VCD Athletic 3-2 Hythe Town - You can't judge a season on the opening 90 minutes, says Porter

Saturday 07th August 2010

VCD ATHLETIC 3-2 HYTHE TOWN
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Saturday 7th August 2010
Mike Green reports from Oakwood

In the opening game of a Safety Net Associates Kent League season that they certainly don’t deserve to be a part of, Ricky Bennett’s VCD Athletic served notice that maybe, just maybe there could be a fairy tale ending to the clubs miserable past few months, as they saw off Scott Porter’s highly fancied title contenders Hythe Town in an opening day ding dong that had just about everything.

Five goals, which all came in a pulsating end to end opening half, followed by a second half that was as cagey as it was close played predominantly as it was in rain being swept in on an increasingly strong breeze meant this was an opening day that promises so much for the rest of the season.

For Hythe boss Porter, however, the disappointment was clear. He told www.kentishfootball.co.uk in his only post match interview, “I’m very disappointed from the first minute on! The bottom line is that we didn’t turn up – all that we’ve done in the past six or seven weeks and then you get that today, its very disappointing indeed!”

There was obviously much happier emotion from new Vickers boss Bennett when he spoke with www.Kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

“Everyone knows that we’ve had a difficult pre-season not knowing what league we’re going to be in and the rest of it,” Bennett admitted.

“But we’ve got some good lads in and hopefully we’ll be able to build on this today.

“We knew exactly what their strengths are and we spoke about it at great length and then we go behind like that at the start, and that was disappointing. But the pleasing things was the way we responded and the next 15 – 20 minutes I thought we were outstanding and thoroughly deserved t be 3-1 up.

“I was gutted when they got the goal just before half time, but then we knew that we’d be on the end of an onslaught second half, and that’s exactly what we got, but we held on and all of those young boys can now consider themselves men.

“I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t take one of the chances that we made for ourselves at the end if I’m honest, but I’m not greedy!

“We’re inexperienced with young lads with one or two who have played higher and hopefully over time it will come together – we wont give teams easy opportunities to score against!”

Although you wouldn’t have quite believed that statement after the breathtaking start to the game. With watches showing the time at just 3:00pm (for some reason the game started at 2:57pm), the visitors took the lead with the first meaningful attack of the game.

Brendon Cass and Damien Abel combined down the left, and it was Cass’ driven “cross shot” that was deflected by VCD central defender Tamer Bilal past his wrong-footed keeper Jack Bradshaw.

Yet within 60 seconds the home side were level – Karl Dent allowed too much room in the Hythe area and the former Bromley and Sittingbourne loanee drilled the ball into the roof of the net.

The frantic start continued as both sides piled forward, and the home side hit the front for the first time on 14 minutes.

Jack Ashbury’s cross wasn’t cleared by the visitors defence and Jamie Wood rammed home his first goal for VCD from the edge of the box beating keeper Kieron Mann low to his left.

And it got worse for the visitors on 26 minutes when the other Wood arrival from Cray Wanderers, Lewis, marked his debut with a goal as well.

This time Jamie was the provider as Lewis beat the offside trap, racing clear to roll the ball wide on the advancing Mann to put the home side 3-1 ahead.

It could have been worse for Hythe, as Lewis Wood could have had a second before half time – the diminutive striker deflecting Dent’s driven free kick inches past the right post.

As half time approached, Hythe finally upped a gear and Gary Mickelborough will have been disappointed not to test Bradshaw with a curling shot that was too high.

On the stroke of half time, the visitors did pull a goal back when Dave Cook rose unopposed at the far post to head home Lee Winfield’s corner, and with all the problems the home side have had in pre-season and the level of expectation that have been raised towards Hythe in many quarters, you had the feeling that Cook’s header could spell real problems for VCD after the break.

And whilst the second half really was a back to wall effort, Bennett saw his side defended really well and in truth there were only two moments to really worry the new Vickers boss.

The first came on 62 minutes when Cass and substitute Craig Thompson combined to release Abel, and the former Faversham striker was only denied a debut goal by a brilliant full length save low to his left from Bradshaw.

Then on 69 minutes, home skipper Casey Scotter was fortunate not to concede a penalty, as the ball seemed to skid off the increasingly slick surface and strike him on the arm. Indeed so convinced was Thompson that it was a penalty, that he took his protests too far and was cautioned.

As Hythe increasingly stretched the game, more and more spaces appeared at the back and Lewis Wood (twice) and the impressive Jack Pallen both should really have wrapped the game up for the home side with late chances, but in the end it didn’t matter and at the final whistle the home fans finally had something to cheer, after a very depressing couple of months, as Hythe just ran out of ideas.

And not working the VCD defence enough despite dominating the second half, was the major cause of the Porter’s frustration as he admitted after the game. “We didn’t cause them enough problems second half after getting back into the game just before half time,” the Hythe boss said.

“But I won’t panic – there’s still a long, long way to go – it just one game – we don’t become a bad side over night. We have done some good things in pre-season but we didn’t turn up today and that’s the bottom line. Maybe too much was expected of some of the players today.

"But football’s football – and at the end of the day if you play a side like we did today who put there all in – and you can’t knock VCD today for their work rate; they worked their socks off and I take my hat off to them – but we’ve just had a bad day at the office today. We’ve had a very frustrating afternoon and I’m just glad that you can’t judge a season on the opening 90 minutes.”

VCD Athletic: Jack Bradshaw, Jack Ashbury, Danny White, Danny Willis, Tamer Bilal, Cassey Scotter, Karl Dent, Jamie Wood, Jack Pallen, Lewis Wood (Joe Quinnear 90), Greg Benbrow.

Subs: Adam Heaslewood, Tom Bradshaw, Alec Bryant, James Duckworth

Goals: Karl Dent 4, Jamie Wood 14, Lewis Wood 26

Booked: Jamie Wood 47, Jack Ashbury 90

Hythe Town: Kieron Mann, Gavin Ransley, Mark Bond, Pat Kingwell, Lee Shearer, Michael Yianni, Dave Cook, Lee Winfield, Gary Mickelborough (Craig Thompson 58), Brendon Cass, Damien Abel.

Subs: Greg Smith, Ryan Smith, Billy Sommerville, Alex Conyers

Goals: Tamer Bilal (Own Goal) 3, Dave Cook 45

Booked: Craig Thompson 69, Gavin Ransley 84

Attendance: 105

Referee: Mr Graeme Ions (Maidstone)

Assistants: Mr Andrew Butler (Maidstone) & Mr Lee Culpeck (Gravesend)