Kentish Football 
Tunbridge Wells 0-1 Norton Sports - I want clubs to stay away from Joe Sands, says Ben Taylor
Tuesday 05th April 2011
TUNBRIDGE WELLS 0-1 NORTON SPORTS
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Tuesday 5th April 2011
Safety Net Associates Kent League
NORTON SPORTS’ player-manager Ben Taylor heaped praise on teenage winger Joe Sands - as his magnificent display ensured his side ended a run of three straight defeats to beat an injury-hit Tunbridge Wells.
Sands, 17, who was making only his fourth appearance for the Sittingbourne based club, ripped apart Drew Crush, as Norton Sports dominated the whole of the match and bounced back from their awful 7-0 home defeat to Erith & Belvedere on Sunday.
Sands’ performance down the left-flank brought back memories of Dave Martin’s dazzling wing displays in the Kent League for Slade Green, which earned him lucrative moves to Dartford, Crystal Palace, Millwall and Derby County - and Taylor admitted Sands has a bright future in the game.
“What a player he’s going to be,” said Taylor, 30, who bossed the middle of the park alongside skipper Jack Goodger.
“I don’t want to praise him too much because I want club’s to stay away from him, but he’s a hell of a player. You’ve seen him yourself. He’s absolutely destroyed that right-back, he’s raped him all night long.”
Taylor added: “He’s just come from Sheppey Academy. He’s trained with us for six months, he’s been playing for Woodstock now and then. I’ve decided that the form we’ve been in, we needed a bit of fresh blood in there and he’s come on and played really well Saturday and I thought he was tremendous tonight.
“I can’t give him enough credit tonight. You’ve seen him. He’s absolutely murdered that right-back. I’m surprised they didn’t pull him off to be honest with you, an experienced player, he’s been about a long time and he absolutely killed him.”
Tunbridge Wells boss, Martin Larkin, admitted Sands was something special, and feels he will be prised away as he was clearly too good for the Kent League on tonight’s performance.
Larkin said: “He looked a good player. If that lad plays like that week in week out he won’t be there very long. He won’t be in the Kent League very long. He’s a very, very good player. He looks very quick and very talented and their front two worked very well and he provided them with ammunition.”
Tunbridge Wells clearly missed their leading goalscorer, Carl Cornell, who was sent home before the game unfit, after picking up a hamstring strain during the 5-0 defeat away to Herne Bay at the weekend. Larkin handed Jack Harris his second start of the season to partner Keelan Mooney up front and they clearly missed the goalscoring prowess of their 22-goal striker.
Larkin was also without Alex Rich (work commitments), Perry Spackman (groin/suspended), Jason Bourne (ankle), Jon Pilbeam (foot) and 34-year-old Slovakian goalkeeper Michal Czanner was forced off due to a thigh injury after 57 minutes.
To make matters worse, Crush and Tom Davey both miss Saturday’s trip to Lordswood, due to a skiing trip abroad.
Taylor made three changes to the side that were outclassed by Erith & Belvedere on Sunday. Tony Clarke was injured and Ryan Rook and leading goalscorer Ashley Baverstock were dropped to the bench.
Norton Sports, nicknamed “The Farmyard Boys,” won all of their individual battles all over the park and never allowed Tunbridge Wells to settle, as Taylor’s troops were desperate to gain revenge for their 4-0 home defeat to Tunbridge Wells ten days earlier.
Taylor slotted in beside Jack Goodger in the middle of the park and the pair led by example with an aggressive, passionate display, which charged up their team-mates and Sunday’s shocker was quickly put to bed.
“I can’t tell you how I felt Sunday,” admitted Taylor. “I’ve come back from holiday, come back into the side, felt confident and got smashed 7-0. Fair play to Erith & Belvedere. I mean I don’t think they’re the best team in the world but they done a number on us and I’ll take my hat off to them.
“Coming here tonight I was a bit apprehensive. I didn’t know what we was going to do, but the boys’ done brilliant.
