Greenwich Borough 2-3 Whyteleafe - We are refusing to lose, says Whyteleafe boss John Fowler

GREENWICH BOROUGH  2-3  WHYTELEAFE
Southern Counties East Football League
Tuesday 25^th March 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

WHYTELEAFE manager John Fowler says his players are buzzing ahead of Saturday’s trip to Ashford United after edging nine points clear of their title rivals.

Whyteleafe extended their unbeaten run to an impressive fifteen games following tonight’s 3-2 win over eighth-placed Greenwich Borough at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium.

Greenwich Borough, who went into the game with two back-to-back wins, took the lead against the run of play through Flavio Tavares’ downward header, before Whyteleafe equalised through Ryan Fowler’s curler into the top corner, for his tenth goal of the season.

Energetic Whyteleafe striker Sam Clayton capped off a fine performance with a special overhead kick to score his eleventh goal of the season, before central midfielder Jason Thompson drilled in his 20^th goal of the season.

Greenwich Borough threw on substitute striker Jeff Duah-Kessie, who bundled in his sixteenth-goal of the season, but Whyteleafe were worthy winners.

The Leafe took advantage of Ashford United being held to a 2-2 draw away to Fisher last night and pressure mounts on Paul Chambers’ side for their trip to fifth-placed Corinthian on Wednesday night, before Saturday’s showdown at Homelands Stadium.

Ashford United, meanwhile, lost second place to Tunbridge Wells tonight, who defeated ten-man Erith Town 3-2, to move level on 53 points.

“A massive three points,” said Fowler afterwards.

“I mean they’re a decent side. We knew this was going to be a really tough fixture leading into the run in and I’ll be honest this was probably one of the more difficult fixtures that we had left so it was a key one that we got points, especially with Ashford slipping up last night so it was a really important fixture for us.”

When asked if Ashford’s draw added pressure on his team, Fowler responded: “Not so much pressure.  I thought it gave them a little bit of added incentive to get some daylight between us and Ashford so it was imperative that we got the three points.

“I thought we started pretty slow. Greenwich were the better side first half an hour.  They bossed it and they deserved their goal in the end. I thought the last fifteen we finished really strong and the second half we went on from there.”

Greenwich Borough manager Ian Jenkins’ ninth game in charge of the club ended in the club’s fifth defeat under the former Cray Wanderers manager.

“Well deserved for them to be honest with you,” said Jenkins.

“I thought they were a very good side. I can see why they’re top of the table. They’re the favourites to go up. They’re a very good side, very organised. They fully deserved what they’ve got.

“We always create chances in games, but we need to be a bit more clinical. If you put them away, you never know do you?

“I’m not too disappointed really losing to a team that’s top. We’re just a bit naive at times. Some of our defending, even when we got the ball, like ball retention is a bit naïve. We gave it away too quickly.”

Greenwich Borough created the first opening inside the opening seven minutes when right-back Chris Edwards drilled a speculative right-footed shot from 35-yards, which bounced in front of visiting keeper Sheikh Ceesay, who gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Whyteleafe’s opening chance arrived within four minutes when set-piece specialist Thompson swung in a left-footed free-kick and Jensen Grant’s left-footed shot on the turn lacked power and Jack Kelly gathered comfortably.

Whyteleafe were impressive down the right flank and Thompson swept the ball out wide to Bentley Graham, who cut inside before playing in striker Greg Andrews, who skipped past the diving goalkeeper but lacked composure to allow Greenwich Borough to get men back on the line to make the block.

Thompson was then given time and space to unleash a left-footed volley from 30-yards, which screamed wide of the left-hand post.

They went close again when right-back Tommy Smith played the ball into the impressive Grant, who played the ball back to Smith, who bent his left-footed shot agonisingly around the far post.

Clayton let the ball run across his body before drilling a right-footed drive towards goal, which was scooped to safety by the Greenwich Borough keeper.

