Raynes Park Vale 3-3 Greenwich Borough - Players are pointing the finger of blame, says Firkins

Tuesday 20th July 2010

RAYNES PARK VALE 3-3 GREENWICH BOROUGH
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 20th July 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Grand Drive

GREENWICH BOROUGH boss Steve Firkins admitted he was disappointed with his side after they threw away a two-goal lead to settle for a draw at Raynes Park Vale in their fourth pre-season friendly of the summer.

Firkins could only take a 12-man squad to south-west London to face the Combined Counties League side and two first half goals from striker Peter Afoloyan (who was wearing the number 2 shirt) and Nathaniel Bell put the Kent League’s smallest club 3-1 in front at the break.

But things conspired against Firkins, as he was forced to withdrawal Bell at the break due to a knee injury, and due to the shortage of numbers, Adam Wadmore (thigh) and skipper Mike Jones (foot) battled on during the second half.

Raynes Park Vale manager Ed Cornwell had the luxury of bringing on six substitutes during the second half and a brace from striker Aaron Ageyman (after his strike partner Austin Gacheru had earlier equalised) turned the game in Vale’s favour.

Firkins was also without Billy Walton, Tommy Lae, Sam Friskey, Frankie Warren for this warm-up - and Luke Tanner rang up his manager to inform him that he was at the club’s EDF training ground in Eltham instead of the adjacent sports field to Raynes Park’s ground.

The game was switched to the neighbouring playing field due to an unfit pitch at the home club’s modest ground - although the pitch that this game was played on was in worse condition and this was a concern to the Borough boss.

“Obviously we was a little bit concerned about the pitch, it was not an ideal pitch, but I’m quite pleased with the first half,” Firkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We seemed to take control of the game, left them back in it for a little while, but then second half I tried something a little bit different and it didn’t quite work and it gave them a little bit of impetus really and fair play to them, they came back and we gave them two goals late but disappointed that we haven’t performed better.

“Although we could’ve made excuses, there’s three or four lads in there with blisters and we didn’t really have a big squad out there tonight, so I’m a little bit disappointed really.

“I think after being 3-1 up we should’ve really sealed the game off.”

Despite the game kicking-off fifteen minutes earlier than planned, Greenwich Borough got off to a flying start by taking the lead inside the opening five minutes.

Duke Binitie played in his strike partner Afolayan with a precise pass inside the penalty box and although his first touch was poor, he kept his composure and swept the ball to the keeper’s right and the ball trickled into the bottom far corner.

But Raynes Park Vale quickly levelled proceedings when, in the 14th minute, neat feet inside the Greenwich penalty area from powerhouse striker Gacheru, who had defenders swarming around him, he still managed to get the ball from underneath his feet to smash a low drive across Danny Firkins to find the bottom far corner.

But two counter-attacking goals within the space of 119 seconds assisted Greenwich Borough to take a two-goal advantage going into the break.

To their credit, Greenwich Borough played their trademark passing game out of defence on an awful rock-hard pitch, before one long ball caught the home side’s defence sleeping and Binitie laid the ball off to Bell, who clinically fired the ball past Brady.

Another swift raid brought more success for Borough in the 32nd minute when they broke down the left with Jones and he in turn released Binitie, who beat the offside trap, to look up and cross towards the far post where diminutive striker Afolayan leapt to cushion a header across the keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Raynes Park Vale manager Cornwell was heard saying during the five-minute interval “do you want to lose a nine game unbeaten run against these, a team from Kent?”

These words obviously had a desired effect as Raynes Park Vale were camped inside the Greenwich Borough half for a vast majority of the second half, as the Kent League side struggled as the game went on through fatigue.

A ball over the top released Ageyman through on goal, but his shot was beaten out by Firkins and Gacheru’s chip sailed over the keeper but Bobby Hanley calmly headed the ball off the line just two minutes into the second half.

Firkins stuck out his right arm to sent Craig Reading’s 30-yard drive around his post as Raynes Park Vale raised their tempo.

But Greenwich almost sealed the win when following a short corner routine down the right, Afolayan struck a half-volley towards goal, where defender Danny Stevens headed off the line.

The lively Ageyman pulled a goal back after 63 minutes when the hard-working threat of Gacheru set up his team-mate, who smashed a shot high into the top near corner, with Firkins well beaten at his near post.

The goalscorer turned provider when his cut-back found Dave Mosely, but he dragged his shot just past the far post, as the midfielder ghosted into space on the edge of the penalty area.

But Greenwich Borough were good on a quick counter attack and Afolayan was once again released down the inside left-channel, but instead of trying his luck, he smashed the ball out wide to Harry Draper, who sent an excellent ball towards the far post where the number 2 headed down and into Brady’s grateful arms.

Raynes Park Vale pegged back the Kent League side and it was no surprise when Ageyman swept the ball past Firkins with four minutes left to play after a cross from the left to level.

Luckily for Borough, referee Mr Lewis Gordon (who had booked one of the home side’s players) called time a couple of minutes early, as they might have leaked a fourth goal as Borough were on the ropes by that point.

Firkins was pleased with his two-goal hero Afolayan, but not with Luke Tanner, who stupidly travelled to the wrong ground.

“Peter, he’s promising,” he said. “We’ve got another couple of strikers and they’ve all got off the mark though the season so that’s been promising for us.

And speaking about Tanner, the boss replied, “I think he’s going to get a little bit of stick when he comes training on Thursday!”

Speaking about their four pre-season games so far, where they have played Leyton (1-4), Cwmbran Celtic (3-1) and Bridon Ropes (3-2), Firkins admits he is pleased with progress.

“I’m quite pleased, it’s about getting the players to know each other and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” said Firkins.

“They’ve not been easy games, I don’t think any pre-season game is easy really. I’ve been quite pleased how the boys have gelled. There’s been banter, which is good and a few of them have got into pointing the fingers scenario now as you saw tonight, but that’s good because it shows that they’re identifying certain players aren’t doing their jobs.

“Overall, I’ve been very, very pleased with the way we’ve set ourselves up. We’ve played two or three formations, which again has been a plus for us. In the past we were branded as just a straight 4-4-2 side, but I’ve got the sort of players here now that I can switch the systems about now.”

But Firkins was pleased that no serious injuries were picked up on a bobbly rock-hard park pitch.

“I must admit, I kept saying to you how long have we got - the only reason was I could see someone turning an ankle and I haven’t got a very big squad,” he added.

Raynes Park Vale: Paul Brady, Marc Skinner, Matty Jordan (Tom Simpson 49), Anthony Vine, Danny Stevens, James Kay (Tom Dawson 63), Craig Reading (Jack Willamson 75), Dave Mosely (Matthew Aeron-Thomas 76), Austin Gacheru (Alex Zieleniewski 70), Aaron Ageyman, Manny Sempa (Dre Groblaar 49).

Goals: Austin Gacheru 11, Aaron Ageyman 63, 86

Booked: Dre Groblaar 81

Greenwich Borough: Danny Firkins, Peter Afolayan, Adam Wadmore, Frank Richards, Bobby Hanley, Danny Taylor, Harry Draper, Mike Jones, Nathaniel Bell (Jason Mabbs 46), Duke Binitie, Frank Bunani.

Goals: Peter Afolayan 5, 32, Nathaniel Bell 30

Attendance: 10

Referee: Mr Lewis Gordon (Wallington, Surrey)

Assistants: Mr Billy Browne (Leatherhead, Surrey) & Mr Ken Murray (Morden, Surrey)