Merstham 3-0 Hythe Town - We need to start growing up and being men and you have to stand up and fight until we can turn the tide, says Hythe Town boss Steven Watt

Merstham 3 – 0 Hythe Town
Location	Moatside Stadium, Weldon Way, Merstham, Surrey RH1 3QB
Kickoff	12/09/2022 19:45

MERSTHAM  3-0  HYTHE TOWN
The Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round
Monday 12 September 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Weldon Way

HYTHE TOWN manager Steven Watt says he is going to make a few phone calls to see if he can bring in players with leadership qualities after crashing out of The FA Trophy at the first attempt.

Peter Adeniyi’s side went into this First Qualifying Round tie sitting at the foot of the Isthmian League South Central Division table with one point from four league games and without a win in their opening seven outings.

Hythe Town arrived at Weldon Way in 12^th place in the Isthmian League South East Division table with four points from three games and this was their third defeat on the bounce, extending their winless run to four games after beating Raynes Park Vale in a nine-goal extra time epic in The FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay on 23 August.

Wide attacker Lorenzo Lewis scored twice to put Merstham in the driving seat inside the opening 29 minutes.

Merstham striker Bryan Zepo won himself a late penalty, striking the base of the post before substitute winger Malakai Hyman sealed a comfortable Merstham victory to set up a trip to VCD Athletic or Grays Athletic in the next round on Saturday 24 September.

“It’s poor, poor really, poor goals conceded.  You can’t give those type of goals away. We just weren’t at it tonight, it’s as simple as that really,” admitted Watt.

“Too many players’ didn’t perform to the levels they should’ve done and we deservedly got beat.

“It’s just a lack of leadership I would say.  You look at the goals conceded, like the goals should never have gone in.  It’s something we pride ourselves on earlier with back-to-back clean-sheets and over the last three games we’ve conceded seven goals.

“I wouldn’t say any of the goals are good goals, they’re all soft goals. It’s something that we need to address and I need to address and I will address.”

Hythe Town went close to opening the scoring following the first of six long throws from holding midfielder Jack Steventon.

Steventon launched a long throw into the Merstham penalty area where Liam Smith – who played in the centre of a three-man defence – flicked his header sailing onto the roof of the net after only 69 seconds.

“Our threat tonight was that, with long throws or set-pieces which was our only real threat,” admitted Watt.

“I thought they controlled our attacks and we just didn’t use the ball well enough.  We had good possession in and around our own half but any kind of passes that went forward we didn’t play it forward quick enough and we didn’t get into our players who want the ball in their half.  It’s just a disappointing night.”

Merstham called visiting goalkeeper Aaron Lee-Wharton into making a comfortable save with two minutes and 34 seconds on the clock.

A long throw into the Hythe Town box by centre-half Michael Kamara was cleared out to left-back Aziz Sankoh, who drilled a first time left-footed shot into the keeper’s midriff from a central position some 35-yards out.

“If he scores from there it’s probably the best goal you’ll ever see this season – or it’s going to be a bad mistake and I fully expect Aaron to save those,” added Watt.

The Cannons hit their hosts on the counter-attack in the seven minute where Shad Ngandu tried to break down the left before cutting inside Charlie Greenwood before playing the ball inside to an unmarked Frannie Collin, whose first time right-footed drive flashed across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from 35-yards.

“Any kind of chances we had in open play really were shots from distance really. We didn’t really create enough tonight like we normally do,” added the Hythe boss.

However, Lee-Wharton was at fault for gifting Merstham the lead with 14 minutes and 29 seconds on the clock when he was beaten by a long range shot at his near post.

Sankoh’s left-footed ball came in from the left, Zepo flicked the ball on and attacking midfielder Greenwood played the ball out to Lewis on the left and he drilled his left-footed angled drive past a struggling goalkeeper to find the bottom near corner from 25-yards out.

“Aaron should’ve save it, simple as that. Aaron should save it.  It’s a shot from distance from 25-yards, straight at him really and it goes in. It’s a goal that should never go in,” said Watt.

Merstham missed a glorious chance to double their lead in the 24^th minute.

Adeniyi, who was pulling the strings in midfield, delivered a deep cross from the right, which was retrieved by Kamara down the left touchline.

Kamara played a short pass into Sankoh, who took a touch before whipping in a cross towards the back post where centre-half Luke Read ghosted in and lashed his shot over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

“Again, really, really slack defending from us.  He was under pressure at the back post for the finish but it’s another chance we don’t normally concede and we have,” added Watt.

Merstham doubled their lead with 28 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock, direct from a free-kick.

Jason Fregene – who played on the left of the Cannons three man defence – slid in to bring down Greenwood just on the edge of the D and was shown a yellow card.

