The key will be recreating the intensity of playing against the holders, says Martin Larkin

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Martin Larkin says he is thinking about leading the club out at Wembley Stadium for The FA Carlsberg Vase Final.



The Wells created history when they reached the last sixteen for the very first time after knocking out holders Dunston UTS at Culverden Stadium yesterday.

The tie was postponed on three previous occasions but the wait was worth it after striker Andy Irvine scored the only goal of the game in the 66^th minute.

They will now travel to Bath-based outfit Larkhall Athletic in the Fifth Round next Saturday.

Five Fifth-Round ties took place yesterday with Spennymoor Town, Guernsey, Shildon, Hadleigh United and Gornal Athletic already guaranteed their place in the quarter-finals.

Spennymoor Town, who ended Lordswood’s Wembley dream in the Fourth Round, are a big club with a big budget (according to Dunston officials yesterday) and Guernsey come with a big reputation also.

”I think it’s the time now when you do start having a little think about it (Wembley),” said Larkin.

”There’s some big teams left in it still. We’ll see what the draw brings.  There’s a couple you want to avoid and a couple you like but as we’ve shown yesterday we’ve beaten the holders at home. We’ll take anyone at home.”

Larkin revealed he will use his contacts in Sussex to prepare for Saturday’s trip to Larkhall.

”We haven’t had a chance to go and see them, which is unfortunate but we’ll prepare properly,” he said.

”The guys like an away trip so we’ll work out if it’s far enough to need a hotel and we’ll get that organised and then we’ll get ourselves organised.

”They beat Peacehaven in the last round and we know someone down at Peacehaven so we’ll have a chat with them.  All we need to know is what system they play. Once we know that we have to set up accordingly.

”No game is easy when you get to this level. If we have the same level of intensity in our defending and some of our quality in our attacking next week we’ll be very hard to stop because we’ve got a lot of quality in attacking areas.

”The key will be recreating the intensity of playing against the holders. If we can do that we will be an issue for anyone.”

But Larkin insists domestic matters will not go downhill.  They slipped down a place into seventh after Corinthian leapfrogged over them with a 2-1 home win over Erith Town, in James Collins’ last game in charge of The Dockers.

Tunbridge Wells are fourteen points behind leaders Erith & Belvedere.

”People always say when you’re involved in four (competitions) something has to give – but I don’t really want that,” said Larkin.

”I want our league form to continue – we’ve won four on the bounce. I want us to drive up that league table as far as possible if we can and maybe even challenge at some point.  The league is important to us.”

For Tunbridge Wells’ long-serving skipper, Jason Bourne, 32, he wants his team-mates to replicate the performance against Dunston at Larkhall Athletic.

”We put on a lot of emphasis of creating history for the club as a group of players and that’s what we wanted to do,” said the right-back.

”We don’t take anything for granted. We’ll go to Larkhall next week and yesterday’s victory doesn’t mean nothing if we don’t go there and turn up.

”It’s all about the work-rate. That’s what we focus on as a club. That’s what Larks gets us to do and we can’t ask for anymore form the boys.”

Bourne warns against complacency against their Western League opponents.

He said: “Larkhall will be as focused if so more so than us so we’ve got to at least match them.

”When other teams want it more than you, you’re going to be second best most of the time.”

Tunbridge Wells host Lordswood in the Macron Kent League Cup Quarter-Final Second Leg on Tuesday, 19 February, with the Medway side leading 4-1 from the first leg.

Bourne insists the team are fit enough to cope with the fixture back-log, which includes playing sixteen league games.

He said: ”We’re a fit bunch of lads. We all train twice a week and we also do stuff in between times to keep us ticking over.  Larks will not let our standards drop.

”The League is our focus.  We know we’re a good fourteen points off Erith & Belvedere and they’re in the driving seat, but all these Cup runs are good, but the league is where you want to be, so we’ll keep chipping away at that and see what happens.”

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

Larkhall Athletic  v  Tunbridge Wells
The FA Carlsberg Vase Fifth Round
Saturday 16^th February 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Plain Ham, Charlcombe Lane, Larkhall, Bath BA1 8DJ