Whitehawk 2-2 Faversham Town - I would have taken a point before the game, admits happy Luchford

Saturday 21st August 2010

WHITEHAWK 2-2 FAVERSHAM TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 21st August 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from The Enclosed Ground

FAVERSHAM TOWN boss Justin Luchford was a happy man after his side came away from Brighton with a point.

A poor crowd of just 80 watched two sides that were playing Ryman League football for the very first time as the Sussex County League and Kent League winners locked horns at The Enclosed Ground.

Luchford handed debuts to half-a-dozen players - Richard Avery (Chatham Town), Matt Bourne (Sittingbourne), Jake Leberl (Dover Athletic), Danny Lye (Ashford Town), Justin Ascheri (Chatham Town) and Danny Hunt (Greenwich Borough), but mistakes from two players that picked up a couple of winners medals last season, left-back Dan Larkin and goalkeeper Rob French, were punished.

Faversham skipper Tom Hickman scored the club’s first ever goal in the Ryman League after just 213 seconds on the break, before Whitehawk levelled through man-of-the-match Jerahl Hughes (who gave left-back Dan Larkin a nightmare throughout) after 15 minutes.

But Faversham regained their lead for the second time through Dane Luchford, before Whitehawk’s pressure paid off when former Tunbridge Wells striker Wesley Tait scored at the second attempt on the hour mark.

Not many sides will come away from here with points in the bag, but Faversham boss Luchford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that he was pleased with his side’s opening day point.

He said: “We came down here, it was a long old journey, first one away from home. I looked on the bookies sites yesterday and they are the second favourites. They’ve obviously got a decent squad down here, they do things right, FA Vase semi-finalists (last season). It couldn’t be too much tougher for the first game of the season, but I thought we definitely deserved a draw, there’s no two ways about that!

“I think had Tom’s (Hickman) goal been allowed in the first half then we could’ve been talking about a different game. To be honest Rob French has not had a shot to save and we’ve made two mistakes with the goals.”

Faversham got off to a flying start, and Luchford was quick to praise his younger brother for his part in all good things that happened for the Lilywhites during an impressive first half.

Hitting Whitehawk on the break, Luchford’s hooked pass released central midfielder Hickman and just yards outside the penalty area the Faversham skipper unleashed a left-footed half-volley, which looped over debutant Whitehawk goalkeeper Alan Mansfield as the ball sailed into the top right-hand corner.

The boss smiled: “What a great goal! A great goal! We’re working on a few things at the moment and that was one of the things we’re working on - people breaking into the box and putting crosses in and Dane’s done ever so well in the first half today, winning flick-on’s and putting balls into the box and it’s a great finish from Tom!

“It was a great start. It really settled us a little bit. I think any nerves went straight out of the window. It couldn’t have happened at a better time to be honest!”

More excellent play from Luchford - who was pushed up field to support strikers Ascheri and Hunt (who by the manager’s own admission weren’t match fit) - opened up the Whitehawk defence and Hickman had a second goal ruled out through offside.

Whitehawk were a constant danger down the right, with former Yeovil, Dover Athletic and Tonbridge Angels winger Hughes giving Larkin a nightmare every time he got the ball and raced forward before cutting into the penalty area and he was the main outlet for Whitehawk.

The home side levelled after 15 minutes, through a mistake by Larkin.

Larkin was at fault when he failed to clear a bouncing ball and Tait pounced on the error, which happened about 30 yards from goal, before racing into the penalty area and cutting inside before sliding the ball for Hughes to sweep the ball past French from eight-yards.

“It’s just a little mistake,” continued the manager. “Dan said at half-time he’s tried to sort of get it away with his head and it’s bounced up and hit him in the face a little bit.

“It was disappointing because if he gets his foot through that and clears it then they don’t score.

“It’s two mistakes that has cost us a little bit but Danny won’t make the same mistake again this season, I can tell you!”

Luchford added: “Dan Larkin wouldn’t have played, he was pretty much chucked in to be fair to him. Ashley Brown wasn’t well so Larks has gone in there and he’s done a job for us today but he didn’t shirk, he made a mistake but he kept going and that’s what he’s about.”

A curling effort from Jamie Brotherton’s right-foot bounced into French’s arms, before a 35-yard drive from Leberl brought a low diving save from Mansfield at the other end.

Lye was booked by excellent referee Darren Blunden for attempting to punch the ball into the Whitehawk goal, after Luchford swung in a right-footed free-kick from the left.

But Lye showed he is much better than that when he played an excellent diagonal ball from inside the Faversham half to release Ascheri down the right and after cutting inside full-back Sam Fisk he was denied by Mansfield’s knee as the ball looped into the side netting.

