tunvslade130903

Thursday 01st September 2005

Prett rediscovers his golden touch

Tunbridge Wells 0-3 Slade Green

Saturday 13 September 2003

Go Travel Kent League Premier Division

by Robert Smith

Sam Prett ended his nightmare start to the season by bagging the opening two goals as Slade Green registered their first win of the season at Culverden Stadium.

The Green hit man netted nineteen goals last term but had failed to find the net in his opening five games before Saturday and his quality of finishing will not have failed to impress his former striking partner Dean Bowey who was amongst those watching in the crowd.

With Tony Gallagher and Scott Lewis back in the side for the first time this season, Prett set his intent as early as the third minute when he outpaced two defenders before forcing a good save from Mark Bromby.

Prett began and finished the move that saw the first goal on five minutes. Prett's neat lay off sent Tony Weir on a run forward and although his initial shot was blocked, Weir collected the rebounding ball and played it back to Prett who duly blasted it into the roof of the net.

Weir was again the provider for Prett's second goal that came five minutes later. Marcos Perona made good ground down the right before delivering a cross into the box to find Weir who following some clever footwork wrong footed his marker to set up Prett to drill the ball home.

It was only desperate defending on the line that prevented Prett from bagging a quartet of goals. Having met Dave Martin's centre, Prett was thwarted a certain goal by Andy Garrett while then following a good run and cross from Scott Lewis, Prett was denied from close range by Sean Jarnie.

Wells goalkeeper Bromby then came to the fore on the stroke of half time when he twice went full stretch to first deny Perona's stinging drive and then kept out Weir's effort.

Martin could have added a third Green goal ten minutes into the second half, Weir capitalised on a poor clearance by Bromby and his cheeky flick sent Martin through on goal only to be denied by the goalkeeper's legs.

This save signalled the home side's best spell of the game as they began to give some problems in the air. Dave Burren's header picked out Steve Gibbons who in turn saw his headed opportunity acrobatically saved by Paul Vines, and then having latched on Wayne Balmer's corner, Gavin Cullis header cannoned off the outside of the post.

The Green defence superbly marshalled by Phil Collier weathered this bout of pressure and the visitors made sure of the points on 65 minutes.

Prett was unceremoniously bundles to the ground out on the left flank and from the resulting free kick Knight picked out Martin who having carried the ball forward unleashed an unstoppable drive beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.

With Prett forced to leave the field through injury and the hard working Weir taken off in tandem Green paraded a new look forward duo for the final twenty minutes in the shape of Micky Ellery and new signing from Dartford, Paul McCarthy.

There two players combined to almost grab a fourth goal for Green as McCarthy's pass found Ellery whose powerful strike was blocked by the feet of the Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper.