VCD Athletic 2-3 Southend Manor - Transitional Vickers on the hunt for experience

Tuesday 27th July 2010

VCD ATHLETIC 2-3 SOUTHEND MANOR
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 27th July 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakwood

AN EXPERIMENTAL VCD Athletic side crashed to a defeat against a Southend Manor squad that scored from a couple of set-pieces to win this warm-up at Oakwood tonight.

With manager Ricky Bennett and his assistant Andy Silk both away on holiday, the Crayford based hosts had goalkeeper coach Peter Burke and Ernie Bradshaw (who described himself as “a general dogsbody”) in charge of team affairs.

And the stand-in pair were without the likes of Jack Bradshaw, Tom Bradshaw, Adam Heaslewood, Greg Benbow, Juan Ramirez and Lewis Wood for the visit of Essex Leaguers Southend Manor, who used 20 players.

“It was a good work-out for the lads really, we’re just a pretty young side at the moment,” Burke admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We’re getting together, just holding the fort really because Ricky Bennett and Andy Silk are obviously away on holiday.
“We’re very young at the moment and it’s just a good work-out really. A good battling performance with the lads.”

Despite their youthfulness, VCD Athletic dominated the opening 20 minutes.

A mazy run from Karl Dent, saw the left-sided midfielder exchange passes with two-goal hero James Duckworth, before Dent found Chris Kinnear and his angled low drive brought a smart save from Southend Manor keeper Adam Seals.

But the keeper was at fault for VCD Athletic’s opening goal, after just 11 minutes.

Defender Casey Scotter split open the visiting defence to find Kinnear and his low drive was spilt by the keeper and Duckworth was on hand to slam the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

But Southend Manor - the fourth worst supported side in last season’s Essex Senior League with average gates of just 30, despite finishing in sixth place - hit back and were the better side for the remainder of the half, levelling after 26 minutes.

Chris Badderley showed plenty of grit and determination to fight to retain possession despite four Vickers’ players trying in vain to snatch the ball away from his nimble feet, and this won the Essex side a free-kick just yards from the half-way line.

Martin Flander swept in a hanging, curling free-kick, which was met at the far post by a bullet header from Sam Lake, who came up from the back to beat Chris Scott at his near post from just six-yards out.

Badderley was denied by Scott, who saved the low driven shot at his near post, in what was a good spell from the Essex side.

Southend Manor deservedly took the lead ten minutes before the break when Badderley was played in by striker Anton Dwyer and the midfielder smashed the ball into the back of the net.

The visitors’ were dangerous from set-pieces - normally VCD Athletic are a threat by this method - and Jay Smith’s corner from the right found Jason Jay lurking on the edge of the penalty area and his low right-footed volley looped into Scott’s grateful arms.

They went close again within the opening five minutes of the second half through Dwyer, whose flying pace saw him cut in past two defenders, only for his low curling drive to just miss the far post.

VCD Athletic called Seals into action, when following Dent’s cut-back, Duckworth’s effort from the edge of the box was turned around the post by the keeper.

But Duckworth scored his second of the night to bring the Kent League side on level terms after 57 minutes.

He received the ball from Kinnear down the inside right-channel and after cutting inside the full-back, Duckworth cracked an unstoppable drive, which flew into the net, via the outstretched right hand of the goalkeeper.

Vickers almost snatched the lead when Jamie Wood (who was playing in the hole behind the front two) chipped the ball over the defence for Duckworth, but Seals prevented the hat-trick.

With VCD making only three changes during the second half, Southend Manor got through nine substitutes and as expected, this damaged the flow of the game.

But Southend Manor went on to score the winning goal, just eight minutes remaining.

Defender Max Kent punted a free-kick from inside his own half up field and despite having his back to goal, fellow substitute Will Blohm’s looping header sailed over Scott and into the back of the net.

The third goal was sandwiched by two fine saves from Scott, but the stand-in management team insisted afterwards that this will not be the squad that will face title challengers Hythe Town on the opening day of the Kent League season here on 7 August.

