

The league title race is between Chatham Town, Sheppey United and Glebe and Jamie Philpot, 24, has started the new campaign on fire with five goals in two games, scoring a hat-trick tonight, with 18-year-old winger Solomon Baugh opening his account for the season.

Sheppey United are in second-place in the table tonight on four points while Chatham Town are in seventh with three points from one game.

“I thought we were pretty much in control from the first whistle,” said former Whyteleafe manager Hudson.

“I felt that when we got the first one, I was hoping we got one earlier, Andy Walker made one especially really good save down to his right from Bradley Wilson but once we got the first and then we got the second quite quickly I felt we were in control of the game and we looked pretty comfortable.

“Then we scored the third one just before half-time – a defensive mix-up from them – and that was then the icing on the cake really for us to go in at half-time.

“Second half, we just about seen the game out really, which I thought we done relatively comfortably and got the fourth which was Jamie Philpot’s hat-trick, which was a hell of a goal!

“All in all, apart from the last few minutes, which was a bit unsavoury, it was a relatively good nights work.”

Erith Town manager Adam Woodward said: “I thought we were second best to be fair. I do feel 4-0 flatters them a little bit, considering they’ve had five shots on target all game but again the quality they had was much better than ours. It’s one of those things, you have to wipe your mouth and go again.

“I just think we pressed the self-destruct button in the last 15 minutes of the first-half. I felt at 0-0 we were comfortable, they weren’t having a lot on. They had one shot that Andy Walker saved and then we pressed the self-destruct button and fell apart, which I’m quite disappointed with the senior players. We fell apart last 15 minutes of the first half and we came in 3-0 down.”

Glebe were kicking down the slope during the first half and created an opening after only 144 seconds.

Philpot chased a ball down the right channel and his deep cross was headed away by Erith Town’s right-back Jude Jeffery but the 16-year-old’s clearance was struck first time by Bradley Wilson and his shot was comfortably gathered by Andy Walker.

Wilson impressed on his home debut, having dropped down two levels from Isthmian Premier Division side Horsham to add something special in an attacking role behind Philpot with two pacy wingers in the shape of Aaron Watson (left) and Baugh down the right.

“I thought he was really, really good,” Hudson said of Wilson, his marquee summer signing.

“If we can get Brad on the ball, he’s an exceptional technician. He’s got range of passes, which got us in for the first goal. He’s a quality signing for us. He’s someone I’ve known for a long, long time and I believe we can get the best out of him and today was the example of the levels that Brad can play at.”

Glebe produced a move on the deck as the Dockers’ 39-year-old goalkeeper pulled out a world-class save in the 12^th minute.

Watson was released down the left and Ainsley Everett’s clever back-heel played in Wilson through on goal and his low shot was destined to nestle inside the bottom left-hand corner from 12-yards out.

However, Walker dived full-stretch to his right and used a strong right-hand to push the ball around his post to prove he is still a very good goalkeeper.

“I thought it was an incredible save from Walks,” said Hudson.

“I thought that was going far post, which I’m sure he did and to get down quickly to his right, it was a top, top save. I don’t think many goalies in this league make that save apart from him.  I thought that one was in.”

Woodward added: “It was a good save. Walks has been a breath of fresh air since he’s come (to the club from Isthmian League South East Division side Cray Valley).

“I felt he had no chance with the other goals. He’s a good signing, he’s a great signing. He’s got experience that we’ve needed.

“We’ve also got Jack Moore as well, who is suspended at the moment. He’s another good signing for us and there’s competition for places in the goalkeeping area.”

The thwarted Wilson trotted over to take the resulting left-wing corner and holding midfielder Helge Orome glanced his header across the keeper and past the far post.

Glebe goalkeeper Sheikh Ceesay gifted Erith Town a corner when he attempted to play out from the back but lashed his pass behind instead of finding a team-mate to his left.

Daniel Palfrey swung in the resulting corner and his two centre-halves Ryan Mahal and Taylor McDonagh failed to take the chance.  The ball sailed over Mahal’s head and McDonagh smashed his shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

It took Glebe 32 minutes to take a deserved lead, however.

Left-back Matthew Parsons found Wilson in space inside the Dockers half and he pinged a sublime 50-yard diagonal pass inch-perfect over to right-back Dami Olorunnisomo. He galloped down the wing and put in a lovely cross, which split open Mahal and McDonagh and an unmarked Philpot at the near post, who swept his first-time shot across Walker to find the bottom far corner from six-yards.

Hudson said: “There were three bits of quality because Brad’s pass was class. It was inch-perfect. It’s not really an easy finish from Philpot, first-time coming onto the ball and he did that and he finished it with aplomb. All in all it’s a great team goal,” said Hudson.

Woodward added: “Poor defending from us really. There was no-one within five yards of him for him to sweep it home. We created our own problems in the end.”