Greenwich Borough failed to trouble Ceesay in the Whyteleafe goal when Edwards clipped a fine diagonal from his right-back position to striker Lewis Wood down the left channel.  He cut the ball back to left-back Akeem Hanson, who was given time and space to drill his right-footed shot harmlessly wide from 35-yards.

But the home side grabbed the lead, against the run of play, in the 27^th minute.

Joe Vines stabbed the ball to Gary Stock, who played Wood in behind the Whyteleafe defence and he whipped in a cross towards the far post for Tavares to bundle his downward header past Ceesay from six-yards.

Jenkins said: “Good bit of football, the best football that we played in the half I think. 

“Lewis done really well and a great finish from Flavio.  I don’t think he meant to finish it like that but it was a good finish.”

Fowler was disappointed with the manner in which his side conceded their 20^th league goal of the season.

He said: “Free header! A bit disappointed especially considering we haven’t conceded that many goals this year.  In fairness we keep on conceding silly goals where we seem to switch off for a second so I’m not happy.”

Clayton, who must have covered every blade of grass, cut in from the right towards the middle before stroking a left-footed drive bouncing into Kelly’s gloves from 25-yards.

Greenwich Borough squandered a decent chance to double their lead in the 32^nd minute.

Tavares clipped a deep cross sailing over Wood’s head but fellow striker Stuart Zanone ghosted in to blast his right-footed volley agonisingly over the top of the near post from eight-yards.

However, that miss proved costly, as Whyteleafe restored parity in the 36^th minute.

Smith initially released right-winger Graham down the line before he cut inside and couldn’t steer the ball through a crowd of red-shirted players on the line.

The ball came out to Thompson, who laid the ball off to Fowler, who curled a shot from the outside of his right boot over a crowd of players into the top left-hand corner from 12-yards.

“At the time of the game we really needed that, because it gave us that little bit of a lift after conceding a goal,” admitted Fowler.

“We needed something to get ourselves back in and what a way to get back into the game! 

“Outside of the foot, top corner. You couldn’t put it anywhere better so really pleased, good goal.”

Jenkins added: “Before that, when they had chances, our keeper kept us in it and some great defending kept us in it. They could have been three or four up by then. 

“Brilliant goal, great goal, top corner. You can’t argue with that, very good goal.”

Smith clipped the ball up field for Clayton who laid the ball inside to Fowler, who this time skied his left-footed drive over the crossbar.

The Leafe squandered an excellent chance to change their manager’s half-time team talk when striker Andrews missed a sitter.

Thompson swung in a corner from the left, which flashed through a crowd of players and Andrews swept his first time left-footed shot past the foot of the near post from six-yards.

Fowler added: “I felt he should have scored but that’s football but if you score everything you shoot at you wouldn’t be playing at this level.  It’s one of those things. We put it behind us and we cracked on and we encouraged him to take the next opportunity.”

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Jenkins said: “Just liven up a little bit and be better in possession.  I think we sat back after they got it back to one-all.

“Our forward thinking midfielders were not passing the ball forwards.  They were passing the buck.  They were passing it back to our defenders. I think if you’re a midfielder get on the ball and pass it forward.  The forwards were isolated. We needed to get people close to the two forwards. Just overall up your game a lot more than you have been.”

Jenkins revealed that central defender Joe Vines faces time on the sidelines after pulling up just before the interval.

“He’s done his hamstring and will probably be out for three or four weeks,” he said.

“On top of Chris Saunders doing his knee on Saturday and Aaron Day.  Players who I’ve brought in from a higher level to get us up this league and next year and three of them are out injured, which is really, really disappointing.”

Fowler added: “Nothing really. We just went over some key points.  The tempo of the game had to be more, like how we finished it in the first half and really that was the key point that we tried to put across to them.  Move the ball quickly, don’t get caught in possession in silly areas, which I felt we did in the first half hour in the game.  Once we settled and got into the game and got into our rhythm and our string of play, that was the key point (we spoke about) at half-time.”

