Young Smith's a Met sensation

WHEN Met Police signed a 6ft 2in 18-year-old striker on a month’s loan from Crawley Town, they could hardly have guessed what would follow.

Jonte Smith marked his debut eight days ago with both goals in a 2-1 victory at Cray, which was a fair start. He celebrated his 19th birthday on Friday and, however he did it, he was certainly in good shape for the Met’s FA Cup visit to Beckenham yesterday. Smith helped himself to FIVE of the Met’s goals in a 7-1 thrashing of the Kent League side.

Jonte Smith marked his debut eight days ago with both goals in a 2-1 victory at Cray, which was a fair start. He celebrated his 19th birthday on Friday and, however he did it, he was certainly in good shape for the Met’s FA Cup visit to Beckenham yesterday.

Smith helped himself to FIVE of the Met’s goals in a 7-1 thrashing of the Kent League side.

He opened the scoring on 14 minutes but the Met must have wondered if a giant-killing was on the cards when Ty Smith missed a penalty and the hosts equalised.

The younger Smith restored the lead on 35 minutes and Billy Crook – the name of the season so far, given the club he represents – provided some breathing space five minutes after the interval.

Jonte Smith completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute and then came a burst of three goals in the last six minutes, two more from Smith sandwiching one turned in by a defender from his cross. Manager Jim Cooper reckons Smith should be credited with that one as well, but the club have ruled that it was an own goal.

It was a good day for Ryman League clubs. There could have been 37 clubs from the league in Monday’s draw and there are 27 so far, with five replays (including two all-Ryman affairs) and two Sunday games to come. Only three Ryman clubs lost to opposition from outside the league.

The top performance came from Ryman North strugglers Waltham Forest, who powered to a remarkable 5-2 victory at Hemel Hempstead. The hosts, lying second in the Southern League’s Premier Division, had few worries when Charlie Mpi put them ahead after half an hour. Forest quickly hit back through Joel Palmer and took a shock lead immediately after half-time through Cory Whitely.

Order was quickly restored with Michael Bakare’s equaliser but Hemel were vulnerable to Forest’s pace and Whitely struck again on 72 minutes. Manu Dagher added another shortly afterwards and Chris Taylor wrapped up a superb victory with a late fifth.

Aveley thrashed Eastern Counties League outfit Hadleigh 6-1 at the Mill Field. To be expected, perhaps, but Hadleigh had pulled off a shock win at Harlow in the previous round. Millers never looked back, however, after Shane Oakley’s 16th minute penalty gave them the lead. The real damage was done by Billy Holland’s 15-minute hat-trick either side of half-time, especially as Oakley scored his second during that spell. Jack Stevenson made it six, leaving the visitors the consolation of a last-minute penalty.

Brentwood impressed with five unanswered goals at Ryman North rivals Wroxham. It was expected to be a tight affair but headers by Martyn Stokes and Darren Blewitt gave Blues the edge before Steve Butterworth’s goal just before half-time left the Yachtsmen sailing very much against the wind. Abs Thompson and Neil Cousins completed the nap hand.

Sittingbourne faced a difficult task at Whitehawk and it became harder still in the unlucky 13th minute, when they had Nick Davis sent off and Scott McGleish converted the resultant penalty. Sam Gargan’s first two goals of the season sandwiched one by Tommy Fraser as Hawks breezed into a 4-0 half-time lead, and Lee Newman made it five on the hour.

There were five goals, too, for Leiston who beat Essex Senior League visitors Southend Manor 5-1. It was not so one-sided in the first half and the visitors, who reached the fourth qualifying round last season, could well have been a goal or two up before Gareth Heath scored for the hosts in the 35th minute. Leon Ottley-Gooch made it 2-0 on 57 minutes and the floodgates opened with Rhys Henry, Gareth Heath and Jordan Heath netting by the 70th minute. Chris Baddeley scored a consolation goal with ten minutes to go.

Two Ryman clubs who have reached the first round proper in recent years advanced with 2-0 home wins. Kris Newby and Reiss Gilbey scored in the first three minutes off the second half as East Thurrock saw off battling visitors Witham, while Wealdstone accounted for Biggleswade Town with a 17th-minute effort from Richard Jolly and a Peter Dean strike just after the interval.

Hastings beat Chatham 3-1 at the Pilot Field, their first FA Cup victory since 2006. Jamie Crellin put them ahead five minutes before the interval and two quickfire goals midway through the second half, from Tom Vickers and Bradley Goldberg, made sure. Harry Smith replied for the Ryman North club in added time.

A goal in each half, from Danny Kerrigan and Enoch Adjei, earned Thamesmead a 2-0 home victory over Worthing and Maldon won by the same margin at Soham thanks to a third-minute penalty from Jamie Guy and a late strike by James Robinson.

Michael Frew gave Lowestoft a fifth-minute lead at Tilbury and rarely looked likely to let it slip, though it was the 75th minute before Scott Mitchell’s free-kick completed the 2-0 win.

Enfield Town were also 2-0 victors, seeing off visiting St Margaretsbury with second-half goals from Liam Hope and Tyler Campbell.

Thurrock went one better with a 3-0 win at Essex Senior side Basildon. It took them 44 minutes to open the scoring through Charlie Stimson. Leroy Griffiths and Stimson (pictured above by Mikey Cartwright/ponderosapics) added two in a minute around the hour mark.

