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NEWS >>>>>> 28th February 2006 Old Roan 2 Faversham Town 0 FAVERSHAM TOWN'S seven-match unbeaten
league run came to a shuddering Two first-half goals were enough to see the hard-working South Londoners secure all three points on a day when Town never really looked like scoring. Twice they went to sleep in the first half and twice they were punished with Old Roan taking revenge for the 3-0 defeat they suffered at Salters Lane just seven days earlier. You have to go all the way back to 5th November last year to find the last time Terry Cordice's men tasted defeat in the Kent County League. That was the 3-2 reverse against a Milton Athletic side that had trailed 2-0 at half-time. Incredibly, that was also the day the Lilywhites last conceded a goal in the Premier Division. But just when you thought it was safe to put your mortgage on Town's back division, they came unstuck big time. On a day when statistics were far more interesting than the football, a result 60 miles away eased Town's pain with league leaders Lewisham Borough losing 2-0 to bottom-placed Lydd Town. Not that grim-faced Cordice looked like a man who had just received a free Get out of Jail card. He emerged from the dressing room to reveal that Town had sealed their own fate inside the first 15 minutes. Cordice said: "The start set the tone for the game. They were sharper than us and quicker than us, both in midfield and up front. We were also guilty of ball watching, we just played really badly. "We have been so consistent over the last seven weeks but today we let ourselves down because we seemed to think we only had to turn up to win the game. "That's what it looked like to me. Just because we battered them last week doesn't mean it's going to be the same." Cordice said basic errors had gifted Old Roan their goals - and Town did not have the firepower to fight their way back into the game. He said: "We have given them both goals. Kris Browning dived in for the first although their lad did ride his luck a bit. Julian Beal's also put his hand up and said he was ball watching but the ball should never have got that far. It should've been cut out on the wing. "We were second best in that opening spell. The attack and midfield did not work hard enough. The ball just kept coming straight back in. "We coped with most of it but
let ourselves down with two sloppy goals. We've all pushed out when
they scored the second goal and yet there are two of their players
waiting for a free header. Someone should've been picking them up -
the lads have got to put their hands Cordice said Town's failure to convert possession into clear-cut chances cost them dear after the break. He revealed: "Second half it was all us. Our keeper Tim Holmes had to make just one save right at the end. "At the same time, we have not really forced their keeper to make a save despite all that possession. "The final ball was missing. We did not chose the right ball. We had a great early chance when Kris Parker should have scored but he hit the post and then John Goodwin missed too. "If that had of gone in then it might well have changed the whole game but it didn't happen. They soaked up the pressure and defended well - just like we've done in recent weeks. "The final ball and the lack of a natural goal-scorer has cost us. That's the end of our run but now we must go on another starting on Saturday with the trip to Snodland." Eager Old Roan made the breakthrough on 13 minutes when a quickly-taken throw-in from Brad Pickett released David Greenslade down the left. Browning moved in to make the tackle but Greenslade bundled his way past and sent in a low cross that Holmes could only parry to the six-yard line where Sam Duggan had the simplest of finishes. Worse was to come seven minutes from half-time when the busy Duggan was allowed the time and space to receive the ball from a short corner and send in a cross to the far post. And Spencer Pollard was in acres of space to cash in on more sloppy defending to make it 2-0 with a simple header. You had an awful feeling it was not going to be Town's day within seconds of the re-start. Substitute Kris Parker, on for Cordice in a new three-man attack, broke clear of the last man only to see his right-foot shot smack against a post. John Goodwin pounced on the rebound just three yards from goal but somehow contrived to send his effort high over the bar. Parker had another chance which flashed across goal and Goodwin was kicking himself again when his cross-come-shot came to nothing in the closing stages. Cordice shuffled the pack in a desperate bid to haul his side back into the game sending on Matt Tallon - who was booked for a skirmish in the corner - for Dave Hockley. Town's boss also moved the hard-working James Holder up front in a late throw of the dice but Old Roan were not about to lie down. Faversham have rode their luck in recent weeks taking three points away at Bromley Green with their only real chance of the game. Seven days earlier and they needed an own goal to claim victory against Lydd Town. This was pay-back time - a day when they had no luck at all. Except, of course, at Lydd Town. Town's Top Man: James Holder - Never gave up, no matter where he was asked to play. Tim Holmes 6, Gary Stock 6, Scott
Price 6, Kris Browning 6, James
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