Kent League: Thamesmead receive positive feedback after Ryman inspection - EXCLUSIVE

www.kentishfootball.co.uk are delighted to be able to bring you LIVE COVERAGE of Tuesday night’s two Kent League Cup semi-final first leg ties - we bring you EXCLUSIVE interviews with Mark Tompkins (Erith Town), Paul Fisk (Hythe Town) here.

We also speak to Keith McMahon (Thamesmead Town) and Terry Malin (Greenwich Borough), ahead of their Kent League games against Tunbridge Wells and VCD Athletic respectively.

MARK TOMPKINS is pleased with the way that he’s transformed Kent League outfit Erith Town, a side that’s currently sitting proudly in the top five, writes Stephen McCartney.

Although the Dockers are 12 points adrift of the top of the table, the much-travelled striker is pleased with the progress he’s made at Erith Sports Stadium.

“When I spoke to you in the summer, I said it’s a transitional period and building,” Tompkins said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.

“One thing they’ve not had is a manager who stays there season in season out, so it’s a case of getting as high as possible this year, keep the players that we’ve got, and build on that next season.”

Tompkins has called upon his vast number of contacts in the game to bring in players like Adam Heaslewood (ex Cray Wanderers), Bill Edwards (ex Margate) and former Welling United goalkeeper, James Wastell.

And the trio’s experience of big games will stand the team in good stead as they bid to reach the final of the Kent League Cup.

“That might stand us in good stead,” admitted Tompkins. “Most of them have experienced semi-finals and finals, so you never know.”

Despite losing 4-1 to tomorrow night’s opponents, Beckenham Town, Tompkins believes his side will give a good account of themselves over the two legs.

“The difference from Saturday is we created a lot of chances and they took their’s,” he said.

“The key tomorrow is to stay in the tie as much as we can. If we get done 4-1, the second tie would be a non-event.

“We’re not in awe of them. They’re a good side but we go there fully confident. We created a few chances Saturday so we’ll take that into the game tomorrow night.”

But the Dockers will be able to express themselves on the excellent playing surface at Eden Park Avenue.

“It’s a nice surface,” said Tompkins. “The one thing about Beckenham is they do let you get the ball down and play.”

The former Bromley and Cray Wanderers striker added: “If we can beat them over two legs, it’s a massive achievement for us, as they’ve got some quality players.”

HYTHE TOWN welcome Herne Bay to Reachfields Stadium in the other semi-final on Tuesday night, and Hythe boss Paul Fisk wants his side to take advantage of home comforts.

Fisk wants to take a good lead into the second leg at Winch’s Field on 2^nd April.

“The aim will be to get a good start or a good advantage for the second leg,” Fisk said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the first leg clash.

But the former Folkestone reserve team manager is expecting another tough time against a Bay side that’s 12 points below them in the Kent League table.

“I’ve said before that we’ve always had hard games against Herne Bay and we’ll be expecting two very hard games,” said Fisk.

Dale Skelton (suspended) and Jamie Walker (knee) sit out tomorrow’s tussle.

The Hythe Town boss revealed that his side trained last Thursday and on Saturday morning as they haven’t played since 8^th March.

And he said: “Our aim is to try and get into the final. “It would be great for the club and everybody really. That’s our aim, which will be part of a good season for us.”

Hythe are currently third in the table on 54 points, just three points behind Thamesmead Town and Beckenham Town, with seven league games still to play.

Fisk, however, is confident his side can catch Thamesmead.

“I think we can catch them,” he said. “There’s four teams that are all still in the hunt really.

“I think it’s going to be tight. We haven’t ruled ourselves out of it. But with them being three points ahead, we have to rely on Thamesmead dropping points.”

Fisk revealed that the club are undergoing minor work at Reachfields Stadium to meet Ryman League ground criteria.

“We’ve got work going on at the moment to make sure it is up to standard,” he said.

“We’ve got to change the dug-outs, where they are, and do some work. New ladies toilets have been fitted and the other things are the barriers on the far side, they have to be raised. It’s pretty much ok, just a few things.”

Fisk, meanwhile, has welcomed back Damian Abel, a striker who couldn’t commit to their Ryman Premier League neighbours, Folkestone Invicta, due to work commitments.

“He scored two goals for the reserves Saturday, which was a nice start,” said Fisk.

“He can’t play tomorrow, you have to be signed a week before the game. Unfortunately he weren’t signed in time but we’ve got him for the run-in, so that’s good.”

With contracted Michael Smissen banging in the goals this season, Fisk is delighted that he’s able to bring in players from their neighbours.

“I was Folkestone’s reserve team manager and know Neil (Cugley) quite well and they’re just up the road,” Fisk explained.

“If there’s anyone decent going, I’ll be getting them in. Damian was at Hythe before Folkestone so that’s the reason (he’s returned) as well.

“I think he does want to play at the highest level he can and he’s come over to us to play some football.

“He’s been on the bench a lot (at Folkestone) and hasn’t played. The thing is to play some football and see where it takes him from there.

“If you can get quality at the club, we’ve got a goalscorer with 40 goals, adding more quality is good for me and the club, we’re well pleased.”

