Tiptree United 3-2 Beckenham Town - Becks chiefs rue their missed chance of Vase glory

Saturday 05th December 2009

TIPTREE UNITED 3-2 BECKENHAM TOWN
FA Carlsberg Vase Third Round
Saturday 5th December 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Park Drive

BECKENHAM TOWN’S Wembley dream came to a crushing end as they finished the game with nine-men - as an ugly 22-man brawl also saw four Tiptree United supporters jump over the perimeter fencing at the ground of Ryman League Division One North club Maldon Town.

Essex Senior League side Tiptree United were leading 3-1 at the time when Harrison Teague reacted to a strong challenge from Beckenham right-wing back Danny Lawson, sparking a 22-man brawl, which resulted in four Tiptree supporters jump the fence to bring shame on their club.

Their shocking behaviour (one of the moronic Essex man even wanted to fight a seated Beckenham supporter during the first half) caused me to approach a club official to voice my disapproval of their behaviour.

However, no-one can condone the actions of both sets of players out on the pitch during the 80th minute flashpoint - which ensured that the second half lasted 61 minutes and 39 seconds - as Beckenham pair, James Holder and Jamal York were both red-carded - and Tiptree striker Eddie Hart followed - although the initial culprit, Lawson, escaped with just a yellow and a torn shirt.

However, the shocking incident involving the four supporters (one female) will be put in referee Mr John Steel’s report and hopefully the appropriate action will be taken.

Beckenham Town manager, Jason Huntley, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk gave his take on the incident.

“That’s not a part of football,” he said. “If four fans came on, it’s outrageous, that’s outrageous! I don’t know if there will be repercussions on that?

“But a 22-man brawl, their keeper runs 30 yards and starts throwing punches! He’s the one I did see as he sticks out a bit, blonde hair, big lad and I saw him throwing punches.

“He ran from his own goal-mouth, it’s got nothing to do with him, obviously those instances happen and people get involved.

“It’s a hard one to take, (getting) two boys sent off, maybe he (the referee) could’ve sent off two either side?”

When asked whether Holder and York will face punishment, Huntley replied, “Oh yes, I’ll speak to them. I’ll see the referee’s report, I’ve asked them personally why, and I’ll wait and see what the referee writes in his report and I’ll deal with them when it comes to it, in my own way.”

Beckenham Town’s chairman, Chris McCarthy, also voiced his disgust over the behaviour of the four home fans.

“It was (disgraceful) and the FA should do something about it,” Mr McCarthy told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We’ll put a report in about it as well, I believe you’ve done the same as well Steve?

“That can’t be done. Ok it’s a mass brawl, the referee, how he’s picked three players out to send off I don’t know? Their goalkeeper has come running out 30-yards, he’s thrown a punch, missed him, the referee’s missed (it).”

Another melee happened in front of the dug-outs later and Mr McCarthy added, “There was a little fracas on the other side of the pitch. The keeper’s come running out again and I’ve told him to get back in goal and the keeper shouldn’t be on the pitch when in the last 20 seconds he’s pulled a world class save off.

“But you can’t make allowances for the referee or linesmen’s bad decisions but if you get chances to win the game you’ve got to take them, you’ve got to score, that’s it.”

Beckenham Town’s players were treated like professional footballers as the chairman splashed out around £350 for a coach and a pre-match meal at the Five Lakes Hotel just outside Maldon - a facility used by numerous professional football clubs en-rote to away matches at Ipswich Town and Colchester United.

Beckenham’s first half dominance was only rewarded by Holder’s 21st minute header, before the game turned on it’s head when Tiptree were gifted a penalty by defender Danny Gorman, which was comfortably tucked away by striker Hart.

However, Beckenham lacked any hart during a poor second half showing and a brace from substitute Bradley Hunter did the damage and following the mass brawl, Danny Gorman netted Beckenham’s second in the 10th minute of stoppage time.

Beckenham’s players’ minds were still on the coach as the Essex Senior League hosts almost grabbed the lead after just 34 seconds, but goalkeeper Nick Blue made a smart low save to deny Jamie Ricks.

And after Darren Scudder skipped easily past Nick Curren, he slipped the ball to Hart, whose 25-yard drive was never going to beat the former Orpington goalkeeper.

However, the Kent League’s sole survivors, began to stamp their authority on the game and after Curran released striker Anthony Weir down the left he unselfishly sprayed the ball to striker Gary Gorman at the far post and after cutting inside his marker he was denied by a fine near post block by Tiptree keeper Chris Wayman.

Beckenham deservedly took the lead in the 21st minute, though Holder’s fourth goal of the season.

Wayman made a smart low save to his right to turn Gary Gorman’s driven shot around his near post but was beaten when George Belchamber floated in a corner from the left and Holder came up from a three-man defence to glance his header into the roof of the net from six-yards.

Following the opening goal, Beckenham created some half-chances that they really should have taken and were made to pay as Tiptree grabbed an unlikely equaliser 124 seconds into stoppage time.

Ricks picked the ball up inside the penalty area and cut inside Gary Gorman, who sent the striker to the ground and referee Mr Steel had no hesitation but to point to the penalty spot.

