| Tuesday 28th October 2008 (7:45pm) – Ryman League Premier Division WEALDSTONE (3) 4 STAINES TOWN (0) 3 By Steve Parsons. Staines came unstuck in dreadful conditions on their first visit to Grosvenor Vale since it changed hands from Ruislip Manor to Wealdstone in the summer. Steve Cordery received no good news from his treatment table, and in fact will be pleased not to have a game at the weekend, as the Newton brothers, Jake and Howard, were scheduled to fly to Trinidad to represent Guyana in the Caribbean Cup the next day. This game brought Steve Cordery and Gordon Bartlett into opposition – the pair had been a player and the manager of the victorious Yeading FA Vase side. What had been a cold day turned nasty in the early evening, with rising winds and a belt of heavy rain moving in. Staines attacked the far end in the first half, facing the strong wind as well as the slope. The pitch, especially at the entrance end which they were defending, had become very wet, with water splashing up from puddles in many places. Gavin James sent an early effort for the home side skidding just wide after a slip in the Staines defence, but they countered with a H Newton shot which went wide, and a long range free kick which was easily claimed by Luke Woods. And that was just about the extent of Staines’ attacking portfolio in the first half, which saw wave after wave of Wealdstone pressure. An early flashpoint resulted in the 9th minute yellow carding of both Ryan Ashe (for a wild tackle) and André Scarlett (for his retaliation). With 21 minutes on the clock, the home side took a deserved lead, when James picked out Graeme Montgomery in space, and he flashed a powerful shot in off the underside of the bar. And 11 minutes later, there were more problems for Staines, as ‘keeper Louis Wells slithered out of his goal and clattered James to the ground, leading to a caution and a penalty. Wells saved Gavin James’ spotkick, but was powerless to prevent the taker from tucking away the rebound. Each side picked up another booking for fouls by Gray and Risbridger, and there was a brief flicker of hope for the Swans – quite literally, as the floodlights momentarily dimmed. They immediately resumed full power, and it was Wealdstone who moved into a seemingly unassailable lead on the very stroke of half time. Again Wells was unlucky, making a great save from a disputed Ashe free kick, but the loose ball was sliced back into the box, where skipper James Gray crashed it into the net. After the charge-round, Staines might have hoped to be as dominant with the wind at their backs as Stones were, but the home side had other plans. Just two minutes in, and with the rain now turning to a heavy snowfall that would last for the rest of the night, Ryan Ashe crashed in a free kick from wide on the left which eluded the defence to give the home side a 4-0 lead. However, Staines were thrown a lifeline when Locke tripped Howard Newton, and up stepped the dependable Dave Sargent to score from the resulting penalty. Dean Thomas limped off with a dead-leg, but in the 66th minute, Staines were right back in the game, when Massey made a last ditch challenge on Onochie, mis-timing it slightly to give Sargent his second goal from the penalty spot in the space of 13 minutes: the defender was cautioned for the foul. Two minutes later, and a foul just outside the box, and off to the left, gave Staines a dangerous free kick, and it was hit superbly by Elliot Onochie, bending over the wall and just inside the far top corner of the net, to make it a scarcely credible 4-3. It quickly became 4-3 in yellow cards, too, as O’Leary threw the ball away from a disputed throw-in, but there was to be no further movement in either of the tallies as the conditions got even worse in the final 17 minutes. Wealdstone managed to dig themselves out of the hole they had been falling into since the break, with a pair of lively subs instrumental in this: one of them, Ben Clarke, forcing McDonald to make a goal line clearance after a darting run. With a Russian referee, there was no danger that a bit of snow would bring an early halt to the game, and both sides dragged their tiring bodies through, with Onochie blasting a couple of half-chances over the bar, and Clarke pouncing on an underhit back-pass before forcing Wells into a save. Injury time was played out in and around the Wealdstone box, as Staines desperately sought to level, but a succession of McDonald long throws were headed out, and the whistle blew as they were shaping up to take a corner. The only good news for Swans was that both their nearest challengers had surprisingly dropped points, and so they remain 2nd in the table. Staines – Wells, J Newton, Sargent, D Gordon © (Cook 81), D Thomas (Fenton 56), McDonald, H Newton, Risbridger, Butler, Onochie, Scarlett; unused Haule, Ifura, Charles-Smith. Wealdstone – Woods, Carl Martin, Chappell, Locke (Hicks 74), Massey, Ashe, Forbes, O’Leary, James (Salapatas 90+1), Gray ©, Montgomery (Clarke 74); unused McCoy, S Thomas. Ref O Saliy (Enfield); ARs P O’Leary & V Torre (both Bucks); Official Att 280
