Lewisham Borough 0-1 Bridon Ropes - I want to turn it around, says Lewisham boss Willie O'Sullivan

LEWISHAM BOROUGH  0-1  BRIDON ROPES
Kent Invicta League
Wednesday 5^th September 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Ladywell Arena

LEWISHAM BOROUGH manager Willie O’Sullivan says he will turn things around after his side languish at the foot of the Kent Invicta League table after five games.

Charlton-based Bridon Ropes climbed up three places to eighth-place in the table after 19-year-old striker Devere Stewart came back to his former club to score the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time.

Bridon Ropes, who were last season’s surprise package when they finished in fourth-place, sealed a comfortable victory thanks to Stewart’s third goal of the season in front of Lewisham Borough’s largest crowd of the season.

Bridon Ropes manager, Ben Kotey, 45, was pleased with his side’s second league win of the season.

He said: “Really pleased with the result, the performance in the first half. I felt that we defended really well and contained them in terms of dealing with the way that they were playing and I think we got a well-deserved goal on the counter attack.

“In the second half I felt we played a little bit more football. We retained possession a little bit better and we created some decent chances.

“It’s our first clean sheet of the season, which is pleasing.  The last few games we’ve conceded goals so overall pleased with the result, three points.  Hopefully we can start improving.”

Former Charlton Athletic footballer, O’Sullivan, 52, admits his hands were tied when it came to squad building ahead of the new Kent Invicta League season.

The former Erith Town and Cray Valley boss said: “Very disappointed.  I thought it would have been a draw.  A draw would have been a good result but there you go. The luck at the moment isn’t with us.

“You’re that close but not close enough. At the end of the day it’s a results game and it didn’t go for us.”

O’Sullivan added: “If people knew the situation I came into, they’d be surprised we’re doing what we’re doing. I came here and there weren’t no players, not one. I had 12 days just to try to sort something out and so far I’ve come up with what I’ve got now.

“It’s a waiting game at the moment because everyone was signed so to put Bridon under so much pressure today, even though they beat us 1-0, we’re pretty disappointed.”

Lewisham Borough, who picked up their only point on the opening day of the season, created a couple of early openings.

Ryan Reed released striker Tristian Toney down the right and he played a low centre across goal which was hacked away by Bridon Ropes’ central defender Adam Onasanya, a timely clearance as Lewisham winger Michael Philpott was ready to pounce having ghosted in towards the far post.

Callum O’Sullivan swung in the resulting corner from the right towards the near post but Matt Gardiner rose and his downward header deflected just wide of the near post from eight-yards.

Bridon Ropes called Lewisham Borough keeper John Page into action inside the opening fourteen minutes when Jamie Tompkins cracked a first time rasping right-footed volley from 30-yards which Page caught to his right.

Page was to be the busier keeper of the two as Bridon Ropes created the better openings during the game.

Bridon Ropes’ left-back Dean Walker played a ball over the top of the Lewisham defence and Stewart shrugged off Thomas Hammond and his low right-footed angled drive was blocked by the keeper’s knees at the near post.

An inswinging corner from the left from Bridon Ropes wide midfielder James Doherty was met by a free-header at the near post by Onasanya, who came up from the back to send his downward header bouncing wide.

Bridon Ropes will feel they should have broken the deadlock in the 28^th minute when Kane Jeffries’ pass released Nicholas Dunsdon down the right – via poor defensive play from Hammond – but the striker dragged his right-footed shot across goal and past the far post.

Then a free-kick from right-back Craig Penfold was pumped forward and Doherty’s speculative right-footed shot on the turn from 35-yards was gathered comfortably by the Lewisham keeper.

Hammond was then penalised for handball by excellent referee Mr Wally James and Dunsdon stepped up and stroked his right-footed free-kick around the wall, which bounced narrowly wide of the foot of the far post.

Lewisham suffered the same fate just 55 seconds later when Toney swept the ball out to Philpott on the right, who cut inside and flashed his right-footed shot wide of the near post from similar distance.

But Bridon Ropes scored the winner with 44 minutes and 29 seconds on the clock – and it had to be a former Lewisham player who sealed the deserved three points.

Jeffries clipped the ball over the top which wasn’t cut out by the Lewisham defence and Stewart latched onto the ball and rode one challenge before keeping his composure before stroking a low right-footed shot across keeper Page and into the corner from 12-yards.

Kotey said: “Devere was at Lewisham last season and there’s been some changes down here and he came across to Bridon Ropes. 

“He’s done well for us so far. He can play as a central striker or he can play on either wing. He played well today. 

“He’s only young, he’s only nineteen and he’s got a lot to learn but he’s got a good attitude and an open mind and he wants to learn and he wants to improve.”

When O’Sullivan was told that Stewart played for his club last season, the manager shrugged his shoulders and said: “Luckily enough I don’t know about Lewisham players. It doesn’t really matter to me. A goal’s a goal!

“It was a bit lucky, it bounced over the top of one of the centre midfield players, got a flick on and he’s got on to it.

“It’s the only shot of the game they had.  There wasn’t another shot they had. Basically they took theirs, we didn’t take one of ours.”

