Rochester United 2-1 Chessington & Hook United - We're unbeaten in the league, so we don't fear anybody, they should be fearing us, says Rochester United assistant Mike Langston

Rochester United 2 – 1 Chessington & Hook United
Location	Rede Court Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 3TU
Kickoff	14/09/2016 19:45

ROCHESTER UNITED  2-1  CHESSINGTON & HOOK UNITED
The Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round Replay
Wednesday 14^th September 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Rede Court Road

ROCHESTER UNITED assistant manager Mike Langston says his workmanlike side fear nobody after beating Chessington & Hook United at the second attempt in The FA Vase.

The two sides shared six goals after 120 minutes of football in the first game on Saturday but goals from central defenders Ricki Holmes and Andy Pierce were enough to beat fourth-placed Combined Counties League Division One (Step Six) side Chessington & Hook United, who had equalised through Lewis Skipp’s headed goal.

Rochester United will host Beckenham Town, who thrashed Chessington’s league rivals Dorking 4-1, in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday 24 September and this win extended their unbeaten run to eight games.

“It wasn’t a pretty game, I thought we made hard work of it,” admitted Langston, who was in charge of the game with Matt Hume on holiday in Turkey for three games.

“I thought we started off well, we got out of the blocks really well and I was really pleased.  Sometimes we don’t always start that well and I thought that we did tonight and then we sort of died a death.  We got the goal and we seemed to go in our shell a bit and I thought first half we were quite happy with one-all.  I thought they were the better side first half.

“I thought second half we came at them a bit more and I think we deserved to win it at the end.  We hit the post twice, they had chances, they put them over the top. They were a good side.  They’ve got a bit of pace up front but I thought the second half we were a lot better and I think we deserved to win it.”

The first half was a tight affair, although Rochester United created the first opening inside six minutes.  Tom Carr cut inside and his weak shot from 25-yards with his left foot bounced into the hands of visiting keeper Ian Hewitt.

Chessington & Hook United offered plenty of pace in attack, but their ploy of hitting long balls out of defence over Steve Rothery’s head were too predictable.

Skipper Dan Green dinked the ball down the left for Kienion Robinson, but the ball ricochet into the hands of Rochester keeper Michael Elder.

There was concern when Chessington central defender Adam Marie went down for treatment and a stream of glass from one of the floodlights fell down (although none of the bulbs went out), on to the side of the pitch. Referee Emmanuel Nketiam deemed the conditions to be safe for play to continue.

Rochester midfielder Tony Whitaker lost the ball in the middle of the park to Robinson and Skipp released Ade Peters down the right and his right-footed drive was comfortably saved by Elder.

Marie hit a long free-kick down the right channel from the centre of the pitch for Robinson, whose drive was saved by Elder, diving to his right, although the midfielder cracked his angled drive past the far post after 19 minutes of play.

“Michael’s been superb, absolutely superb,” said Langston.

“You saw the amount of saves he did today. Maybe he might be slightly at fault for the goal but apart from that he’s been superb this season. He’s been a really good signing for us.”

Rochester United’s lone striker Dan Gonzalez-Bello fashioned himself a chance when he turned his man down the left channel, cut inside and his curler from 25-yards stung Hewitt’s fingers, before the keeper gathered at the second attempt.

Langston added: “Again, he was unlucky again. I thought Dan maybe was man-of-the-match apart from Elder. He held the ball really well. He’s had a rough time of it but I thought he was superb again.”

Rochester United grabbed the lead through Holmes’ desire, the goal timed at 25 minutes and 17 seconds.

Collis’ swung in the corner from the left and Holmes cut across from the edge of the box to the near post to guide his free header into the top left-hand corner from six-yards.

“We have worked on that, I know everyone says that, but we have worked on that,” revealed Langston.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. He either flicks it on but on this occasion he was in the right position to score, so yes, good corner from Vince and a fantastic header by Ricki. There’s no one better than doing the near post than he is!”

But as so often happen in football, Rochester United leaked an equaliser, only 144 seconds later.

