Sevenoaks in a cup final would be miraculous, says Jones

Tuesday 16th February 2010

SEVENOAKS TOWN boss Simon Jones says reaching at least one cup final this season would be a miraculous achievement for the club, writes Stephen McCartney.

Jones takes his side to Deal Town for their much-delayed Kent Senior Trophy quarter-final tie at the weekend, hoping to pile more misery on Derek Hares’ side, having beaten them 6-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Bulmers Kent League Cup.

Their reward is a two-legged affair against local rivals Beckenham Town in the semi-finals of the competition, but Jones, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, knows guiding the club to his first ever cup final seems in the distance.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Deal, Jones said: “We’ve been down there, we’ve played them twice in the League Cup. We’ve already been down there in the league, we’ve been down there for the very unfortunate game where poor old Josh Davidson broke his leg and I think we’ve had two call offs in between that for snow and whatever else.

“It’s crazy! We only seem to be playing against Deal at the minute!”

Tonight’s local derby against Tunbridge Wells was postponed within 45 minutes of kick-off as the match officials couldn’t clearly see the pitch markings at Culverden Stadium - despite the playing surface being playable, having passed a half-past-four pitch inspection.

“It would’ve been nice to have a game against somebody else tonight!” said Jones.

“Deal know a lot about us, you can tell by the last game that we’ve played that it was a very, very scrappy affair. We both knew our strengths and weaknesses and we’ll try and play each other strengths as well as exploit each others weaknesses.

“Unfortunately it turned into a bit of a dour affair, a midfield scrappy battle and I think that’s what we’re going to be in line for at the weekend unless somebody changes something different.”

Tonight’s postponement, meanwhile, means Jones will be without his leading goalscorer Billy Shinners on Saturday, a striker who would have completed his suspension had tonight’s game against Tunbridge Wells came to a conclusion.

“We’ve got no Shinners,” said Jones. “We were obviously hoping he was going to serve his suspension tonight. That is a real blow but I mean we’ve got Tony Atkins in there and one or two little options that we can have a look at as well.”

Sevenoaks are currently in eighth place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League table with a record of seven wins and three draws at the half-way point (15 league games).

Deal Town, meanwhile, are just one place behind, with six wins and four draws, with two fewer points.

Both clubs must cram half their league campaign into the final ten weeks of the season remaining.

“It’s been very interrupted, I think is the word,” Jones said about his side’s campaign so far.

“This season, at the moment, is showing a lot of potential. It’s whether we’ve got the desire, the maturity to turn that potential into something positive.

“We were saying to the boys just before the game was called off that the league table is showing us in a sorry sight down to eighth.

“We’ve got games-in-hand, but we’ve got to turn those games into points and hopefully move us up the table. If we can do that then we’re in mind of an excellent season and we’re still sitting in two cups.

“If the weekend goes well for us that could be two semi-finals and that would be unheard off in Sevenoaks’ terms.

“Sevenoaks in a cup final would be miraculous. That would be beyond our wildest dreams!

“You look at the team that we’ve got in the (Kent League Cup) semi-final, Beckenham, who have just rolled us over 4-1 (in the league a week ago) and we were appalling that night.

“I put on record what I felt about that night so we’ve got a big ask to get through to the final.

“If we’re fortunate to beat Deal at the weekend, (league leaders) Faversham are sitting waiting for us, so for us to get to a cup final would be remarkable, let’s put it that way!

“That’s not to say we won’t give 100%. There’s been a few games where we’ve gone in as underdogs this year and we’ve surprised a few so if we can apply ourselves properly, who knows?”

Visit Sevenoaks Town’s website: www.sevenoakstownfc.org

Deal Town v Sevenoaks Town

Kent Senior Trophy Quarter-Final

Saturday 20th February 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At The Charles Sports Ground, St Leonards Road, Deal, Kent CT14