Tunbridge Wells 2-0 Sevenoaks Town - I'm very proud of them, says Wells boss Martin Larkin

TUNBRIDGE WELLS  2-0  SEVENOAKS TOWN
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Tuesday 27^th December 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium

TUNBRIDGE WELLS boss Martin Larkin hailed his depleted side after they secured a comfortable victory over neighbours Sevenoaks Town to climb into fifth-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table.

Two goals from target-man Andy Irvine (taking his goalscoring tally to eight for the season) ensured the home side claimed the local bragging rights over struggling Sevenoaks Town, whose run of six league games without a win leaves them second-from-bottom in the table.

“We’re really happy because we had seven players’ out today,” explained Larkin.

“We don’t normally make excuses but five of those seven would’ve started the match so it was a massive hole.  We challenged those that have been in the squad and on the edge over the last two or three months to stand up and take an opportunity and they did do that so we’re very happy.

“Dean’s not had to make too many saves and for a back four that’s been put together overnight.  The truth be told we only had nine fully fit players’ today.  Macca (Andy McMath) was playing with a serious stomach bug and Lewis (Mingle’s) ankle was hanging off when he got to the ground today so we were very much bare bones.

“For everyone to stand up and do what they did we’re very, very proud of them.  Fact it’s a derby game makes it even better.”

Sevenoaks Town manager Darren Anslow sent out his assistant Martin Barnard to face the waiting press afterwards.

And Barnard bemoaned early missed chances after his side’s twelve league defeat leaves them just four points clear of basement side Greenwich Borough, who visit Greatness Park next Monday.

“A game of two halves,” was how Barnard described this west Kent showdown.

He added: “If we had taken two of the chances that we had first half, I think it could’ve been completely different but second half, to be fair to them, we had one chance early on but apart from that they were the better side second half.  The second goal really killed it.”

Sevenoaks started well and created the game’s first chance in what was an end-to-end opening ten minutes of this west Kent clash.

A sweeping move involving Kevin Lott, Tony Atkins and George Savages resulted in Sam Gent driving a low right-footed shot, whilst under pressure, from eighteen-yards, which was easily gathered by Tunbridge Wells keeper Dean Nash.

Tunbridge Wells’ instantly went for goal themselves as Andy McMath delivered a free-kick into the penalty area and Tom Davey – who was later forced off and taken to hospital with a suspected ankle injury – headed down and wide of the far post from eight-yards.

Sevenoaks missed a gilt-edged chance with not even five minutes on the clock as Gent’s hooked pass put Atkins through on goal and the striker shrugged off Andy Boyle, but was denied by a fine block from Nash, who spread himself well to turn the ball away with his left hand.

Sevenoaks keeper George Howard danced across his goal-line to witness McMath’s right-footed free-kick from 30-yards bounce just past the post.

Irvine issued Sevenoaks a thirteenth minute warning when he rose to plant McMath’s right-wing corner over Howard’s crossbar from eight-yards.

Sevenoaks performed well during the first half and winger George Savage cut in from the right and played the ball into Atkins’ feet and the striker with his back to goal cut the ball back to Savage, whose right-footed drive from 25-yards brought jeers from the home faithful behind the goal as the shot went comfortably past the far post.

Sevenoaks midfielder, Sean Brown, also tried his luck from distance, sprinting forward unchallenged with the ball at his feet before cracking a right-footed 30-yard drive wide.

Tunbridge Wells keeper Nash was forced into catching the ball high above his head on the half-hour mark after Savage clipped a right-footed free-kick over the five-man wall.

Seconds later, Irvine turned on the edge of the Sevenoaks penalty area and swept a left-footed shot just past the foot of the left-hand post.

The former Woodstock striker then turned provider, laying the ball off to McMath, who swept a right-footed shot towards goal, which brought a comfortable low save out of eighteen-year-old Howard.

But full marks must go to right-winger Ryan Rook for some sublime skill which lead to Tunbridge Wells drawing first blood just four minutes before the break.

Rook faced two red-shirted Sevenoaks players in the corner of the pitch, showed quick feet to bulldoze his way through them and drove an excellent cross towards the far post.  Irvine outjumped Jordan Clark and James Golding to loop a header beyond Howard’s grasp to find the near corner from six-yards.

Larkin was full of praise for Rook, who began the season with Ryman League Division One South side Hythe Town.

“Rookie’s class,” beamed the Tunbridge Wells boss.

“We knew he was a very good player playing against him in the past.

“We watched Sevenoaks a couple of weeks ago when our game (at Fisher) was called off and you see little things you pick up on when you’re watching games and we thought Rookie could exploit that so it’s nice when it comes off and he had a good game today.

“He’s very talented.  He’s got very good feet and to do what he does on that pitch is exceptional!  He said the reason why he wanted to come here was he wanted to cross the ball for everyone to score.  It’s simple when it comes to that sort of thing of how he wants to play and the more we do that the better.”

Barnard added: “Most goals are scored by mistakes anyway so the lad Joe (Stephenson), the full-back, slips. It happens!  The ball’s come in and we didn’t deal with it to be fair.  They’ve been brilliant in the middle there.  Talk about our back four and our goalkeeper are all under 20 so they’ll all make mistakes.”

Tunbridge Wells could have gone into the break two-goals up when Irvine laid the ball off to Nick Nowotny, who was denied by Howard, who made a comfortable low save.

Barnard revealed he was proud with his side’s performance during an even first half.

He said: “We had some opportunities but unfortunately the goalkeeper saved well from the free-kick, good hands there!