Whyteleafe created the first chance of the second half when Thompson unleashed a powerful left-footed angled drive which flashed across goal and past the far post after only 48 seconds.

But Whyteleafe turned defence into a clinical attack when they took the lead after 48 minutes.

Ceesay plucked Edwards in-swinging corner from the right out of the air and pumped a long clearance straight down the middle of the pitch.

Clayton chased the ball down and Kelly and Hanson failed to deal with the bouncing ball and Clayton (with his back to goal) clipped an overhead kick looping over the goalkeeper into the net to score from six-yards.

“Sam is one of those players you wouldn’t want to actually play against because he just doesn’t stop moving,” said Fowler.

“Good vision from Sheikh. He don’t normally do that. He usually slows the play down, sometimes he should mix it up.

“Today, he sees Sam making a run, great kick and he couldn’t put it anywhere better really in all honesty. I thought the chance had gone and Sam came out with an overhead kick. He took the chance well.”

Jenkins was bitterly disappointed with the goal.

“I thought he was offside form the kick.  The geezer’s a yard offside in our half but how we defended after that it was poor.

“We won the first header and the bloke backed in but what a fantastic finish from them again.

“It was poor defending, how we conceded the goal.

“We kept (Hanson and Tavares) back because they’ve got a lot of pace and they should be able to deal with anything like that but if the goalkeeper kicks the ball long, why don’t they just step up, get the guy offside?

“Anyway, they’re a bit young, so you know what they’re like!”

Clayton was to be denied within three minutes when he cracked a dipping right-footed volley from 25-yards from within the left channel, which was tipped over the bar by Kelly.

The Whyteleafe boss said: “Good effort from where I was sitting. He hit it from a long way so the goalkeeper had a good sight of it so he done what he had to do.”

Smith then unleashed a right-footed angled drive from the other side of the pitch from 30-yards, which whistled just wide of the foot of the near post.

Andrews flashed a first time shot wide of the near post after Thompson whipped in a cross towards the far post.

Thompson put his head in his arms when he clipped his left-footed free-kick narrowly over the crossbar from 25-yards, before Whyteleafe killed the game off with a third goal in the 68^th minute.

Thompson played the ball into Grant (with his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area) who laid the ball back for Thompson to drill a low right-footed shot past the goalkeeper into the net to score from 20-yards.

Fowler said: “It was a well-worked goal. He played it in there, a good set around the box and he struck it perfectly so he gave the goalkeeper no chance.”

Jenkins added: “Another good finish. It was Jack throwing it out a little too lively for one of our players and they intercepted it and we didn’t clear our lines and another good finish.  They were a bit clinical in the second half and it cost us.”

However, Greenwich Borough accepted a lifeline just four minutes later to claw themselves back into the game.

Tavares whipped in a cross from the right channel and Duah-Kessie nipped in front of Ceesay to bundle the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from two-yards out.

Jenkins said: “We had half a chance then to nick something out of the game when we probably didn’t deserve anything. We could have been out of sight but we put them under a little bit of pressure.  You never know what you’re going to get, throw some players forward and see what happens but that’s what we look for in the end.

“We piled a few people forward to try to get something from the game. There’s no point sitting back is there? We’ve got nothing to lose have we?  We’re midtable in the league, we’re not going to win nothing or lose nothing so we might as well got the game and see what we get, maybe do another team a favour to try to take points off Whyteleafe.  I think they’re a very good side and they deserve to be where they are.”

Fowler added: “I thought it was a poor goal to give away.  One of our guys went for the ball when he had no right to. He ran about twenty yards when he tried to win the header when he should have just held his position. I don’t think if he had held his position the guy would have flicked it on there and he would’ve been in the right position to deal with it, but obviously he got drawn to the ball and got a bit excited and that allowed the space for the guy to run in behind him and he put in the cross and the guy bundled it in.”

