Raynes Park Vale 0-1 Croydon - I'm looking for committed players, says Croydon boss Dickson Gill

RAYNES PARK VALE  0-1  CROYDON
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 24^th July 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Grand Drive

CROYDON manager Dickson Gill says he wants more commitment from his players as they embark on their Southern Counties East Football League return after a five-year absence.

The Trams were without eight players for tonight’s pre-season friendly, which they defeated their former Combined Counties League rivals Raynes Park Vale, courtesy of Tristan Toney’s winner seventeen minutes from time.

“We had to work very hard for the game, considering we had a lot of trialists’ here,” said Gill afterwards.

“That ain’t our strongest side, but we’re looking to work towards them, but these boys did quite well.”

Gill added: “I’m just looking to get a settled side in at the moment.

“I’m still undecided because someone said they’ve got to work.  I’ve said to him this is your work so if you keep going missing because you’ve got to work or something then you’re not committed to football. I’m looking for people who are more committed.”

Raynes Park Vale begin their league campaign at home to Chertsey Town on 2 August and they went into this game unbeaten after drawing Broadbridge Heath (1-1) and beating Farleigh Rovers (4-1), Aldershot Town’s Academy (7-0) and the Zesh Rehman Academy (2-1).

Croydon extended their unbeaten pre-season run to four games after beating Banstead Athletic (2-1), drawing Wembley (2-2) and coming away from Farleigh Rovers with a 3-1 win.

The Trams play three more warm-up games before hosting Darren Anslow’s Deal Town to Croydon Sports Arena in their opening league game on 9 August.

Raynes Park Vale dominated for the early stages of the game, although their best chance arrived inside the opening three minutes.

Peter Hickford’s flick released lone striker Simon Moore through on goal and after cutting inside Croydon keeper Francis Ameyaw, he was denied a goal as the keeper got down low and used a strong right hand to prevent an early breakthrough.

“They didn’t really test him (Ameyaw) because we had enough good players in there to stop them doing that,” said Gill.

“In the first ten minutes they did cause us a little bit of a problem but reshuffled and the boys’ were quite disciplined to do their job.”

Gill was full of praise for his highly-rated stopper.

“He got a strong hand to it.  He’s been known for that. That’s why we’ve got him. He does a lot of good stops, he comes out for a lot of good crosses. He’s a very strong keeper.”

That was the home side’s best chance as shots peppered high and wide for the remainder of the game despite good link-up play in front of Croydon’s back four.

A cross from right-back Mark Walters was knocked down by Moore inside the Croydon penalty area and Callum Forbes flashed a first time left-footed drive past the near post.

Ato Okai, who was lively down the left wing, albeit he went missing after the interval, caused Michael Caraverio problems, cutting the ball back to Forbes, who drilled his first time drive sailing narrowly over the crossbar from 25-yards.

But despite being outplayed, Croydon created a great chance to grab the lead.

Marvin Hong played the ball in from the left and striker Badar Mohammed picked the ball up, turned, before drilling a right-footed curler towards the far corner from 25-yards, which forced goalkeeper Sam Fuller to dive to his left to push away.

Gill praised his number 14 for playing during a religious period.

“We didn’t have no forward as such so we had to push Badar up there and he was a lone striker. I think he did very well, considering he’s fasting.

“I said to him ‘you’re more disciplined than I am’ but to go out there and play in the heat and the way it is, he done very well.”

Justin Hemming, who went on to boss the midfield for Croydon, slipped a sublime through ball along the deck to release Toney through on goal but Fuller dived low to his right to prevent the former Hastings United striker scoring.

Gill added: “That’s what football’s all about.  You expect them to score and the goalkeeper does something spectacular like he does and you hold your hand up and say he done well.  He got it on target but the goalkeeper done his bit.”

Okai played the ball inside to Hickford, who flashed a speculative right-footed drive from 30-yards wide, before he floated in a cross from the right, which saw Ameyaw rush off his line and miss the punch to allow Moore to glance his header wide.

Croydon went close at the half-way point of the first half.

Mohammed whipped over a deep cross from left to right and Tom Kember, who had a quiet game on the right flank, cut the ball back to Caraverio, who played the ball inside to Hemming, who flashed his right-footed drive just past the right-hand post.

A threaded pass from central midfielder Adam Allen was latched onto by Hemming, who ran forward before flashing his right-footed low drive across the keeper and past the far post.

Toney released Mohammed, who skipped forward before cracking his left-footed drive sailing agonisingly just over the top of the crossbar.

Raynes Park Vale managed a shot on target in the 33^rd minute but Moore rushed his shot and the ball rolled apologetically into Ameyaw’s gloves.

The home side linked up well down the left again and Okai cut the ball back to Moore, before Jerrome Smart played a one-two with Forbes, before his right-footed drive from 20-yards sailed over the Croydon crossbar.

Central midfielder Hickman played a fine diagonal ball that sent left-back Brendan Vickery charging down the flank, before he cut the ball back for Okai, whose shot under pressure rolled across goal before being cleared.

Croydon’s defence were all at sea on the stroke of half-time but they survived as Okai played the ball into Moore, who flashed another chance just wide.

Raynes Park Vale made brought on a couple of substitutes at the interval, while Gill made just the one change, bringing on substitute keeper Byron Levin, who like Ameyaw was hardly tested.

Gill explained why he only made one change at the break.

“Because there’s a few people here that are squad players and they need games and fitness.  That’s important. That’s what we were doing.”