Wednesday 29th October 2008 (7:45pm) – Ryman League North West Division TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED Youths (1) 2 STAINES TOWN Academy (1) 3 Martyn Spong’s side gave a good, solid performance against a side that has often proved tough opposition. The opener came in just 5 mins, when Adam Nelson cut in from the left and beat Skinner with a low shot which took a fractional deflection. The Terrors levelled on 25 mins, when a (questionable) free kick was played in towards the powerful Pendrill, who nodded down for Adam Fletcher to run in and score. Tooting were less effective after the break, and Staines began to take control, going in front on the hour when a ball down the left to Ryan Ford saw him turn neatly onto his left foot to shoot home from 15 yards. Ford made it 3-1 with 15 mins to go, after being released by Nelson, he burst into the box and sent an angled drive in at the near post. Tooting set up a nervy last 6 mins when Jason Sarpong scored direct from a corner, via the inside of the far post, but Staines had done enough to win. Staines: 1 Danny Sonner, 2 Jon Vickers, 3 Fabion Grosvenor (16 Daniel Dunning 74), 4 Alfie Arthur, 5 Darren Millard, 6 James King, 7 Elliott Thompson, 8 Hyun-Jin Lee (12 Frazer Douglas 61), 9 Ryan Ford, 10 Will Marlowe © (14 Nassir Ali 67), 11 Adam Nelson; unused 15 Florin Ramizi, 17 Harvey Suika. [Ashley Burton travelled as reserve, and Michael Marren was welcomed back onto the bench assisting Messrs Spong and Fabian. King and Thompson were booked]. Tooting: 1 Adam Skinner, 2 Lewis West, 3 Alex Karamoto, 4 Nick Nutt, 5 Tom Costelloe, 6 Jason Sarpong, 7 Mohammed Karaye, 8 Adam Fletcher, 9 Jamie Pendrill, 10 Carlos Abel, 11 George Tedder; subs 12 Robert Appiah, 14 Louis Turvil-West, 15 Nick Ford, 17 Omar Cornette-Lewis. Ref: Steve R Earle; ARs Peter Crichlow, Dean Parsons. Off att 67 est 85).
Wednesday 29th October 2008 (8:20pm) – Capital League Western Division. Att 9 STAINES TOWN Reserves (3) 5 POTTERS BAR TOWN Reserves (0) 0 A serious delay on the M25 caused a few Swans players, and most of the Scholars’ team, to be delayed. Referee Roy Pardoe was prepared to put the 7:30 start back to 8:15, but in fact we started some 6 minutes later than that, so played 40 minutes each way and 8 mins interval, with the consent of the captains. This also kept the ‘gate’ down, on a bitterly cold night. Victor Asombang, back in a Staines shirt after stints at Harrow, Walton Casuals, and his local Sunday team (St Nicholas), hammered the first goal from the edge of the box in just 6 mins. The visitors soon shook off the effects of their journey, and Ocran forced Courtnage into a good save with his legs. However, Staines steadily turned the screw, and on 32 mins, Marc Charles-Smith took the ball down expertly, and sent a great shot into the bottom corner. Six minutes later, a foul by Freeman on James McShane saw the Swans youngster getting up to claim the penalty as his own, and he comfortably beat Chris Kiely (who is the son of W Brom’s Irish international, Dean). Gayle did have the ball in the net for Potters Bar but was a fraction offside, and 12 minutes into the second half, Clement James made it 8 goals in 8 Reserve games, when he received the ball on the right and threaded an accurate shot beyond the covering defender. Perhaps the best move of the game came on 72 mins, after a move stated to be 32 passes long was capped by a fine low finish by Asombang. Charles-Smith saw what would have been a second goal ruled out for offside, as Staines poured forward in the final stages, interrupted only by a raid by Makofo which again Courtnage saved well. Staines T: 1 James Courtnage, 2 Sam Nicholson (15 Ben Nicholson 69), 3 Marvin Farrell (16 Nick White 52), 4 Richard Orlu, 5 Marien Ifura, 6 James McShane, 7 Davis Haule, 8 Clement James, 9 Victor Asombang, 10 Marc Charles-Smith; unused 12 Ricardo Kimfumu, 14 Kieran Kiffin. Potters B: 1 Chris Kiely, 2 Jon Spencer, 3 Aaron Freeman (15 Vlatko Nevcev 62), 4 Craig Minton, 5 Matt Tillbrook, 6 Sam Adejokun ©*, 7 Serge Makofo, 8 Abul Hussain, 9 Aran Gayle (12 Jerry Jairette 62), 10 Ryan Mattos [ex Swan], 11 Geoff Ocran; unused 14 Ryan Hervel. * He is also their 1st XI captain. Ref – Roy Pardoe (Windsor); ARs – Gareth Dineen (Teddington), Lee Turnbull (Watford).
