Kenny shows his thanks to the man who keeps the Boro' dream alive

Sunday 07th March 2010

GREENWICH BOROUGH’S winning free-kick hero Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott has paid tribute to his manager Steve Frikins as the struggling club look forward to playing in the Kent Senior Trophy final next month, writes Stephen McCartney.

The 26-year-old from Bermondsey, nicknamed “Kenny-three-names” during his time at Ashford Town a few years back, produced a moment of sheer brilliance to defeat a Herne Bay side that arrived at Oakley Road on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run.

Boro’ were 2-0 down at the break, and deservedly so, as Rob Lawrence and an own goal from Adam Wadmore (following a driven free-kick from Darren Marsden) gave Simon Halsey’s side the advantage.

But Halsey lost Michael Jenner and Dan Lawrence through injury, and an inspired double substitution by Firkins (bringing on Joe Jackson and towering striker Kevin Sefaah) galvanised Greenwich Borough and after upping the tempo, Danny Hunt smashed home a 73rd minute goal to lift spirits.

Hunt then kept his nerve by scoring a last-gasp penalty after skipper Jason Mabbs was tripped inside a crowded penalty area.

But Jarrett-Elliott won the game, curling a left-footed free-kick in off the underside of the crossbar within the first three minutes of extra-time, to book Boro’s place in the final for the third time in the club’s history.

They will meet league leaders Faversham Town at Welling United’s Park View Road on Sunday, 18th April.

“It was really important,” Jarrett-Elliott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after being mobbed by his jubilant team-mates at the final whistle.

“We played a tough team, Herne Bay, and I thought it was a really good battle and we deserved the win. I can’t really say any more than that. We’ve put in a great performance really.”

Expressing his feelings at 2-0 down, the orange booted central defender, who gifted Herne Bay an early lead after giving the ball to Dan Lawrence, he said, “We needed to get back into the game really, because we knew that we had the quality to go through to the final. Mistakes happen in football. I just had to get over it.

“The two players that came on are really important,” he added. “They played well for us last season and they’ve been on and off this season. They came on and showed their quality. They should really start. I thought they came on and helped us win really.”

Practice makes perfect in Jarrett-Elliott’s case. Stroking a left-footed curler from the D in the 93rd minute of an exciting game, which clipped the underside of the bar, bounced down over the line and back up into the roof of the net, would have been fitting to win the World Cup Final - let alone clinch the club’s place in the Kent Senior Trophy Final, a competition that the club have won twice before (1985 and 1998).

“I’ve been putting them away in training,” revealed the match winner. “Everyone believes in me and I believe in myself. If I get a free-kick from that range I know that I’ve got half a chance of scoring really.”

Looking forward to next month’s final, the Greenwich Borough camp are confident of pulling off yet another shock result.

“I think we’ve showed Faversham that we can match them,” said Jarrett-Elliott. “They’re going to have a tough match.”

Club officials and team management have put in £16,000 of their own money to keep the club afloat this season.

The club lost their modest Harrow Meadow ground as Greenwich Council built houses on the ground and a three-year deal with Holmesdale to groundshare their Oakley Road ground in Bromley was secured.

It costs around £6,000 to groundshare at their Kent League rivals, and money is hard to come by when you’re average league attendance is just 33.

“Steve Firkins has done it with his own money really,” said an appreciative Jarrett-Elliott. “He backs it and the club’s still going. Have you heard about the problem that we had with Greenwich Council? They took our ground and built some houses on it so I’ve just got to say thanks to Steve. He’s given me a chance to play football so Steve is really running the club.

“He’s backing it with his own money so thanks to Steve.”

Chairman Devon Hanson, meanwhile, is looking forward to the Kent Senior Trophy Final against Faversham Town.

“It means a lot to us,” Mr Hanson told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “I thought the boys deserved it because we’ve beaten the top clubs and I think the football that we play, it’s some reward for the season.

“We came here with optimism coming third last year. We thought we had a good chance of coming at least the top two this year. We’ve had some hiccups along the way.

“All our players are young, they stick to football. Our philosophy is stick to football. We’ve stuck to it and it’s nice that football wins in the end.

“With all due respects to all the other clubs, who do what’s good for them.”

Yesterday’s crowd of 50 was the club’s second largest crowd of the season and Sporting Bengal visit on Tuesday night in the Bulmers Cider Kent League.

“Probably be two men and his dog to come and support us,” Firkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk as he admits it’s back down to earth against the east London outfit.

“These are the games to try and get us back up in the league.

“We’re not happy with our league position. We’ve been a bit stupid with some of our defeats and teams like Corinthian, and that (have beaten us).

“I’m not saying we’ve got the right to go out and beat them, but we’ve got to give these teams respect.

“If you’re going to beat them, you’ve got to beat them, and we haven’t done that. We’ve gone to certain grounds and teams and we’ve just not performed on the day and that’s now showing a lack of respect for the other sides, but I think it’s a little bit of complacency that has crept in and we’ve suffered for it and deservedly so.”

Greenwich Borough v Sporting Bengal United

Bulmers Cider Kent League

Tuesday 9th March 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At 68 Oakley Road, Bromley, BR2 8HQ