Kentish Football 
Greenwich Borough 1-2 Horley Town - We're at the end of week one, and we're out of the FA Cup - Cox
Saturday 20th August 2011
GREENWICH BOROUGH 1-2 HORLEY TOWNFA Cup with Budweiser Extra Preliminary Round
Saturday 20th August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakley Road
GREENWICH BOROUGH joint-manager Gerry Cox says going out of The FA Cup at the first hurdle is the “worst case scenario.”
The lowest ranked Kent club in the competition – they went into the Extra Preliminary Round tie sitting second-from-bottom in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table – dominated the first half and opened the scoring when striker Omar Elim converted seven minutes before the break.
But Combined Counties League side Horley Town were indebted to veteran goalkeeper, Ian Chatfield, 38, for making a string of fine saves and two goals from striker Kyle Hough snatched victory for the Surrey outfit in the second half.
“Very, very disappointed with that. I don’t think the boys’ performed as well as we know they can,” Cox said afterwards.
“I don’t know what to say really. I can’t put my finger on it. This was the worst case scenario for us, what we’ve been talking about all through pre-season. We’re at the end of week one, it’s a new squad, but one, we’re (second from) bottom of the league and we’re out of The FA Cup.
“It’s the worst case scenario that we spoke about and it’s happened so me and John (Cumberbatch) have got to work hard now to one, to lift the boys’, but also make some very tough decisions on who we think, over the last three games (defeats) who deserves to remain in the squad.”
The game was only six minutes old when Greenwich Borough keeper John Beale and central defender Idris Bwlala rose to deal with a right-wing cross from Hough and a clash of heads forced off the keeper with concussion and a loss of memory.
Thankfully, the Kent side had a substitute goalkeeper on the bench and Luke Roberts swiftly took over in goal and his kicking was his strong point.
Cox said: “As I saw it, he (Beale) had a collision with one of (our players) and he had to leave. Luke Roberts came in and to be 100% honest there’s nothing to choose between the two goalkeeper’s. They’ve both got their attributes but Luke done very well and I don’t think he could’ve done much with either of the goals – but he’s kicking was superb and he was a bonus when he came on so losing a goalkeeper didn’t affect us at all.”
Nathan Jupp rolled the ball into Roberts’ gloves in a sporting gesture when play resumed and Roberts pumped the ball up field and Elim kneed the ball into Rob Depeaser’s path and the winger’s low right-footed drive was saved by Chatfield, low to his left.
Horley Town’s goalkeeper coach is the legendary Alan Rogers, whose last club was here in Kent at Maidstone United, when he worked under previous coach, Andy Ford, last season.
Horley’s first chance arrived in the 20th minute when a cross from right-back Liam Cox was knocked down by John Eldred and ginger haired Adam Pullen sent a right-footed shot over the crossbar.
Horley were there for the taking during the first half, but unfortunately when shots were on target, man-of-the-match Chatfield excelled.
After a Dan Dudley throw, Greenwich Borough opened up Horley left-back Chris Weller – who was substituted at the break – as Depeaser cut the ball back to Dudley, who whipped in a first time cross towards the far post but Leighton Francis nodded down and wide.
Horley central midfielder, Eldred, meanwhile, hooked a looping right-footed volley high into the air, which only just cleared the crossbar.
Horley forced Greenwich Borough’s substitute keeper Roberts into action in the 32nd minute when Luke Ragetti cut a left-wing corner back to Cox and his low cross into the box found Eldred, who played the ball across the face of goal and Jack Poplett slid a shot towards goal, which was comfortably saved by Roberts.
Depeaser then cut inside Weller and teed the ball up for Francis, who controlled the ball with his left-foot before drilling a low right-footed shot, which flashed just past the foot of the left-hand post from 22-yards.
However, Greenwich Borough’s pressure finally told, as they opened the scoring in the 38th minute.
Left-winger, Alex King, played the ball inside to target-man Rico Spencer, who hit a right-footed shot on the turn, which a diving Chatfield beat away. The ball was retrieved by skipper, Nathan Gee, and he cut the ball back from the left by-line and Elim slammed the ball to the keeper’s right to score his second goal of the new season.
“A good finish!” said Cox, who added, “We found ourselves in that situation two or three times in the second half as well and their goalkeeper made a very good save from one of them.”
Greenwich almost doubled their lead inside stoppage time when Francis teed up Depeaser, but his left-footed drive was heading towards the goal, but a diving Chatfield pushed the ball away.
