Kentish Football 
Lewisham Borough 1-2 Seven Acre & Sidcup - This has been my most frustrating time - O'Sullivan
Thursday 07th March 2013
LEWISHAM BOROUGH (COMMUNITY) 1-2 SEVEN ACRE & SIDCUP
Kent Invicta League
Thursday 7th March 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Ladywell Arena
SEVEN ACRE & SIDCUP manager Chris Tuley says he wants to break into the top five by the end of the Kent Invicta League season after winning ugly against basement side Lewisham Borough.
The home side opened the scoring nine minutes before the break when returning striker Dominic Weston powered home, the club’s only goal in 404 minutes of football.
But seventh-placed Seven Acre & Sidcup equalised through left-winger Brady Powell’s outside of the boot finish, before central midfielder Rob McMahon grabbed the three points with an injury-time winner.
”Overall, I was disappointed with the performance,” admitted Tuley, 32, who only had two substitutes available tonight.
”On the positive side, obviously great that we’ve come away with a 2-1 win. We didn’t perform first half. It was very, very disappointing. The team knew about it at half-time. We weren’t impressed!
”We changed it about second half, changed the formation to 4-4-2, got two big guys up there and they held it up for us and brought some of the other lads’ into play.
”The only positives that I will take from it is the boys’ didn’t give up, carried on fighting until the end and have managed to get the result we needed.
”Fair play to Lewisham. They made it hard for us but disappointed overall.”
Tuley added: “These kind of places, Lewisham, Thursday night. It’s our first midweek game of the season under lights. It’s a bit different to what the boys are used to so it takes a bit of motivating but it’s no different to any other game. We need to be up for every game we play until the end of the season if we want to push on and get to where we want to be, breaking into that top five, top four.”
But Lewisham Borough manager Willie O’Sullivan, 53, was distraught at the final whistle, after his side came so close to ending their miserable run of form.
”Absolutely gutted, yes. It’s the way it’s going this year. I think I’ve lost about 12 games by the odd goal,” bemoaned the former Charlton Athletic player.
”Difficult season. Very difficult. I had nine days to get a team together (at the start of the season). Impossible because everyone’s settled but you’ve just got to get on with it.
The first half was a poor affair for the 77 spectators at a misty Ladywell Arena.
Lewisham Borough, who went into the game with defeats to Orpington (0-1), Kent Football United (0-2), Sutton Athletic (0-1) and Ashford United (0-5) had the game’s first chance after only 39 seconds on the clock.
A free-kick from inside his own half from right-back Dean Joseph-Whittingham, was punched away by visiting keeper Charlie Martin and Callum O’Sullivan sliced his shot wide of the near post.
Lone target-man Tim Beckford – who scored for Lewisham Borough in their last win, 5-1 at home to Woodstock Park on 12 January – won Seven Acre & Sidcup a tenth minute penalty after referee Danny Geary adjudged he was sent to the floor by Frankie Cole’s challenge, and the Maidstone based referee pointed to the spot.
Rob Hicks stepped up and his well struck right-footed penalty was blocked by Jack Carthy’s knees whilst the keeper dived to his left.
Willie O’Sullivan claimed: “I thought it was a bit of a dive. There you go. When you’re at the bottom everything goes against you.
”I always believe if a penalty’s saved it was never menat to be a penalty in the first place. It was saved quite easily by Jack so I’m quite happy.”
Tuley added: “Poor penalty if you ask me. I’m disappointed with Hicksey because he’s got a lot of quality, especially from striking the ball, set-pieces so disappointed he didn’t convert.
”I think if he did convert maybe we would’ve pushed it up a level first half, but we didn’t and it semed to knock us a bit.”
Tuley claimed Lewisham Borough were out to get their former player, Beckford.
”Timbo has been a new signing for us, funnily enough from Lewisham. I think they were a bit disappointed to lose him, that’s why they were giving him a bit of medicine in the first 20 minutes.
”We put him up there (on his own), a big strong lad, a bit of pace. Unfortunatley he didn’t have his shooting boots on today, otherwise he could’ve had two or three goals.”
Lewisham Borough called Martin into making a comfortable save in what was to be a stop-start first half.
O’Sullivan cut a corner back to Weston, whose low cross was poor and was cleared away at the near post and the ball came out to central defender Serge Ble, who took a touch before hitting a left-footed drive from 30-yards, which took a slight deflection before bouncing once into Martin’s gloves.
Lewisham Borough’s leading goalscorer Tristan Toney picked the ball up on the halfway line before sprinting forward and hitting a speculative right-footed drive from 35-yards, which was comfortably saved by Martin.
Seven Acre & Sidcup really should have broken the stalemate with two attempts in the 32nd minute.
