Faversham Town 0-1 Tunbridge Wells - Teenage stopper Hodgson wins the plaudits

The seventeen-year-old Faversham Town stopper was listed as a substitute on the official team sheet, but was thrown in at the deep end when Kevin Readings pulled up with a groin injury during the warm-up.

But Tunbridge Wells, with a 100% record from their opening five Bulmers Cider Kent League games this season, sealed a deserved victory thanks to a goal from debutant Wesley Tate.

The striker, who signed from neighbouring Ryman One South side Crowborough Athletic, scored the only goal of the game after 34 minutes as the Garden of England enjoyed an Indian summer.

However, this was a game of two missed penalties - one from each side - as Faversham defender Lee Shearer and Wells’ striker Ross Cable both saw their spot-kicks saved.

But Tate ensured Mike Robbins side will lock horns with Combined Counties League side Ash United at Culverden Stadium, who defeated Wells’ neighbours, Sevenoaks Town 1-0.

The Wells fielded three former Faversham Town players; defenders Kris Parker and Bryan Pearce and Cable.

Cable had the Wells’ first chance when he latched onto Pearce’s ball over the top of the home side’s defence.

Goalkeeper Hodgson, who appeared to be nervous early on, came to meet the pass, before retreating and was relieved to see Cable’s right-footed shot curl past the top of the far post.

At the other end, Shearer played the ball into the penalty area, and his defensive partner Steven Lloyd tested Michal Czanner with a header.

Tunbridge Wells oozed confidence throughout and on numerous occasions sprayed the ball around the excellent playing surface at Salters Lane.

And on one occasion, James Russell played in Tate who dinked the ball over the crossbar with a right-footed shot from 25-yards.

Another chance fell to Cable when he cut in from the left flank and drilled a right-footed shot past the near post.

Faversham full-back Chris Eather upended Wells winger Alex Rich, which presented Tunbridge Wells with their first shot on target - after 19 minutes.

Barry Gardner, playing in right-midfield, curled his right-footed free-kick around the four man wall, but Hodgson spilt the dipping shot, but recovered to save at the second attempt.

After midfielder Joe Fuller went close with a looping header, which agonisingly bounced off the crossbar after Rich’s corner caused havoc inside the six-yard box, it was Faversham that almost grabbed the lead against the run of play.

Damian Abel’s corner was met by a powerful header from Lloyd, which flew past the far post.

Steve O’Brien then drilled an angled shot, which flashed agonisingly past the far post before Czanner saved at the second attempt to prevent Dave Soutan scoring with a left-footed drive.

But the winning goal arrived after 34 minutes and it came from debutant’s left-foot.

Rich threw the ball to Cable and a slick move down the left-hand side between Tate and Cable presented the new-boy with a chance inside the penalty area.

And Tate proved to be an instant hit with his team-mates, stroking the ball into the net, via the foot of the far post.

O’Brien had another chance to try to equalise, but his stroked left-footed shot curled agonisingly past the far post with Czanner stranded.

Dane Luchford then cracked a 35-yard screamer, which flew past the diving Czanner, but also past the right-hand post.

But Faversham squandered the lifeline that they were given on the stroke of half-time.

Wells’ midfielder Fuller was penalised for a push inside the penalty area after Eather whipped in a high cross into the penalty area.

Czanner slumped to his right to parry Shearer’s right-footed penalty and as the ball spun across the goal-line, Shane Hamshare, sliding in, bundled the ball into the net, inside the foot of the right-hand post.

However, the goal was ruled out as Hamshare was adjudged to have stabbed the ball - and Pearce - into the net.

Faversham played with three men up top for the second half as substitute Roy Guiver joined Luchford and Soutan leading the line.

And Soutan’s low cross in the 53^rd minute was agonisingly played behind O’Brien, who had ghosted into the box at the far post. The former Dover Athletic midfielder did, however, retrieve the ball and his high cross was headed over the bar by Wells’ defender James Russell at the near post.

Shearer, hoping to make amends following his penalty miss, went close when his effort sailed just past the far post after Abel delivered a free-kick from the left.

Tate, who impressed, cracked a volley over Hodgson’s crossbar on the hour mark after Rich cut his corner back to Cable in space in a deep position and his cross found its way to the striker.

Another example of Tunbridge Wells’ slick passing was evident just three minutes later as they played ten passes, without Faversham getting a touch on the ball, before Cable’s left-footed drive was saved at the second attempt by the teenage goalkeeper.

Faversham then seemed to get a stranglehold onto the game and Hamshare almost levelled proceedings after 67 minutes.

Hamshare made a late dash from the edge of the centre circle into the penalty area to meet Abel’s outswinging corner with a thumping header, which cleared the crossbar.

Guiver then stroked the ball just past the post before Cable should have wrapped up the victory on one of his old stomping grounds.

Deal based assistant Nick Dunn flagged for a penalty as Cable was upended by Ashley Brown from behind.

Cable was criticised by Robbins afterwards as he cheekily dinked the penalty, right-footed, towards goal but the grounded Hodgson was able to pluck the ball out of the air.

Faversham’s best chance of the game came with thirteen minutes left.

O’Brien passed to Guiver who cracked an ambitious, acrobatic, scissor kick from the left-hand side, from 25-yards, which looped up in the air and dropped towards goal with Czanner struggling to get back. However, the Slovakian recovered to tip the ball over the crossbar as the shot looked destined to drop in and needed treatment for his efforts.

Abel then stung the fingertips of Czanner, who managed to pounce on the ball at the second attempt.

From that moment on, it was Hodgson that stole the show with saves that deservedly earned him the man-of-the-match award - and the plaudits.

