Forest Hill Park 0 Snodland Town 3

Match 65/17/1515 - Wednesday, 29th November 2017 - SCEFL League Cup

Forest Hill Park (0) 0
Snodland Town (0) 3 Sherwood 56 Clarke 60 Harrison 80
Headcount: 18
New Ground: 320

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Included
Mileage: 80/4,183

After 20 years working in Bermondsey, any trip into south London leaves me with a little fear of parking the car and returning to find the wheels missing, or worse, the entire car missing. A tweet from Forest Hill Park assured me that after 7 p.m. there was free, on the road, parking directly outside of the Ladywell Arena.

On a bitterly cold evening, I duly arrived at around 7.20 and found a space easily and my spirits as to my car’s safety was lifted as the area seemed respectable. By the time I had donned several extra layers of clothing the clock had ticked on to 7.30 as I entered the Arena. I was aware of the running track so that came as no surprise as was the rest of the athletics paraphernalia.

There was just the one stand in view and given the cold it seemed the most appropriate place to position myself. We were now slightly less than 10 minutes from kick-off time and tucked into the far end of the stand, bizarrely wearing a Tonbridge Angels jacket, was a lone spectator. The young man had crutches lent up against the stand wall and was talking animatedly into his mobile. He renewed his conversation during the half-time break, so I was never able to ask him about his association with my club.

For five minutes I thought my season low attendance of three was to be beaten until another hopper arrived. As the teams lined up outside of the pavilion to take to the field another 14 people, mostly from Snodland it seemed, emerged from the warmth of the bar to brave the elements.

The view across the six lane track from the a position close to the half-way line was good and considering the pitch probably had a summer pounded by shot and hammer throwers it did not appear to be in a bad condition.

The first half started with Forest Hill on the front foot having the ball in the net after 10 minutes but the goal was disallowed. No team sheet or white board was available, so knowledge of the players was almost at zero. From a previous Snodland game, the mature frame of Dave Sherwood was recognisable and from the support of my Tonbridge Angels friend in the front row, his mate on the pitch, Nick Clarke took the eye with his busy endeavour.

Snodland grew into the game and Reece Gillies struck the bar with a shot from 20 yards that saw the rebound knocked in but, once more, the goal was not allowed to stand.

As the cold began to take hold, one wished for a shot to be lashed into the top corner, even if it was only to be into the hammer thrower’s pen and the threat of extra-time already loomed large as half-time was reached with the game goalless.

The Snodland left back, who had shown a great deal of resourcefulness going forward was brought down in the box after 54 minutes leaving the portly Sherwood to stroke home the spot kick to delight the visiting contingent.

The threat of extra-time receded even further with a curious goal four minutes later when the Forest Hill goalkeeper was clearly impeded before the ball fell to Clarke to neatly lob into the unguarded net.

Snodland thankfully put the game to bed five minutes from time when the ball was touched home from close range after a free kick had been parried by the goalkeeper.

A hasty retreat on the final whistle found the car perfectly intact with the heater soon being put to full use. In the end, I didn’t mind the Ladywell Arena and probably won’t despair in the same way when I return for the bracketed tick of Lewisham Borough.

Gillingham 0 Oldham Athletic 0

Match 64/17/1514 - Saturday, 25th November 2017 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Oldham Athletic (0) 0
Attendance: 4,364

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 58/4,103

I made my way to Priestfield with a sense of optimism, something that has not been the norm this season. A reasonable upturn in form, including three wins on the road, has resulted in Steve Lovell being awarded the manager’s job until the end of the season and Mr Scally’s court case with Centreplate has finally been concluded with the chairman trousering £1.4 million. How much of this will find its way into playing resources is open to conjecture, but my guess is the wad in Scally’s pocket won’t be diminishing by too much.

My optimistic outlook was not shared by others as, take away the 200-odd Oldham supporters down from Lancashire, there was barely 4,000 hardy souls supporting the Gills. It was a raw, cold afternoon, one worthy of the heaviest coat coming out of the wardrobe, so with the free ticket contingent seemingly being given a week off, it was not really surprising.

That was a shame really, as this was a good 0-0 draw that was always interesting. There was a lack of quality from both sides; they are not both in the lower reaches without reason, and what little there was came from the visitors. But the endeavour shown from Gillingham is not to be scoffed at, given that previous regimes have presided over teams that have failed to display the pre-requisite of any professional footballers: 100% effort.