Saturday 25th October 2008 (3:00pm) – Ryman League Premier Division CARSHALTON ATHLETIC (0) 1 STAINES TOWN (1) 3 By Steve Parsons. Staines secured a very welcome victory against the side whose excellent run of late had taken them up to second place in the table. The Swans now return to 2nd spot, after denting a Robins run that had seen them lose just one of their last 6 League outings, and that to leaders Dover. Following a successful run out for the Reserves in midweek, Gareth Risbridger made an earlier-than-expected return to Steve Cordery’s midfield, and with it came his own blend of steel and creativity that has been missing since he sustained a knee injury over two months ago. Carshalton included two of Staines’ FA Cup heroes from last season – Adrian Toppin (who was playing at fullback) and Dwain Clarke, who came on midway through the second half, as they took off former Staines Youth Liam Collins. The pitch was in good condition, and the afternoon cool and blustery, with Staines having to play against both the slope and the diagonal wind as they kicked towards the far end in the first half. The last two times that these clubs have met at Colston Avenue had produced a total of five goals in the opening 12 minutes, but this time the supporters had to wait until 23 minutes had elapsed before the first score was chalked up. However, this was not for lack of trying by both teams, as Richard Jolly forced a decent block from Staines ’keeper Louis Wells after Staines had been a little over-elaborate at the back in only 2 minutes, and after 4, Howard Newton got away at the other end and fired off a low shot that ‘keeper Phil Wilson was pleased to block with his standing leg. This was then followed by a rasping Richard Butler shot that just cleared Wilson’s crossbar. The home side did find the net on the quarter hour, courtesy of an inch-perfect finish by the league’s leading scorer, Richard Jolly, but Carshalton celebrations were cut short by an offside flag. In contrast, the Staines jubilation took a second or two to kick in for André Scarlett’s opening goal, owing to a freakish rebound that took his shot from the rear stanchion inside the net back into the arms of Wilson. However, referee Matt Downey and his assistant were not deceived, and Swans could celebrate a goal which was begun by a Jon McDonald throw to Dean Thomas, who accurately laid the ball back to Scarlett, who still had the difficult task of driving it through a crowded box and into the bottom corner of the net. For a while, Staines threatened to build on that lead, as Howard Newton made a menacingly tricky run into the box, and, after claims that David Graves had handled were waved away, he poked the ball across to Elliot Onochie, whose shot cleared the bar. Then the home side mounted an excellent move, but it ended with Jolly’s strike going just too high. The only yellow card of the first half was shown to McDonald for a 29th minute foul. Wells was called upon again to preserve Staines’ lead going into the interval, spreading himself well to deny Dean Carpenter after the Athletic man had pounced on a misplaced pass. Just two minutes after the restart, it was Staines’ turn to rue a raised offside flag, as Butler turned and fired in a good shot which did not count. Shortly afterwards, Carshalton’s Honey had his name taken for a late challenge. Staines were now gaining the upper hand, but Carshalton were neat at the back, and broke swiftly and purposefully when they had the chance, so that the 1-0 lead never looked comfortable. Staines had Wells to thank for maintaining it when, in the 59th minute, they conceded a dangerous free kick which was well struck by Paul Honey. However, the visitors could breathe a little easier when, on 70 minutes, they extended the lead with an excellent move, which ended with Onochie sliding the ball forward for Richard Butler to beat the offside trap, spin away from his marker, and take the ball past Wilson before sidefooting home. But just 4 minutes later, Carshalton were back in the hunt, when a foul by Jake Newton resulted in a penalty, clinically despatched by Richard Jolly to pull the score back to 2-1. But Staines supporters did not have time for an attack of the nerves, for the Swans kicked off, and a very slick move involving Scarlett and Thomas was completed by Elliot Onochie rounding the ‘keeper to restore the two goal cushion less than a minute later. A neat Carshalton