“We’ve got lots of players away on holiday,” revealed Burke. “We’ve had to pull in lots of reserve team players for the past couple of games.

“We’ve lost five or six players to holiday’s, so it’s just been down to bare bones at the moment and scratching, getting reserve team players in and a couple of youth team players. We’re just a very young side at the moment.”

So young that the reserve team manager was forced to cancel training tonight, as he was left with around half-a-dozen players.

Burke, however, was quick to praise two-goal hero, Duckworth.

“James has done very well in pre-season, he’s looking very sharp,” he said.

Bradshaw added his thoughts on the game.

He said: “We’ve had to keep the ship ticking over, or look after the ship, or whatever you want to call it. I’m just helping out a good friend of mine really.

“As you can see we’ve got some talented youngsters. The first 20 minutes we played some good football, got done by a set-piece and it sets them back. They’re young so their heads go down.

“We know where we are. We’ve got to call upon the young kids but we’re here to get some experience.

“That’s not the side that will go into the Kent League. That’s the point we’re trying to make! What you saw tonight was a mixture of our reserve side and what will be some of our first team.

“But the plan is with the talent we’ve got, some of these youngsters have got the experience. Take Casey Scotter as a point! He’s played in the Kent League, he knows his way around it, even at his age.

“We know if we can get in who we want to get in, one or two will make a difference, but they will be experienced players and I think then we’ll be where we want to be and we can take it from there.”

The Vickers’ management team confirmed that Dent - who played on loan for Sittingbourne in Ryman League Division One South last season, having joined Gary Abbott’s side from Dartford’s promising Academy - has put pen to paper.

“He will be a key player,” said Bradshaw. “You saw tonight, little bits, little cameos that he had, he can play! Sometimes he might over play but you get that.

“I’ve known Karl for years and years. I’ve known him as a young player. He’s strong and sometimes he plays older than he looks, but yes, I think he will be a big player for us.”

VCD Athletic welcome two Kent County League sides to Oakwood this week, Cray Valley (Thursday, 6:45pm) and neighbours Phoenix Sports (Saturday).

Bradshaw revealed that the squad that will kick-off against Ryman Premier League side Cray Wanderers in seven days time is likely to start their Kent League opener.

“At this stage of the season it’s fitness and we had a good work-out tonight and it will be the same Thursday,” he said.

“It will be the same Saturday, but then going into the Cray Wanderers game it will seem more like the starting XI that will expect to kick-off the Kent League.”

Former manager Paul Foley has taken 95% of last season’s Vickers’ squad with him to Chatham Town - and Bennett and Silk are left to pick up the pieces and re-build.

“Its in a transitional period and you have to speak to Ricky and Andy Silk about what players are going to come and what they’re going to do,” replied Burke, when asked about the future.

Also, to relegate the Crayford club back down to the Kent League after finishing in 8th place in their only campaign in Ryman League Division One North last season, when there are many worse grounds, was simply a scandalous decision!

VCD Athletic: Chris Scott, Jack Asbury (Warren Carver 66), Danny White, Danny Willis, Alec Bryant, Casey Scotter, Sam O’Keefe (Jamie Blundell 80), Jamie Wood, James Duckworth, Chris Kinnear (Reece Walsh 63), Karl Dent.
Subs: Mark Allen, Jack Tidiman, Kevin Spriggs.

Goals: James Duckworth 11, 57

Southend Manor: Adam Seals (Ade Oyenga 69), Dave East (Max Kent 46), Kofi Kessie, Jason Jay, Ben Habberley (Will Blohm 63), Sam Lake (Tom Hollinsworth 46), Dale Gladen (Chris Wilson 46), Martin Flander (Michael Hatter 63), Jay Smith (Adam Moore 63), Anton Dwyer (David Tubbs 67), Chris Badderley (Ahmed 67).

Goals: Sam Lake 26, Chris Badderley 35, Will Blohm 83

Attendance: 61
Referee: Mr James Macey (Bexley)
Assistants: Mr Adam Back & Mr Dave Simpson