Central defender Dean Elliott launched a long throw into the penalty box and Powell’s left-footed volley from 22-yards at the far post sailed over.
The resulting goal-kick from Lewisham Borough keeper Carthy was met by a bullet header from Chris Steadman, which was latched on to by Beckford, but he dragged his right-footed shot past the far post from 20-yards when he only had the keeper to beat.
They were made to pay for that miss because Lewisham Borough opened the scoring in the 36th minute.
Toney played a precise diagonal pass and left-back Tom Dennington left Weston in acres of space behind him before Weston took the ball forward before cracking a fierce right-footed drive from 20-yards, which deflected off Martin’s body and dropped into the near corner.
Weston has been involved with Kent Invicta League side Crockenhill and Ryman League Division One South Dulwich Hamlet this season - but is currently on a dual-registration deal with Eastbourne Town.
Willie O’Sullivan added: “He’s actually down at Eastbourne Town and it’s in the balance. He quite likes it here. He’s had his first game (back) here now so just watch this space really.
”If I can get him down for the next 9-10 games then it’ll be better for us, if we can end on a high note – or a good note.”
Reflecting on the goal, O’Sullivan was delighted to end his goal famine.
”They’re quality forwards. Tristan is a quality player, but I’ve missed him through suspension and his work.
”The last three weeks I’ve turned up to games and I’ve had five or six players pull out on the day, which means I have to pull out six to eight youth team players and try and put on a performance.
”It (the goal) was a bonus because they’ve taken Tim Beckford from us but in hindsight it was a good thing for us because just like he has done he was missing chances. He misses too many chances for a striker.”
Tuley added: “Again, we seemed to switch off, we’ve done that a couple of times this year and to be fair the guy went through and took his goal quite well.
”Disappointed with the defending point of view. It’s happened to us a couple of times but we need to work on things like that to not concede.”
Words were certainly said in the Seven Acre & Sidcup dressing room at the interval.
”Indeed. I don’t know how close you were to the changing room but we wasn’t happy at all,” said Tuley.
”I’d go as far and say that was the worst first half performance we’ve put in this year!”
When asked what the Lewisham Borough boss told his players at the interval, O’Sullivan replied, “Keep it going. You’ve worked hard. You’ve competed and if you compete the same way in the second half the worst we’ll come away with is a draw.”
That ear bashing certainly had the desired effect as Seven Acre & Sidcup came out and created some decent early chances.
Steadman’s left-footed half-volley from 25-yards dribbled wide of the far post, before Tom Gamblin’s right-footed shot on the turn from similar distance screamed agonsingly wide.
Beckford then got in behind Lewisham Borough left-back Gregory Summersby but his poor chip was caught by the advancing Carthy.
But a goal out of nothing clawed Seven Acre & Sidcup back into the game in the 61st minute.
Powell’s flick with the outside of fhis left foot from 20-yards left Carthy flat-footed as the ball looped into the top left-hand corner to bring a dead game to life.
Tuley beamed: “It was a worldy strike and it’s ended up in the top corner! Sometimes you hit them, they go in. Sometimes you hit them, they miss the target, so I’m really pleased that’s got us back into it.”
Tuley explained why the winger has been missing in recent weeks.
”Brades has been a good player for us. He’s been away for a month. It’s good to see him not suffering from any kind of jetlag. He’s come in and he’s done a job and he’s helped his team out.
”He’s been away. He’s been at acting school. He’s going to kill me for saying that! He’s not the type of character you’d associate being in an actors role. He’s just been away at acting school so he hasn’t been able to commit to football.”
Willie O’Sullivan claimed: “He just admitted to me as he ran back that he miss-hit it so it’s one of those ones. It comes off the outside of his toe and it’s gone in the top corner. There was no pace on it. It’s just drifted in.
”It’s just the way it goes. I still thought it would’ve been a draw. I didn’t think they posed a real threat to us at all. We did throw a little bit of a threat but there you go. When you’re down at the bottom everything goes against you!”
Seven Acre & Sicup picked up a couple of deserved yellow cards as Hanley and substitute Anthony Fenech lunged in on Joseph-Whittingham and Emmanuel Ibhadon.
Callum O’Sullivan forced Martin into making a fine low save to his right after drilling a low right-footed free-kick towards goal from 30-yards immediately after the first booking of the match.
Seven Acre & Sidcup should have taken the lead in the 65th minute.
Fenech released Powell down the left with a delightful diagonal pass and Powell looked up and played a low pass across the face of the penalty area for the unmarked Beckford, who should have hit the target, instead of having his shot blocked by the legs of the advancing keeper.
Tuley added Beckford, who scored 11 goals for Lewisham Borough will come good for his side.
He said: “One thing Tim’s missing, he needs a goal. He creates chances but unfortunately his shooting boots aint quite there. We’ve brought him in to do a good job for us but I’m confident that he’ll come good.”
