Kentish Football 
Thurrock 1-0 VCD Athletic - We made a good name for ourselves, says proud Ricky Bennett
Monday 03rd October 2011
THURROCK 1-0 VCD ATHLETIC
The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Qualifying Round Replay
Monday 3rd October 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Ship Lane
VCD ATHLETIC boss Ricky Bennett was full of pride after his side’s six-match FA Cup run ended with a gut-wrenching single goal defeat at Thurrock.
The Crayford based club knew their chances were slim away to Blue Square Bet South basement side Thurrock tonight and Bennett admitted that their chances of progressing came at Oakwood on Saturday, especially as they were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes when James Duckworth and Billy Bennett scored, before the Essex strugglers fought back to earn a second bite of the cherry.
And Thurrock, who went into this game 48 places ahead of the Kent League side, took advantage of that reprieve as a 23rd minute strike from Lee Boylan (his fourth goal of the season) was the only thing that separated the two sides on a proud night for VCD Athletic, as they didn’t look out of place at all.
“I think we made a good name for ourselves to be honest over the two games and in the previous games in the FA Cup to be honest,” said Bennett afterwards.
“We beat Crawley Down (in the first qualifying round), alright they were struggling but they’re a Ryman South side so that was one notch but we couldn’t get that other notch but there you go.”
Bennett added: “We had a go. We knew it’ll be a lot harder today than it was Saturday. Like I spoke to you before, perhaps that was our chance on Saturday, but I knew my boys’ would give it 100% and I think we’ve caused them a few problems.
“We didn’t really have too many clear cut chances, we had a few half chances but we were always in the game.
“It was a bit of a boost to us, if you like, that we’ve got a Conference South side keeping the ball in the corner slowing the clock down so that gives you a bit of pleasure but disappointed obviously but we was never going to win this game on paper.”
Thurrock, who went into this game without a win at home in the league, enjoyed plenty of possession but on this performance will be one of the favourites to suffer relegation into the Ryman Premier League as a side at their level, especially at home, should win more comfortably.
Former Welling United midfielder, Dean Cracknell, swiftly rolled a shot across visiting keeper Jack Bradshaw and into the far corner, but the offside flag was raised inside the opening four minutes.
The Vickers’ keeper wasn’t troubled by Boylan’s left-footed shot on the turn on the edge of the penalty area after he latched onto Cracknell’s low pass.
Glenn Poole and left-back Reece Harris combined down the left and Harris whipped in a cross but Rikki Burbridge glanced his header across goal, which bounced wide of the far post after nine minutes.
Left sided midfielder Poole, who took Thurrock’s set-pieces, delivered a free-kick from the left, which was flicked on at the near post and former Dartford defender James White nodded the ball across goal and Bradshaw caught the ball high above his head.
Thurrock then attacked down their right flank with right-back Paul Terry and former Tonbridge Angels and Bromley winger Steve Ferguson, whose cross found Boylan, but he chipped the ball over the bar with a left-footed shot on the turn.
But VCD Athletic’s resistance was broken as Thurrock scored the only goal of the game in the 23rd minute.
Ferguson released Ben Bowditch down the right and his ambitious right-footed curler from 25-yards looped over Bradshaw and caressed the crossbar and dropped down for Boylan to steer a low left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner of an empty net from six-yards.
Bennett said: “I thought he (Boylan) was offside from where I was! Obviously the linesman has a better view than me. That’s it though. That’s what you get at this level, you get strikers who are looking for bits and pieces and they’re sharper than they are in the Kent League so you can’t really fault us. It was a bit of a shot out of nothing but like all good striker’s he’s on his toes really for the bits.”
Bradshaw swiftly dived to his right in the 34th minute to prevent Cracknell from scoring with a low right-footed drive from 30-yards, which was destined for the bottom left-hand corner.
Vickers’ one and only clear cut chance arrived five minutes later when Thurrock left-back Harris gifted possession to Billy Bennett, who raced forward and cut in from the right and his low right-footed drive, was turned around the post by former Bromley goalkeeper Craig Holloway, diving low to his left.
Bennett said: “Let’s be fair, we would’ve been happy to go in at 1-0. We knew that we would create some chances here and there. Yes, unfortunately when you don’t get many you need to take them. It’s just how it is.
“James Duckworth had a great chance. Normally nine times out of ten from that angle you fire it across the keeper. He’s gone near post and the keeper’s made a decent save. It’s one of those things. We are only Kent League players at the end of the day.”
The Kent side displayed character and weren’t overawed on their big night and started spraying the ball around the pitch with confidence and went in at the break still very much in the game.
Thurrock created an early second half chance when Poole floated in another cross from the left and Boylan headed down from ten-yards and Bradshaw made a comfortable save.