Watt felt Lee-Wharton should have done better as he was beaten by another drilled shot from Lewis, right-footed over the wall and into the roof of the net, just right of centre, from 22-yards out, leaving the former Tunbridge Wells stopper rooted to his spot.

Watt said: “It’s gone through the wall straight into the middle of the goal. It’s another goal where I’m sitting on the sideline just scratching my head. How has that gone in?

“We gave the ball away, again high, same as the first goal.  We gave the ball away high and in their half and then two or three passes later it’s a free-kick or there’s a goal. It’s two goals that should never been.”

Hythe Town offered very little in attack in open play with left-winger Shad Ngandu ineffective and failing to produce any end product - and they should have pulled a goal back following their second of 10 corners in the 34^th minute.

Jack Mahoney, who was making his second debut - following his switch from 12^th—placed Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side Glebe - swung in a corner from the right and Steventon steered his towering free header across the keeper and past the top of the far post from eight-yards out.

“I think Jack should do better but if it goes in, it’s a great header but I expect us to be finishing those kind of chances,” said Watt.

“If it goes in we’ll be saying it’s a great header. Any free header when you get good contact that Jack’s getting from that distance, you expect to hit the target at least.”

Merstham missed another chance just before half-time in a second phase of their third corner of the game.

Kamara recycled the ball back into the Hythe Town box, Lewis flicked the ball on and Read headed straight at Lee-Wharton, who plucked the ball out of the air to prevent the ball finding the top left-hand corner from six-yards out.

Watt demanded more from his side during the half-time interval.

“We had to be better, have to be braver, got to play on the front foot more and get the ball forward into our forward players with quality earlier, which I thought we came out in the second half and did but we opened ourselves up with counters but at that point we were 2-0 down and we were trying to get back into the game.”

Watt brought on Ollie Gray to replace Itauma as Hythe started the second half with three at the back with Gray in the centre alongside Fregene (left) and Liam Smith (right).

The Cannons started the second half on the front foot and created a chance from open play inside the opening eight minutes.

Ngandu’s intelligent diagonal pass with his left foot released striker Johan Caney-Bryan down the left channel and he cut the ball onto his right foot and tried to beat goalkeeper Mo Utuyo at his near post from 22-yards, only for the Merstham goalkeeper to make a comfortable save at his near post.

“The keeper should save it. It was good play and good play by Johan driving and getting a shot off. It’s a shot from distance but comfortable for the goalkeeper,” said Watt, who admitted the former Sittingbourne striker was living off scraps.

“I felt it was a night for our forward players where you’ve got to feel for them.  I thought our service up to our forward players wasn’t great tonight at all and it’s something that we need to improve.

“We had half-chances.  I don’t think we’ve created enough in the final third and I don’t think we’ve defended enough in our final third and in both ends of the pitch we haven’t been good enough tonight.”

Adeniyi fed right-back Jordan Wilson, who drove forward before he lacked composure some 30-yards from the Hythe Town goal, his drilled right-footed effort screaming harmlessly wide of the far post.

Merstham went close to adding to their lead at the half-way point.

Adeniyi played the ball out to Alpha Diallo on the right and he cut the ball back to Greenwood, who cut onto his left-foot before curling his low shot around the goalkeeper and only just past the foot of the far post from 25-yards.

A sliding Ngandu failed to cut out Wilson’s ball down the line on the halfway line, which fed substitute winger Hyman, who drilled a long-range shot across Lee-Wharton and just past the far post, as Merstham’s direct approach caused Hythe problems the longer the game went on.

Winger Diallo squandered a couple of chances in the space of 51 seconds, which brought a couple of comfortable low saves from Lee-Wharton.

Firstly, Diallo’s 60-yard run saw him beat four defenders and once inside the box his shot was blocked by the keeper’s legs at his near post.

Then, Wilson played a crossfield pass to find Diallo in space at the far post but his right-footed shot from 12-yards which was heading towards the bottom far corner was comfortably smothered by Lee-Wharton, low to his left.

“He should score probably both really but comfortable saves. At that point we’re throwing bodies forward and we were always going to be open with counter-attacks.  You know when you’re behind in games that’s a risk when you throw bodies forward that you’re always going to be sceptical  to the counter-attack, which we were and luckily enough Aaron’s kept us in the game then.”

Watt heaped praise on central midfielder Mahoney for his performance on a sorry night for Hythe Town.

The away side’s eighth corner was taken by Mahoney, the ball came back out to him and he cut inside and cracked a left-footed drive which sailed just over the crossbar.

“I thought he played really, really well.  I thought he was one of our best players. I would say not many on the pitch came out with credit but I thought he had a solid performance. He had good energy and he was in good voice in the middle of the park and he gave me what I expected and I look forward to working with him,” Watt said of Mahoney.

