Otford United 0-3 Fleetdown United - We're capable of upsetting a few teams, says Fleetdown boss

OTFORD UNITED  0-3  FLEETDOWN UNITED
Haart of Kent County League Division One
Wednesday 21^st September 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Otford Recreation Ground

FLEETDOWN UNITED climbed up to fourth place in the Haart of Kent County League Division One table as they piled more misery on struggling Otford United.

Otford opened their campaign with a 5-4 home win over AFC Sevenoaks, but since then they have suffered defeats to Metrogas, Hildenborough Athletic and Sheppey United, a side with a 100% record at the top of the table.

Dartford based visitors Fleetdown United, meanwhile, began their league campaign with wins over Belvedere and Sheppey United, but were defeated by Kennington and played out a goal-less draw at Forest Hill Park, but they bounced back from Saturday’s 6-3 defeat to Metrogas in the Bill Manlow Inter-Regional Challenge Cup underneath the floodlights tonight.

Midfielder Kyle Gurney sent them on their way with a sixteenth minute finish, but two quality second half strikes from outside of the penalty area from 22-year-old striker, George Huffer maintained their unbeaten away record.

“Our away form in the league has been very good so after the 6-3 Cup defeat to Metrogas, a good win, 3-0 at Otford, it takes the pressure off a little bit,” said Fleetdown United manager Paul Lakin, 35, who is the younger brother of Barry Lakin, who previously managed Erith & Belvedere and is still coaching at Ryman League Division One North outfit Heybridge Swifts.

With Otford United manager Denis Leigh unavailable as he was celebrating his wedding anniversary, coach Jim Gillan, 48, took charge of team affairs tonight.

He said: “I don’t know what to say really, no passion, no desire from us.  We didn’t really get into the game second half but the first half it was there for the taking. 

“The boys’ came out, they didn’t do what we asked them to do.   It was a bit of a lacklustre performance so no excuses really.  We got beat by the better side.”

There was concern for referee Steve Martin before the game as both teams wore similar coloured kits.

Otford United wore amber shirts, black shorts and black socks, whilst Fleetdown Untied also used their first team strip of orange shirts, black shorts and black socks.

However, Otford’s away strip arrived later on and Fleetdown donned the borrowed red shirts for the second half.

Played at the picturesque setting at Otford Recreation Ground under floodlights, a crowd of 41 gathered mainly underneath the clubroom roof to watch two teams that utilised a decent playing surface which favoured both sides’ passing game.

The home side created the first opportunity inside the opening three minutes when Tim Iles was released down the left and his cut back found Jack Saunders, whose low right-footed shot from 16-yards was saved by visiting keeper Joe Hyde low to his right.

But Fleetdown United opened the scoring in the 16^th minute.

Long throw specialist David Cox climbed up the hill before launching the ball into the penalty area which was flicked on by Jack Beazley and Gurney controlled the ball before rifling it home into the middle of the goal to the keeper’s left with his left foot.

Lakin said: “The boy’s got plenty of pace to burn.  When he gets into the box we’ve told him to shoot, be more direct and he’s done that.  He’s got the ball out of his feet, great strike, good goal.  He deserves his goal.  He played well.”

Gillan added: “Ball watching from the defence, no-one picking up, the defence not picking up.  Schoolboy errors really.  No one around the pitch didn’t take the ball and didn’t pick up the man coming in from the back. Silly goal!” 

With skipper Callum Hill pulling all of the strings in the Otford midfield during the first half, the home side created their second chance just past the half-hour mark when Terry Masher’s right-footed drive from 22-yards stung Hyde’s fingers.

If Hill maintains the form he showed during the first half then the scouts will be at this ground on a regular basis to offer him a higher level of football.

Gillan said: “He’s a great player Callum, he’s definitely a player who could play up a level from where we are.  Hopefully he’ll stay with us and we’ll go up a level but on that performance tonight, the second half performance from him he looked average, but that’s not normal to be fair.  He’s a shining light.  He’s got an engine I’ve not seen before.  He’s a great player.

“Hopefully they (higher league clubs) don’t take him yet – we can’t afford to lose him!”

Otford United goalkeeper, Jordan Busby made a string of fine saves to keep the score down and he was called into action six minutes before the break when he stuck out an arm high to his left to deny Michael Beattie from scoring with a right-footed shot after Henry Goldsmith’s corner from the left fell to him.

Otford played their better football during the first half and they finished the half with two decent chances.

Masher’s right-footed curling free-kick from 25-yards forced Hyde into palming the ball away high to his left and Chris Crouch flicked Jamie Knight’s resulting corner onto the near post from an acute angle.

However, the change of shirts, seemed to turn the tide towards Fleetdown’s favour as they were by far the better side after the interval.

Busby made a full stretch save to thwart Cox and the ball was played out to Steve Jury, who floated the ball towards the far post and a stretching Beazley was denied by the keeper at the near post.