“Tunbridge Wells are an experienced side, a very experienced side and they know how to play on this pitch and I thought we equipped ourselves, especially first half.  I was very proud of them for the first half performance.

“I thought at times we were a bit more direct than what we normally are.  It’s just difficult to play that way when we’re coaching them the right way and they keep the ball on the deck and then to say resort to long ball.

“I know its horses for course but we’ll learn.  It’s an experience for us.”

Tunbridge Wells came out after an inspired half-time team-talk from Larkin and after Irvine’s pass, Rook’s thirty-yard drive was caught by Howard.

Notwotny then released Irvine down the left channel and his shot took a deflection off Clark and Howard made a comfortable near post save.

Sevenoaks bravely got the ball down and play on the mud and right-back Golding got forward before whipping in a fine low cross across the penalty area.  Savage had a couple bites of the cherry but lost his footing in the mud before the ball fell at Atkins’ feet, but the striker blasted a left-footed shot past the left-hand post.

They were made to pay for that glaring miss as Tunbridge Wells sealed the points in the 55^th minute.

A poor back header from central defender Clark dropped into Irvine’s path, who burst forward and placed a low shot to Howard’s left to the delight of the home fans’ in front of Tunbridge Wells’ largest crowd of the season.

Barnard said: “I don’t know if there was any communication from the goalkeeper or whatever?  They were all mistakes but they’re all under 20 the back five!”

Larkin added: “We weren’t happy at half-time.  We gave them a bit of a rollicking.  We weren’t happy with the tempo or pace we was playing at.  It was a bit lethargic.  We said to them because it’s a decent crowd we wanted to make it feel like a derby day and not just another Kent League game so we wanted to raise the tempo and a quick start for the second half was important and that’s what we got!”

Tunbridge Wells stepped up a gear and missed chances to increase their lead as Irvine played in McMath, whose shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Golding at the near post.

Another chance went begging when Davey pumped a free-kick into the penalty area from the half-way line and Irvine headed the ball across the face of goal but Jack Harris headed the ball agonisingly wide of the far post from close range.

Sevenoaks squandered an excellent chance to begin their fight-back in the 61^st minute when substitute Richmond Kissi turned on the edge of the penalty area but drove agonisingly wide of the far post.

Barnard said: “A fit Richmond maybe wouldn’t have thought about it so often.  He’s been injured, he’s been away.  It will take him a bit of time to get fully fit but when he starts firing he’s going to be a right handful in this league.”

That miss appeared to knock the stuffing out of Sevenoaks and Irvine missed his hat-trick chance when he blasted his shot across Howard and wide of the far post after a lay-off from an unmarked Steve Ashmore, a substitute.

Hesitancy from Davey and Boyle gifted possession to Kissi, but Sevenoaks’ leading goalscorer was denied by some brave goalkeeping by Nash, who smothered the ball at the striker’s feet inside the box.

There was concern for Keelan Mooney when the Tunbridge Wells substitute was stretchered off the pitch towards the end of the game.  It was the striker’s return to the club following a frustrating spell at Ryman Leaguers Whitstable Town and time on the sidelines following a motorbike accident.

Larkin admitted the injuries sustained to Davey and Mooney had affected his mood, despite his side stretching their unbeaten run to eight with this win.

He said: “Keelan’s knee has popped.  We’ve worked for three months to get him back to fitness after his short spell at Whitstable.  He’s lasted fifteen minutes and he’s knees gone, which is disappointing.  He isn’t in too much pain but we’ll assess it during the week and Tom, who was obviously our stand-out player, he’s on his way to hospital.  I think he’s either broken or his torn his ankle.”

Both teams play two league games before they lock horns at Culverden Stadium again, this time in the quarter-finals of the Umbro Kent Senior Trophy on 14 January. 

Larkin said: “We haven’t even thought about it yet.  I imagine they’ll come down here in a couple of weeks’ time and want to put right what happened today.  We’ll attack that when we’ll get to it.”

Barnard added: “It will be interesting.  We might have a bit of snow before then.”

Sevenoaks supporters left Culverden Stadium knowing their more illustrious opponents have got the upper hand on their club yet again.

“Look, at the end of the day, it’s only a game,” came Barnard’s controversial comments after losing to their neighbours for the second time this season.

“We try our best.  We don’t wish to turn up and keep losing, but we had a right go first half.  It just didn’t go our way second half.

“It was important locally and we tried. It is difficult losing any game, derby particularly for our supporters’ and committee but we tried our best.  We just fell a little short second half.”

Tunbridge Wells: Dean Nash, Jason Bourne, Lewis Mingle, Sean Johnson, Tom Davey (Scott Whibley 82), Andy Boyle, Nick Nowotny (Steve Ashmore 62), Andy McMath, Andy Irvine (Keelan Mooney 72), Jack Harris, Ryan Rook.

Goals: Andy Irvine 41, 55

Booked: Andy McMath 64

Sevenoaks Town: George Howard, James Golding, Joe Stephenson, Chris Steadman (Aaron Guard 81), Jordan Clark, Fraser Cronin, Kevin Lott, Sean Brown, Tony Atkins (Richmond Kissi 55), Sam Gent, George Savage (Jay Jay Naiwo 87).
Subs: Mark Bishop, Matt Bailey

Booked: Kevin Lott 58, George Savage 71

Attendance: 262
Referee: Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Leigh Judd (Tunbridge Wells) & Mr Mike Ingram (Chatham)