However, Merstham’s holding midfielder Aziaya launched a long ball, which wasn’t dealt with by Steventon (who by this point was in the centre of a four-man defence) and he bundled Zepo over inside the box and referee Joseph Turnpenny pointed to the spot.

Zepo stroked his right-footed penalty against the base of the right-hand post, despite Lee-Wharton guessing the right way, with 42:20 on the clock.

“Bad defending all round. It’s one long ball and then we don’t deal with it. It’s a penalty, it’s just really poor defending,” admitted Watt.

Mahoney played the ball out to substitute striker Josh Stirman, who hung over a cross from the right towards the back post where often isolated striker Caney-Bryan’s towering header was clawed out at close range by Utuyo.

Merstham sealed their progress by notching their third goal of the night, 27 seconds into time added on, as Hythe’s defence switched off from a long ball.

Diallo laid the ball off to Zepo, whose shot was cleared off the line by Steventon and an unmarked Hyman rifled his shot into the net from 12-yards.

Watt said: “It’s another long ball that we’ve not dealt with again and we’ve switched off at the back and by that point I think the players’ have given up at that point, I don’t know but it certainly looked that from me.

“A long ball through and I don’t know where my midfield are, I don’t know where my right-back (Marcus Goldsmith) is, they’ve got the goal to seal the victory.”

Stirman floated in another cross from the right towards the back post where Hythe striker Caney-Bryan glanced his header past the near post from a tight angle.

Watt and his squad will need to do some soul-searching ahead of their next game, away to Sittingbourne on Tuesday 20 September.

When asked what was missing tonight, Watt replied: “Leadership. Simple as that.  Leadership, bravery in possession. I thought we kept the ball well in safe areas where they let us keep the ball and when it’s playing forward passes and break lines and get the ball in dangerous areas, I don’t think we did it well enough.

“We need to start growing up and being men. We are a younger team this year, average age is low but there’s a lot of experience in there and we need to stand up and we need some leaders out there.

“If not, I need to make changes, it’s as simple as that.  I need to bring leadership in. I can’t keep watching the same where in the last two games and the 90 minutes tonight and the last 45 minutes against Ramsgate I think when things have gone tough we’ve kind of shrunk a little bit and that can’t happen!

“You have to stand up and you have to fight and you have to fight, fight, fight until we can turn the tide and I don’t think we did that well enough tonight, so we need more leadership.”

When asked whether he will be looking to freshen things up ahead of their next game, Watt replied: “Yes, possibly. It all comes down we have to have a look and see what’s available but again it comes down to finances and who’s available. It has to be right player and the right personality to fit the group and it's something I will look at.

“I will have a look and make a few phone calls to see what’s available and if something who I believe can improve us, then I will have to look at that.

“Sittingbourne will be a tough game, a much tougher game than tonight. They are a very good side so it’s going to be a tough evening so we’ve got to dust ourselves down.”

Hythe Town have now suffered back-to-back cup defeats after losing 2-0 at home to Hayes & Yeading United in The FA Cup First Qualifying Round before giving Merstham their first win of the campaign.

“Yes, we’d like to go on a run and it would’ve been great for the club money wise. It’s always good to have a cup run but at least we’ve lost the last two cup games and it’s not effected our league position, so we can put things right next Tuesday night at Sittingbourne and then I can get the ball rolling again,” added Watt.

Merstham: Mo Utuyo, Jordan Wilson, Aziz Sankoh, Michael Aziaya, Michael Kamara, Luke Read, Lorenzo Lewis (Stephane Trah 71), Peter Adeniyi (Malakai Hyman 71), Bryan Zepo, Charlie Greenwood (Siao Blackwood 73), Alpha Diallo.
Subs: Joe Ringer, Jamal Abubakari, Charlie Alexiou, Malachi Morris

Goals: Lorenzo Lewis 15, 29, Malakai Hyman 90

Booked: Mo Utuyo 90

Hythe Town: Aaron Lee-Wharton, Sam Itauma (Ollie Gray 46), Jarred Trespaderne (Ross Ibbertson 81), Liam Smith, Jason Fregene (Josh Stirman 59), Marcus Goldsmith, Jack Mahoney, Jack Steventon, Johan Caney-Bryan, Frannie Collin, Shad Ngandu.
Subs: Daniel Smith, MacKenzie Gardiner, Ethan Smith

Booked: Jason Fregene 27, Shad Ngandu 37, Jack Mahoney 54, Jarred Trespaderne 90

Attendance: 136
Referee: Mr Joseph Turnpenny
Assistants: Mr Daryl Ann & Mr Pablo Aguilar