Hart sent Blue the wrong way as he drove his penalty straight down the middle - and Beckenham lost heart from that moment on.

Beckenham did, however, go close in the 51st minute as a long clearance from Blue was pounced upon by Curran, whose looping chip was finger-tipped towards his own goal by Wayman but the ball was hacked off the line from underneath his own crossbar by Sam West as the ball dropped towards goal.

Tiptree midfielder Scudder cracked a dipping right-footed volley from 30-yards, which left Blue rooted to the spot and the ball bounced onto the crossbar and dropped behind for a goal-kick.

But they weren’t going to be denied for long, as the Essex side took the lead in the 58th minute.

Hunter was released down the inside right-channel, beating the offside trap, and after cutting in coolly rolled the ball past the advancing Blue and into an empty net.

Stunned Beckenham called Wayman into action inside the final twenty minutes as he got smartly down at his near post to turn aside Belchamber’s clever free-kick from a yard outside the box on the right-hand side.

But the realisation that Beckenham were heading out of the competition came with fourteen minutes left, through poor defending.

Lawrence Smith whipped in a corner from the right, which flashed across goal and Hunter was on hand to poke the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box at the far post.

Following the shocking free-for-all, Beckenham threw their nine bodies forward in search of a miracle comeback inside the lengthy stoppage time.

Wayman tipped over Curran’s fierce right-footed drive, but he was beaten for a second time in the tenth minute of time added on when Belchamber’s corner from the left was smashed home by Gary Gorman at the far post.

And Beckenham almost grabbed a last-gasp leveller when Matthew Howard’s free-kick brought the very best out of Wayman, diving to his left to send ill-disciplined Beckenham crashing out and ending Kent’s interest in the competition.

“Another two players sent-off,” added a disappointed Huntley. “You must leave 11 men (on the pitch!)

“I’ve seen the whole skirmish, two of our lads got sent-off, one of them, but first half as I said to you the other day, if you don’t finish teams off (you get punished).

“We could have gone in comfortably first half with the amount of chances we were creating. We switched off right at the death, gave a penalty away in the last minute of the first half to go in one-one when we should have been a comfortable 3-0 up.

“I don’t think they were a very good side to be honest but I’m not talking out of turn here. I think we didn’t play as well as we could.

“First half we done alright, second half lazyness crept into our game, a few decisions went against us, our decision making was very poor and apart from that we didn’t have enough hunger second half.”

Huntley felt the Kent side were denied a place in the national stages of the competition (the last 32) by a poor side.

He said: “I can understand any team that deserves to score a goal, creates a good chance, scores a good goal and I’d applaud that.

“I tell the lads week in week out we’re gifting people goals and the problem is when we gift them nine times out of ten they take their chances and we get punished.

“It’s an ongoing thing for me and it’s becoming a very big problem. We’re struggling for personnel now, we’ve had another two sending’s off so I’ll see the referee’s report and deal with that once we get that.

“You can’t win games with nine men. It’s a fact!”

Chairman, Mr McCarthy rues the club’s missed chance of glory in the club’s first season back in the competition following a five-year ban.

He said: “I don’t think there’s a difference in standards. If you perform on the day and take your chances why can’t you go all the way to Wembley?

“It’s a shame we couldn’t get through to the last 32, but considering we’ve been out for five years and someone said to you in the second preliminary round you’re going to get to the third round of the Vase you would have bitten their hand off.

“But in saying that in getting there and not getting any further is bitterly disappointing.

“We’ve done things, Jason and I, treated the players today. We brought them up on a coach, we’ve taken them for a pre-match meal and set everything up on the field so we couldn’t really do anything more professionally than we have.

“We’ve turned up here today not knowing much about the (Tiptree) team but after watching them play for ninety minutes they’re a very poor side and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do get turned over in the next round, it’s not sour grapes.

“Had we played anywhere near our potential we would have got a result here today but you can’t carry three players out of eleven and you’ve got to take your chances!”

Tiptree United: Chris Wayman, Sam West, Harrison Teague, Neil Shade, Rob Hodgson, Darren Scudder, Dominic Baptiste (Bradley Hunter 48), Lawrence Smith, Eddie Hart, Jamie Ricks, Luke Hall (Matthew Axcell 46).
Subs: Max Holt, Ryan Willsmer, Jimmy Cox

Goals: Eddie Hart 45 (pen), Bradley Hunter 58, 76

Sent off: Eddie Hart 86

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Danny Gorman, James Holder, Terry Khan, Danny Lawson, Matthew Howard, Nick Curran, George Belchamber (Tom Youle 80), Anthony Weir, Gary Gorman (Jamal York 64), Durrand Jemmott.
Subs: Danny Wise, Ibrahim Fuseini, John Farley

Goals: James Holder 21, Danny Gorman 90

Booked: Matthew Howard 36, Danny Lawson 86

Sent off: James Holder 86, Jamal York 86

Attendance: 77
Referee: Mr John Steel (Sutton, Cambridgeshire)
Assistants: Mr Conrad Holmes (Ely, Cambridgeshire) & Mr Anthony Da Costa (Cambridge)