Kentish Football 
Soccer Shorts: I think we can surprise a few people, says Beckenham boss Jason Huntley
Friday 24th September 2010
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BROMLEY go into tomorrow’s FA Cup Second Qualifying Round tie away at fellow Blue Square Bet South rivals Bishop’s Stortford on top of the world.
The Lilywhites were held to a 2-2 draw by Kent rivals Dartford last Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,834 at Princes Park and go into the Cup tie sitting three points clear of Braintree Town.
After winning their first seven league games, Bromley have drawn against St Albans City and Dartford, but Bird told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “We can take a little break from the league now with the FA Cup and it’s good to go into the FA Cup top of the league and unbeaten in the league.
“I think had we said that at the start of the season, everybody would’ve bitten your hand off for it.”
WELLING UNITED face an intriguing FA Cup Second Qualifying Round tie away to fellow Blue Square Bet South side Braintree Town - and player-manager Jamie Day is looking forward to the second-versus-fourth clash.
The Essex hosts have sealed six wins and two draws from their nine games and have closed the gap on leaders Bromley to just three points.
But the Wings go into the Cup tie with the same record and Day must be congratulated for keeping things at Park View Road together, despite the club’s financial worries.
“I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“It’s not going to be easy as they have made a good start this year and will be full of confidence, especially playing at home gives them an advantage.
“But we are in good form and have lots to play for. The lads are ready for the challenge and are looking forward to it.”
HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter says Norton Sports’ boss Ben Taylor made a gaffe ahead of the two side’s Safety Net Associates Kent League clash in midweek, which Hythe won 4-2.
Following his side’s 3-0 FA Vase defeat away to Fisher last Sunday, Taylor told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that “Hythe aren’t as good as anyone thinks they are,” and this was instrumental of rallying his troops ahead of their fourth league win of the season, which put them in second place, level on points with leaders Beckenham Town.
“It was a good result on Tuesday against Norton,” Porter told www.hythetownfc.co.uk.
“We obviously knew what they were going to throw at us and I thought we matched them in all departments, which was really pleasing.
“In some ways, I didn’t have to do a team talk after some of the things their manager had been saying on the web and www.kentishfootball.co.uk over the previous week or so, about us not being as good as everyone thinks. I got a few copies and put them into the changing room.
“They were physical and in our faces so we had to mix it and change a bit the way we played, hitting them on the break.
“Sometimes I think this is necessary if opposition are intent on stopping you from playing football.
“Everyone was absolutely knackered by the end and they all put in a good shift. I was obviously disappointed we gave away the couple of goals at the end, a couple of lapses of concentration.
“On the one hand, it is frustrating for a manager and something we need to look at; on the other, I remember as a player that it is difficult, when you have really concentrated for nearly 90 minutes and more or less won the game, not to relax a little. At 4-0, it happens but I don’t think it would have done if the score had only been 1-0.
“Having said what a battling side Norton are, they have some quality about them as well and they will beat teams that don’t match them for passion and work-rate, so I am sure they will take points off others.
“At the other end of the pitch, it is good that goals are coming from all sources. I was pleased to see Gary get on the scoresheet at last and for Dave Cook to come back with a goal after missing the penalty. I don’t know when Cassy is going to stop scoring – long may it continue – and Pat capped off a good performance with one as well. “
Hythe welcome Erith & Belvedere to Reachfields Stadium tomorrow and there will be at least one Kent League side in the Third Qualifying Round draw on Monday.
Gary Lockyer and Dan Scorer are both cup-tied but Lee Winfield and Damian Abel have been added to the squad.
Porter added: “It is difficult with Gary as he will then be suspended but Dan looks good and I think he will fit in well with the way we play. He has performed at a higher level, is all left-footed, which is useful, and contributed well on Tuesday when he came on.
“We haven’t seen Erith & Belvedere and they are a bit of an unknown quantity, although they have started fairly well.
“They have a new manager, he has brought in some good players, and we do know all about (striker, Marcus) Cassius.
“We would be delighted to win some more money for the club and move into the next round. It is a winnable game and but it is bound to be a tough tie so we need more of the fight and quality that we showed on Tuesday.”