Levin picked up a rolling ball as Vickery roamed forward but his left-footed drive from distance proved to be speculative.

Levin looked over his left-hand shoulder just before the hour to watch an angled shot from Raynes Park Vale substitute Hector Torres sail over.

Gill highlighted special praise for central defender Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who was drafted in due to Dave Waters being made unavailable through work commitments.

“Give credit to our defending. I thought we defended well as a unit,” said Gill.

“I think Sayce done a very good strong job.  Dave Waters weren’t available today through work so I think he filled his job in there quite well.”

Mohammed swept a shot agonisingly wide of the left-hand post when he was released through on goal.

“He was unlucky there,” said Gill. “He sort of followed through didn’t he and swept it wide.  He would have been better off just going through the laces and scoring.

“It’s easy to criticise from where I am. As long as they’re attempted to have a go I can accept that. It’s when they don’t attempt.”

Croydon were awarded a couple of free-kicks just outside the penalty area in a central position.  The first one saw Mohammed drill his shot into the bottom of the defensive wall, whereas Hemmings got his shot over the wall for Fuller to comfortably pluck out of the air above his head.

“It was an easy save really, he (Hemmings) didn’t quite catch it right,” said Gill.

“Against Banstead he had a good one, he put it right in the top corner, but it’s central of the goal. It’s an easy save for the keeper.”

Hemmings was Croydon’s most impressive player on the night.

Gill said: “He’s our key man this year. We’ve worked very hard on him. We’re looking after him to make sure he does a job for us and I can’t ask him anymore. He’s really working hard. I asked him to up it at half-time, which he did.”

The home side also had a free-kick in a promising area but Hickford wasted it and whipped his effort curling harmlessly around the far post.

But Croydon became the first side to win at the ramshackle Grand Drive this season, courtesy of Toney’s fine goal.

The former Lewisham Borough striker finished last season playing for Hastings United, losing to Folkestone Invicta in the Ryman League Division One South play-off Semi-Final.

Substitute Khali Ahmead was given time and space down the left-wing to whip in a precise cross over the two central defenders and Toney caressed his shot with the outside of his right-boot across the stranded keeper and the ball nestled inside the bottom left-hand corner.

Gill said: “He caught the keeper unexpected. He’s side-footed it into the corner, which not many forwards do nowadays do they? They like to smash it so really it’s a well-taken goal.

“A great ball, it was a great ball actually. It caught everyone out and put it straight though so it was a deserved win for us.”

Raynes Park Vale substitute Stuart Watkins drilled a 40-yard shot towards goal which bounced off a Croydon head for a corner.  Watkins swung the resulting corner towards the near post but fellow substitute Connor Turner stabbed his shot narrowly wide.

Orange-shirted Croydon saw out the remainder of the game unscathed.

“I did ask (Levin, my second half goalkeeper) to be on his toes and make sure he organised and he did that today because when he played Tuesday he didn’t organise as well, but he did that today, so it’s another plus for him.”

Gill admits he’s delighted with his unbeaten start to pre-season.

“Every game’s important when you want to play because otherwise you wouldn’t be shouting and moaning,” he said.

“Every game, even a training game, is important.  You have to win. If you don’t want to win then you shouldn’t play.”

Croydon have finished in fourteenth-place in their last two Combined Counties League campaigns.

The artist formerly known as the Kent League is a stronger league than the one that the Trams have just left.

Croydon finished third, 12^th and 9^th in their three campaigns in the Kent League (between 2007-2009) and became the first side outside of Kent to win the League Cup in 2009.

“When we was there we had a good time there. We won the cup there with no budget,” recalled Gill.

“We made some nice friends over there.  The League made us very welcome when we was there last time. 

“I thought we enjoyed it.  Traffic wise, there’s less traffic going that way (into Kent) than there is coming to this (Combined Counties) League.

“I’m not too fussed what league you’re in.  You’ve still got to play games. You’ve still got to win games, that helps.”

When asked what his aspirations are for the season ahead, Gill replied: “Midtable! I’ll be happy because we ain’t got no money. Everyone’s paying big money. Money doesn’t win games, it helps, but we’ve got some players and we’re just going to make it difficult for everyone and that’s what our aim is, make it difficult and we’ll win.”

Gill wants to have a settled side going into their league campaign.

“It’s more or less depending on availabilities.  That’s what kills this level of football.  You never know who you’re going to have from week-to-week and that’s the difficult part for any coach or manager.”

Raynes Park Vale: Sam Fuller, Mark Walters (Stuart Watkins 46), Brendan Vickery, Shane McEntaggart, John Makin (Kyle Bailey 63), Jerrome Smart (Connor Turner 63), Peter Hickford, Callum Forbes, Simon Moore (Dave Weatherhead 46), Ato Okai, Dave Weatherhead (Hector Torres 46).

Croydon: Francis Ameyaw (Byron Levin 46), Michael Caraverio, Marvin Hong, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, James Jordan, Justin Hemming, Yongjin Joe (Rhys Martin 52), Adam Allen (Khali Ahmead 57), Badar Mohammed (Emmanuel Kadiki 69), Tristan Toney, Tom Kember (Catalin Meresciu 52).
Sub: Jamie Atkins

Goal: Tristan Toney 73

Attendance: 22
Referee: Mr David Crick (Ewell, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Jason Lidbetter (Surbiton, Surrey) & Mr Mark Edwards (Sutton, Surrey)