riposte 4 minutes later unfortunately resulted in Toppin stretching at the far post, and tumbling into the advertising, sustaining an injury which required his immediate substitution. Staines could now play in a relaxed way, and Onochie went close with another well judged chip which Wilson did well to fingertip for a corner. There were two late yellow cards – Athletic’s former Egham man Graves for a late challenge, and then Staines’ Risbridger for a foul on Clarke, which gave the home side a dangerous free kick in the last minute. Junior Kadi took it, and Wells dived to push it for a corner, which was played into the area and eventually cleared, heralding the final whistle. Staines can be delighted with not only a return to form, but also a fine away victory over a decent footballing side, and an entertaining afternoon in windy conditions. Staines – Wells, J Newton, Sargent, D Gordon ©, McDonald, H Newton (Cook 89), Risbridger, Scarlett, Thomas, Butler, Onochie; unused Haule, Ifura, Charles-Smith, Fenton. Carshalton – Wilson, Cooper, Gonsalves (Clarke 67), Graves ©, Toppin (York 79), Evans, Collins (Plumain 67), Honey, Kadi, Jolly, Carpenter; unused Bremner, Bouadji. Ref MC Downey (Bourne End); ARs DA Jones (New Haw), J Paterson (Camberley); Official Att 314.
Wednesday 22nd October 2008 (7:30pm) – Middlesex Senior Youth u18 (Jeff Ritson) Cup, 1st Round (tie 4) STAINES TOWN Academy (0) 6 BEDFONT GREEN Youths (1) 1 This match was preceded by a minute’s silence, in memory of Jeff Ritson, patron of the Middlesex Senior Youth Cup, who died earlier this month. Staines were finalists three times in 4 seasons in this competition, but did not enter last term, and so had to start in the 1st Round. They were paired with near neighbours Bedfont Green from the Allied Counties League, whom they had never met at anything about junior level before. Staines made a decent start, but fell behind after only 8 minutes when they conceded a free kick for a foul by James King, and Scott Jermy fired a tremendous free kick into the top corner. Eight minutes later, Staines had ’keeper Danny Sonner to thank for tipping a similar free kick, this time by Joel Jabulani, over the bar. Staines drew level 3 minutes into the second half, when Will Marlowe arrived at the back post to sidefoot in a long throw by Alfie Arthur. The home side proceeded to dominate the second half, but it was a stop-start match, peppered by injuries – King was booked for a foul on the hour, and also twice went down after heavy challenges, Millard (75m) was also booked for a foul; Green had Mendes cautioned for a late challenge (77 mins) and lost Bedford through injury and were temporarily reduced to 10 men when Hamlet limped off after using all their subs. Ryan Ford had a strike disallowed for offside, and it was not until the 70th minute that Swans took a deserved lead: Ford picked out Adam Nelson, whose shot was well saved by Connor O’Brien with his legs, but Marlowe pounced on the rebound. But having made the breakthrough, Staines proceded to rattle in 4 more goals against their tiring opponents, timed at 83, 84, 87 and 90+1 minutes. Sonner and King combined to set up Hyun-Jin Lee for number three with a flick in at the near post, and Fabion Grosvenor picked out Ryan Ford to apply a great finish for the fourth. A neat turn and powerful strike from 12 yards brought number five for Lee, and the scoring was completed with a hat-trick goal from Marlowe after some great work on the edge of the box and a low drive into the corner. There was a little bad feeling at the end of the game – seemingly over a misunderstanding concerning a substitution – but the evening ended with handshakes, and Staines can look forward to entertaining Hayes & Yeading or Hillingdon in the Quarter-Finals. Staines T: 1 Danny Sonner, 2 Jon Vickers, 3 Daniel Dunning (16 Fabion Grosvenor HT), 4 Alfie Arthur, 5 Darren Millard, 6 James King, 7 Hyun-Jin Lee, 8 Elliott Thompson, 9 Ryan Ford (14 Jemelle Hudson 85), 10 Will Marlowe ©, 11 Nassir Ali (12 Adam Nelson 63); unused 15 Ben Nicholson, 17 Frazer Douglas. Bedfont G: 1 Connor O’Brien (16/1 Alastair McCallum 85), 2 Alfie Bedford (14 Jay Buckler-Picton 68), 3 Declan Peters, 4 Scott Jermy, 5 Grant Gilbert, 6 Gerard Ruff, 7 Jamie Rudkin ©, 8 Cyrus Longdon-Hughes (12 Octavio Mendes 60), 9 Joel Jabulani, 10 Jack Hamlet, 11 Jimmy Roberts. Ref: Aiden Farrelly (Hampton); ARs Ray Herb & Andrew Herb (both Sunbury); Att 36.