“We (myself and Jack Goodger) both had the right attitude tonight. We knew, after three defeats, that we just had to run about like a headless chicken and get some tackles in and try to get everyone going.
“I think I’ve played 15 (minutes) too many in there. You try being 30 and play two games in three days. It’s hard work for me, working (as a carpenter) all day, like everyone else. No excuse, but I’m not as fit like the rest of the lads!”
Norton Sports created the game’s first chance as Robert Welling’s hanging cross from the right found Sands unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, but his powerful header bounced into Czanner’s gloves.
Ben Taylor released striker Harry Goodger and his ball inside fell to Andy Irvine, but his left-footed chip sailed just over the top of the post after fifteen minutes of dominance.
Even central defender Lewis Rivett - voted the chairman’s man-of-the-match - got in to the act when a nosebleed mazy run found him inside the opposite penalty area but his poked shot rolled to the Tunbridge Wells keeper.
Tunbridge Wells’ performance was flat throughout and it was no surprise when Norton Sports scored the only goal of the game in the 26th minute. In fact the visitors’ should have won by more goals.
Norton cleared Andy McMath’s corner and hit Tunbridge Wells on the break. Sands was released and won a foot-race with Wells striker Mooney and he reached the by-line, before crossing to the near post to pick out the unmarked Irvine, who glanced a header across Czanner into the far corner, to score his seventh goal of the season.
“I’m glad for Andy getting a goal,” added his boss. “He’s been struggling of late due to his form and his confidence but I think he did well tonight and it’s a pleasure to have Harry Goodger in the side tonight.”
However, controversy reared its ugly head when referee Mr Chris Dodds failed to award Tunbridge Wells a blatant penalty in the 33rd minute.
A mix-up involving Welling and Russell Jeffrey in the centre circle allowed Mooney to latch on to a ball over the top to race down the middle of the pitch from the halfway line.
However, the former Maidstone United striker was clipped by the advancing Nick Shaw on the edge of the box, after he flicked the ball around the goalkeeper.
With everybody expecting the Eltham based referee to point to the spot and to hand the Norton Sports keeper at least a yellow card, a goal-kick was awarded.
To make matters worse, Mr Dodds (who also consulted his assistant, Mr Chris Clarke) didn’t even book Mooney for diving.
Larkin was shocked that all of his outfield players surrounded the referee to voice their disgust over the decision.
“A stonewall penalty and it‘s a red-card,” fumed the Tunbridge Wells boss.
“He’s clean through on goal and he’s taken it around the goalkeeper and the goalkeeper’s brought him down.
“I spoke to the referee after the game and he said “he’s dived.” I asked why he hasn’t booked him (Mooney) and he said, “well, no,” and he went quiet.
“To be fair words fail me. At this level, where everyone puts so much work in, to make that kind of an error, it’s difficult to put into words to be honest.
“It’s not even a debatable one. Everyone in the ground saw it. He was clean through, the goalkeeper’s brought him down.”
When asked about his players surrounding the referee, Larkin replied, “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen them do it! I was shocked actually! Our players never do that! That’ the first time I’ve ever seen them surround a referee like that in any time. That shows, yet again, we’re a timid bunch sometimes.
“Keelan never goes down. I’ve actually told him a couple of times for staying on his feet this season when he’s been hit.”
Speaking about refereeing, Larkin added, “It’s a tough job. I wouldn’t want to do it. They couldn’t pay me enough money to do it. I would not want to do it but if you choose to do it and you chose to referee at this level, you can’t get things like that wrong and it was shocking.”
Norton Sports’ player-manager Ben Taylor added, “To be honest with you mate, I’m not sitting on the fence, I was in the centre circle. To me, it looked like a dive but one of the boys said there could have been contact. I don’t know. Nick’s obviously denying it. I couldn’t see as I was in the centre circle so I just don’t know. It’s the ref’s decision. We’ve had so many against us mate, I’m not going to argue!”
The injustice failed to galvanise the home side, despite one home fan regularly bellowing out “Make it count Wells - In the Net!” from the bank of terracing, as Norton Sports ran out deserved winners.