RYMAN LEAGUE officials are expected to give Thamesmead Town the green light for promotion, having visited Bayliss Avenue last Tuesday.

The club have splashed out £10,000 in a bid to secure promotion into the Ryman League Division One South at the end of the season.

And Keith McMahon’s men have climbed to the summit of the Kent League table in the past week, and can move three points clear of Beckenham Town with a win at improving Tunbridge Wells tomorrow night.

McMahon, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, was pleased with the feedback from last week’s inspection.

“It was only a pointer to get us ready for the finish,” he said. “We knew what we had to do, they were very impressed with what we’re doing and told us the couple of things we need to do.

“We should have everything done. It will be a push (before the deadline at the end of this month) but we’re working very hard. They’re impressed with the facilities we’ve got and planned.”

The re-development of Bayliss Avenue should be completed in time for the 2009-10 season but the club cannot wait until then to clinch promotion.

The Ryman League are not prepared to bend the rules for them, as McMahon explained.

“We did ask for leeway as we’re doing all this work and spending money and it will be knocked down (before building the new stadium), but we understand that they can’t make one rule for one and not another.”

McMahon appreciates the club must clinch promotion into the Ryman League as quickly as possible.

“We’ve put ourselves in a very good position but there’s a long way to go,” said McMahon.

“We’re on a good run, haven’t lost in the league since December and we’re finding the form at the right time at the moment.”

Looking ahead to the visit to Culverden Stadium, McMahon hopes it’s not raining in west Kent in the next 24 hours to enable his side to continue their title push.

He said: “Tunbridge Wells is always a difficult place to go, a heavy pitch. If we get any rain it could be in doubt but we’d like it to go ahead. They’re in form, we’re playing well, so it should be a good game.”

There are four sides that are well capable of winning the Kent League this season; Thamesmead, Beckenham, Hythe and VCD Athletic.

“You can see it’s within touching distance but when you have the other three behind you, it doesn’t feel like (the title’s within) touching distance,” admitted McMahon.

Meanwhile, midfielder Scot Mulholland has been drafted back into the squad after missing the 2-1 home win over Holmesdale at the weekend due to a family wedding, but Robbie Tarrant is rated doubtful for tomorrow night’s game, with an ankle injury.

TERRY MALIN is expecting a “tight game” against title-chasing side VCD Athletic at Harrow Meadow on Tuesday night.

The Greenwich Borough assistant manager admitted his side have a major say in the destination of the Kent League crown this season.

“We played Thamesmead last week and to be fair the game was quite tight first half but second half they probably deserved to win it,” Malin said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Looking ahead to their fourth meeting against Paul Foley’s side, Malin added: “It’s our fourth meeting now and they’ve been tight games. They beat us in the league and we drew with them twice in the league cup.

“I should think at our place it will be a tight game but it’s a game I would think they have to win to get themselves back into the title race.

“They will have to look to come and beat us - it will be a tight game.”

The former Slade Green stalwart admitted going out of the FA Vase and Kent Senior Trophy in recent weeks has been disappointing.

“To be fair we’ve been up and down,” he said. “We went out in the Kent Senior Trophy to Beckenham after extra time.

“We played really well, it was a good game, went right to the death but we got beat in extra time, which was disappointing as through our efforts, through the season, we deserved a cup final.”

Boro’ have still got to travel to Hythe before welcoming Thamesmead to Harrow Meadow on the last day of the season.

And Malin said: “I would think they will all be picking out the fixture against us as they’re key games.

“If it stays as tight as this it may come down to the last game of the season.

“Beckenham are on a great run and are in it. Their game in hand is eaten up but Beckenham are serious contenders but if I was putting money on it, Thamesmead are favourites as they have an easier run in.”

John Samuels and Dave Waters are both suspended for tomorrow’s derby and Michael Holder will lose his place in goal to Lee Heyward due to a badly damaged thigh.

Malin said that Holder has played over 160 consecutive games for the Boro’ but has every faith in reserve team keeper Heywood to breach the gap.

“We’ve had Lee many years, he was number two goalkeeper when we was at Thamesmead.

“To be fair, our best year at Slade Green, when we finished ninth, Lee played 90% of the games and done well.

“We’ve got total faith in him, he never lets us down.”

With Boro’ 23 points adrift of the summit, Malin believes a place in the top five or six would be considered as a good campaign for the Harrow Meadow outfit.

“I think the top four will be the top four and Erith Town are a bit away,” he said.

“Fifth or sixth would be good. We’ve come fourth last year. We got to the last sixteen of the Vase, semi-final of the Kent Senior Trophy and come fifth or sixth this year, you would say in the two years we’ve been there, we’ve really moved the club on.

“We’ve lacked that bit of squad strength to get over the line in certain positions but reflecting on the season what we’ve done, we would say we’ve done well.”

KENT LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL FIRST LEG LIVE COVERAGE ON TUESDAY NIGHT

Beckenham Town v Erith Town (kick off 7:30pm)
Stephen McCartney will be reporting from Eden Park Avenue

Hythe Town v Herne Bay (kick off 7:45pm)
Mike Green will be reporting from Reachfields Stadium