A poor clearance out of defence from Whitaker fell at Jack Flack’s feet and the Chessington left-back floated in a cross into the box.  Martyn Gange rose with Elder, who punched more of the striker than the ball and the ball sailed over towards an unmarked Skipp who sent his header into the top right-hand corner from a couple yards out.

“The ball had gone loose, Tony Whitaker should’ve dealt with it and he tried to pass the ball instead of just getting rid of it really.  I think if we’d have dealt with that it wouldn’t have gone back to where it did and then back across.

“Maybe the keeper, that’s the only time I would say in the last six games, he’s really looked like making a slight mistake.  Maybe he could’ve dealt with that a bit better but it’s harsh to blame the keeper really. 

“I just think maybe Tony should’ve done better and then he would’ve dealt with it but we didn’t – they deserved it in fairness. We just went to sleep there.”

The lively Robinson took a touch before sweeping his left-footed drive over the Rochester crossbar from 25-yards, while at the other end, Carr narrowly missed an excellent delivery from the right from Rothery, as the ball curled around the far post.

“They were causing us a lot of problems first half. I don’t think they were great, it's just that we were poor and below our standard and we had words at half-time,” revealed Langston.

“I think we sorted it second half, we were much tighter and we worked a lot better on and off the ball.

“I just think we knew we could do better, especially with the start we had and we just said to them ‘we’ve got to start playing for each other a bit more off the ball and on the ball’.  I just think we weren’t doing that really and we did it. We came out and we competed a lot more. We wanted the ball more, people were talking more and I think it showed in the second half.”

Rochester United attempted to break the stalemate inside the opening two minutes of the second half.

Carr launched a trademark long throw into the Chessington box, the ball came out to Rothery, who hooked his shot across the keeper, who knew it was going wide, and past the far post.

Visiting keeper Hewitt was called into action in the 55^th minute.

Pierce swept his free-kick over Flack’s head and Gonzalez-Bello cut inside and swept his shot across the keeper, who dived low to his right to make the save.

“Dan’s really unlucky today. He deserved a goal. He worked hard. It was a good effort. Their keeper done well today as well,” added Langston.

Hewitt made a vital stop on his goal-line to deny Rochester United taking the lead shortly afterwards.

Rothery’s low pass gave Collis the chance to cut into the box to reach the by-line to cut the ball back for Carr, who scuffed a poor low shot across Hewitt, who dived low to his left to ensure he gathered the ball on his goal-line.

The Chessington keeper immediately kicked the ball up field, which dropped over the Rochester defence and Aaron Agyeman saw his chip bounce in front of the goal-line before dropping over the crossbar for a goal-kick.

“Their keeper made one amazing save that was on the line,” said Langston, who added: “If they had a bit more composure, maybe they might’ve got a goal.”

With both teams packing midfield, you got the impression that the game would last the distance.

Rothery played the ball inside to midfielder Carr, who took a touch and cracked a left-footed 30-yard drive, which only just cleared the Chessington crossbar.

But Rochester United sealed the victory in the 68^th minute.

Collis drilled a low drive from 22-yards, which flashed through the penalty area and pinged the foot of the far post.  The ball came out to substitute right-winger Michael Hurcumb, who put the ball back into the box and Pierce steered his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

“I must admit, I felt quite confident we’d get the goal. We kept pushing and pushing. They had chances but I still felt confident we’d get it,” said Langston.

“It was a scrappy goal, probably Vince should’ve scored. Michael’s come on and he’s come back to the club and he’s done well.

“Andy’s got another goal. He got one in the first leg, he just gets in the right place. It was a scrappy goal, but I’ll take it!”

Pierce almost grabbed his third goal of the season when he hung in the air to loop his header into Hewitt’s hands after Rothery floated in a free-kick from the left.

Langston was full of praise for his match-winning skipper.

He said: “Andy’s been great for us, he’s the skipper, he leads by example and he’s a big signing for us this year.”