Saturday 18th October 2008 (3:00pm) – FA Carlsberg Trophy, 1st Qualifying Round STAINES TOWN (0) 0 DOVER ATHLETIC (1) 2 By Steve Parsons. League leaders Dover came to Staines on Saturday, for the first of two visits in 3 weeks, this time for the chance to progress in the FA Trophy (and earn a £2300 prize). Steve Cordery had tested some of his injured players in friendly at Amersham on the Tuesday, but only one of them, André Scarlett, was deemed fit enough to return to the starting line-up. However, Clement James (who scored all four goals in a 4-1 win, adding to his two the week before) did enough to secure his first competitive start since February 2007. There had been rumours that Dover were not going to take this competition very seriously, which perhaps accounted for the slightly disappointing crowd, but in fact they sent as good a team as contested the midweek FA Cup replay, buoyed by their returning captain Alan Pouton. The pitch was in good condition, the weather bright but blustery, and Staines kicked towards the houses end in the first half. Unfortunately for the home side, the tie did not live up to its billing. Following some lively early exchanges in which Louis Wells was able to wave Lawrence Ball’s low drive past the post, and Dean Thomas had a header saved under the bar by John Whitehouse, it was Dover who went in front after only 6 minutes. Staines boss Steve Cordery was not happy that referee Ashvin Degnarian penalised Scarlett’s challenge a few yards outside the box, but could not argue with Frannie Collin’s superb free kick which curled just inside the left hand post, leaving Wells stranded. Scarlett was subsequently cautioned for ‘persistent infringement’, including the one which had seemed no more than a late readjustment for the swirling flight of the ball. He was then involved in a promising Staines move, also encompassing Elliot Onochie and Richard Butler, which ended with James’ angled drive going into the side netting. Then Jake Newton did well to roll the ball in to Onochie, who turned neatly in the box but could not quite pick out a yellow shirt in front of goal. Scarlett saw a curling shot bend just outside the target, and a low drive by Davis Haule deceived the ‘keeper, squirming under his body for a corner. Dover were able then to shore up the gaps in their defence, and kept Staines at bay for the remainder of the half, in which four more players were shown yellow cards – Dover’s Shaun Welford for disputing a decision, and Dean Hill for a rather cynical trip on the flying Onochie. This led to a 44th minute free kick, taken by James, which resulted in a corner, and when James clattered into Pouton in the corner, the Dover skipper retaliated, and both were booked. Butler, who was troubled by a nose-bleed early in the second half, got off a shot which went just past the post, but then Dover might have doubled their lead but for a saving tackle by McDonald on Collin just a few yards out. Haule then had his name taken for shirt-pulling. Butler went in for a challenge on the ’keeper just outside the box which led to a worrying delay before Whitehouse was thankfully able to continue. Steve Cordery realised that he needed to vary his attack, and so he threw on Howard Newton and Dean Fenton, withdrawing Scarlett and James, just 18 minutes into what was becoming a scrappy second half. A Gordon clearance was cut out by Browning, who rolled the ball to the feet of Sam Moore who was well placed but shot wide. Then another clearance, this time from Wells, was picked up by Moore, who again shot wide. For Staines, a neat Onochie / Fenton move ended with Thomas firing over, before they made a third attacking substitution – Marc Charles-Smith for Butler. Dover made the game safe with just 3 minutes left on the clock, a long diagonal ball taking a fortunate ricochet into the path of Jerahl Hughes, whose shot had sufficient power that Wells’ hand could not prevent it from going in. A rash challenge by Jake Newton earned him the final yellow card of the game. Dover were rewarded with a home tie against Cambridge City or Canvey Island in Monday’s draw. Coupled with defeats by Hayes & Yeading, and Croydon Athletic Youth, Staines have now gone out of all three national cups in the space of 18 days. Staines – Wells, J Newton, Sargent, D Gordon ©, Haule, Butler (Cahrles-Smith 79), Onochie, Scarlett (H Newton 63), McDonald, Thomas, James (Fenton 63); unused Courtnage (gk), Ifura. Dover – Whitehouse, Fish, Gore, Hill, Ball, Pouton © (Keister 65), Hughes, Moore, Welford, Collin (Bailey 76), Browning (Rogers 84); unused Jones, Lindley (gk). Ref Ashvin Degnarain; ARs Ben Wright, Tunde Adebayo; Official Att 320.
