Beckenham Town 3 Tunbridge Wells 0 (EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS)

Saturday 18th February 2006

BECKENHAM TOWN 3

Ryan Martin 38
Paul Vines 50
Jake Daniels 71

TUNBRIDGE WELLS 0

Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue
Kentish Observer League

Beckenham Town, arguably the best passing side in the entire county, maintained pressure on Kentish Observer League leaders Maidstone United with a comfortable victory over Tunbridge Wells at a wet Eden Park Avenue today.

Becks’ player-manager, Gavin Rose, one of many playmakers, saw his side take their goalscoring tally to 105 goals from 33 competitive games, which is an average of three goals per game.

And at the other end, they’ve kept 16 clean sheets, but they’re two points behind Maidstone United – 2-1 winners at Slade Green - as the two clubs remain on course for promotion into Ryman League Division One.

The 125 supporters were treated to how the game should be played – on the floor.

But give Tunbridge Wells credit, especially their former Ashford Town goalkeeper, John Whitehouse who pulled off several fine saves to thwart the entertainers.

If you feel your team aren’t playing well, and are playing away from home, then get yourself down to Eden Park Avenue for Kent’s answer to “Total Football”. Yes, everyone – Beckenham are that good!

Seventy-three seconds were on the clock when the home side created their first of many chances when Chris Green’s drive flashed just wide of the foot of the near post following their first corner of the game, taken by Ryan Martin.

Midfielder, Junior Kadi twice went close with his right-footed free kicks. His first, from 25-yards, arrowed just over Whitehouse’s bar and his next attempt was brilliantly clawed away by the stopper - who should be playing at a higher level.

Kadi turned provider when his set piece was met by a towering header from Errison Ahwan, who came up from his defensive duties to plant his header just over.

But the visitors weathered the early storm and were unlucky not to steal the lead after 18 minutes.

Striker Dave Hassett was supported well by midfielder Sam Phillips and his right-footed 25-yard effort looped over Beckenham goalkeeper Rob Tolfrey and dropped down onto the roof of the net.

Whitehouse made his second fine save when he advanced to deny leading scorer Paul Vines, after the former Cray Wanderers, Bromley, Erith & Belvedere and Kingstonian striker latched onto Kadi’s pass.

By this time, Tunbridge Wells had grown in confidence and carved open their second chance after 27 minutes but ginger haired striker Hassett drilled a shot into the side netting.

Chatham referee Paul Kelly failed to award the home side a penalty four minutes later when Wells’ tall defender, Ben Hilden appeared to have used his hand as he fell to the ground as he battled to win the ball from Vines, who escaped the defender’s attentions and was denied by the advancing goalkeeper.

In-form Whitehouse made another fine save when he denied Green, following Roberts’ whipped in cross from the left.

But his luck ran out seven minutes before the break as Wells’ resilience was finally broken.

Martin’s long run up allowed him to drill, with his left-foot, the free kick towards the bottom near corner, but Whitehouse, diving to his left, allowed the ball to creep into the back of the net to give the home side a thoroughly deserved lead.

Former Lewes star, Peter Adeniyi, avoided a rash challenge from Bradley Mortimer before racing forward, and after exchanging passes with Rose, his left-footed effort sailed just wide.

Beckenham, however, doubled their lead after 50 minutes when Vines latched onto Kadi’s slick pass to clinically put the result beyond doubt.

Wells had a couple of good chances within two minutes of each other when Mortimer knocked down a cross to Abdul El-Ferdi, who ignored the opportunity to strike the ball on the volley, but took a couple of touches before his right-footed drive took a deflection and was comfortably saved.

Then, Hilden tried his luck with a 28-yard free kick, but his shot rolled harmlessly towards a well-positioned Tolfrey.

Beckenham sensed their visitors were getting tired, on a pitch that was cutting up, and added a third with nineteen minutes left.

Jake Daniels’ pass to Adeniyi forced him to retrieve a poor pass, but the midfielder had the skill to cut in towards the by-line and his pin-point cross was met by Daniels’ header, which crashed into the net.

Whitehouse was again at his best, making two excellent saves late on, pushing a diving header from substitute Jamie Cheeseman around the post, and tipping Green’s looping header over.

Tunbridge Wells’ manager, Martin Farnie, however, had no complaints as their four match unbeaten run came to an end.

“I think they’re the best side I’ve seen for a long time in this level of football,” he admitted. “I thought they played very well but I thought we competed with them quite well but we lost to a better side.

“Losing 3-0 is a bit harsh on us today because we played really well at times. We had a couple of periods, in each half, were we could have done something but yes, all in all, no complaints about that today.”

Gavin Rose, meanwhile, expressed what he demands from his side for their remaining eleven games.

“We’ve got to go into each one and win three points,” he insisted. “Winning the title has been our purpose from the start of the season.”

Rose’s men – who have lost three league games - can go top of the table if they collect three points at Sevenoaks Town on Tuesday – but Maidstone United can return to the summit if they do the same at VCD Athletic (Greenwich Borough’s Harrow Meadow ground) on Thursday night.

But Rose had ruled out their trip to Maidstone United on Saturday, 25^th March as the title decider.

“We obviously knew our main challenges are Maidstone,” he said. “It has been like that for the majority of the season and I think it really goes down to the mental strength of both teams now.

“Both teams want to win so it’s whose going to be mentally strong enough and has the best concentration going into the rest of the season.”

Rose, however, does have respect for their next opponents, Sevenoaks Town.

“They’re awkward to play against. They’ve played against us three times this season and the last time we went down there it was very hard.

”They made it very hard for us, very competitive and we had to work really hard to get the result, so the boys know it will be exactly the same – we have got to work hard.”

Wells are also on the road on Tuesday night but Farnie isn’t looking forward to their trip to Herne Bay.

He is worried that El-Ferdi, Mortimer, Hassett and Whitehouse don’t have their minds on the game, having commuted from London.

“It’s going to be tough,” he admitted. “I’ve got four players who work up in the city, who leave work at five o’clock and can see them getting there at twenty past seven so we’ll be struggling, not to get a side out, but struggling for everyone to get their heads switched on.

“I hate midweek (games) down the coast as you always struggle to get players there.

“Hopefully we’ll get revenge for our 2-0 defeat we had at home when we were poor.”

Farnie explained why he only had two players on the substitutes bench. “At the moment we are short of players in the club so we need to mix and match people and that’s why I only had two on the bench today, because the reserves needed them,” he revealed.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll have the players that are suspended and injured coming back.

Beckenham Town: Rob Tolfrey, Jake Daniels (Capt), Jay Roberts, Peter Adeniyi, Errison Ahwan, Asher Hudson (Tony Sinclair 61), Chris Green, Gavin Rose, Paul Vines (Jamie Cheeseman 72), Junior Kadi (Cedric Meeko 83), Ryan Martin.
Subs: Aliz Kyezu, Ohran Stewart

Tunbridge Wells: John Whitehouse, Jason Bourne (Capt), Aaron O’Leary, Ben Hilden, Andy Garrett, Mat Nicholl (Wayne Balmer 79), Sam Phillips, Bradley Mortimer, Dave Hassett (Chris Stoate 79), Joe Fuller, Abdul El-Ferdi

Attendance: 125
Referee: Paul Kelly (Chatham)
Assistants: Keith Scudder (Gravesend) & Mr Rob Preedy (St Mary Cray)