Kentish Football

FA TROPHY DRAW REACTION: Hume asks for vocal support to chop down Forest

Monday 19th October 2009
THE draw for the second qualifying round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy was made this morning, with only four Ryman League sides from Kent remaining in the competition, although Ebbsfleet United, Bromley, Dover Athletic and Welling United enter at a later stage, writes Stephen McCartney.


MAIDSTONE UNITED supporters face a dilemma on Tuesday night, ahead of their first qualifying round replay against Waltham Forest.

The two sides drew 1-1 at Cricklefield Stadium, Ilford and the winners of tomorrow night’s replay at Homelands shall travel to Ryman Premier League strugglers Bognor Regis Town on Saturday, 31st October.

But some Stones supporters have pledged their support to the youth team for their trip to Lewes in the FA Youth Cup on the same night - but Hume, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk urges all supporters to watch the current first team squad at Homelands.

“It’s important that people understand it’s important they come and watch because that game’s costing our club money if supporters don’t turn out in numbers,” said Hume.

“We have to pay a fair amount of expenses to them to travel and I also know there’s a coach load of supporters going to our FA Youth Cup game at Lewes.

“They planned it before the weekend and I’d hate our home game to cost the chairman money.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s draw, their fifth successive match on their travels, Hume was pleased that his side escaped with a draw.

“It was tough and I knew it would be tough as soon as we got there, If I’m honest,” said Hume.

“We had them watched so I knew they would be a well prepared side and they worked really, really hard.  They made it difficult for us, which we expected.

“Certainly the pitch as such didn’t help as it was the worst I’ve seen for some time, but it’s the same for both teams but it made it difficult for you to play football on.”

But the Stones will be able to express themselves much more on the lush playing surface at Ashford Town’s Homelands Stadium tomorrow night and a win will book a trip to basement side Bognor Regis Town in the next round.

“We’ve only just come back from there a couple of weeks ago and typically it was another draw that we got,” recalled Hume of his recent trip to Nyewood Lane.

“We know a little more what to expect because whilst we knew they would be a good side, but they took us by surprise how by being as strong as they were.

“It’s a game that, on paper, you look at them, and think we’ve got a chance of winning that and progressing to the third (qualifying) round, which we have.”

Hume added, “I said after our game against Bognor Regis I thought they were a decent side who worked really hard and were very strong at the back.

“If I was a betting man, I would bet they don’t finish in the bottom four.”

With Tom Parkinson, Nathan Paul and Ashley Ulph all nursing injuries tonight - and Meshach Nugent still one week away from returning from his loan spell at VCD Athletic, Hume goes into tomorrow night’s home game with a threadbare squad to pick from.

Hume said, “We’re down to the bare bones really because we’ve got a very threadbare squad, so you take three or four players out of it we are down to the bare bones.

“It’s no excuse, we’re still good enough to win games like that and that will be our message to the players tomorrow.

“It’s an important game for us, there’s a few quid (£2,300) up for grabs for the winner, which is important to our club and it’s important we get back to winning ways, so vocal support would be welcomed.”

RAMSGATE make a near 230-mile round trip to play their Ryman League Division One South rivals Fleet Town in the next round, having comfortable beaten Leatherhead 3-0 at Southwood Stadium at the weekend.

Boss Jim Ward was pleased that his side got though against their league rivals, Leatherhead, at the weekend, which has banked the club £2,300 in prize money.

“It was comfortable,” Ward told www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.  “They caused us next to no problems at all - so I was very pleased with Saturday’s result and performance.

“Leatherhead were certainly not the poorest side we’ve played.  They’ve got four or five individuals who can get a game for most of the teams in the league, but we turned up and we played to our full potential and we were strong all over the pitch.”

Ramsgate have already played Fleet Town this season -  a Liam Quinn goal sealing the three points on the opening day of the season at Southwood Stadium.

When asked his views on the draw, Ward replied, “Well, we’re pleased!  No doubt (Fleet Town manager) Andy Sinton will be the same.  He’ll be pleased as well to have somebody from his own division.  He’s at home, both teams are going quite well at the moment so it should be a good game.

“We’ll have a bit of fun on the coach.  The travelling side of it doesn’t put us up nor down really.  We’ve got good facilities on the coach so it’s not a problem.

“We beat them at our place 1-0 and that was a very close game.  Down there, it won’t be much different, it will be a close game.  Whoever gets the break on the day will go through.”

Ward takes his side to Walton Casuals on Saturday and has challenged his side to pick up maximum points in the league before they can concentrate their FA Carlsberg Trophy trip to Calthorpe Park.

“We must bring the cup form into the league form,” said Ward, whose side are presently sitting in the bottom seven.  “There’s no point winning all these cup games and struggling by not winning in the league.

“We feel we’ve turned the corner a bit.  We should have got a draw at Sittingbourne (before Hicham Akhazzan scored a last-gasp winner for the Brickies), which would have meant we would be (two) games undefeated, which would be great.”

Ward added, “I think we’ve played better than what our position shows.  We’re not happy.  We certainly need to get into the top half of the table and push on for the play-off’s - that was the target at the start of the season.”

DARTFORD welcome either Biggleswade Town or Chipstead to Princes Park in the next round, following their 1-0 win at Sittingbourne at the weekend.

A moment of class from striker Allan Tait sealed the victory at Bourne Park at the weekend, and boss Tony Burman is pleased to have home advantage in the next round and see’s their next tie as a perfect opportunity to make it through to the final qualifying round.

“You’ve got to have the luck of the draw, there’s no two ways about that,” Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk before the draw was made.

“You’ve got to get teams you’re better than earlier on in the earlier rounds.

“Who knows?  You just want to do your best.  I just hope, whatever happens in the competition we don’t get involved in replay’s and it’s just settled on the day.”

TONBRIDGE ANGELS will give Merstham a much friendlier welcome than the one that Sutton United afforded them at Gander Green Lane at the weekend.

Sutton enforced controversial segregation measures for the visit of Tommy Warrilow’s side - but the Kent side had the final laugh as goals from Steve Ferguson and Paul Booth kicked Paul Doswell’s side out of the competition.

Tonbridge supporters decided to stay away from Gander Green Lane and Sutton United paid the price as only 319 bothered to turn up to watch the game - 40 of them were Tonbridge supporters - and the home side put in a poor performance and exited the competition at the first hurdle.

Merstham, flying high in Ryman League Division One South, will be welcomed to use the facilities at Longmead Stadium and to switch ends at half-time - the true values of non-league football.








 

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