ERITH & BELVEDERE boss Micky Collins, meanwhile, knows exactly what to expect against Porter’s side tomorrow - their fourth away tie in the competition so far.
“Tomorrow is a massive game for the club, Hythe are an excellent side and we all know it will take an enormous effort to come away with a result,” Collins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“This is the fourth consecutive FA Cup game away from home so we are used to it by now.
“We still have quite a few injuries but we will be going there on the back of a solid performance last Sunday in the Vase.
“The FA Cup still has something special about it and to be in the draw Monday would be fantastic, at least its guaranteed that a Kent League club will progress, hopefully there will be a decent crowd there and its an entertaining game.
“The prize money (£4,500 for tomorrow’s winners) is always a good incentive and small clubs like ourselves certainly could do with the extra windfall, when you look at some of the big clubs that have already bowed out without any financial reward, for example Tonbridge Angels and Hastings anything is possible.”
Meanwhile, the Deres have confirmed the return of the versatile Michael Dodsworth from Ryman League Division One South side Faversham Town, although he is cup-tied for tomorrow’s game.
Dodsworth made 5 appearances, plus one as a substitute, for the Deres last season before signing for the eventual Kent League champions at Salters Lane.
He will team up with the Reserves at Maidstone United in the blu-3 Division One & Two Cup tomorrow, having already made a brief appearance for Faversham Town in the FA Cup this season.
He is a versatile player who can play virtually anywhere on the park and the 26-year-old first joined the Deres in October 2009 from Ryman League side Chatham Town. He can also count Lordswood among his previous clubs.
BECKENHAM TOWN boss Jason Huntley says tomorrow’s FA Cup tie away to Blue Square Bet South draw specialists St Albans City is the club’s biggest game for a number of years.
The Eden Park Avenue outfit romped to the top of the Safety Net Associates Kent League table with a 4-2 home victory over Bromley based side Holmesdale last Tuesday and travel to Clareance Park with a giant-killing in their sights.
“It’s been a great experience being back in the FA Cup after our six-year ban,” Huntley told www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk.
“Saturday will be FA Cup tie number five for us this season and having got over our initial disappointment of missing out on a home tie we have been fully focused on the task in hand. I think we can surprise a few people.”
The last time the two sides met was back in 1982 in the London Senior Cup when Becks won 2-1 at Clarence Park, with Bob Chilvers netting the winner.
The furthest the Kent club have been in the FA Cup was in 1992 when they lost a Second Qualifying Round replay at Eden Park Avenue in front of a record (competitive game) crowd of 695 against Berkhamsted Town.
Should a replay be required, then it will be next Tuesday evening at Eden Park Avenue (7:45pm).
MARGATE welcome Kingstonian to Hartsdown Park tomorrow in a FA Cup Second Qualifying Round clash between two Ryman Premier League sides in the top eight.
With four wins a-piece in their last six games, this looks set be a fascinating encounter. When the two sides met at Kingsmeadow just three weeks ago, the K’s were fortunate to come away with a narrow 1-0 win despite Gate dominating the match for long spells.
The final result was in no small measure down to a man of the match performance from keeper Rob Tolfrey who made a string of fine saves to deny Margate what would have been a deserved victory.
Margate’s form has been steadily improving as Iain O’Connell’s side continue to develop as a unit. With just one defeat in their last six games and four victories on the trot, the Blues will fancy their chances of gaining some measure of revenge for the defeat at Kingsmeadow.
Craig Cloke remains a doubt for the match although he is making progress but Ishmail Kamara – who tormented the K’s when coming off the bench in the league game – looks set to miss out after picking up an injury early in the game at Folkestone.
With Kamara out, James Pinnock will move forward to play alongside Shaun Welford with Wayne Wilson likely to start in midfield, although James Sherman remains an option.
Whether or not Craig Cloke is fit, the Gate boss could leave his defensive unit untouched given that the Blues have conceded just three goals in their last six games, and just one in the last four.
Iain O’Connell is less concerned about revenge for Gate’s defeat at Kingsmeadow and told www.margate-fc.com: “I just want us to progress.
“I just hope the supporters get behind us Saturday. We’d like a big gate there and the players are really up for it.
“They’re enjoying themselves. We’ve won four on the spin and we’ve just got to try and keep this rolling now because it (winning) does get into a habit – the same way losing does.”