Two of the top three in the Ryman Premier also enjoyed 3-0 away wins over Step 5 opposition. Alan Bray, Charlie Moone and Joey Benjamin were the marksmen for leaders Hampton at Kempston as the Beavers maintained their record of not conceding a goal all season. A goal in each half by Michael Mullen and one on the hour by Matt Pattison saw Kingstonian through at Guildford.

In Ryman League terms the match of the day was between Bury and Canvey, fifth and seventh in the Premier table. Canvey had much of the play but it was Bury who found the net. Billy Clark’s penalty gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time and he added another with a diving header in the 63rd minute. All Canvey’s attacking efforts were frustrated and Sam Reed completed a 3-0 win with an 83rd-minute goal.

That was the sole all-Premier tie, and the only other side from the division definitely out are Harrow, who reached the first round in 2010 under long-serving manager David Howell. Now with St Albans, Howell returned to Earlsmead and masterminded a 3-1 victory over his old club. Veteran Barry Hayles netted twice and Harrow had to wait until the last minute for Joakim Ehui’s consolation goal.

Four Premier clubs face replays on Tuesday, including Margate who twice found themselves trailing in their Kent derby at Faversham. James Peacock’s third-minute goal for the Ryman South club was wiped out 11 minutes later by Sam, Long and, after Luke Harvey struck in the 65th minute, Margate this time took only eight minutes to make it 2-2 through Carl Rook.

Hendon became the first team this season to keep Potters Bar striker James Gershfield off the scoresheet but Daniel Ailey stepped into the breach for the Ryman North side with an injury-time goal to earn them a 1-1 draw and a home replay. Casey Maclaren’s 53rd-minute goal had seemed to be enough for the Dons.

Carshalton were held to a goalless draw at Sussex County League side Pagham and Wingate were held to a 1-1 home draw by Southern League Central newcomers Royston, for whom Luke Robins levelled with eight minutes left. Wingate had been in front since the 18th minute, when David Laird hit the target.

Bognor cruised to an untroubled 4-0 home win over Epsom. Ben Johnson scored twice in the first half, with Terry Dodd and James Crane adding to the tally after the break. Concord had to settle for a single goal at home to Needham Market, though Tony Stokes missed a chance to double the score from the penalty spot. Harry Elmes netted after 18 minutes.

Solomon Ofori, who scored twice in Heybridge’s replay victory over Felixstowe in the preliminary round, did it again as they thumped Ryman North rivals Sudbury 4-1. He put Swifts ahead after 40 minutes and Michael Cheek made it 2-0 immediately after the break. David Bryant’s 62nd-minute penalty gave Sudbury brief hope but Ofori quickly nabbed his second and Luke Callander wrapped it up.

Greg Andrews fired a hat-trick as Leatherhead beat Tooting 3-1 at Fetcham Grove. He put the Tanners ahead after 13 minutes only for Sol Pinnock to equalise two minutes later. It stayed that way until the 71st minute, when Andrews converted a penalty, and he clinched it with another spot-kick ten minutes later.

Another penalty marksman was Eastbourne Town’s Matt Crabb and his 72nd-minute conversion was the only goal of their game at Littlehampton, one of a handful of Sussex County League teams ever to have reached the first round proper. They achieved the feat in 1990.

Lewes also went through against Sussex League opposition, though they had to travel to Surrey to meet Redhill. Jimmy Davies gave the hosts the lead after 14 minutes but Nathan Crabb’s header levelled it eight minutes later and the Rooks went ahead before half-time with a goal set up by former Redhill striker Andrew Dalhouse for Arron Wickham. The home side made a real fight of it after the break and it was the 90th minute before Wickham made it 3-1.

Maidstone rattled in four unanswered goals at Ryman South rivals Chipstead. Paul Booth and Shaun Welford scored in the first half, Booth and Alex Flisher in the second. Stones have scored eight goals in their first two matches in the competition: not bad, but last year they had netted 18 by this stage!

Waltham Abbey were the second Ryman North side to beat Southern Premier opposition. Emmanuel Osei scored on the hour for a 2-0 home victory over Bedford.

One goal was enough for Horsham, too. Billy Medlock was on target after 66 minutes to see them through at VCD.

Grays were 2-1 home winners over Norwich United. Joe Sweeney opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time and Joao Carlos added another before United’s late reply.

Walton & Hersham must try again despite taking a 13th-minute lead through Dave Lawrence at Combined Counties League club South Park. Kieran Lavery headed the equaliser in the 26th minute and it finished 1-1.

John Frendo, a prolific scorer for Ware in the past, returned to haunt his old club with a hat-trick as Hitchin breezed to a 5-0 victory. Kyle Lincoln scored the only goal of the first half and Frendo made it 2-0 with a penalty two minutes after the break. Aime Blessing then missed a penalty for Ware and Frendo made it 3-0 before completing his treble with another spot-kick. Lincoln claimed the fifth and Ware’s unhappy day was complete when Amadou Seye was dismissed.

The free-scoring Stuart King netted his eighth of the season to give Folkestone an early lead at Badshot Lea and Darren Marsden’s penalty gave them a 2-0 half-time lead. But there was shocks in store. The CCL outfit pulled one back early in the second half and then stunned the unbeaten Ryman South side with two goals in the last four minutes to snatch a 3-2 upset win.