Ryan Gondoh was Sevenoaks Town’s debut making match-winner in this Pitching In Isthmian League South East opener on Saturday. Gondoh has linked up again with his former Whyteleafe boss Harry Hudson and his early goal clinched the points on a sweltering afternoon for players and spectators alike.
Gondoh played in Scotland for Ayr United last season, and wasted little time in getting off the mark for his new club, netting after only 12 minutes. The goal decided a close and increasingly tetchy contest, triggered by the 64th minute red card shown to Oaks debut defender Karn Miller-Neave.
Gondoh, who scored twice for the Surrey club on his previous visit two years ago, finished off one of the games best moments as Oaks swept from one end of the pitch to the other after defending a corner.
Dami Olorunnisomo started the move from the edge of his own area, and went close to adding a second seven minutes later – skipper Corey Holder heading wide of the far post just before half-time.
Miller-Neave was sent off following a tangle with Bridges’ Keiron Pamment who was booked. Referee Jordan Critchlow was a busy man showing yellows to seven other players as well as Hudson.
Bridges failed to trouble Oaks’ teenage goalkeeper Reggie Rose in the first half – a third player making his debut. Curtis Gayler’s free-kick just before the hour was their first effort on goal – but they raised the tempo when it became 11 v 10.
Rose tipped away Tad Bromage’s header, Gayler who scored from close to the halfway line in the corresponding clash last season. blasted over and visiting skipper Brannon O’Neill’s long-range effort clipped the far post, while substitutes Kevin Rivera and Connor Collcutt both went close.
Sevenoaks Town’s manager Harry Hudson was honest about the teams performance after the match saying: “I’m quite disappointed with the game, it should have been dead and buried. We need to learn from that because that will come back and bit us otherwise. We focus a lot on the process, we can’t just get carried away with three points and thinking some of the things in the game were acceptable because it was below our level.”
On Gondoh’s goal, Hudson added: “Ryan took the goal really well. We’ve got good personnel in forward areas which are going to cause teams problems”. And praises his young goalkeeper Rose, he said: “A clean sheet for Reggie, he’s very proactive and that’s really important for a goalkeeper. We’ll always back our younger players.”
Sevenoaks Town: Reggie Rose, Dami Olorunnisomo, Karn Miller-Neave, Emmanuel Mensah, Matthew Weaire, Corey Holder, Kyle De Silva, Bradley Wilson (Tola Jonah (71 mins), Ryan Gondoh (Sam Johnson 90 mins) Daniel Hector, Yahya Bamba (Omari Hibbert 54 mins).
Kyle De Silva was the first winner of the Sevenoaks Sports and Wellbeing Man of the Match award, he is pictured receiving his award after the match with Editor Steve Rowley below:
