Rochester United 3-0 Lordswood - Replacing Stuart Zanone will be very difficult, says Glenn Barlow

Tuesday 25th September 2012

ROCHESTER UNITED 3-0 LORDSWOOD
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Tuesday 25^th September 2012
Mike Green reports from Rede Court Road

My boys have hurt me tonight and very rarely do I get hurt, but they have tonight - there's a character that wins local derbies, and they were in red rather than Lordswood orange tonight," the blunt assessment or Lordswood boss Jason Lillis after Stuart Zanone and Tim Beckford inspired Rochester United to third place in the Kent Hulimann Football League table.

Zanone added to his growing reputation with two more - taking his seasons tally to fourteen in just seven games - and Beckford weighed in with the opener as Lordwood simply had not response to the United front line, making it a jubilant night for boss Glenn Barlow.

"Superb win for us and I couldn’t have asked anymore from the boys!" he admitted. "It was our first game against our local rivals at this level - everyone thought it was going to be a tough game, and we've done well - I thought we dictated the game throughout really, and fully deserved to win.

"Stuart and Beckford are forming a real partnership where no one can seem to defend against them and Stuart is reaping the rewards with his goals, yet Beckford's really working hard and popping up with the occasionial goal and as a result its obviously going really well at the moment which is really pleasing to watch."

It really was the flying site for the home side, as they netted twice into the opening ten minutes as first Beckford curled the ball around the helpless Matt Byott in the Lords goal after a super through ball from Zanone on five minutes, before Michael Brown played a defence splitting pass for Zanone to run onto to fire the ball beyond the totally exposed Byott.

It really was the start that Rochester dreams were made of and Lordswood nightmares as the night rapidly unravelled.

"First 20 minutes of the game killed us - we really weren't at the races!" bemoaned Lillis.

"It’s hard when you're 2-0 down, but we still I thought dominated the game to a fashion but with no quality, and if you don’t have quality when it matters you simply don’t win games!

“We knew what we had to do and they had a plan on how to do it but we weren't getting the balls in the right areas early enough. But I can’t answer why, only the players can. But they know about it!

“I can’t praise our players enough for what they give me, but we can’t keep going on previous performances - we've got to grind performances out week in, week out, especially at a local derby. I just don’t think that my players wanted it enough tonight!"

It could have been even worse for Lordswood had keeper Byott not produced a fine save to deny Zanone as he raced clear - pouncing on a poor header only to be denied by a stunning block, before finally Lords got a foot hold and had a loud shout for a penalty waved away by referee Mr Mike Marsh as Joe Kane's run seemed to be brought to a premature end.

Byott again came to Lords rescue as the keeper brilliantly keeping out home sub Matt Rowe's 29th minute shot after a terrific move down the right of which Scott Beale was instrumental.

Rowe had come on for the unlucky Ryan Robinson who hobbled off with an injury after only 14 minutes.

Lillis made two changes at the break and they almost immediately paid dividends as Mark Murison skipped round Joe Hagan in the Rochester goal, but the keeper had done enough to force the striker wide and without support the chance was gone.

Hagan was called into action again on the hour - diving away to his left to cling onto Adam Hooper's fine drive, before Lords were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty when sub Rob Norman was unceremonially bundled over in the box.

Again Mr Marsh waved the appeals away - a decision that left Lillis almost lost for words - "There were a couple of shouts that should have gone our way but I can’t make those decisions for the officials - it was the one on Rob (Norman) second half when he's gone through and had his shirt pulled three times and we get nothing. Now I dont mind if we only get a free kick outside the box, but give us the decision please. He was looking at his assistant for help I suppose, but she wasn't up with play most of the night anyway."

The home side were well and truly on the back foot as Lords desperately tried to get back into the game - keeper Hagan pulling off a great save with his left boot to deny Matt McHugh after Norman's first attempt had been blocked, before Craig Harvey came within inches of setting up the grandstand finish as he fired in a swerved drive, that bent just far enough wide of the goal as far as a relieved Hagen was concerned.

But when you have two form strikers up against an increasingly stretched defence, more often than not the strikers strike and that’s exactly what happened on 87 minutes when Beckford released Zanone down the left, and his charging run into the box (after enjoying a fortunate ricochet off a defenders shins) led to an initially shot that Byott did brilliantly to block.

But when the balls rolling for you it really is, and the rebound off the keeper went straight back to Zanone who blasted the ball high into the net.

Byott reclaimed something from the striker however when he denied Zanone another hat trick in stoppage time as he produced a terrific block to deny the striker what would have been his 15th of the season.

But as it was, the goal had ended this game as a contest, and left his manager overjoyed with his prized asset.

"I'm pleased to the point as to how well we're performing as a club and obviously how well Stuart’s doing for himself, but at the same time I don’t want to lose him as I know just how bigger key he is for us for the success that we're having at the moment," Barlow said through almost gritted teeth.

"If we do lose him, we have to replace him obviously but I know that its going to be very difficult, but I hope that we can keep him. There's apparently currently interest from both Erith & Belvedere and Bromley, but I have asked to talk to both clubs so that we can wrap any deal up early doors, but neither have got back to me at the moment! So it’s almost as if we're going to have to wait the seven days, then they'll approach him and we'll talk from then!"

“Before then we have Fisher on Saturday and that's going to be tough for us as we're going to probably be missing both centre halves for the weekend. And losing both is going to be a massive, massive blow for us! I cannot begin to think how bad that could be for us as its going to be a massive dent in our squad! It’s going to be really tough!"

Meanwhile, Lillis left his players with no illusions of his feelings after the game as he said, "My boys have hurt me tonight and very rarely do I get hurt, but they have tonight! I've played in a few local derbies - I take a lot out of them and have played in a few - some real stormers - but there’s a character that wins local derbies, and they were in red rather than Lordswood orange tonight. We'll be back in Thursday to sort some things out before we play Beckenham at the weekend - it won’t be pretty - but after that I might have to go and possibly look at some new players!"

Rochester United: Joe Hagan, Shaun Douglas (Joe Hughes 75), Ashley Cooper, Ryan Robinson (Matt Rowe 14), Aaron Burrett (Anthony Uden 38), Shane Uings, Scott Beale, Stuart Zanone, Tim Beckford, Michael Brown, Anthony John.
Sub: Joshua West

Goals: Tim Beckford 5, Stuart Zanone 10, 87

Booked: Shane Uings 58, Matt Rowe 81

Lordswood: Matt Byott, Joe Kane (Richard Dimmock 46)(Rob Newman 67), Adam Hooper, Gary Cook, Pete Huggens, Richard Styles, Tyeler Norbert (Matt McHugh 46), Lee Maskell, Mark Murison, Craig Harvey, Imran Englefield.
Subs: Steve Read, Steve Sage

Booked: Richard Styles 24

Attendance:   103
Referee: Mr Michael Marsh (Herne Bay)
Assistants:   Mr Tom Vanderpeer (Rainham) & Ms Louise Saunders (Hoo)