KENT LEAGUE CUP FINAL: Tompkins playing career ends on a high-note - EXCLUSIVE

MARK TOMPKINS was “over the moon” as he became the first Erith Town manager to deliver the Kent League Cup to the Avenue Road outfit, writes Stephen McCartney.

Tompkins, a much travelled striker who turns 41 next month, revealed EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he’s hung up his boots following yesterday’s 1-0 hard-fought win over Hythe Town.

A crowd of 447 at a sun-kissed Buzzlines Stadium, the home of Folkestone Invicta, saw a disappointing match settled by a 39^th minute own-goal.

Hythe’s central midfielder Dave Cook was in the wrong place at the wrong time as Kevin George’s corner wasn’t dealt with by Dale Skelton or goalkeeper Paul Hyde at the near post and the ball hit Cook’s leg and caressed the net.

But despite their fortunate winning goal, Tompkins’ side were able to bring the silverware back to the club - on the day of their presentation night.

“Over the moon for Albert Putman, all his hard work that he’s put into it and all the other boys,” said Tompkins afterwards.

But Tompkins, who has guided the Dockers to fifth place in the Kent League - their highest ever position - and to Kent League Cup glory was delighted that a training ground routine worked.

He said: “We trained Wednesday night, we worked on those corners (telling them to keep) putting it into the danger area, (where) anything could happen and it was like we put it into the danger area, goal.

Tompkins, whose played for a whole host of clubs, including Bromley, Greenwich Borough and Cray Wanderers, got his tactics spot on.

“Hythe, they’re set-up well, they’re drilled well, they play a certain way and you’ve got to match them physically,” he said.

“But you must win the second ball and I thought we done that the whole game.

“We had opportunities ourselves, it weren’t all one way.

“Second half they came out first fifteen minutes, had a go at us, but we knew they were going to do that and all went to plan B.

Tompkins challenged his more experienced players to guide his young players through their first Cup Final.

“There’s a lot of boys out there that have won nothing,” explained Tompkins. “Good players, who have won Cups, lead them on, lead them youngsters on and I thought we done it.

“We worked hard, it was a hot day, but we worked hard, kept our shape really well, which we worked on Wednesday again.

“We’re going to get right on it now, we’ve got our presentation do tonight, let’s go and enjoy our first cup for Erith Town, (my) first Cup as a manager, hopefully many to come.”

Tompkins, the first Erith Town manager to work with a budget, will need to sit down with club officials shortly to work out what he’s got to work with next season.

“I love Erith Town, they’ve given me my first (managerial) opportunity,” he said. “There’s not a lot of managers job about is there?

“Albert (Putman) has given me a chance and I’ll sit down with him in the summer.

“I’m a young manager, I’m learning, you learn all the time. I’ve learnt today all about pressure things so unless I’ll get another offer, I always listen to offers, I did as a player, so we’ll see.”

Tompkins decided to start yesterday’s match, therefore relegating Wayne Grizzle to the substitutes bench until the pair swapped places with fifteen minutes left.

“I said I won’t start but I got here today and I felt fresh and (I bring) a little bit of experience,” he said.

“I thought I done alright, the legs went at the end (and) I put a few of the younger lads on.”

When asked if he’s going to retire, Tompkins replied: “I think so! It’s all about the young boys now, I’ve had my day.

“What a way to end my career as well, brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

Tompkins was quick to ask for the outcome of the Ryman League Division One South play-off final between Tooting & Mitcham United and Cray Wanderers - two of his former clubs.

“All I want to do now is ring up (Tooting joint-manager) Georgie Wakeling at Tooting and see how they got on,” he said yesterday.

When told that Tooting beat Cray 1-0, Tompkins replied: “Even better! I love Jenko (Ian Jenkins) at Cray, I was going to ring him as well, either way my loyalties are split there a little bit, but brilliant, brilliant!

“I feel for Jenko, I think he’s a top manager, I think Joe Francis’ a top coach as well.

“I’m sure they’ll be ringing me up congratulating me either way.”

One player to impress yesterday was striker Marcus Cassius, 18.

Tompkins said: “I’ve got him out of the youth football and with a little bit of coaching, I’m a centre forward, I’ve coached him.

“He’s still got things to learn but he’s got pace to burn.

“There’s a young squad there with some older heads and all we’ve got to do is strengthen the squad and try and push whoever’s up the top next year.

“Thamesmead, VCD, not so much Beckenham, but Hythe, they’ve had players been there for two or three seasons.

“I’ve had to put that all together in the last three or four months that team really, so let’s try and keep them and build again.

“It’s down to the chairman and the budget. We haven’t got the biggest budget in the world.

“I used to leave clubs and manager’s didn’t’ want me to. It is hard, if one leaves, I’ve got to try to replace them.

Tompkins insists yesterday’s Cup Final win wasn’t a one off.

“We’ve beaten Beckenham, we’ve beaten VCD, we’ve beat Hythe so we’ve beat three teams above us,” he said.

“People say today it was a scrappy game, they’re weren’t no football played here today but we beat Beckenham, we beat VCD now we’ve beaten these, hats off to us.

“A lot of credit has got to go to them lot in there.”