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NEWS >>>>>>
4th February 2007 By
JAMES BROWN TERRY
CORDICE once dreamed of promotion from The
Lilywhites have yet to find the net in 2007 and their luck did not
change against in-form Croydon at Town's miserable run without a goal now stands at four games and boss Cordice has just about had enough.
He
said: "To be honest, I'd take any sort of goal right now. It
can come off someone's backside for all I care, we've just got to
score. "You
know I'd take a mis-hit, one off a knee or even an own goal, it really
does not matter. We just have to end this run and quickly." Cordice
insists the club's existing front men are good enough to turn it
around but then goes on to stress that Town need a proven Kent
League scorer. He
said: "We haven't scored in our last four games but we've
got to keep on going. It's not just down to the forwards. "All
of the lads have to accept responsibility for scoring goals, from the
defence at set-pieces to our midfielders pushing on. "There should be goals in this team. We had four or five forwards on the pitch at the end there and we're getting into the right areas but we're not finishing.
WHAT
A GREAT BUNCH...James Holder and Mark Smith battle for the right to
be head boy in the second half against Croydon
PICTURE: TONY GRAY "Andy
Martin had a great chance early on, Steve Aslett has hit the bar and
then second half Kris Parker has hit one straight at the keeper and
Junior Farrell has had one well saved. "We've
created chances over the last three or four games, but we haven't
taken them. It's a learning curve for these boys, but I believe they
have the ability. "However,
we are still looking to sign one or two new players and I have a
couple of irons in the fire. They are both proven at this level - in
fact, they have both played higher. We'll just have to wait and see
what happens." Andy
Martin and Kris Parker both had a chance each to score against Croydon
and Cordice was right when he pointed out that Town could have been
two goals to the good before falling behind. But
for all their possession, especially in the first half, Town really
did not create that much in the way of clear-cut opportunities. Strikers
thrive on chances and the simple fact is Faversham are not giving
their hitmen much target practice. Two
players - Martin and Parker - should have scored but Aslett's effort
was really a cross and young Farrell's long-range effort was denied
only by an excellent save from goalkeeper Danny Harwood. Town
are by no means a bad side and no one could fault their effort on
Saturday but 11th place is a pretty poor return for a club that
embarked on their Kent League adventure with such high hopes of
success. Indeed,
the statistics do not make for happy reading right now if you are
a Lilywhites fan. The
side who topped the Premier Division on the back of four successive
early-season wins have taken just five points from a possible 30
during a disappointing 10-game sequence that has seen them plunge down
the table. Town
more than matched Croydon in the opening period but the That
is the kind of run that Cordice is demanding from his team as they
enter the final phase of a season that promised much back in late
summer. But
the fact that few people in a crowd of 174 expected Town to upset the
formbook against their fellow Kent League new boys says all you need
to know about how expectations have fallen at Yet
it could all have been so different had Martin not passed up the home
side's best opportunity of the day after just 14 minutes. Dean
Walker-Mackenzie started the move with a square pass out to wing-back
Michael Seager on the left flank who picked out Martin in space with a
fabulous through ball. But
Martin opted for power with just goalkeeper Harwood to beat and his
right-foot effort spiralled way over the crossbar. More
good work from Mackenzie gave Aslett the chance to deliver a ball into
the danger zone on 36 minutes. And
the tall defender almost scored an unlikely opener when his cross
dipped over Harwood only to smash against the crossbar. Croydon
only half-cleared and Seager seized on the loose ball but his
well-struck shot was straight at Harwood. Town
had two other decent chances to score with Kris Parker denied by
Harwood before Wayne Farrell forced the Croydon keeper to make a
fabulous fingertip save in the closing minutes after a powerful run
and shot. But
the game was over as a contest at that stage with sub John sinking
Town hopes on 72 minutes. It
was a well-worked goal too with Ray Freeman breaking clear down the
left before feeding Tim Murdock in the centre. Murdock,
another second-half substitute, played a simple pass to his right and
John did the rest with a cool finish past Tony Diment in the Faversham
goal. Eight
minutes later and Croydon were home and hosed with skipper Kwabena
Amaning delivering a ball to the back post where Tornaritis scored at
the second attempt after Diment parried his initial effort. Town's
Top Man: James Holder - Another battling display in vain Marks
(out of 10): Tony Diment 6, Wayne Farrell 6, Michael Seager 6, Wes
Hammond 7, James Holder 7, Gary Stock 6, Mark Smith 6, Steve Aslett 6,
Andy Martin 6, Kris Parker 7, Dean Walker-Mackenzie 6. Substitutes:
Anthony Pace (for Walker-Mackenzie, 72 minutes) 6, Adam Oxberry (for
Smith, 73) 6, John Goodwin (for Martin, 78) 6.
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