Czanner caught a Jack Goodger header and caught Ben Taylor’s right-footed curling shot from 25-yards at the second attempt as Norton finished the half the way they started it.
Tunbridge Wells finally created a goalscoring chance 73 seconds after the interval when Harris’s low drive towards the near post was spilt by Shaw, who went in where it hurt to clutch the loose ball.
Sands was released down the left in the 53rd minute, tormenting Crush again, and he cracked a right-footed half-volley from 30-yards, which screamed past the far post.
Jack Goodger then hooked the ball over the top of the Tunbridge Wells defence to release Sands, who was making a late run towards the penalty box, but the teenager cracked a right-footed volley over the crossbar just before the hour-mark.
Crush was murdered again by Sands, who cut the ball across the pitch for Harry Goodger, to send a right-footed shot over from 30-yards.
But Tunbridge Wells’ best chance to equalise arrived in the 65th minute, but they didn’t take it.
Harris was released down the right and he swept the ball across the pitch to find Rob Wells unmarked in the middle but he swept a first time right-footed shot across Shaw and past the far post.
The longer the game went on the more galvanised Jack Goodger and Ben Taylor were, shouting encouragement at their team-mates to win their own battles against a Tunbridge Wells side that were missing key personnel.
Irvine did well to hold the ball up and he cut the ball back to Ben Taylor, who cracked a half-volley with the outside of his right-boot, which was comfortably caught by teenage substitute goalkeeper Callum Hampson.
Norton Sports were comfortable and towards the end of this bruising encounter, a cross from substitute Ryan Rook was met by a looping header from Harry Goodger, which was caught under pressure by Hampson.
Larkin admitted afterwards that his side couldn’t deal with Norton Sports’ aggression.
“They worked very, very hard. They’re aggressive, they do what they do very, very well. They’ve got some good players in there. The front two are very good, the midfield two got themselves angry and did what they did. They came here and won the game so give credit where credit’s due.
“We’ve got quite a few out, which is an issue and with a smaller squad like that when you take out five first team players, who are not only first team players, they’re top Kent League players, it’s difficult.
“But we’ve had a run of six games in twenty days and we’re running a little bit on empty. We need to recharge the batteries and get going again.”
Larkin felt beating Norton Sports only ten days ago proved to be the motivation Taylor’s troops needed.
“We’ve beaten them 4-0 a couple of weeks ago and that’s obviously given them more motivation and they’ve come down here and done well so fair play to them,” said Larkin.
The Norton Sports’ player-boss was delighted that his side have stopped the rot, and as a result have climbed up to ninth place.
“I think we thoroughly deserved the win to be honest with you,” said a hyper Taylor.
“I don’t think they had much of the game. It could’ve been a couple more to be honest, but we’ll take that.
“They played us (the other) Saturday and they done us 4-0, giving the big ‘un to us after and they were taking the p**s out of us, laughing and joking and giving that, so we’ve come here tonight and done a number on them, just rammed it straight back at them.”
Tunbridge Wells: Michal Czanner (Callum Hampson 57), Drew Crush, Steve Ashmore, Tom Davey, Andy Boyle, Scott Whibley, Rob Wells, Andy McMath, Jack Harris, Keelan Mooney, Sam Phillips.
Subs: Jason Bourne, Ben Williamson, Jon Pilbeam
Booked: Andy Boyle 43, Jack Harris 68
Norton Sports: Nick Shaw, Frazer Rodgers, Lewis Taylor, Ben Taylor, Russell Jeffrey, Lewis Rivett, Robert Welling (Ryan Rook 46), Jack Goodger, Andy Irvine (Ashley Baverstock 90), Harry Goodger, Joe Sands.
Subs: Carl Davis, Scott Appleton
Goal: Andy Irvine 26
Booked: Harry Goodger 39, Joe Sands 41, Ben Taylor 71
Attendance: 101
Referee: Mr Chris Dodds (Eltham, London SE9)
Assistants: Mr Chris Clarke (Maidstone) & Mr Danny Roberts (Aylesford)
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