Tuesday 14th October 2008 (7:45) – Ryman Youth League North Western Division CARSHALTON ATHLETIC Youths (0) 0 STAINES TOWN Academy (2) 3 Despite having a second dismissal in as many weeks, Lee for a crunching 53rd minute tackle just 4 mins after his first booking for a foul, Staines put on a super display to overcome a decent Carshalton side. Both ‘keepers had early scares, Robins’ Algar coming right out to the touchline just half a minute into the game, and Sonner straying out of his box to make an untidy save in the 5th min. Staines then settled, and Ford saw a good shot saved. But just as Carshalton were finding their feet, they conceded a soft penalty by tripping Ford, and Will Marlowe stepped up to convert on 26 mins. Staines pressed home their advantage with a clinical Marlowe finish, following some great skills by Thompson, and in between Algar had done well to keep out both Marlowe’s flicked shot and Nelson’s follow-up. Following a Carshalton booking for a clumsy foul by Davison (39m), Staines almost made it three with the last kick of the half, but the shot from 2 yards went over following a corner. Following the dismissal, Marlowe was also booked for dissent, and was followed by Thompson (trip 63m) and Nelson (dissent 71m). But if Carshalton thought they would make the numbers pay, they were mistaken, as a fine James King header from a Marlowe corner on 62 made the victory safe. Staines: 1 Danny Sonner, 2 Jon Vickers, 3 Dan Dunning, 4 Alfie Arthur, 5 Darren Millard, 6 James King, 7 Hyun-Jin Lee [SO 53m], 8 Elliott Thompson, 9 Ryan Ford (14 Harvey Suika 65), 10 Will Marlowe © (15 Douglas Frazer 65), 11 Adam Nelson (12 Nassir Ali 72); unused 16 Florin Ramizi, 17 Jemelle Hudson. Carshalton: 13 Joe Algar, 2 James Craig, 3 Rhys Turner © (14 Sasha Smith HT), 4 Stephen Newman, 5 Lee Davison, 6 Paul Nichols, 7 Scott Fullerton, 8 Elliot Boim, 9 William Taylor, 10 Cameron Goff (16 Jack Conroy 68), 11 Bradley Ward (17 Joel Henry HT). Ref: Simeon Potter; ARs: R O’Sullivan, R Pizzy; Off att 51 (est 81).
Monday 6th October 2008 (7:30pm) – FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.On 2nd Qualifying Round (tie 40) STAINES TOWN Academy (0) 1 CROYDON ATHLETIC Youths (1) 1 After extra time (1-1 at 90 mins): Croydon A won 5-3 on penalties Staines went out of the FA Youth Cup to Croydon Athletic here for the second successive season. The visitors stole a 6th min lead when a Kieran McCann cross/shot from the right veered over Sonner’s head. The rest of the first half was nip-and-tuck, although it brought the first of the game’s 4 cautions: Staines’ Arthur was later followed by team mate Dunning, and opponents J Nicholson and Depeatzer. Staines equalised on the hour, when a Will Marlowe corner was met by a big strong header by Elliott Thompson. Staines made life hard for themselves with just 3 mins of the 90 left, King raising his hands to the face of an opponent and getting his marching orders. Ten man Swans kept it tight during the added half hour, with Ford playing up front on his own. With no further goals, the teams convened at Silver’s Farm end for a penalty shoot out: Dudley scored the first to give Rams an advantage, which they held through a succession of fine strikes by Moody, Green, and Zandi. Late sub Ben Nicholson and Ryan Ford netted Staines’ first, but then Peck saved from Lee. Although Will Marlowe kept them alive, there was no need to take the last penalty after Thorougood sent Athletic into an unassailable 5-3 lead. Staines: 1 Danny Sonner, 2 Jon Vickers (16 Ben Nicholson 119), 3 Daniel Dunning, 4 Alfie Arthur, 5 Fabion Grosvenor, 6 James King [SO 87], 7 Hyun-Jin Lee, 8 Elliott Thompson, 9 Ryan Ford, 10 Will Marlowe ©, 11 Adam Nelson (14 Florin Ramizi 83); unused 12 Harvey Suika, 15 Aaron Gilbert, 17 Frazer Douglas. Booked: Arthur (38m dissent), Dunning (63m foul) Croydon A: 1 Adam Peck, 2 Dan Dudley, 3 Nathan Green, 4 Seth Whitfield (12 Rob Depeatzer HT), 5 Ricardo Spencer (15 Charlie Saundercock 72), 6 Jamie Thorougood, 7 Jack Turner, 8 Jack Nicholson (14 Zak Henry NT), 9 Kieron McCann, 10 Dan Moody ©, 11 Navid Zandi; unused 16 Andrew Chritophis, 17 Greg Stocks. Booked: J Nicholson (70m foul), Depeatzer (71m foul). Ref: Mark Engelbretson (Harefield); ARs Michael Oakes (Hillingdon), Matt Young (Pinner). Att 69. [Report by Pete Hogan]