RAMSGATE have unveiled the signings of four players at training last night - ahead of tomorrow’s home clash against Gary Abbott’s Sittingbourne.
Former Gillingham keeper Conor Quinn has been released and his place in the squad has been taken by former Margate stopper Aleks Krunic.
Carl Harrold (who played for Ashford Town last season at right-back), George Amber (the Ramsgate’s under 18’s striker) and reserve team player Steve Martin, all signed Ryman forms for the Rams last night.
FISHER attended the Bermondsey Street festival recently and were pleased to receive such support and encouragement from local people in the area in which the club was first formed.
Three board members from the Kent League club ran a stall bedecked with merchandise and memorabilia, and entered in to the spirit of the day with a spectacular array of Fisher-themed black and white cupcakes especially commissioned for the occasion.
The club’s stall was based at the Bermondsey Square end of Bermondsey Street, coincentally just outside the old building of the Time & Talents charity – an organisation the club has forged a strong partnership with over the past year.
The main objective of the club’s presence at the festival was to raise awareness of both the club’s existence and the new ethos and structure, and to increase the membership. ‘Made in Bermondsey’ leaflets were distributed detailing information about the club’s activities, aims and achievements along with the new ‘Get the Fish Back to Bermondsey’ badges.
Spokesman and programme editor Jevon Hall told www.fisherfc.co.uk: “Today has been fantastic. We’ve met so many interested and interesting people here, received vital support from both purchases and donations made, and most importantly achieved our goal for the day of attracting some new members to the club. We couldn’t be more pleased with the day.”
He added: “Speaking to people both here and at the Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Festival in the summer, it’s clear that many Bermondsey people don’t realise that Fisher has been resurrected by the supporters. We have to do more to get the message out that we are alive, changed and with the support of the local community we believe that we can really push this club forward.”
SEVENOAKS TOWN boss Keith Levett believes his side missed an opportunity to get a result at Deal last Saturday, but rued defensive mistakes which gifted the home side three of their goals.
He told www.sevenoakstownfc.org: "It was the same as against Beckenham, but I thought we played better at times on Saturday. Deal weren't as good a side, so what does that say about us? We don't play enough when we get possession, and then hoof it away, and so don't defend properly at the back, so we have got problems.
"It's just not good enough, you are never going to win a game if you are conceding four goals, and it was disappointing, because I think we missed an opportunity. I didn't think they were a good side, and when we got on the ball, we had a bit about us, I think we looked much the better team, but when the ball goes in our box we look so vulnerable, and have got to do something about that.
"There was only one good goal out of the four, the first two were poorly conceded, and poorly defended.
"We are playing against teams - with not much quality, but a good work ethic, who put the ball in the right areas, don't try and play too much, and I just might be asking my boys to do things they can't do.
"We had a heart-to-heart in the dressing room after the game, and I think they thought I got it wrong. One of them said we shouldn't play zonal, we should go man-for-man, but it's nothing to do with that, it's having the heart to go and attack the ball in both boxes.
"There were some good balls put in at Deal, and we had more quality than them, but they got on the end of things, and we didn't.
"We passed the ball well, and created a very good goal when Gibbo scored. Everyone played a part in that move, with four or five passes, and that's what I want to see. It was a decent goal, well worked, but what demoralises us as a team is we gift goals, and have got to be better at doing the ugly things. We are quite pretty, but we are not nasty enough.
"Their third goal was good, but it came from our corner, and we have got to toughen up, or get players in who are.
"The fourth was just a comedy of errors, but encapsulates us as a team at the moment, indecisive, lack conviction, frail and vulnerable."
TUNBRIDGE WELLS responded after their disappointing Kent League defeat to Greenwich with a rousing 6-2 victory over Sussex County League Division Two outfit East Preston at Culverden last Saturday.
Two goals from Alex Flisher and one from Keelan Mooney had The Wells 3-0 up inside 20 minutes. East Preston pegged the scores back to 3-1 at the break, but any relief was only temporary. It took Flisher all of four minutes after the break to claim his hattrick.
The visitors scored again before Jon Pilbeam brought an enjoyable afternoon to its end with two more goals in the last 15 minutes.