The home side missed a decent chance too, when substitute Rico Biggs played a reverse pass in behind the visitiors’ defence to put Weston through on goal but his left-footed shot from an acute angle was never going to beat Martin positioned on his near post with 20 minutes remaining.
Beckford was certainly suffering from frustration because he held his head in his hands after he cut the ball back to Powell, who dragged his left-footed angled shot wide of the far post from 25-yards.
But Lewisham Borough will be kicking themselves when they should have grabbed a morale boosting winner with just three minutes remaining.
Elliott was guilty of sloppy defensive play on the touchline to allow Biggs to steal the ball off him before the substitute raced towards the by-line before whipping over a cross towards the far post for the unmarked Toney to rise like a salmon to steer his header agonisingly wide of the near post from eight-yards.
Those small margines could have been the difference of sending Meridian to the foot of the Kent Invicta League table or going into their last eleven games of the season as the worst team in the division.
But Seven Acre & Sidcup grabbed the winner, 40 seconds into injury time, which was heartbreaking for Lewisham Borough boss Willie O’Sullivan, but satisfying for Tuley, whose side are now one point behind fith-placed Bridon Ropes.
Powell’s pace got the better of Lewisham right-back Joseph-Whittingham to reach the left by-line before he cut the ball back to Rob McMahon at the near post who steered his right-footed shot across Carthy to find the bottom far corner from eight-yards.
Tuley said: “It was a good finish. Brady’s done ever so good to get on but when you’ve got pace like him and an engine like him you’re always going to cause trouble. He’s done tremendous and to be fair the last person I would’ve thought would’ve been on the end of it was Rob McMahon because he’s been honest he’s been terrible tonight, but he’s come in and notched the winner for us so I take that back.”
Willie O’Sullivan added: “We got a youngster playing at right-back today up against Brady, seventeen-years-old and he’s done tremendously well. He lost him right at the death.”
Reflecting on his club’s position at the foot of the table, with three wins and a draw from 21 games, Willie O’Sullivan said: “It’s heartbreaking for me because I’m not used to being in this kind of position and some of the players I’ve got aren’t used to being in this kind of position. The only way you get out of it is to keep going.”
Tuley is taking positives out of tonight’s win.
”We said we haven’t played, performed as well as we should’ve and we’ve come on a Thursday night, won 2-1, three points to push us up where we want to be.
”I think tonight, again we was poor, but we’ve come away with three points.”
Seven Acre & Sidcup travel to ninth-placed Crockenhill on Saturday before traveling to eighth-placed Eltham Palace on 16 March.
”We’ve got three games in a short period. Lewisham tonight, Crockenhill Saturday and the following Saturday Eltham Palace so there’s nine points up for grabs there and if we can get nine points sout of there that will be our minimum and it’s achievable.”
Tuley wants to better last season’s top ten finish in his first season in charge of the club.
”We’ve come on board andd we’ve looked at Seven Acre and what they’ve achieved last year and we’ve come in at the beginning of the season, a whole new management team, near enough a whole new team. There’s only three or four boys from last year so there’s still a gelling period that we’re still going through, but we’ve got goodd players. We’re ambitious. We want to be breaking into the top five, that’s our aim.”
Lewisham Borough welcome Eltham Palace to Ladywell Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Willie O’Sullivan said: “If I can get a performance like that and I can get three players that shouldn’t be playing and might be working and put in a performance like we’ve done tonight, I’m expecting a result.”
When asked his aspirations for the remainder of the season, O’Sullivan replied: “Not to finish bottom. All of a sudden we’ve become the strongest side in the league because we’re holding everyone up!
”This has been the most frustrating time I’ve ever known if I’m being honest.”
Lewisham Borough (Community): Jack Carthy, Dean Joseph-Whittingham, Gregory Summersby, Conor McMahon (Rico Biggs 55), Serge Ble, Alex Prall, Callum O’Sullivan (Scott Anderson 79), Emmanuel Ibhadon, Tristan Toney, Dominic Weston, Frankie Cole.
Subs: Chris Small, Jason Agyei
Goal: Dominic Weston 36
Booked: Gregory Summersby 86
Seven Acre & Sidcup: Charlie Martin, Jermaine Brown (Sam Hayes 83), Tom Dennington, Rob McMahon, Dean Elliott, Bobby Hanley, Chris Steadman (Anthony Fenech 59), Rob Hicks, Tom Gamblin, Tim Beckford, Brady Powell.
Goals: Brady Powell 61, Rob McMahon 90
Booked: Bobby Hanley 63, Anthony Fenech 64
Attendance: 77
Referee: Mr Danny Geary (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Wally James (Sidcup) & Mr Matt Sell (Rochester)
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