Chessington & Hook United were to be denied an equaliser by a smart save from Elder, diving low to his left to turn behind Peters’ angled drive from the right with 11 minutes remaining.

Referee Mr Nketiah issued his only booking late on when frustrated Chessington striker Gange punched the ball past the right-hand post, but Chessington missed a glorious chance to force extra-time for the second time four seconds into injury time.

Green’s low pass down the right found Myles Henry on the overlap and the right-back whipped in a great cross towards the far post towards the unmarked Robinson, who swept his volley past the left-hand post from 10-yards.

“I think that was Michael’s presence in goal put him off in that bright yellow top,” said Langston.

“They could’ve scored but you have a bit of luck.  We had some bad luck when it hit the post and we’ve had a bit of luck go our way so that is football.”

There was still time for Rochester substitute Harrison Hume to clip the right-hand post from 20-yards, but they ended Chessington & Hook United’s five match unbeaten run.

“He’s only a youngster, very young. He’s come on done well again and he could’ve scored, should’ve scored maybe. It’s hard to say, he’s hit the post, it’s just unlucky.”

With manager Matt Hume on his holiday, his brother and former Maidstone United manager Lloyd was in the dug-out alongside Langston and coach Tim Warden.

“We don’t need him (Matt Hume) now,” joked Langston following the win.

“Lloyd’s just come in to offer a bit of help for me today. He’s a very experienced man so if you get someone like that offering you invaluable help you’ve got to take it.  I’m not proud. If someone comes in and offers their help for me I’m going to take it.  The man knows what he’s talking about.”

Rochester United, in seventh-place in the Southern Counties East Football League, unbeaten in six games on 10 points, now face three big home games at Rede Court Road. Big-spending Crowborough Athletic visit on Saturday, newly-promoted side Sheppey United arrive next Wednesday, before Beckenham Town visit in The FA Vase on 24 September.

Langston said: “I think Crowborough is tough. They’ve more or less got a completely new side this year. The players I know have all gone, some have gone to Tunbridge Wells, so that’s going to be a tough game but we’re unbeaten in the league, we’re eight unbeaten so we don’t fear anybody, so we’ll have to wait and see.

“We’ve got a few boys with connections with Sheppey so again that’s going to be another tough one but at the moment we don’t fear anybody. We’re unbeaten so they should be fearing us.”

Beckenham Town produced scintillating football during their win at Dorking on Sunday and were thrashed 5-0 at home to Cray Valley in the league tonight and are in 13^th place in the league on eight points from seven games.

“Beckenham are a funny side, we played them last year and they can either turn up and look good or they turn up and look awful,” said Langston.

“I’m not sure how good or bad Dorking were so we are quite confident at the moment.

“Any win is good whether it’s league or cup or anything. We always say our priority is the league but something like The FA Vase, you want to see how far you can get. Winning breeds confidence and there’s money involved for the club, which is invaluable again.  You need the cash and we want to go as far as we can and help the club as well. It means a lot.”

Rochester United: Michael Elder, Dan Nash, Steve Rothery, Tony Whitaker, Andy Pierce, Ricki Holmes, Rob Alderman (Michael Hurcumb 66), Tom Carr, Dan Gonzalez-Bello, Tom Box (Harrison Hume 74), Vince Collis (Sam Parrish 87).
Subs: Jack Hayes, Jonathan Funnell

Goals: Ricki Holmes 26, Andy Pierce 68

Chessington & Hook United:  Ian Hewitt, Myles Henry, Jack Flack, Lewis Skipp (Jamie Ellis 73), Adam Marie, Christian Money, Dan Green, Kienion Robinson, Martyn Gange, Aaron Agyeman, Ade Peters.
Subs: Ryan Howard, Ross Tomassi, Morgan Ellis

Goal: Lewis Skipp 28

Booked: Martyn Gange 90

Attendance: 68
Referee: Mr Emmanuel Nketiam (Thamesmead, London SE26)
Assistants: Mr Harry Phillips (Dartford) & Mr Tom Chivilo (Ramsgate)

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