When asked whether he was worried at that stage of the game, Fowler admitted: “Yes, I was by then! That gave them that little bit of a boost that they needed to try and put one last rally together.  In fairness they wasn’t going to lie down. They’re got a good side now, they’ve got a lot of new players and they’re building for next year.  I’ll be honest, if they keep that side what we played tonight I can see them winning the title next year.”

Whyteleafe continued to pepper shots at the Greenwich Borough goal, with Andrews curling a right-footed free-kick wide of the left-hand post and Thompson stroking a first time left-footed shot towards goal from 35-yards, having seen the keeper was out of position, only for Kelly to race back to make the save before the ball nestled into the bottom far corner of the goal.

Greenwich Borough could have equalised in the final 13 minutes when Stock played the ball to Billy Bennett, who swept the ball out to Zanone, who steered his right-footed shot straight at Ceesay at the near post.

Whyteleafe struck the base of the far post through Thompson’s right-footed angled drive and Fowler’s follow-up shot was blocked by Kelly.

Fowler said: “We had a couple of rallies ourselves where we made the goalkeeper make a couple of saves and we hit the post. On another day it could have been quite a comfortable win for us if we had taken our chances.”

Edwards got his right-footed free-kick over the wall from 35-yards, but the visiting keeper made a comfortable save as the ball bounced into his arms.

Whyteleafe called Kelly into making a diving save when he dived to his right to prevent Thompson scoring with a left-footed volley from 35-yards as the game edged towards its conclusion.

Even Jenkins is talking about Saturday’s showdown between Ashford United and Whyteleafe.

He said: “Playing Ashford and them today, totally different sides.  I just think they’re both good at what they do so it’s going to be close.  They’re playing Saturday so it will be a good game whatever happens. It will probably be a 0-0 down. I think it should be a good game. Both are worthy of going up.”

Fowler is delighted that his side have a nine point lead on Ashford United going into their last nine league games.

He said: “It feels alright. It puts pressure on Ashford. They have to go to Corinthian tomorrow. It’s a difficult place to go to. They play some decent football. Hopefully another slip up there.  Even games, nine points going into the game on Saturday, I’ll be happy with that.

“In fairness it’s one that we’ve been waiting for, for a long time. It’s been put off and put off.  We’re buzzing for that. That’s the one we want.  I think that will have a massive effect to what way this title could go on Saturday.  If we win Saturday, not putting it to bed now, but I think that could be the final nail in the coffin.

“We’ll approach the game pretty much how we approach every game. It will be the easiest team talk I’ll have to do on Saturday because they’re so pumped up for it.”

Reflecting on his side’s impressive fifteen match unbeaten run, the Whyteleafe manager said: “Superb record.  I know it’s hard to say, we’ve got the momentum. The guys, it’s like they are refusing to lose. They’re putting so much effort in. It’s good.”

Greenwich Borough: Jack Kelly, Chris Edwards, Akeem Hanson, Gary Stock, Joe Vines (Robert Curtis 46), Danny Young, Luke May (Jeff Duah-Kessie 66), Billy Bennett, Stuart Zanone, Lewis Wood, Flavio Tavares.
Subs: John Estrada-Ruiz, Joseph Ogunbiyi, Jack Clark

Goals: Flavio Tavares 27, Jeff Duah-Kessie 72

Booked: Gary Stock 75, Jeff Duah-Kessie 79, Danny Young 90, Billy Bennett 90

Whyteleafe: Sheikh Ceesay, Tommy Smith, Alex Penfold, Louis Hollingsworth, Dylan Merchant, Jason Thompson, Ryan Fowler, Jensen Grant, Greg Andrews (Taylor Smith 81), Sam Clayton, Bentley Graham (Gareth Williams 81).
Sub: Cedric Abraham

Goals: Ryan Fowler 36, Sam Clayton 48, Jason Thompson 68

Attendance: 118
Referee: Mr Darren Keating (Chatham)
Assistants:  Mr Bentley Orville (Lewisham, London SE13) & Mr Sam Nye (Maidstone)