Saturday 4th October 2008 (3:00pm) – Ryman League, Premier Division CANVEY ISLAND (1) 2 STAINES TOWN (1) 2 By Steve Parsons. A frustrating week for the Swans ended with the dropping of two points at blustery Park Lane on Saturday, although the club remain in second spot in the table. There was still no good news on the injury front, on the contrary Darti Brown was ruled out with an ankle problem, adding to the list which already includes H Newton, Scarlett, Kersey, Courtnage, Ifura, Flitter, Risbridger, and Allaway. Canvey, meanwhile, were missing the ex-Swan Gabriel Fanibuyan through suspension. The only real winner on the afternoon was the incessant strong wind which made it very difficult for either team to play their natural game. Oddly, too, it was a game which left both managers fuming that refereeing decisions had cost them victory! In the first half, Staines attacked the sea-wall end of the ground, with the wind blowing across the pitch, and partially against them. The floodlights had been used for the first time in a Saturday game during the first half, but in the strange conditions, they were able to be turned off for a while early in the second, until drizzle added to the discomfort of the winds. The pitch was reasonably flat and well grassed. Staines came under some early pressure, with Danny Curran flashing Canvey’s best early chance just wide of the upright, whilst Louis Wells in the Staines goal had to hold onto efforts by Jay Curran and Leon Gordon (who, incidentally, is not the former Staines man). Craig Davidson sent in a free kick which D Curran could only poke into the side netting, before Stanford-le-Hope based referee Andrew Parker had to adjudicate on his first penalty decision, waving play-on after an untidy challenge on Richard Butler. But it was enough to set the Canvey nerves jangling, and Mel Capleton in their goal made an uncharacteristic error and almost surrendered possession to Elliot Onochie. In the 24th minute, however, the penalty appeals were much more clear-cut, as Onochie was sent sprawling by Tarkan Mustafa’s mistimed challenge, and Dave Sargent duly obliged to give Staines the lead from the penalty spot. A great move involving David Haule and Lewis Cook set up another chance for Butler, but the wind carried his curling shot beyond the post. Canvey then had a penalty appeal of their own waved away, following claims of handball, before D Curran fired wide from an L Gordon cross. However, Craig Davidson was the beneficiary of a decision which the Essex club admitted was rather harsh, when Jon McDonald’s tackle on D Curran was ruled to be a foul, and he confidently scored the penalty. Then followed a couple of quick bookings, as the ref sought to sooth a feisty passage of play, as Dave Lee and McDonald were shown cards for fouls in the middle of the park. On 41 minutes, an Onochie foul gave Davidson the chance to float a free kick into the box, and Swans were relieved to see Chris Moore’s flicked effort come off the outside of the post. Half time was delayed for several minutes, as the home side lost D Curran after he fell awkwardly in a challenge, and had to be stretchered off, to be replaced immediately. By the start of the second half, the wind was squarely behind Staines, as they attacked the high banked terrace which had been erected since the only previous visit, just over 10 years ago. It certainly deceived one defender, whose attempted header was seriously overhit, leaving Onochie with a great chance, only for this to evaporate by an astonishing offside flag for which the officials later apologised. Canvey very quickly settled for a draw, ensuring that they did not hurry any dead balls, while Staines pressed forwards but found the home defence in resolute form. Big Moore was magisterial at the back, time and again rising to head the ball away from the danger area, and he was well supported by Ben Patten, as Staines kept them busy. This meant that, for all their possession, Capleton was