Shots from Gardner and Tate produced two flying saves from the teenager and Tate looked certain to score when he latched onto Gardner’s ball over the top straight down the middle but the advancing Hodgson got finger tips to the shot and the ball rolled past the foot of the left-hand post.

Robbins, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, felt his side deserved the win and is looking forward to welcoming Ash United in the next round.

“I think it was deserved on the back of the first half performance,” he said. “On the whole I suppose, on the balance, if their goalkeeper gets man-of-the-match, I thought he pulled off four or five really good saves.

“Then, obviously, we really should have buried the penalty and they’ll say the same. They should have scored their penalty, but midway through the second half, two-nil would have absolutely wrapped it up.”

Speaking about the penalty his side conceded, Robbins said: “Penalty (we) conceded was a little push, a little nudge by Joe Fuller in the back of whoever.

“We felt it was silly by us because Joe would, nine times out of ten, win that header and on that occasion they (Referee Mr Stone) gave the penalty.

“I don’t think we were really under pressure and then bang - they’ve got a penalty.”

Robbins admitted he thought Hamshare’s follow-up was going to be the equalising goal.

“He went in with two feet on the ball, on the goal-line and he’s done what you’d want him to do,” Robbins said.

“We conceded one here exactly the same (way) last year, which stood from (Matt) Carruthers. We complained that day and it wasn’t overturned. Today we expected it to be a goal and the linesman’s said "No!".

“Bryan Pearce had his foot on the ball, behind the ball and the blokes just took him out, as I’ve been told, that he’s took him out with two feet and everything went into the goal, a couple of players and the ball and everything.”

Robbins was not best pleased with Cable’s second half penalty, which could have proved costly.

He said: “We’ve just had a chat actually and he’d much rather scored the goal than be taken down for the penalty.

“You’d rather see that smashed into the net. If someone’s saved a penalty and it’s been smashed, I don’t really mind, but if a penalty’s been taken in that manner, it’s quite a soft penalty and the keeper was very lucky to get to it, but then he had no legs on it.”

Robbins praised two players that made their mark on the game.

“I believe the keeper pulled off four good saves and deservedly got his man-of-the-match from the home crowd,” Robbins said off Hodgson.

And on Tate, he added: “He’s just trained with us. He was my new signing this week from Crowborough. He was one of the three top scorers for the last three or four years at that level.

“We’ve been tracking him for a while at Crowborough and he came in today and scored a very, very good goal.

“Today was his debut, his first game of the season. He’s come in, trained with us on Thursday and is a very good addition to our squad.”

Shearer also paid tribute to Hodgson and also admitted he should have taken their lifeline.

“I really did see it (the foul by Fuller) to be honest,” Shearer told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.  “From what I’ve heard from a couple of people it was quite a dubious penalty anyway so perhaps justice was done. I just wish it wasn’t me who missed it!

“I played with Michal (Czanner) last year at Maidstone United and we mucked about with penalties all the time with him.

“It was a bit of a cat and most today, with mind games going on and I changed my mind right at the last minute and Michal’s guessed the right way and he’s made a great save.”

Shearer, who turns 31 next month, joined Robbins in saying he felt Hamshare’s follow-up goal should have stood.

“I couldn’t see much wrong with it to be honest,” Shearer said. “They’ve both slid in together and the referee’s said he’s come in from behind, but I thought they were both side-by-side and they’ve both slid in at the same time, so I don’t know what’s wrong with it.”

Shearer believes Hodgson has a big future in the game, adding: “To be fair he’s come in really late on and as you say, he’s been absolutely brilliant.

“He’s only a young lad and I think he’s got a really good future ahead of him. He’s confident, kicks a good ball, comes out, is as brave as anything and he done really, really well and deservedly got man-of-the-match.”

Faversham Town joint-manager Jimmy Strouts, who came off the bench to play the final fifteen minutes, was a crestfallen man afterwards.

“A couple of players were just a bit off the mark maybe today,” Strouts told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.  “We weren’t at the races as a team.

“It was one individual effort in the end that showed. We had numerous chances to get back into the game but that’s life.”

Strouts felt Shearer, his team-mate at Maidstone United, should have buried his penalty.

He said: “You’ve got to put them away and we failed to do that. There was a bit of competition between Shears and Michal and he’s come off the better.

“But like I say, that’s the way it goes and we’ve got to be better than that in front of goal, be more professional and put those chances away when they come.”

On Hamshare’s ruled out effort, Strouts added: “I think he put it into the net with the other blokes legs as well.”

Despite being unbeaten at home in the league, Faversham’s two home defeats have come in FA competitions.

“We’d have liked to have done better in the FA Cup and the Vase but as sit is we are now out and concentrating on the league.

“That’s what’s even more disappointing (losing at home). We’d like to think that this is our kind of turf. We play well here, we set out what we want to do, we just didn’t do that today - more individuals than a team.”

Faversham Town: Carl Hodgson, Chris Eather, Ashley Brown, Josh Maasbach (Roy Guiver 45), Steven Lloyd, Lee Shearer, Shane Hamshare, Damian Abel, Dane Luchford (Jimmy Strouts 75), Dave Soutan, Steve O’Brien (Dean Yorath 84).
Sub: Kris Richardson.

Tunbridge Wells: Michal Czanner, Kris Parker, Jason Bourne, Gary Clarke, James Russell, Bryan Pearce, Barry Gardner, Joe Fuller, Wesley Tate, Ross Cable, Alex Rich (Sam Phillips 66).
Subs: Mike Lord, Matt Foreman, Steve Sodje, Phil Rhodes.

Goal: Wesley Tate 34

Booked: Bryan Pearce 45, Gary Clarke 71

Attendance: 122
Referee: Mr Keith Stone (Ramsgate)
Assistants: Mr Tim Amans (Ramsgate) & Mr Nick Dunn (Deal)