Greenwich Borough 3-2 Herne Bay - Proud Firkins pays tribute to his unpaid heroes

Saturday 06th March 2010

GREENWICH BOROUGH 3-2 HERNE BAY
(after extra time)
Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final
Saturday 6th March 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakley Road

GREENWICH BOROUGH put their off-the-field problems behind them by winning a five-goal epic to book their place into the Kent Senior Trophy final.

The club that sent legendary striker Ian Wright on his way to fame and fortune, have hit troubled times over the past year with the loss of their modest Harrow Meadow ground in Eltham to housing, but the club fought back to stun a Herne Bay side that arrived at Oakley Road in Bromley on a thirteen-match unbeaten run.

In front of Greenwich Borough’s second largest crowd of the season - 50 - this was an enthralling game between two good footballing sides, and the football, passion, commitment and excitement was a joy to watch.

A game that had everything, treble-chasing Herne Bay were comfortably winning 2-0 at the break, courtesy of two mistakes by the home side, before Borough boss Steve Firkins made an inspired double substitution with 19 minutes left, which galvanised his players.

Leading goalscorer Danny Hunt scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season - the equaliser coming from a cool as you like penalty kick timed with just 48 seconds from the end of the time added on at the end of the second half.

Greenwich Borough sealed the victory within the opening three minutes of extra time through Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott’s third free-kick goal of the season, before both sides were reduced to ten-men as substitutes Mark Sisson and Jake Gess picked up their second yellow cards.

Michael Harney (playing for Holmesdale) and Herne Bay’s Nathan Eastwood (Faversham Town) were both cup-tied, Harney watched the game beside his dad, whilst Eastwood turned out for Premier FC.

But it was evident from the first whistle that both sides had the quality to get the ball down and play, a bigger achievement for Greenwich Borough as they don’t pay their players.

Club officials and team management have coughed up £16,000 of their own money and struggle to make ends meet, considering that they only attract average gates of just 33 at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground - their base for three seasons.

Despite an even start, second-placed Herne Bay, punished a bad mistake to open the scoring inside fourteen minutes.

Central defender, Jarrett-Elliott, was sloppy when he played the ball out to Herne Bay’s Dan Lawrence, who slipped the ball through to his younger brother Rob, who slotted the ball past the advancing Greenwich Borough goalkeeper into an unguarded net.

A move involving Adam Wadmore and Hunt resulted in Frankie Warren stroking a 30-yard drive into Dan Eason’s arms.

But dominant Herne Bay should have doubled their lead after 27 minutes.

A Rob Lawrence flick released 14-goal striker, Luke Harvey through on goal, but his right-footed drive rolled along the goal-line after goalkeeper Danny Firkins made a fine block.

Herne Bay had one foot in the final in the 38th minute when they deservedly doubled their lead.

Darren Marsden drove one of those free-kicks (from the inside left-channel) that needed a touch - unfortunately for the home side left-back Wadmore got that decisive touch in a crowded goalmouth and flicked the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Herne Bay squandered an excellent chance when Dan Lawrence and Michael Jenner - who were forced off through injury early in the second half - combined to end a Greenwich counter-attack and Harvey was released through on goal, but his angled drive brought a comfortable low save from Firkins.

Two-nil up and coasting, it was going to be a Faversham Town-versus-Herne Bay final at Welling United’s Park View Road on Sunday, 18th April.

But Greenwich Borough had other ideas. They created two early chances, but didn’t take them.

The influential Frankie Warren floated in a cross from the left and Hunt turned and shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post in a good position.

Then, Warren beat the offside trap and was through on goal but flashed his shot across Eason and also wide of the far post.

The Greenwich Borough boss then brought on Joe Jackson and Kevin Sefaah and made tactical changes, which increased the tempo of their game, and this urgency left a battered Herne Bay side on the ropes.

Jackson played an intelligent pass for skipper Jason Mabbs in behind the Herne Bay defence and his low centre from the left was precise and Hunt smashed the ball into the net, under pressure, from inside the six-yard box.

They should have levelled when Wadmore found the towering Sefaah at the far post, but the giant striker powered his header inches over the bar and then Mabbs found Eason’s grateful arms as the home side pressed.

As we entered the final minute, a clever run along the by-line from Sefaah was cut-back to Hunt who drilled a low shot straight at Eason and everyone thought that Herne Bay scraped through.

But card-happy referee, Simon Finnigan, pointed to the spot inside the second minute of stoppage time as Mabbs was tripped inside the box by Neil Perkins.

Under enormous pressure, Hunt stepped up and produced an excellent penalty to beat Eason (with 47:23 on the clock) to spark wild scenes of celebrations from the players and management of Kent’s poorest supported club.

It was clear during the break that Greenwich Borough would go on to win this game through their body language and they had the physiological advantage for the first time of this exciting game.

The togetherness was clearly evident - and the 93rd minute winning goal was worthy to win the World Cup final - let alone a Kent Senior Trophy semi-final.

Harney, sitting two places to my left, said “the guy in the orange boots is always very close,” before Jarrett-Elliott stepped up to take a free-kick with the ball positioned on the edge of the D in a central position.

The former Ashford Town player stepped up and stroked a left-footed curling free-kick, which left Eason rooted to the spot as the ball bounced down over the line after caressing the underside of the crossbar to spark more wild scenes on the pitch.

Herne Bay should have been reduced to ten-men just before the longer than normal change-around when Jamie Maxted went through the back of substitute Mark Sisson, who had to leave the field to receive treatment before returning to get himself stupidly sent-off in the 107th minute.

He was shown his second yellow card as he didn’t retreat the full two-yards as Sean Bremner attempted to take a throw in.

But Herne Bay were reduced to ten-men themselves when substitute Jake Gess also picked up his second yellow card for a lunge that sent Jackson sprawling to the ground.