rarely troubled, as Cook sent a free-kick just wide, and Staines struggled to find their range with a succession of corners; however, McDonald’s throws proved to be more of an accurate weapon. It was therefore a shock when Canvey went into the lead with 20 minutes remaining, as Staines conceded possession cheaply, and L Gordon raced forwards, before picking out sub Steve Corbell on the wing. He sent in a low centre, which was met by a crisp strike into the corner of the net by Leon Antoine. Try as they might, it did not look as though Staines would recover from that blow: Dean Thomas sent a header too close to Capleton from a McDonald throw, Onochie also had a shot saved, and a deep corner from sub Clement James caused all sorts of problems in the box, with the first attempt cleared right off he line, and the second blocked in the 6 yard box. Dean Fenton came on for Marc Charles-Smith, who had worked tirelessly, with 83 minutes on the clock, and Onochie picked up a booking for running too close to the ‘keeper as he prepared to drop-kick – although the linesman had failed to notice that Capelton was already a yard outside his box! The game had already entered injury time when Staines benefitted from another odd refereeing decision: a defender had seemed to have won the ball, but Staines were awarded a free-kick, which Clement James sent into the box. It was cut out by the first defender, but only as far as Dean Fenton, who gleefully cracked home his first competitive goal for the club. The Islanders then had to hang on for a further 3? minutes, during which Swans had another very real penalty claim after Haule was hauled down by the shoulder, and the final whistle ended with the visitors about to take a corner. Staines – Wells, J Newton, Sargent, D Gordon ©, Thomas, McDonald, Charles-Smith (Fenton 83), Haule, R Butler, Onochie, Cook (James 69); unused H Newton, McDonald, Courtnage (gk), Cook, Maskell. Canvey – Capleton, Mustafa, West, Patten, Moore, Davidson ©, L Gordon, Lee, J Curran, Antoine, D Curran (Corbell 45); unused Oliva, Edwards, Blewer, Wiseman (gk). Ref AS Parker; ARs B Quartermaine, N Grute (all Essex); Official Att 351.
Wednesday 1st October 2008 (7:30) – Ryman Youth League North West Division STAINES TOWN Academy (1) 4 WALTON & HERSHAM Youth (0) 0 Staines turned in a ragged first half performance, but got it together after the break, to overcome a completely reformed Walton side at Wheatsheaf Park. Will Marlowe’s 26th min goal was the only highlight of the opening 45, but as Staines turned up the heat after the break, Adam Nelson added a second on 56 mins to put Staines firmly in the driving seat. A Ford shot on 67 mins was well saved by Walton’s Elliot, but the rebound came to Nelson, who gleefully fired home his second of the night, via a defender’s deflection. Staines missed a number of chances, and Walton found a danger man in sub Tariq Sidaoui, who forced Danny Sonner into a good save with his feet, and then had another effort which Ben Nicholson had to head away for a corner. With 3 minutes left, the Walton ‘keeper threw the ball straight out to the feet of Staines sub Florin Ramizi, but redeemed himself with a good save. Incredibly, he did it again just 2 minutes later, this time from a kick, and Ramizi opted to square the ball to Ryan Ford who finished clinically to make the final score 4-0. There was praise for ref Rod Chatfield, who stepped in with barely 2 hours’ notice due to an injury to Mr Barry. Staines: 1 Danny Sonner, 2 Ben Nicholson, 3 Daniel Dunning, 4 Alfie Arthur, 5 Darren Millard, 6 Frazer Douglas (12 Hyun-Jin Lee 57), 7 Elliott Thompson, 8 James King (14 Ashley Burton 72), 9 Ryan Ford,10 Will Marlow © (15 Florin Ramizi 68), 11 Adam Nelson; unused 16 Harvey Suika, Ade Adeniyi (gk). Walton: 1 Lee Elliot, 2 Joe Hicks, 3 Tom Miller (15 Ross Cheetham 63), 4 Ed McCambridge (12 Ryan Humphrey 72), 5 Stuart Baldwin, 6 Daniel Bolton (14 Tariq Sidaoui 59), 7 Bill Pamment, 8 Luke Willoughby, 9 Olly Huker, 10 Tom Henzi, 11 Tristan Twomey; unused 16 Ben Watts, 17 Ryan Lynch. Ref: Rodney Chatfield (Addlestone); ARs Bryn Jones (Egham), Simon Murphy (Isleworth); Att 54 | |