The Foxes doubled their lead just 137 seconds later.

Jeffery was guilty of giving the ball away inside the centre-circle and Glebe hit Erith Town on the counter-attack as central midfielder Everett released Wilson down the left. He cut the ball back to Baugh who took around four touches before sweeping his left-footed shot through a crowd of players and across an unsighted Walker to find the far corner from the edge of the box.

Hudson said: “He opened up on his right, Sol came back on his left and it’s a fantastic finish across the goalie, again, through bodies which is hard for a keeper to see.

“I think we blocked the ball at one end through a set-play and broke quickly and Sol is only 18 and he’s got incredible quality as a young player to handle the ball and he’s got an eye for goal and we saw that today thankfully. It was an important goal.”

Woodward said: “Jude is 16 years of age. I’m not going to hang him out to try too much, he’ll learn from that but sometimes you’ve just got to put your foot through it and put it off for a throw-in or a goal-kick but it’s unlucky.

“I felt we had enough bodies back, we had six or seven bodies back with their three or four but we allowed them to run 15-20 yards into our box and he’s put two of them on their backside and put it in the bottom corner.”

Erith Town should have pulled a goal back six minutes before the interval.

Jeffery threw the ball into the Glebe penalty area and the ball was worked out to Danny Phillips, who shaped up to curl a left-footed attempt through a crowd of players from the edge of the box and just around the far post for the Dockers’ best chance of the game.

“Just one of those things, he’s curled it around the far post. I felt we just needed a little bit of luck and we didn’t get it,” said Woodward.

Hudson added: “Set-plays were the biggest challenge we had to face today. In open play I felt relatively comfortable. I was behind it so I knew it wouldn’t trouble Sheikh.  It’s not easy to defend that many set-plays and they’ve got some big boys.  I think that was the only moment of note in the first half and it bodes really well for our defensive structure.”

Some poor defending from Palfrey opened the gate for Philpot, who charged towards goal, skipped past the advancing Walker inside the box and kept his composure to roll his shot into the bottom far corner of an empty goal just a couple of seconds into time added on.

Hudson said: “It was a bit of a gift to be fair.  Thankfully, Philpot’s gambling and got the wrong side and when he gets into that position he’s finished it very, very well.  He’s still got a lot to do and he’s delayed the finish to take the player on the line out of the game, so I think credit to Philpot. It’s a striker’s instinct to gamble on a mistake.”

Woodward added: “I think it was a poor call, 30 seconds to go of the half, we just had to put our foot through it but Palfrey is experienced enough and he’s held his hands up and saying ‘he should’ve took a touch’, but it’s one of those things really.”

The game was done and dusted by the half-time interval.

Hudson said: “It was mainly about controlling and managing the game. We knew they were going to come out with impetus. We knew they had to change something because we had good control of the ball in the first half.  We knew if we kept a clean-sheet, the three points would be ours and that’s the most important thing so that was mainly it.”

Woodward added: “Look, I said ‘I don’t know how you’re 3-0 down and you’ve pressed the self-destruct button, for 15 minutes.’

“Other than that, I thought we competed well. They’re a very good side. We struggled a little bit in the midfield area in the first half but I felt if we could’ve come in 1-0 down it could’ve been a different story.  Yes, they were clinical all game really. I counted five shots they had on target and scored four goals.”

It was no surprise when Woodward substituted Mahal at the interval and switched left-back Tolulope Jonah into centre-half alongside McDonagh and their back four were more resilient after the break.

Erith Town upped their desire levels during the early exchanges of the second half and Harry Gamble linked up well with substitute wide-man Alfie Eldridge down the left before Gamble cut inside to crack a speculative shot sailing over the crossbar from 30-yards.

“I thought we were much better second half. You can’t fault the players’ effort. I just thought the quality was poor really from us,” admitted the Erith Town boss.

Despite winning almost every aerial challenge during the first half, Erith Town striker Michael Power endured a tough night as McGeoghegan and Douglas slammed the door shut and Power didn’t have a single chance to score.

Both managers admitted Erith Town should have been awarded a 55^th minute penalty when Gamble was clearly fouled by Douglas inside the box but appeals were ignored by referee Joseph Dann-Pye.

“It’s just one of those things, you don’t get them,” said Woodward, who appealed loudly for the penalty and was told by the referee that “both arms linked together,” as he came across to explain his decision to the annoyed manager.

“You’ve been here before when we’ve had stuff go against us and it’s just another thing that’s gone against us but if that goes in at 3-1 it could be a different game but I’m not going to say that’s why we lost 4-0 because we haven’t. We’ve lost 4-0 to be a better side.”

Hudson added: “I think it was a foul to be honest. When I saw it, I thought it was a foul. I’m a long way away and it’s through bodies but I didn’t see our player got contact with the ball and their player was ahead of ours so yes, I’ll be honest, it was a foul.”