Herne Bay almost snatched a late equaliser themselves but Perkins smashed a drive past the left-hand post as the ball dropped down after Bremner looped a free-kick into the penalty box.

Greenwich Borough boss Steve Firkins was a delighted man when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“Very proud, yes, very proud of my players, the whole lot, everybody involved with the club,” he said.

“I thought we deserved it. I’m not saying Herne Bay don’t deserve nothing, but we are a club struggling. We’ve got no money at the club, our players play for nothing.

“It’s hard to keep a good squad of players together. The boys are playing for the club and for themselves and we’ve got a good team spirit and I think it showed in the second half.

“To be fair, Herne Bay were the better side in the first half, deserved their two goals. I must say I felt we were poor. We probably gifted them the two goals really, poor defending or whatever, but I asked them for a response in the changing room and second half, I think, I got it.”

Bermondsey based Firkins, meanwhile, paid tribute to the players that played a major part in getting them to the showpiece final.

“Frankie Warren, I thought, was immense for us,” he said. “Strong in the middle in the first half and I dropped him in as a third man defender in the second half. Fantastic player.

“Kenny (Jarrett-Elliot), again, most of these lads aren’t natural defenders. We’ve converted them from midfield players into defenders.

“And I think it just speaks volumes of their ability - all of them.”

Expressing his thoughts on the world-class free-kick winner, Firkins said, “He deserved it Ken. For me, he’s been one of our best players all season. He never grumbles, he doesn’t moan, he just gets on with the game and he’s an immense player for us, he really is.

“He’s a fantastic player. He’s got a beautiful left-foot. He proved that!”

But it needed a cool head - and Hunt’s dramatic last-gasp penalty - to force extra time.

“The funny thing is,” Firkins said of Hunt, “he’s missed a couple. We’re a bit unfortunate with penalties.

“When we played Herne Bay down at their place we missed one, Mark Sisson’s missed. To be fair Dan Eason made a good save. He’s sort of picked up a bit of a reputation as a penalty save specialist.

“Although I was glad of the penalty in the 90th minute I couldn’t look to be honest with you. I really couldn’t look!

“He looked good, the keeper. In the end Danny did his job and he stood up, took it and got us back into the game and that was the turning point.”

A disappointing season league wise, it was important that Firkins’ side kept their season alive.

“It’s a big bonus for us, very big,” he said. “All week, I’d be a liar to say I haven’t been thinking about it.

“Two-nil down in the first half I just felt so deflated really, not just myself, deflated for the players and I said to them we’ve let ourselves down and up until that point we gifted Herne Bay the game.

“I take my hat off to them, they battled.”

It’s always hard for any manager to suffer a semi-final exit, but Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey spoke about his bitter disappointment as his side’s 13-match unbeaten run came to an end.

“The second half, 45 minutes is what lost us the game really,” Halsey told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“They dominated it to be fair. We didn’t come to grips with it. We changed our formation halfway through the first half (bringing on David Crofts to sit in front of the defence). We’ve started with 4-4-2, gone 1-0 up, we had to change, we knew we had to change it for a reason, we changed it and we gone and got the second goal.

“I said at half-time all the normal things that us manager’s say but we didn’t apply it to be fair and it’s the second or third game in a row that we haven’t.

“I could see if they could get one they’re going to get the second and that’s the way it went!

“A poor penalty to give away right in the 92nd or 93rd minute or whatever it was and then into extra-time. I just think the free-kick that led to their third goal, I just couldn’t see where the free-kick came from but what a great free-kick!”

Herne Bay welcome leaders Faversham Town to Winch’s Field on Wednesday night for the first-leg of the Bulmers Cider Kent League Cup - and will be looking to claw back a 10 point deficit on Justin Luchford’s side (in their three games in hand) to snatch the title and promotion into the Ryman League.

“That’s one thing we’ve still got in our locker I suppose, we’ve got another semi-final,” added Halsey.

“It’s a building lesson for them as well, as a young team and we’ve got to bounce back from that now and press on.

“We haven’t become a bad side, we’ve only lost 3-2 in extra-time so it proves that we’re not a bad side and that’s football unfortunately, that’s cup football as well.

“I’m down at the moment. I’ve got that horrible knot in my gut, which I haven’t had but we’ve got to press on now.

“It’s a learning curve for my young squad. All these things are coming across to them as youngsters and we’ve got to drive on now and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Greenwich Borough: Danny Firkins, Adam Wadmore, Kyle Demetirius, Michael Jones, Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott, Billy Watson (Kevin Sefaah 71), Frankie Warren, Jason Mabbs, Richard Monan (Mark Sisson 58), Danny Hunt, Michael Banton (Joe Jackson 71).
Subs: Bobby Hanley, Akeem Hanson.

Goals: Danny Hunt 73, 90 (pen), Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott 93

Booked: Adam Wadmore 41, Billy Watson 52, Michael Jones 82, Mark Sisson 85, Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott 117

Sent off: Mark Sisson 107

Herne Bay: Dan Eason, Simon Moore, Sean Bremner, Neil Perkins, Jamie Maxted, Michael Turner, Dan Lawrence (Louis Valencia 83), Darren Marsden, Robert Lawrence (David Crofts 32), Luke Harvey, Michael Jenner (Jake Gess 59)
Subs: Steve Hanson, Simon King.

Goals: Rob Lawrence 14, Adam Wadmore (own goal) 38

Booked: Robert Lawrence 57, Louis Valencia 83, Sean Bremner 86, Jake Gess 105, Jamie Maxted 113

Sent off: Jake Gess 111

Attendance: 50
Referee: Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Daniel Wyatt (Eltham) & Mr Chris Myatt (Dartford)