View from the bench

  The latest thoughts from manager Keith McMahon

  Saturday 26 January 2008.

Well it’s been quite a few weeks since our last home game, which was against Beckenham Town. Before the game a lot of people were starting to write us of and were saying that my side couldn’t play on poor pitches and that we were in free fall. If anyone was watching our performance against Beckenham and the games against Herne Bay, Hythe and Croydon, then they would have second thoughts.

The Beckenham game had a bit more spice to it as they had just lost to VCD the week before and they really had to win to keep them in the race for the title. And of course what happened when we played them earlier in the season. We started the game really well and worked our socks of from start to finish, to give Beckenham their credit to they tried to play football, but our work rate was too much for them. Our midfield never let them play especially James Brown who won everything and our defence stood strong and never looked like conceding, whilst every time we went forward we looked as if we were going to score.

We won the game 1-0 and deservedly so. Pedro Knight scored a winner with 5 minutes to go when he was put through by Richard Dimmock, and Peaders made no mistake as he smashed the ball past the keeper from 12 yards out to put us in the lead. The last 5 minutes saw Beckenham throw every thing at us, but we defended really well, the only blip was Peter Deadman getting sent of in the last minute, when he tripped JP just inside our half, but the Ref said he kicked out, which is hard to believe if anyone knows Deaders. Chris Conneally caught the resulting free kick under his cross bar and we held out for a deserved win.

The win seemed to give the players there belief back and the following week saw us travel to Herne Bay for a difficult ¼ final of the Kent Senior Trophy. We won the game 2-1 and played really well. The pitch was the heaviest I have seen for ages and the knockers that said we couldn’t play on heavy pitches were eating their words. Again our work rate was excellent again the midfield set the example, especially Scot Mulholland and Robbie Tarrant who both couldn’t move at the end of the game.

Skipper Dean Kearley lead by example at the back and was clearing every thing that came his way. The first half saw us match Herne Bay in every department. We came in a 0-0 but really should have been in front Bay hadn’t managed a shot on goal all half until the last minute when they managed to blast the ball over the bar from close range. We on the other hand had a good few chances. Curtis Williams managed to burst through the defence but the keeper made a decent save, Rikki and Pedro both had chances but failed to score. Our second half performance saw us go up a gear and we scored two brilliant goals. Our first came after just 5 minutes when Curtis chased a lost ball in the corner flag and won it and past the ball back to Robbie Tarrant who cross was meet by Dimmo at the near post, with his back to goal but Dimmo managed to flick the ball over his shoulder into the top corner with a great finish. Two minutes later and it was 2-0. Scot Mulholland spotted a great run from Rikki and played a peach of a through ball. Rikki took the ball in his stride and spotted the keeper of his line and he lobbed the ball over him from 20 yards out. We continued to pile on the pressure and Herne Bay were looking to get back in to the game and were pushing forward, but time after time we kept hitting them on the break and should have increased the lead. Herne Bay managed to pull one back with 10 minutes to go and tried to have a go to get an equalizer, but again my defence was excellent and won every header and tackle, and never looked like conceding. The win sets us up with a semi final tie at home to Deal Town on Saturday 1st March.

Two weeks ago saw us travel to title chasing Hythe Town, again a really tough game for us and again on a heavy pitch, but again our performance was first class and we should have won the game comfortably. We ended up drawing the game 1-1 with Hythe scoring in injury time with a free header from a corner, after Curtis had put us in front with 20 minutes to go after Rikki had left 4 players on there backsides before crossing for Curtis to score from close range. We dominated the game from start to finish and if it wasn’t for there keeper who made 5 brilliant saves then we would have taken all three points. I played youth team keeper Adam Woodward in goal as Chris Conneally was in Australia on a family wedding and the young keeper had a very quite day, but everything he did he did well. Again we were excellent as a team and our work rate was second to none, Hythe couldn’t cope with the tempo we were playing and hassling them all over the pitch, but a lapse of concentration cost us two points and after the game it did feel like a defeat, but after some thought I was really pleased with the way we played and I would have taken a point before the game.

Last week saw us travel again, this time to Croydon, again a difficult game and again in difficult conditions. We won the game 1-0 thanks to a Scot Mulholland strike and I thought we deserved to win the game. The performance wasn’t our best in the first half but I put that done to the fact that the ball must have been out of play for at least 15 minutes of the half due to the running track round the edge of the pitch, along with the stop start due to there injuries. I counted no less than there physio was on the pitch 8 times for lengthy stoppages in the first half. 6 times for the keeper who went down every time he touched the ball and twice for the centre half who just kept falling down. Croydon seemed happy with a draw and were in no real rush to get the ball in play. The second half saw me make a tactical change and also employee a few of my staff around the pitch as ball boys.

I thought our second half performance again was really good and we pinned Croydon in there half. I thought that if we stayed patient and kept our shape then we would score and this proved right with Scot scoring in the 70th minute. Croydon never looked like scoring and again I thought we defended well and looked strong in midfield again Brownie and Robbie stood out in midfield, but again I thought we looked and performed as a real team.

The win put us 6 points behind VCD with a game in hand which we play today. If we can get three points today then we travel to VCD next week in a mouth watering match, but if results don’t go our way then we still won’t be out of it. Tuesday night also will see us travel again to Hythe in the ¼ final of the league cup which again is a game that I believe we can win, but lets take one game at a time, which brings me on to today’s game.

I am expecting a really hard game today against Erith & Belvedere, as they have some very good players. Erith were the first side to beat us this year when we lost 4-2 at Welling’s ground. I thought we played fairly well that day and could have got something out of the game but fair play to Erith I thought they played really well on the day. Today’s game will be a bit different as we will have the bit between our teeth today, not only are we playing well, but a few of the senior lads were talking about it in training in the week. When we last played Erith in our last league cup match against a couple of months ago I played 7 youth team players. Erith are a club that I have a lot of time for as I think that there players and committee are generally nice people, but I have to say that I was annoyed with the response from there manager after the game.

We lost the game 2-1 with Erith scoring in the last minute. We played well on the night and were the better side. We both had qualified and it didn’t really matter to me if we won the group or not. I thought it would be good experience for the youth lads to play against a good side in a good stadium.

Like I said after the game I was really pleased with the lads and got back in the dressing room and were telling them so, when there manager game right outside our dressing room door, singing ‘We won the group, We won the group’ like he had won the cup. My youth team players didn’t know what was going on and I thought that he showed them no respect what so ever or my club. I told my players that that’s not the way to behave, which they knew all ready, but this got some of the senior players annoyed and I know that they will take this in to the game today and it will help spur them on for the three points we want, but if the result doesn’t go our way today I know that my team and club will be respectful either way as we are proper football people.

The gaffer.

Next match at Bayliss Avenue

Tue 13th May2008

Kent Youth League

Thamesmead Town U18

Vs.

Erith & Belvedere U18

K.O. 7.45PM