Meantime, across in Hampshire Ash United were soundly thumped 5-1 at home by Corinthian setting up an all-Kent First Round Proper tie as The Wells will now visit Gay Dawn Farm on October 5th.
Speaking to www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk after the game, Wells manager Martin Larkin said, “I was really pleased with the reaction after the midweek game. We made a couple of changes, mainly giving Hooley (Carl Cornell) a role just behind Keelan, which meant he was able to find a lot of space. We also gave our two wingers a bit more freedom to attack, and they responded with five of the six goals.
“Alex Flisher has waited patiently for his chance since he arrived from Maidstone, and he certainly took it with both hands! We moved Tom Davey inside and partnered him with Drew Crush which gave us a bit more physicality in the middle of the park. Drew’s attitude has been spot-on since he came out of the team and certainly he added a lot there, linking well with Hooley and Davey.”
Tunbridge Wells face Corinthian in the Kent League at Culverden Stadium tomorrow and Larkin added: ““So now we have the difficulty of playing Corinthian twice in a week - first is a League game at our ground which we will attack with the same methods we did on Saturday.
“Hopefully that will set a marker down for the return fixture the following Saturday in the FA Vase. I’m sure they will see the tie as an opportunity to progress to the next round of the Vase, so we will need to be at out best.”
ASHFORD TOWN are staging a charity game at Homelands Stadium when next Friday, 1 October, Ashford Town Elite will taken on Welling Elite to battle it out for the Stuart White Memorable Cup.
Kick-off for the big game is at 7pm, with the sides being managed by former Ashford Town old boys Paul Chambers (Ashford) and Tony Reynolds (Welling).
The money being raised from the event will go to a breast cancer charity.
CROYDON ATHLETIC are asking footballers to come and play for them for free as they begin a new era at the KT Stadium.
The Rams came within hours of closure following newspaper allegations about owner Mazhar Majeed but were saved on Tuesday night when Majeed paid a large sum of money to the Ryman League guaranteeing the club could fulfil their fixtures.
Those Ryman Premier League fixtures begin tonight away at Aveley but with the playing squad having departed and no money available to fund new signings, the club are calling on footballers fed up of being on the bench elsewhere to come and show what they can do.
"We started with nothing and have gone back to nothing and now we start again," said club stalwart Ken Fisher, who is to take a prominent role behind the scenes having been involved with the Rams for 26 years.
In an article published on www.suttonguardian.co.uk, Mr Fisher continued: "We will be going back to grassroots football and there will be no money paid to play football for any players.
"We will be offering players who are not getting regular games elsewhere the chance to put their services in the shop window.
"We are basically saying if you want a game of football at a decent standard rather than warm someone's bench then come to us, put yourself on show, and see where it takes you.
"No money at all will be paid but we will try and get three or four people in a car together to go places and hopefully we can pay the driver's petrol costs.
"It's that or shut the club.
"We went right to the wire of a couple of hours of folding up but we proved what went on at the club and the FA are happy.
"After investigations from the Ryman League and the FA, Mazhar has fulfilled all the criteria they require and the FA have cleared us to start fulfilling fixtures again."
Dave Garland and Bob Langford have been named caretaker managers and will also not be paid, with Fisher full of praise for the pair who managed the Rams two years ago.
"We have had such a great response and already have two caretaker managers who are willing to work for free and are not people we approached," he said.
"Dave and Bob were on the phone to say we love Croydon Athletic and will offer our services for nothing almost straight away.
"It's outstanding of them and we have had numerous players from the past say they are willing to come back and play for nothing.
"Whether we will be able to sustain ourselves in the league is another question as we will be the only team in the Ryman League Premier Division where no one gets paid."
A statement issued by Ryman League chairman Alan Turvey said: “After two weeks of protracted discussions and from the detailed information provided by the owners, Croydon Athletic Football Club will resume playing.
"This will be good news for the supporters and those who have been with the club since its inception. The situation will, as with all other member clubs, be closely monitored.
"The League is grateful to The Football Association Finance Regulatory Department for their assistance.”
"This will be good news for the supporters and those who have been with the club since its inception. The situation will, as with all other member clubs, be closely monitored.
"The League is grateful to The Football Association Finance Regulatory Department for their assistance.”
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