But, in the back of your mind, you always knew Horley would create one chance and score from it.
Their best chance to do that, arrived six minutes into the second half when Cox released Poplett down the right and he played in Hough, who rounded the keeper but blasted a right-footed shot over the bar when well placed.
Greenwich were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Horley penalty area just four minutes later but Depeaser’s low shot lacked power and Chatfield was able to make a routine save low to his left.
And at the other end of the pitch, following a scrappy passage of play, Nathan Jupp tried his luck with an ambitious effort from 30-yards, which bounced once and Roberts saved comfortably.
You could sense the nerves in the Greenwich camp that one goal wasn’t going to be enough – but Horley turned defence into attack and grabbed a 66th minute equaliser.
Greenwich Borough built patiently from the back before the ball was played in the final third and substitute Zac Henry played the ball inside to Francis, but he lost possession and Horley released Pullen, who sprinted 60-yards down the left flank and once he reached the by-line he cut the ball back to an unmarked Hough and the ball fortuitously clipped his right shin and looped over Roberts.
Cox said: “Sometimes when you’re in our position, that’s how your luck goes. They’ve come down, I thought their first goal was perhaps a little bit fortunate but their player had to be there in the right place. We didn’t react.
“We lost possession in a very threatening area and again it was a very poor decision by the player (Francis). He lost the ball, his reaction to recovery was very slow by that time they got the ball down the other end and it spun up and went over the goalkeeper’s head, didn’t it?!
“Leighton lost the ball on the edge of their box when he had several options open to him to what he can do.
“Their young players, you can’t criticise them. They’re learning their trade so we’ll work with them and hopefully as they get a little bit more experience and they get the pace of the league then obviously mistakes will be fewer.”
Chatfield kept Horley in the game when he dived full-length to his left and clawed the ball away to deny Depseaser from scoring with a right-footed curling free-kick from 25-yards.
Horley snatched the winning goal – against the run of play – with seventeen minutes remaining.
Chatfield launched the ball upfield and found Poplett down the right flank and he hooked a right-footed pass over left-back Sherriff Babatunde’s head to find an unmarked Hough at the near post and the clinical striker cracked a stunning left-footed drive, which flew over Roberts’ outstretched right arm to find the far corner from inside the box.
Despite that set-back, Greenwich Borough were once again thwarted by Chatfield, although Elim should have done better.
Gee released Francis down the left channel and he centred low across the face of goal and found Elim unmarked at the far post but he slid a low right-footed shot into Chatfield’s gloves.
Greenwich Borough would have banked a much-needed £750 had they defeated Horley Town, but life is a struggle for the homeless club on pitiful gates.
“I mentioned in my programme notes against Fisher (on Tuesday). Probably Greenwich Borough wouldn’t be where we are today without the hard work of Steve Firkins and his family and Bill (Walton) and his family put in and the actual money,” Cox said about Fisher’s new management team, who were the rock behind Greenwich Borough for the past three years.
“It is a struggle to compete and to make it as professional as we can with the limited resources we’ve got but the chairman (Devon Hanson) is working very hard to release some funds for us and there’s things going on in the background that by Christmas will be baring some fruit.
“Both myself and John (Cumberbatch) knew it would be hard when we came on board but what we find is, is the help off-the-field that we’re a little bit thin on the ground and obviously we would like to recruit to have a stronger committee.”
Greenwich Borough: John Beale (Luke Roberts 9), Dan Dudley, Sherriff Babatunde, Hugh Samuel, Idris Bwlala, Rob Depeaser (Matieu Ramasay 77), Leighton Francis, Nathan Gee, Omar Elim, Rico Spencer, Alex King (Zac Henry 53).
Subs: Darren Wilson, Akin Lawal.
Goal: Omar Elim 38
Booked: Hugh Samuel 4, Rico Spencer 57, Rob Depeaser 63
Horley Town: Ian Chatfield, Liam Cox, Chris Weller (Gary Tomlinson 46), Tom Winsor, Anthony Jupp, Jack Poplett, Luke Ragetti (Mark Gilbert 76) John Eldred, Kyle Hough, Nathan Jupp (Max Davie 88), Adam Pullen.
Goals: Kyle Hough 66, 73
Booked: Liam Cox 48
Attendance: 23
Referee: Mr Cajetan Anyanwu (Chadwell Heath, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Greg Pope (Chingford, London E4) & Mr Graham Balsom (South Ockenden, Essex)
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