Faversham grabbed the lead after 27 minutes, much to the delight for the Luchford family.

Ascheri, beside the corner flag, looped the ball into the penalty box and the Hawks’ defenders failed to deal with the ball and Luchford (who took a knock for his troubles) turned and smashed a low right-footed shot past Mansfield to find the bottom far corner.

Older brother Justin said: “A great goal from Dane. He’s held the defender off well and finished very, very nicely into the corner. I thought he done really well going forward first half. I felt he was the danger, he was the threat. He won a lot of headers against a couple of giants back there and he did well and he deserved that goal.”

Hughes then created a trio of chances for the home side following his low centres but on each occasion Tait (twice) and Brotherton failed to call French into action with shots from around six-yards.

Faversham were relieved to go in at the break with their lead intact, but they were kicking up hill during the second half so they were expecting Whitehawk to pile on more pressure during the second half.

Faversham kept Whitehawk at bay - until the equalising goal inevitably arrived on the hour.

Hughes (once again) played his part in the goal, finding skipper Darren Budd in space some 30-yards from goal, and his right-footed drive went through a crowd of players and French spilt the shot and Tait pounced on the loose ball to see his follow-up shot loop up and hit the underside of the crossbar. But he reacted first to send an audacious scissor kick into the corner of the net.

Luchford refused to blame French for the goal.

He said: “He’s devastated! The problem is when their young it can go one or two ways. It either doesn’t let them bother them or they beat themselves up and Frenchie’s one of those that beats himself up a little bit. I’m certainly not going to blame Frenchie.

“You’ve got to look, he’s (Budd) hit it from range, he (French) said it’s moved in the air so it’s very difficult to try and get his whole body behind it. It’s spilt out, the bloke’s (Tait) hit the bar and more disappointingly is the fact that our defenders haven’t moved!

“They’ve not backed him up, he’s had a free shot and it’s come off the bar and we still haven’t moved and then he’s got an over-head kick from seven yards and we still haven’t moved.

“He’s hit the bar, so if he’s hit the bar we should’ve be there on the line clearing it, so I’m disappointed with the team effort on the second goal, rather than to blame Frenchie.”

The former Ebbsfleet United stopper made amends when he stuck out a strong left hand to turn aside a left-footed curling drive from 20-yards from substitute Joshua Jones, which was heading towards the bottom corner.

With tired looking Faversham hanging on to their point, French wasn’t going to be beaten by Brotherton and Hughes late on but it was a promising start for Luchford’s men.

“When we arrived, thank God we don’t have to come here on a Tuesday night!” said the manager.

“Don’t get me wrong, the pitch is not too bad at all. Their facilities are fine, there’s no problem with that, but it’s a long old trek. It’s right the way down, you can’t get much further, you might as well be in the sea but it’s a tough place to come.

“Last five minutes they were pushing down the slope to get a goal and you’ve got to be fit.

“If they get the toss right every game and their playing down the slope in the second half they can cause a lot of problems to any team.

“It’s a good result for us, definitely a good result for us, after all the uncertainty and worrying about players coming in and not training properly, everyone on holiday.

“I half expected to come here and not get anything - I just think we showed character today.

“If you had offered me a point at the beginning of the morning, I would’ve taken it!”

Whitehawk manager Darren Freeman has a big budget to work with, but Luchford expects the Sussex side to do well this season.

He said: “Darren’s trying to get them playing football and they’ve got decent players - they’ve got Jerahl Hughes in their side and I know he wasn’t playing, but they’ve got Martin Grant signed for them up front. They’ll have no trouble at all.”

Whitehawk: Alan Mansfield, Luke Denton, Sam Fisk, Darren Budd (Paul Armstrong 76), Matthew Hurley, Glen Woodburn, Jerahl Hughes, Karly Akehurst (Scott Kirkwood 89), Lewis Hole (Joshua Jones 55), Wesley Tait, Jamie Brotherton.
Subs: Lee Jules, Adam Hunt.

Goals: Jerahl Hughes 15, Wesley Tait 60

Booked: Karly Akehurst 57

Faversham Town: Rob French, Shane Hamshare, Dan Larkin, Tom Hickman, Richard Avery, Matt Bourne, Justin Ascheri, Jake Leberl (Dale Skelton 76), Danny Hunt (Richard Sinden 76), Danny Lye, Dane Luchford (Dave Botterill 66).
Subs: Jack Baldwin, Dan Ellis.

Goals: Tom Hickman 4, Dane Luchford 27

Booked: Danny Lye 24

Attendance: 80
Referee: Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Jamie Broughton (Deptford, London SE8) & Mr Alasdair King (Deptford, London SE8)