Oldham started well and their leading goalscorer Eoin Doyle and Craig Davies combined to send the latter through on goal but Tomas Holy did well to save with his feet.

A long stoppage ensued when Lee Martin took the full force of a clearance to his head. After lengthy treatment the Gills skipper was stretchered to a waiting ambulance. Thankfully, it was reported that Martin was back in the dressing room at the end of the game having been given the all clear at the hospital.

The game was very open with the visitors creating several half chances whilst Tom Eaves produced a powerful run to set up Scott Wagstaff for a low cross that eluded Josh Parker.

But it was Holy that was producing the saves that mattered to deny Jack Byrne and Doyle to preserve a goal-less parity at the break.

The second half began in much the same vein, the game quite open and end-to-end but with Holy being asked to make the saves.

The best chance of the match, so far, fell to the Latics when Queensy Menig rounded Holy but saw his shot on goal cleared from the line by Mark Byrne.

As the game entered its closing stages, Eaves was proving a real handful for the visitors with their goalkeeper Johny Placide saving low as he powered through.

Placide then made the save of the match when he tipped a free kick from Luke O’Neill onto the underside of the bar, and whether more by luck than judgement, managed to shepherd the ball to safety as the rebound came off his back.

For Gillingham, reasons to be cheerful, well yes.

Matches against Oldham will always bring to mind my good friend, John Gilmour, sadly taken from us six years ago. RIP John.

Rochester United 1 Deal Town 4

Match 63/17/1513 - Wednesday, 22nd November 2017 - SCEFL

Rochester United (0) 1 Gross 88
Deal Town (2) 4 Foster 39 Coyne 42 Paxman 78 Cook 81
Attendance: 52

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 39/4,045

Evenings like this one test your resolve as a groundhopper, games accumulator, whichever handle you would like to place on this strange hobby. The wind howled, and even standing under the stand it nearly blew me off my feet, and would have tested the quality of a lot better teams than Rochester United or Deal Town.

The latter of which dealt with the conditions and were thoroughly deserving of their comfortable win.

Some observations were that Deal’s right back Jack Paxman took the eye with some surging forays down the right hand side and capped a fine display with a goal.

Moses Ashikodi was spotted, evidently playing for this 30th club in the colours of Rochester. One can only imagine that number 31 won’t be too far away.

The match details are an unashamed cut and paste from Deal’s Facebook page, mainly because my resolve is tired!

Two goals in a three-minute spell just before half-time set up the Hoops’ third away league win of the season on Wednesday night.

A strong wind swirling around the Rede Court Road pitch inevitably influenced the pattern of the game and it was a credit to both teams that they still managed to produce some decent football in the difficult conditions.

Deal were in control for most of the 90 minutes against a Rochester side struggling at the bottom of the table but a combination of several near misses, including Danny Smith striking the underside of the bar with an early free kick, and some brave goalkeeping by Rochester’s Dan Coxall meant the Hoops’ had to wait until close to the interval before making the breakthrough.

It was provided by Andy Miller whose shot took a slight deflection off Alfie Foster on its way into the net, and three minutes later it was a similar story as Connor Coyne’s effort again took another deflection past the unfortunate Coxall to give the Hoops’ a two-goal interval cushion.

With Rochester re-emerging with the strengthening wind now mostly in their faces, and possessing the worst “goals for” record in the league, the home side knew they had a mountain to climb against Deal’s resilient backline.

But the Spartans stuck to their task well and, with Coxall producing another fine save to keep out Danny Smith’s fierce half volley and Harry Alexander also hitting the Rochester woodwork, the Hoops again had to wait until the half’s closing stages before stamping their authority.

And, for the third time, the ball found its way into the Rochester net with the help of a minor deflection, this time from Jack Paxman’s low 79th-minute cross. Then, two minutes later, Dan Adams set up Sam Wilson for his 13th goal of the season before the home side earned some reward for their spirited efforts with an injury-time header from substitute Paul Gross.

Tonbridge Angels 2 Thurrock 1

Match 62/17/1512 - Tuesday, 21st November 2017 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Elder 42 Akrofi 51
Thurrock (0) 1 Spence 90+1
Attendance: 251

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/4,006

After the thrills and spills of Saturday's encounter with Needham Market, this may have seemed routine, perhaps even drab, but achieving back-to-back wins for only the second time this season might prove to be significant as Steve McKimm endeavours to put this season back on track.