It proved to be a key moment in the game as Glebe notched a fourth goal of the night in the 63^rd minute.

You couldn’t really blame the defending as Philpot pounced on a loose ball some 30-yards from goal, cracking a right-footed half-volley screaming into the top left-hand corner to score his hat-trick.

“It was a great strike. He’s full of confidence tonight. It dropped for Philpot and it sat up lovely but the technique for the finish was beautiful – what a way to score your hat-trick,” said Hudson, who has got the very best out of his talisman.

“I can’t claim it’s me but Philpot is in great form at the moment. He’s got five in two. You have to ask him if anything’s changed but he’s a fantastic lad, a great, great worker as well and he’s doing a great job defensively and he can do a bit of everything, which is really helpful to have a from a centre-forward. Credit to Jamie, long may it continue.”

Woodward added: “I still feel we should be stronger.  Tolulope Jonah could’ve have been stronger, maybe, and it’s a great strike. A bit of a worldy but that’s what you pay for. He’s paid lots of money to score goals and he’ll score goals.”

There was to be only one further chance in the game and it came at the halfway point of the half.

McGeoghegan swept a deep free-kick from the half-way line down the right and the ball fell to Philpot, whose shot on the turn flashed across Walker, who made another fine diving save, this time to his left to flick the ball behind for a corner.

Hudson was delighted that his side have kept their second clean sheet of the season.

He said: “We think we’ve got some good firepower in the squad. If we can keep clean-sheets more often than not, then I believe we’ll score in most games so the most important thing for us is to value that and to set the culture within the group that we all believe in that and we fight for that and that’s just not the back four and goalie, that it’s literally every single player and we need to value that.”

Reflecting on their league position, Hudson said: “It means nothing until the last game of the year so all we’ve got to do is keep taking each game as it comes. I know it’s cliché but we’ve just got to keep preparing ourselves the best we can.

“We believe we’ve got a good side but all that matters are the tables at the end of the year and we’ll see where we’re at.

“It’s going to be a very tight league. I think there will be other sides (in the title race). I think Erith will be a dangerous side, Deal are a very good side, Hollands & Blair will be difficult, it’s difficult to go to Tunbridge Wells.

“I don’t think it will be a three-horse race necessarily but we’re two games in, we’re so far away from the end of the season, there’s so much football to be played. Teams are going to go through good and bad patches, how will they recover from it? They can grind our results. There’s so many factors in play.

“We just want to keep our head down and keep doing our business and we’ll see where we end up.

“The club has given everything that we’ve asked for. It’s a really nice feel to the club. We’ve got absolutely zero complaints about the club and the board have given us every tool that we’ve asked for to try to be successful and now it’s our job and the players’ job to perform on the pitch.”

Woodward knows all about the pressure that comes with being Glebe manager.

“Glebe will be challenging at the top of the league. He’s (Hudson) just got to make sure he gets the job done. It’s a pressure cooker at this club, I know that, I was here. I think if he deals with the pressure well, the sky’s the limit for this team. He’s got a very good football side.”

Both sides are in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round on Saturday, playing opposition of the same level but two sides that haven’t played a league game yet.

Glebe welcome Abbey Rangers to Foxbury Avenue, while Woodward takes his side to Sheerwater, looking to bounce back from tonight’s disappointment.

“We’ve just got to bounce back. We haven’t turned into a bad side overnight.  We won 4-1 on Saturday, it wasn’t a great performance but tonight I don’t think we played that badly. They were just more clinical and just better in certain areas than us,” added Woodward.

Glebe: Sheikh Ceesay, Dami Olorunnisomo, Matthew Parsons, Helge Orome, Jamie Mcgeoghegan, Antone Douglas, Aaron Watson, Ainsley Everett, Jamie Philpot (Charlie Penny 76), Bradley Wilson (Sam Johnson 73), Solomon Baugh (Lauris Chin 70).
Subs: Javen Palmer, Freddie Nhyus

Goals: Jamie Philpot 32, 45, 63, Solomon Baugh 36

Booked: Matthew Parsons 63, Helge Orome 90

Erith Town: Andy Walker, Jude Jeffery (Daniel Nash 82), Tolulope Jonah, Jack White, Ryan Mahal (Alfie Eldridge 46), Taylor McDonagh, Daniel Palfrey, Danny Phillips (Emmanuel Oduguwa 70), Michael Power, Harry Gamble, Steadman Callender.
Subs: Fred Obasa, Sam Bailey

Booked: Danny Phillips 54, Tolulope Jonah 90, Daniel Palfrey 90

Attendance: 182
Referee: Mr Joseph Dann-Pye
Assistants: Mr Brian Wheatley & Mr Joshua Reid