Winning Cup will be icing on the cake, says Dolby - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Tony Dolby believes winning the Kent Senior Cup tomorrow night will be “the icing on the cake” to their good season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Tonbridge Angels manager knows his side are the underdogs when they tackle their Ryman Premier League rivals - and holders - Bromley in the Hayes Lane showdown.

But, whilst second placed Bromley have promotion into the Blue Square Southern at stake via the play-off’s, next week on their minds, Dolby’s men can end their season by ending their 32-year Kent Senior Cup drought.

“I think it’s going to be a very close game,” Dolby said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the final.

“Bromley’s still got a lot to play for and this is going to put the icing on the cake for our season, if we can get the result.”

Whilst Bromley were beating Billericay Town in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday, Dolby’s men were enjoying a training session in the morning.

“The players are really up for it and they realise all the hard work that they’ve put in this year, they’ve got a chance to finish on a very big high,” said Dolby.

Despite being only 13 points behind their big-spending neighbours, Dolby, whose side are in ninth place in the table, knows his side must work even harder next season.

But with Hampton & Richmond Borough proving you don’t need a big benefactor to win the league, by pipping Bromley and Chelmsford City to the title this season, there is hope for the clubs with lower budgets.

“Bromley are a very strong side, (with) a lot of strength in depth and obviously their league position shows how strong they have been this year,” explained Dolby.

“I think Tonbridge as a club are a little way of the likes of Bromley and Chelmsford.

“But with Hampton, it just shows it can be done, and we’d like to emulate what Hampton have done, next.”

If the Angels can finish their campaign with a win at Horsham on Saturday, they will finish their campaign in eighth place - finishing higher than the two clubs that went up with them last season, Ramsgate and Horsham.

Dolby, whose side defeated Dover Athletic in the play-off final last May, added: “That’s a big thing. It just shows what we’ve done, Horsham, Ramsgate and ourselves.

“Being (in the top ten), with one game to go is an incredible achievement for all three clubs.

“And it will be great to finish on top of that trio!”

But he warned: “I envisage a more difficult season next season. The second season is always hard.

“I think I know what we need to repeat and maybe push on and if we get a bit of luck, maybe we can do that.”

Adam O’Neill, Nick Barnes and Jack Roberts are all cup-tied for the match.

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Bromley v Tonbridge Angels
Kent Senior Cup Final
Tuesday 24^th April 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Hayes Lane, Bromley