Whatever the reason, Champions League on television, leaving aside Saturday recent poor form, the turn out of just 251 was desperately disappointing.

After just 20 seconds Ryan Worrall struck a shot at Thurrock goalkeeper, Jake Jessie and after three minutes, Reece Morgan went into the referee’s notebook in a portent of what was too come in a first half in which the visitors can only be politely described as robust.

Nathan Elder saw his seventh minute header hit the top of the bar followed quickly by Alex Akrofi rounding Jessup, who had strayed a long way from home, but firing his shot across the face of goal.

Every now and then Thurrock put together a few passes that belied their away form of not a single point and when Dennis Oli was through on goal it took a fine save at the ex-Gillingham striker’s feet to stop the Essex side taking the lead.

Akrofi’s livewire performance was undoing Thurrock time and again and their yellow card count rose to four as they struggled to contain him.

Despite their dominance, it took until three minutes before the break for Tonbridge to break the deadlock. A free kick was delivered into the box by Joe Turner that was flapped away by Jessup on to the unwitting head of a defender with the rebound falling kindly for Elder to hook the ball home.

Just six minutes into the second half, the Angels doubled their advantage when a low, driven cross from Jack Parter was met by Akrofi who got in front of his marker to touch the ball home.

Tonbridge were in cruise control and chances to put the game to bed came and went and then, into added time, a cross to the far post found Lewwis Spence free to head home and set up a twitchy few minutes that really should not have happened.

Tonbridge Angels 5 Needham Market 4

Match 61/17/1511 - Saturday, 18th November 2017 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (2) 5 Turner 9 (pen) Elder 41,60 Akrofi 48 Kwayie 90+2
Needham Market (2) 4 Wright 17 Harrison 32 Morphew 71 (pen) Griffiths 85
Attendance: 383

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/3,968

Match Report

If you like your football with thud and blunder and plenty of goals, then this is the fixture to pencil into the diary for next season; on the other hand, if you are of a nervous disposition, better leave it.

In the last three seasons this fixture has yielded 22 goals, produced some remarkable comebacks, woeful defending and with a win for both sides plus a draw, a share of the spoils. In August 2015, the sides shared six goals with some controversial refereeing decisions at the heart of result. Last season saw Tonbridge leading 2-0 and 3-1 but an injury to goalkeeper Anthony Di Bernardo saw coach Stewart Copeland take over between the sticks with a disastrous outcome that saw Ugo Udoji sent off and the Suffolk side recovering to win 4-3.

And so to today; once more the game switched back and forth to be finally decided with an own goal by any other name than the one that will enter into the record books.

Suspensions to Sonny Miles and George Beaven resulted in a makeshift central defensive pairing of Craig Stone and Tom Jelley, who was making his home debut following his arrival from Tooting and Mitcham.

The game started with two early efforts from Joe Turner that did not unduly trouble the Needham Market goalkeeper, Danny Gay, but it signalled an intensity in Turner’s game that was to continue throughout the 90 minutes.

It was, though, a darting run from Alex Akrofi that brought a challenge that saw him tumble in the penalty area which the referee saw as a foul. Turner struck the spot kick straight down the middle to give the Angels a ninth minute lead.

The Suffolk side were to respond with immediate effect with a Gareth Heath corner being met at the near post by Luke Ingram but narrowly wide.

It was a warning shot across the bows for the home side though as a free kick from Heath found the head of Callum Harrison, who might have meant to direct it goalwards but it went across the face to Diaz Wright who volleyed home.

The game continued to be end-to-end with Akrofi being denied by the feet of Gay, quickly followed by the left hand post.

But it was the visitors who went in front just past the half-hour when a shot from Harrison towards the far post took a wicked deflection off Jelley to give Jonny Henly no chance.

Four minutes before the break, Tonbridge gained parity with a well struck, and well directed, shot from Nathan Elder creeping in at the far post.

The second half was barely three minutes old when good work between Jack Parter and Turner ended with the latter producing an inch perfect cross for the diminutive Akrofi to finish with a close range header.

On the hour it was game over, or so we thought, when a corner from Ryan Worrall, also making his home debut following his loan arrival from Eastbourne Borough, was met with a powerful header from Elder to make it 4-2.

