22nddec05

Thursday 22nd December 2005

I don't know anything about our local rivals, admits Farnie
EXCLUSIVE

Tunbridge Wells manager Martin Farnie has admitted he know's nothing about their next opponents, local rivals Sevenoaks Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

With his side virtually out of the Kentish Observer League Cup following their 3-0 defeat to west Kent rivals Maidstone United at Culverden Stadium on Wednesday night, Farnie wants his side to start "creeping" up the table after only collecting only 15 points at the half way stage.

Farnie, who has never taken a side to Greatness Park in his managerial career before, although he's played their once, doesn't know too much about Bob Pittaway and Derek Moore's side.

Ironically, Farnie fought off Pittaway to land the Tunbridge Wells job following the departure off Kevin Metcalf in September and the ill-fated spell of Mike D'Arcy - now in charge of Wells' reserve side - as caretaker manager.

When asked what Farnie expects from Sevenoaks at Greatness Park next Tuesday, Farnie replied: "I don't know nothing about Sevenoaks!"

"I know they've changed manager, Bob Pittaway's taken over and had a good result against Erith & Belvedere the other week. I don't know how they got on Saturday. How did they get on Saturday? Who did they lose to?"

For the record, Lee Coburn's sixteenth goal of the season helped VCD Athletic secure a 1-0 victory over Pittaway's side, after they beat Erith & Belvedere 2-1 at home - in his first game in charge alongside Derek Moore - seven days earlier.

"I'm expecting a tough game," admitted Farnie. "I've only played there once in my career so I don't know what to expect really.

"I don't know what to expect from my boys. If we create as many chances as we did (against Maidstone) we've got to take them to beat Sevenoaks. If we don't we'll probably get punished.

"I'm expecting us to go there and get points from both games. To be honest it's a must situation for us to get some points out of the two games."

"But I don't know anything about Sevenoaks so I can't really say their a better side than us or we're a better side. They're in a bit of a transition like us."

Under Metcalf, coaches Martin Telford and Dave Rice, their main aims was to get the club promoted. However, Farnie hopes to salvage something from the season but is not looking any higher than top eight.

So, what can we expect from the Wells? "Hopefully better than the first half of the season," replied the Maidstone resident.

"We've got 15 points from 15 games. It's not good enough. We've got to start creeping up the table and start picking points up. I'm expecting to have a better half of the season than what we've had."

After glancing at the current league table, he added: "I want to be in the top seven or eighth position in the league. We are capable, it's just a case of scoring the goals and getting what we deserve out of games. But if you don't score goals you don't deserve anything."

The club are certainly missing Telford's coaching techniques, as this current crop of players are not fit enough, accoring to the present manager.

"I've got plenty of numbers but I'm just worried about the quality we've got in the squad at the moment," he admitted.

"When I came here it was never a quick fix. It was always going to be a long term plan to make sure we are allright for next season.

"But our level of fitness is not what I expected. We are not as fit as we should be and we've got to try to address that. When we play twice a week it's hard to train twice a week.

"With the Christmas period coming up I've got three or four of the players going away for the New Year so I won't have them for training. Hopefully we can get our work done without midweek games and get a bit more training done and get fitter. I think the last 20 minutes we are flagging too much in games."

Sevenoaks Town v Tunbridge Wells
Kentish Observer League
Tuesday 27th December 2005
Kick Off 11:00am
at Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Seal Road, Sevenoaks