Visiting keeper Colin Barnes almost blotted his copybook inside the opening seven minutes of the second half when his throw put Penfold under pressure and allowed Callum O’Sullivan to crack a right-footed curler over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Bridon Ropes substitute Ben Williams almost scored with his first touch of the game when he was picked out by a fine diagonal pass from Toney and with his first touch he slid a right-footed shot across goal and agonisingly just wide of the far post.

Tomkins cracked his second volley of the game when his right-footed effort from 35-yards looped high into the air and the back-peddling Page caught the ball above his head in the 57^th minute.

Kotey felt the left-winger had his best game of the season tonight.

He said: “I thought Jamie, for the whole 90 minutes, caused them problems. He created chances for us, he defended really well and that was his best game so far this season.”

Bridon Ropes had a second goal ruled out for offside when Stewart was adjudged to have been offside by the time he tapped in Tompkins’ cut back from the right by-line.

Despite playing former Bromley and Lincoln City striker Kevin George up front, Lewisham Borough lacked in the final third.

When asked what kind of role George would have this season, O’Sullivan replied, “If he decides to stay, he will be a very important part. The same as a lot of other players that I’ve brought in.

“It’s about building a side here now.  The same problem I had at Cray Valley when I went to Cray Valley and there were no players there and Cray Valley ended up being one of the better sides.  They ended up getting promoted into the Kent League so that’s the job I’ve got here to do.”

The home side did create a half-chance when Joey White whipped in a low cross from the right and Toney nipped in at the near post but he flick the ball wide of the near post from a very tight angle.

Lewisham defender Hammond ended Doherty’s breakaway run with a foul a couple of yards outside the penalty area and Doherty touched the ball square to substitute Jason Elliott, who drilled a low right-footed shot underneath the jumping five-man wall and keeper Page dived full-length to his right to tip the shot around the post.

Lewisham’s man-of-the-match Page was called into action again when a move involving Williams and Ricky Hepburn saw substitute Umang Patel cut in from the right before hitting a first time shot, which was blocked low down by Page, who also denied Tompkins, who had cut in from the left before unleashing a rasping drive towards goal.

O’Sullivan was full of praise for the keeper, saying, “John’s been about a little while and he’s come down to help us out. We’ve got a couple of good goalkeeper’s now so it’s not goalkeeper’s I’m worried about.  We have to stop these goals going in. I think we’ll cause a lot of team’s problems.”

Lewisham Borough rallied late on and they could have snatched an unlikely point inside the last five minutes.

Lee Ward’s free-kick found its way over to Philpott, who sliced his left-footed shot wide of the far post, before George cut inside and cracked a left-footed shot straight at Barnes from 25-yards.

Reflecting on their win, Bridon Ropes manager Kotey said: “At the end it appeared that it was comfortable. I thought they still had a few bits of threat.  The number 10 (Kevin George) and the 9 (Tristian Toney) physically had a bit of pace but we defended really well against them, coped with that threat in the end.

“We’d like to have got a second goal just to have made it a little bit more comfortable and a little bit less stressful but overall it appeared to be a comfortable 1-0 – I don’t know how 1-0’s can be comfortable!”

Kotey admitted he hasn’t been pleased with his side’s start to the season, which has seen them bag two wins and a draw from their opening five outings.

He said: “We’ve let ourselves down a little bit with our start.  It’s just consistency with us. Not a great start but hopefully we’ll pick up. Hopefully we’ll improve. We know we’ve got some tough games coming up and hopefully our form will pick up and performances will be there as well.”

O’Sullivan admitted his side lacked the cutting edge, which is needed in the final third.

He said: “When you look at our strike force I thought we’d create a bit more, especially with the good wide players we’ve got.

“We just didn’t seem to have that cutting edge tonight, probably because it’s the first time they’ve all played together.

“I’m still trying to find enough players to be able to field a decent side at this level and I’m getting there.  I’m getting there slowly, but I’m getting there.”

When asked what his aspirations are for the season ahead, O’Sullivan replied laughing, “Not to finish bottom!  I’m not used to losing as a player. I always like to win. I won quite a lot and I want to turn it around here and start winning things here if I have to.

“If I can emulate what I did at Cray (Valley) in the first year, which is finished fifth and two Finals then it will be something I’ve achieved.

“But even if you reach one Final and finish in the top six, that will be achievement here this season.”

Lewisham Borough: John Page, Joey White (Leigh Wise 76), Bradley Coombs (Ashley Cabe 79), Danny Doyle, Thomas Hammond, Ryan Reed (Lee Ward 83), Michael Philpott, Callum O’Sullivan, Tristian Toney, Kevin George, Matt Gardiner.
Sub: Chris Myers

Bridon Ropes: Colin Barnes, Craig Penfold, Dean Walker, Sam Fullilove (Jason Elliott 61), Adam Onasanya, Ricky Hepburn, Nicholas Dunsdon (Ben Williams 54), Kane Jeffries, Devere Stewart (Umang Patel 61), James Doherty, Jamie Tompkins.
Sub: Stephen Weatherly

Goal: Devere Stewart 45

Attendance: 82
Referee: Mr Wally James (Sidcup)
Assistants: Mr Mark Jenkins (Welling) & Mr Scott Rudd (Dartford)