Memories of last season meant nerves were beginning to jangle when Needham also were given a penalty following a foul by Stone on Jamie Griffiths which was noticed by the linesman allowing Danny Morphew to reduce the deficit from the spot.

A great save low to his left from Henly held up Needham’s charge but with five minutes remaining they got the equaliser that their contribution to this thriller deserved but it was poor defending that gave Heath time and room to fire a cross to the far post for Griffiths to be allowed a virtual tap-in.

It seemed hard to believe that Needham had produced an unlikely comeback for the second year running but on this occasion there was to be one final act. A shot from substitute Tashi-Jay Kwayie deflected off the head of Wright to loop over Gay. It was a lucky break but one which was overdue. Perhaps you make your own luck but Tonbridge were certainly due their rub of the green.

Pictures: David Couldridge

Bearsted 0 Lordswood 1

Match 60/17/1510 - Wednesday, 15th November 2017 - SCEFL Premier

Bearsted (0) 0
Lordswood (1) 1 Griffin 35
Attendance: 63

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: Included
Mileage: 15/3,930

Bearsted are my local club, just 7.5 miles from home, so it is probably a little shameful that this was just my second visit. This was also a visit that was not scheduled but a delay leaving home, plus a 19:30 kick-off put the intended game at Bridon Ropes out of reach.

The visiting hopperatti swelled the attendance to 63 and their tales of where they had been; this ground and that helped pass a first half of very few chances.

Bearsted’s Reece Collins had a couple of efforts that didn’t test Lordswood’s goalkeeper, Ryan Chandler before Frank Griffin put the visitors in front with a shot into the bottom corner from the defensively unmanned right side of the box after 33 minutes.

The second period was one of frustration for the cluster of Lordswood supporters as their side wasted chance after chance to put the game to bed.

Bearsted goalkeeper, Scott Andrews excelled as Helge Orome, Jack Mahon and Charlie Plummer contrived to keep the game alive for the hosts.

In one instance, eight minutes from time, Andrews saved three times with his feet to deny Mahon twice and Plummer in the space of around 10 seconds.

Bearsted's Honey Lane is not an easy place to find, it is actually in Otham, and the long track to the ground tests the car suspension to the limit, but once there it has a rural charm that makes the visit worthwhile. Added to that, I was home in 15 minutes!

Tunbridge Wells 1 Erith Town 2

Match 59/17/1509 - Tuesday, 14th November 2017 - SCEFL Premier

Tunbridge Wells (1) 1 Ita 33
Erith Town (0) 2 Jeffrey 75 Cooper 90+2
Attendance: 89

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 38/3,915

Adam Woodward doesn’t strike you as silver-tongued and the noise that reverberated out of the Erith Town dug-out throughout the game didn’t suggest that they were an arm around the shoulder type of staff. So, one can only make the assumption that the half-time team talk was one from the kick up the backside variety. Whatever, it worked. Erith Town emerged from the dressing room a different team and with a 92nd minute goal turned around the game and if they took the bollocking as a team, boy did they celebrate as one.

Tunbridge Wells started the game on the front foot with Steven Ita bringing a save out of the Dockers goalkeeper, Adam Molloy low to his left. This was followed in the 21st minute with Jack Harris seeing his effort come back from the crossbar for John Shea to fire the rebound wide.

After 33 minutes the Wells got a goal their efforts had deserved when Ita curled a free kick into the top right corner of the net.

A poor back pass allowed Harris an opportunity but he put his shot wide.

With the flea in their ear, the visitors were a different animal from the outset of the second half, completely dominating. But it took until 15 minutes from time for Erith to finally breakthrough with a route one goal. A single punt through the centre from Miles Keiser-Burrows sent Aaron Jeffrey clear to finish into the bottom corner.

The one-way traffic continued with Sid Warden forcing Mohammed Otayo to save low plus Danny Gannon blasting over and sending another opportunity wide.

Jon Pilbeam might have relieved some of the pressure but his touch past the goalkeeper didn’t have quite enough weight to beat an Erith defender on the line.

As the game entered its added time, Erith forced another corner, from which substitute Jack Hooper rose highest, and unchallenged, to plant a firm header home.

England versus Brazil on terrestrial challenge seriously depleted the usual attendance at Culverden with the figure of 83 representing the lowest since 2013.