But Thurrock’s lowest crowd of the season of just 87 started to get frustrated as VCD Athletic impressed with the ball, although Holloway wasn’t tested.
Vickers were almost punished half-way through the second half as they were hit on the counter attack as Thurrock substitute Alex Osborn spread the ball from right to left to Poole, who burst forward and once inside the penalty area swept a low left-footed shot across Bradshaw and past the far post.
Daryl Wheeler slipped the ball in behind the Thurrock defence and played in James Duckworth, but his near post shot was blocked by Holloway and Harris sheppered the ball to safety.
Vickers assistant manager, Andy Silk screamed out “Come on, let’s have a go!” from the technical area as the game entered the final fifteen minutes and Vickers grew in confidence and were playing a good passing game on a decent playing surface.
Thurrock, though, wasted some good chances to make the scoreline more comfortable.
Poole swung in their eighth corner which a towering Burbridge headed down and wide of the left-hand post in a crowded goal-mouth, before Bradshaw made the best save of the game in the 85th minute, diving full length to his left to turn Poole’s left-footed free-kick from 25-yards around the post.
Visiting keeper Bradshaw came up a couple of times as Vickers forced late corners in a bid to force extra time.
You always get one chance against the big boys and Vickers came close to doing that when they agonisingly hit the crossbar inside stoppage time.
The impressive Wheeler looped the ball into the box and the ball bounced and dropped to lone striker Michael McKenna, whose scissor kick on the turn from six-yards, looped over Holloway but caressed the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
Bennett said: “I think we did (deserve to force extra time). We threw everything at it. Unfortunately the bounce - he’s absolutely knackered and he’s worked his tits off Saturday and tonight as a lone striker for most of the two games and he’s worked his nuts’ off. He just couldn’t get above the ball. He had a good go at it, but there you go. Small margins between touching the crossbar and coming underneath the crossbar.”
Bennett was pleased with his side’s performance on the bigger stage and feels his players can progress to Conference South standard.
“Thurrock’s football is a lot more sharper and a lot more zippier, they’ve got better players but money talks,” admitted Bennett.
“You don’t expect to have a side in the Kent League play the same way that a Blue Square South side but my boys have got a lot of promise. They’re some young lads there who I think will go on to play at this level without a doubt. Maybe it’s a shop window for a few of them tonight, if someone’s watching, you never know.
“A lot of my boys’ have got a good future ahead of them.”
Bennett didn’t want to single out any players when asked who impressed on the night.
“I can’t really say there was one outstanding performance,” he said. “I think the whole side as a group, I can’t really say one person was head and shoulders above everyone else. I say as a group, the whole team and the subs who came on, every one of us, even the subs who ain;t come on, we’re wrapped around each other, we’re very close and it’s a squad effort.”
Bennett takes the positives out of a FA Cup run that has seen them beat Bookham (at the second attempt), Lordswood, Crawley Down and enjoy two games against Thurrock.
“It’s FA Cup football, we had a good go at it, we’ve come to a decent ground. It’s a little bit of prestige but that’s the end of it for another year. Now we’ll concentrate on the bread and butter. Hopefully we’ll hit a bit of form now and go on another winning run.
“The Vase is to come (a home first round tie against Lordswood on 22 October), which is more a realistic tournament for us to go further in.”
VCD Athletic are without a game on Saturday, but they travel to Herne Bay in the Kent League on 15 October.
Bennett said: “Rather than take it as a downer tonight, we should be looking at it as a positive and take this form into the league. If we can take a Blue Square South team to two games we should be able to do a lot better in the league against the Kent League sides if I’m honest.”
Thurrock: Craig Holloway, Paul Terry, Reece Harris, James Smith, James White, Ben Bowditch, Glenn Poole, Dean Cracknell, Rikki Burbridge, Lee Boylan (Alex Osborn 55), Steve Ferguson (Dee Okojie 75).
Subs: Adam Gemili, David Hughes, Loui Hazelwood, Danny Hockton, Dave Partridge.
Goal: Lee Boylan 23
Booked: Dean Cracknell 86
VCD Athletic: Jack Bradshaw, Jack Asbury (Adam Heaslewood 83), James Brown, Gary Cook, George Mitchell, Tom Bradshaw (Greg Benbow 59), Billy Bennett, James Duckworth, Michael McKenna, Daryl Wheeler.
Subs: Reece Walsh, Jamie Lawrence, Tom Gamblin, Joe Quinnear, Darren Ibrahim
Booked: Karl Dent 87
Attendance: 87
Referee: Mr Craig Hicks (Sutton, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr David Gainsford (Basildon, Essex) & Mr Jeff Stanley (Basildon, Essex)
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