In a competitive, often physical, battle between the top two sides in Ryman North, VCD extended their lead over second placed Witham Town with an impressive 3-1 victory at Oakwood this afternoon, although the visitors still have 2 games in hand over the Vickers in the chase for the title.
Michael Power’s 4th minute penalty, the sixth consecutive game in which he has found the net, gave VCD the early lead, which was extended mid way through the half, as Karl Dent capitalised on a defensive howler to fire home and become VCD’s leading scorer with his 16th league goal.
Kris Newby, by far the most impressive Witham player, pulled a goal back with their first shot on target with ten minutes to go. But the visitors hopes of a comeback were ended, and the game sealed for VCD two minutes later, as Stuart Thurgood marked his full debut by converting the Vickers’ second spot kick of the afternoon.
VCD manager, Tony Russell, recognised the importance of this win, as he said, “the little bits of quality here and there won us the game. I had hoped we would show a little more quality, but it got to half-time and I said to the boys that if we have to dig in then that’s what we do.”
“We always pass the ball really well, it’s a feature of our play, and when we’ve moved it well this season, teams haven’t been able to live with us. We started really well and looked like scoring every time we went forward, but we got drawn into a scrap and the game got ugly. I don’t enjoy those sorts of game, but needs must sometimes.”
“I was talking to their manager before the game and we both said this was a game they could afford to lose. We couldn’t afford to lose or draw; we had to win to give ourselves a chance. I’ll take a five-point lead at this stage as the schedule is killing both teams. We both go again Tuesday and Saturday and it is so hard on semi-professional players to work all day and play up to four games a week”
VCD’s largest crowd of the season was enhanced by a large contingent from Essex, who had little to cheer as their team was outplayed for long periods and struggled to create clear chances against a well-marshalled defence, despite being the second highest scorers in the North Division; now totalling 96 against VCD’s 102.
The home side seemed determined to set out an early marker and took the lead in the 4th minute. From a free kick swung in from the right wing, Karl Dent released James Duckworth in behind the Witham defence. Martyn Guest parried Duckworth’s angled shot up into the air, where Ben Payne climbed highest to head goalward, only for Seb Murfet to acrobatically clear off the line.
The clearance dropped to Dent at the edge of the box, and as he shifted past Paul White, the VCD midfielder was brought to ground. Michael Power stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty past Guest, who had dived the wrong way to notch up his 7th goal in the last 6 games.
The game developed into a midfield battle that saw a caution apiece, until VCD doubled their lead in the 24th minute through man-of-the-match Dent. The midfielder chased what appeared to be a lost cause, as Duckworth’s long ball in behind the back four seemed to be within the control of the Witham keeper, Guest. As the keeper tried to clear, with Dent pressurising Luke Olley, the clearance struck his defensive colleague and rebounded perfectly for Dent to run through unchallenged, and fire past Murfet, who had valiantly tried to get back on the line.
Kris Newby had the visitor’s first attempt just past the half-hour, although his tame shot was going wide as Blue gathered comfortably, and the winger was instrumental in the visitor’s best move of the half a few minutes later. Newby turned Nick Reeves and drove to the dead-ball line. In doing so, he drilled a low cross through Blue’s legs across the face of goal, where Witham skipper Paul King was desperately sliding in unsuccessfully to try to convert.
After Power had been forced off with a leg injury, Newby switched to the left wing and forced Blue to clear a cross with his feet. The ball dropped for Tom Wraight to roll a pass back into the middle, where Rob Whitnell somehow managed to scoop the ball high over the VCD bar.
Dent had a final chance in the first half, breaking clear behind a static defence to latch onto a Reeves long ball, but as he toe-poked the bouncing ball forward, Guest was bravely off his line to block the effort. The ensuing collision took its toll more on the Witham keeper, who didn’t reappear after the interval; being replaced between the sticks by forward Whitnell.
Witham started the second half on the front foot, as Newby weaved his way through three challenges to fire in an effort that sliced away from the top right corner, although Blue seemed to be relatively unconcerned by the shot. In reply, Lea Dawson had two efforts blocked; the second of which fell to Dent, whose left foot shot was well saved by Whitnell low to his right.
The visitors were being restricted to long range efforts, but VCD suffered a blow to their hopes as Uche Ibemere was carried off following a crunching tackle by King. The Witham defender won the ball cleanly, but his momentum saw his trailing leg catch Ibemere’s standing leg, and the VCD forward was seen leaving the ground on crutches.
Witham finally broke through the VCD defence with ten minutes remaining, as Felix Ogeah-Andrews robbed Duckworth in the left back corner. The substitute whipped a cross into the centre, where Payne and Lee Townrow collided, and the ball dropped perfectly for Newby to swivel and fire a shot low to the right of Blue.
This was to be Newby’s last real involvement in the game as he limped from the field in the closing minutes. By this time though, VCD had sealed the three points with their second penalty of the afternoon after Duckworth had been brought down in the act of shooting by a desperate King tackle; the Witham skipper somehow only seeing yellow. Former Gillingham midfielder Thurgood, who had provided a solidity and calmness to the VCD midfield with his touch, stepped up to slot the ball past Whitnell, who had guessed the right side.
The following seconds saw a member of the Witham coaching staff ordered from the playing area, and as tempers boiled over at the final whistle, there was just time for Whitnell to pull off a full-length save to his left to deny Duckworth’s powerful run and shot.
VCD now face playoff-chasing Soham Town Rangers at Oakwood on Tuesday, potentially without both Power and Ibemere, but their title prospects may rest with the congested programme that will see Witham face 5 games in the next 13 days. One saving grace has been the arrival of Stuart Thurgood to add a calm authority to the midfield, and Russell was quick to add, “Stuart has been superb.”
“We couldn’t believe our luck to get someone of his experience, who talks so well, but he just wasn’t playing football. I was talking to Covo (East Thurrock’s John Coventry) who said Stuart had left because of work commitments. We had a chat and said we’d love to have his experience here, and we’re doing each other a favour really.”
“To a lot of our boys, remember most have just come up from the Kent League, this was a massive game. When we won the second penalty, you’re talking here about a player who has won a major trophy, this wasn’t going to be something that overawed him. You need someone in your team who can calm you down, and it’s what he does off the ball that it so important. He knows the picture before players get to him – he was never the most nimble of players even when I played against him – but with his football brain, you’ve always got half a chance.”
VCD ATHLETIC: Nick Blue, Barney Williams, Lee Craig, Nick Reeves, Ben Payne, Stuart Thurgood, Lea Dawson, Karl Dent (Billy Manners 86), Michael Power (Ray Powell 32), James Duckworth, Uche Ibemere (Alfie May 60).
Subs not used: Peter Smith, Teddy Nesbitt.
Goals: Michael Power 4 (pen), Karl Dent 24, Stuart Thurgood 82 (pen).
Bookings: Karl Dent 19, Alfie May 71.
WITHAM TOWN: Martyn Guest (Felix Ogeah-Andrews 46), Lee Townrow, Seb Murfet, Luke Olley (Bradley Stopher 70), Paul King, Paul White (Joe Sweeney 46), Kris Newby (off 88), James Stevens, Rob Whitnell, Lewis Godbold, Tom Wraight.
Subs not used: Anthony Anstead, Danny Lopes.
Goal: Kris Newby 80.
Bookings: Lee Townrow 15, Luke Olley 69, Paul King 81.
Attendance: 213
Referee: Mr Adrian Gillett
Assistants: Mr Philip Jones and Mr Gareth Mays