We need to have a winning mentality, says Tunbridge Wells boss Martin Larkin

The poor state of the playing surface at Culverden Stadium often comes up during press conferences with visiting managers after games and Larkin wants progression both on and off the pitch.

Larkin’s side were defeated 2-0 at home to Kent Hurlimann Football League leaders Herne Bay in front of a decent crowd of 205 last night.

Two errors by nineteen-year-old keeper Dean Nash gifted Ashley Baverstock his ninth goal in Herne Bay colours ten minutes into the second half, before Nash allowed Michael Jenner to score from a 40-yard free-kick, just three minutes later.

Simon Halsey’s Herne Bay, who suffered a heartbreaking exit in the FA Carlsberg Vase at West Auckland in the semi-finals at the weekend, now need only eight more points from their last seven games to secure a long-awaited promotion into the Ryman League, while Tunbridge Wells remain in fifth-place in the table.

Tunbridge Wells are without a game at the weekend as their intended opponents, Cray Valley (Paper Mills) must travel to Hollands & Blair to contest a Umbro Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final, ahead of the final at Park View Road, against Sevenoaks Town on Sunday, 15 April.

Both sides were reinstated into the competition after finalists Erith & Belvedere were thrown out of the competition on Monday, for fielding an ineligible player, believed to be Michael Abnett, who didn’t have the necessary international clearance, in their wins over those two sides.

Larkin, meanwhile, takes his side to Winch’s Field on Easter Monday to see if they can bounce back against Herne Bay, before ending their campaign against Beckenham Town, Cray Valley (Paper Mills), Corinthian and Canterbury City.

Tunbridge Wells’ visit to Cray Valley on Wednesday, 18^th April, will be the first ever floodlit game at Middle Park Avenue.

Cray Valley manager, Steve Chapman, said today, “Floodlights up and operational and new seated stand installed.  Our first floodlit game is against Tunbridge Wells on 18 April. Happy days!”

It’s always tough for teams to play double-headers against the same side within a seven day period, but Larkin is looking forward to another test against Herne Bay.

Larkin said: “We said we’re going to be tested.  We’ve waited to play the same team. Regardless of what happens, fixture wise, to play the same team twice in the last month isn’t ideal for anyone, you don’t want that!

“You want the variety and the Kent League is so small on teams, but we’ll have a week where we’re going to be tested, that’s what we want.”

Larkin admitted it will be hard for his club to replicate Herne Bay and secure promotion into the Ryman League next season.

For a start, the club will have to spend thousands of pounds on a new playing surface. 

A source at Ryman League outfit Maidstone United said they are paying three installments to pay for their £600,000 3G playing surface at their new stadium, which opens in July.

Larkin said: “You can’t turn it into a Herne Bay unfortunately.  They’ve got some large sponsors who put large amounts of money in.  We haven’t got that.  We have to work a little bit differently.

“I know their sponsor pulled out a few weeks’ ago, but they’ve had a good Cup run.  I think fan base wise we can match them.  They’re used to have a winning mentality around the club.  That’s what we need to drive in here to make sure everything the club does is about winning on a Saturday afternoon.

“Herne Bay have got their volunteers and their members together and they want to go up and they’ve focused around that and they want to go up.  That’s what we need to do here.

“If we do that we’re not far away because we’ve got some unbelievable talent in our side, we really do! 

“The club is reflected on the football pitch and the football pitch is reflected on the club.  The team is a little bit ahead of where the club is in terms of progression and the club has to catch up. That’s where we’re at really.”

Larkin issued a statement on the club’s website to confirm that he works without a playing budget.

A budget of around £1,000 per week normally wins you the Kent League, but Larkin hopes he can keep the vultures away during the close season.

“I’m always planning.  We’ll see what the summer brings and where we’re at but we want to keep the group together.

“If Herne Bay go there’s a lot of teams in the same sort of level.  Obviously next year a lot of teams are going to throw a lot of money to try and get out because the year after it changes to that South East League thing, which will be a tough one.

“Unfortunately we can’t do that.  We’d love to do it, but we can’t, so we have to work out ways in getting around that.  That’s how we plan to move forward.”

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

Herne Bay  v  Tunbridge Wells
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Easter Monday, 9 April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG