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Lordswood expecting tough time against championship contenders

Paul Piggott, manager of Go Travel Kent League Premier Division side Lordswood, is expecting a tough time when he takes his side to Hayes Lane to face third in the table Cray Wanderers on Easter Monday,  writes Stephen McCartney.

The Lords are without a game on Easter Saturday but were disappointed when they dropped two points in a goalless draw against third from bottom side Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday.

The only chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute when Gary Beggs' corner to the far post was headed onto the post by Dean Woodland from six yards out.

Although the first half was a dour contest, the second forty-five minutes was slightly better and both sides created chances to win the game.

Eight minutes after the re-start, another corner kick from Begg's was partially cleared to Shawn Mitchell whose effort went high and wide.

Visiting Tunbridge Wells' first real chance of the game came in the 53rd minute when Nathan Sims, on the edge of the penalty area, saw his chipped effort go over.  Eleven minutes later, David Hobbs was put in on the left hand side, but managed to shoot wide.

Lordswood's Andy Doerr almost broke the deadlock with fifteen minutes remaining when he collected the ball 35 yards from goal, ran ten yards, before shooting over the crossbar.

The final chance of the game came with three minutes left when Doerr found himself in space on the left, passed to Sean Hetterley on the edge of the area, but couldn't break the stalemate.

Piggott admitted: "We were disappointed as we thought it was a game we should have won.  We are now going into two hard games, at Cray Wanderers on Easter Monday and at home to Thamesmead Town the following Saturday."

He added: "We created chances which we should have taken and we kept Tunbridge Wells down to a couple of shots from outside the penalty area.  At the final whistle Tunbridge Wells cheered and we were disappointed.  I think it shows how far we have come in a short time."

Piggott can draw on the positives going into the clash at Cray.  Tunbridge Wells gained a deserved point at Cray  in a 1-1 draw at the end of March, despite Ian Jenkins' side missing a whole host of chances against the Culverden Stadium outfit.

However, Lordswood will have to keep many of Cray's match-winning players at bay if they are to collect any points from the game.

Piggott admitted Cray are the best side in the Kent League.  Cray, who lifted the title last season after two late goals saw them see of Lordswood, have still got to travel to North Dane Way to play Martin Ford's VCD Athletic, and have to play Maidstone United twice in the space of three days at the beginning of May.

Piggott admitted: "We will still be looking to get come sort of points tally from our games against Cray and Thamesmead, although it will be hard."

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