It's a chance to be special for a day, says Tunbridge Wells boss Martin Larkin

Thursday 07th February 2013

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Martin Larkin says he wants his side to go down in history on Saturday afternoon.

The Wells welcome FA Carlsberg Vase holders Dunston UTS to Culverden Stadium for a place in the last sixteen up for grabs.

This tie has already been postponed on three occasions over the past three weeks but Larkin insists his side are raring to go.

They have defeated Lordswood and Fisher away from home to climb into sixth-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table so confidence is high going into the Fourth Round showdown.

Dunston UTS hail from Gateshead and are sitting in seventh-place in the strong 24-team Northern League, with 12 wins and 7 draws from their 26 league outings.

They are 30 points behind runaway league leaders Darlington 1883 – the club formed following Darlington’s demise.

”We’re excited about it now,” said Larkin, following his side’s comfortable 2-1 win over struggling Fisher at Champion Hill last Monday night.

”We’ve had them watched two or three times and we’ll do what we need to do. Will they change dramatically to play us? I would doubt it at this level.

”They’re a very good side, they’re obviously the holders, which is special so it’s probably the biggest game the club’s had in the competition.

”It’s a chance to go further than anyone’s ever gone in a Tunbridge Wells shirt and if we do that we have to knock the holders out – it can’t get no more special than that really.

”It’s special for two reasons – no-one in a Tunbridge Wells shirt has ever gone further if we win the game and you get to knock the holders out.

”They’ll be coming down, they’ll be very experienced, they’ll be used to travelling long distances. They’ve played at Wembley and won the game there. They’ve got a few ex Football League guys in their side. They’ll be very experienced and ready to go.

”We’ve just got to give everything we can. They wouldn’t have played on many grounds like the Culverden so it’s a case of using that to our advantage and hitting them as hard as we can.

”We’re going to go full barrels at it. We’re at our best when we play at a high tempo and the work-rate’s right. We’re going to see what we can do.”

Tunbridge Wells are the sole Kent representatives left in the competition following Lordswood’s defeat at Spennymoor Town last weekend.

”Lordswood went up to Spennymoor, who are arguably a better side than Dunston, and gave it a really good crack on Saturday and it’s our job to try and do the same,” said Larkin.

”I’m proud of the fact that we’re the only ones left in it from Kent and we have to try to fly the flag and carry it through.

”Every other team in the Kent League would rather be where we are now – a decent position in the League, we’re in every single Cup (other than The FA Cup). There’s no pressure on us at all.”

Although the holders arrive in Kent, Larkin explained that they should not be feared because they play at the same level.

”That’s the important thing to remember,” he said. “That is what we’re drilling into them. Dunston play at the same level as we do. We’re not playing away to a Ryman Premier League side or we’re not playing Tonbridge Angels, who are Conference South, we’re playing a team at our level.

”The pitch will be a little bit of a leveller to them and we’re a really good outfit.

”We respect them – you’ve got to – they’re the holders. They’re a fantastic well run club. They’ve got some fantastic players in their side. We’ll be going out there to do what we do.”

Quietly-spoken Larkin says he doesn’t need to motivate his players’ ahead of such a a massive game.

He said: ”They don’t need any motivating in the world. It’s a FA Vase game. It’s the last 32. It’s a chance to go further than anybody’s ever gone. That’s all the motivation you need.

”We’re not ones to scream and shout to try to motivate. We don’t need to. We set targets and that’s what we want to go and do.

”It’s a chance to be special for a day and that’s what we’re looking to do.”

The winners on Saturday will travel to Bath to play Western League outfit Larkhall Athletic in the last sixteen on Saturday 16 February.

”That’s something that we’ve looked at a little bit,” added Larkin.

”We won’t be talking about that game until that week comes. The motivation comes that we’ve got two choices on the 16^th. We can either be at home to Rochester – with all due respect to them – or we could be away down in Bath to Larkhall with a nice night out in Bath afterwards. I’m sure the boys all look at that a little bit. It’s a good opportunity.”

When asked whether he is dreaming about leading his club out at Wembley Stadium in The FA Carlsberg Vase on Saturday, 4 May, Larkin said it would be a fitting tribute to midfielder Andy McMath, who is leaving the club at the end of the season to emigrate to Australia.

”I’ve had a chat with Macca about it,” said Larkin. “It will be nice if Macca’s last ever game in England wasn’t some Kent League game somewhere and it was at Wembley.

”We haven’t spoken about it yet. We’ve got too much respect for Dunston. I’m sure all the players’ talk about it and think about it.”

Visit Tunbridge Wells’ website: www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells v Dunston UTS
The FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round
Saturday 9^th February 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Culverden Stadium, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9SG