Gurney whipped in a cross-come-shot from the left, which was tipped over by Busby, as the second half appeared to be a one-man show.

Despite being on the back foot, Otford United almost grabbed a 67^th minute equaliser when Saunders’ overhead kick bounced agonisingly wide of the far post.

That proved to be the turning point as Huffer produced two quality finishes to win the game for Fleetdown United.

Huffer cut in from the left and drilled a low right-footed drive from 25-yards that beat the diving keeper as the ball nestled into the bottom left-hand corner in the 72^nd minute.

And Fleetdown wrapped up the victory just four minutes later when Huffer cracked a right-footed half-volley from 25-yards, which took a slight deflection on its way of hitting the left hand post and nestling into the back of the Otford net.

Huffer produced two finishes that would have graced a higher level of football.

“If it wasn’t for the goalkeeper it could’ve been four or five.  I think the 3-0 scoreline is most deserved, most definitely,” said Lakin.

“George got another two (goals) Saturday.  He’s on fire at the moment! His strike partner is out at the moment but he’s scored a few goals now, which is good.  Six in five (games) so he’s doing alright, he’s doing well.”

Huffer squandered his hat-trick chance when Cox launched the ball into the Otford penalty area and the striker headed down and into Busby’s grateful arms from sixteen yards.

Busby made another fine save inside injury time, pushing the ball away as Beazley brought the ball under control before stroking a right-footed shot towards goal.

“Good keeper Jordan, great hands,” added Gillan.  “I feel sorry for him, three goals was a bit unfair with the performance he had to be fair.

“Two strikes outside the box, but they don’t usually beat our keeper from outside of the box so he’s (Huffer) done well.”

Fleetdown United move on to a trip to Saga Sports & Social on Saturday and Lakin said: “We’ve been promoted from division two last year.  Being a new league format as well we don’t know what to expect.  I know of other teams in the league but football wise it’s a big step-up from last season but we’ve got a young squad that’s capable of upsetting a few teams, hopefully.

“We’ve got Saga Sports on Saturday so we’ll be looking to capitalise on and hopefully we can get another three points.  I’ve seen a few of their results, Metrogas beat them a little while ago, and if we play like this, with our away form, we’ll go down there and get three points, most definitely.”

When asked about his ambitions for the season ahead, Lakin said: “The club’s ambitious.  Over the last four or five years we’ve been re-building with a young squad.  We went down.  The main aim last year was to get up and I brought this team through with various people from the club.   We’re setting our first sight was not to get relegated this year.  If we can push on, promotion is not a bad shout, hopefully, possibly.  We’ll wait and see what the season brings.”

Despite losing, Gillan was pleased with the good football on show.

He said: “We do try to play football and it’s better when we play against a team that play football.  It must be a great game to watch, a frustrating game to manage.    We encourage the football rather than the push and the run!”

Gillan, meanwhile, wants his side to bounce back with an away win at University of Kent (who haven’t played a game yet) in the Bill Manklow Inter-Regional Challenge Cup on Saturday.

He said: “We played them last year, we won one and lost one.  They’re a physical side, they like to play football.  Any club that likes to play football and doesn’t want to have a fight is good – and they don’t!  It should be a good game on Saturday.  We’ve got a job to do to get the boys’ up from tonight.  I think on our day we’re good enough for anyone in this league.”

He added: “Saturday is a must-win game really.  I’m glad it’s a Cup game so it will give us a chance to get back to winning ways in the league.

“It’s unacceptable for Otford to be (struggling), we don’t do four (defeats) in a row and it hurts a little bit.”

This fixture was the only game played in Kent tonight and both managers admitted midweek football at Otford should occur more frequently.

“The facilities here are great for night matches.  The boys’ are always up for night matches as well.  I like them as well so we do get more people down here so if the league can give us more night games that would be great,” said Gillan.

Lakin added: “It’s nice, a midweek game.  They (my players) work hard and they go to football and come to a place like Otford you can’t really grumble.  A great pitch, a great little atmosphere, everything nice and enclosed.  Everyone likes to play at a nice place like this, most definitely.”

Otford United:  Jordan Busby, Sebastian Christopher, Mark Moyce, Phil Perkins, James Sandiford, Chris Crouch (Andrew Knight 70), Terry Masher, Callum Hill, Jack Saunders, Tim Iles (Mike Cunningham 50), Jamie Knight.
Subs:  Aaron Fuller, Steve Knell.

Fleetdown United:  Joe Hyde, Henry Goldsmith, Lee Christie, Danny Wardale (Oliver Hyde 62), Lee Anderson, Steve Jury (Ben Coaker 73), David Cox, Michael Beattie, Kyle Gurney, George Huffer, Jack Beazley.
Sub: Paul Alkin

Goals:  Kyle Gurney 16, George Huffer 72, 76

Attendance: 41
Referee:  Mr Steve Martin (Orpington)