Gravesend & Northfleet 0 Tonbridge Angels 4 - Cramp: I'll wait for my first team chance - EXCLUSIVE

GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET 0

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 4
Manny Neville 4
Phil Cramp 25, 87
Ian Parkes 76

Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road
Kent Intermediate Cup Final

Tonbridge Angels made up for last season’s Kent Intermediate Cup Final defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Dover Athletic by comfortably beating Gravesend & Northfleet at Stonebridge Road tonight.

With Julian Leigh’s Suburban League Southern Division side unbeaten in fourteen games, they dominated from start to finish against a side that play in the Nationwide Conference Youth League.

They took the lead within the opening four minutes when Mike Cramp’s right-footed free kick from the half-way line, was flicked on into Manny Neville’s path and the impressive central midfielder rifled home.

Gravesend & Northfleet called Matt Bromby into action after seven minutes when Andy Willis’ right-footed drive from 25-yards was comfortably saved by the former Tunbridge Wells first team stopper.

The impressive Neville sent Phil Cramp in on goal - although striker partner Danny Powell was in an inactive offside position - but Cramp was denied a goal by a fine save from Ray Marshall, who smothered at the strikers feet six yards from goal.

Dominant Tonbridge went close again after 21 minutes when central midfielder Neville nodded the ball to Ian Parkes, but the England Schoolboy drove his 22-yard shot wide.

They comfortably doubled their lead after 25 minutes courtesy of fine passing football. Neville played the ball over the top of the Fleet defence for former Sevenoaks Town striker Danny Powell.

Powell slipped the ball through the static Fleet defence for Phil Cramp to slot home across the goalkeeper and inside the foot of the far corner from 12-yards.

Tonbridge had the ball in Marshall’s net again when Phil Cramp nodded home but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Marshall pulled off his first real save on the stroke of half time, diving to his right to prevent Powell scoring a third for the impressive Angels.

Tonbridge striker Phil Cramp twice went close within the first three minutes of the second half.

First, after just 88 seconds after the re-start, he slid the ball just wide of the far post and then he brought a fine save from Marshall after bursting through three Fleet defenders.

Gravesend & Northfleet’s best chance of the game fell to substitute Luke Coleman when his 18-yard lob dropped agonisingly over after 52 minutes.

Powell burst down the left hand side, making a 40-yard run, and after cutting into the penalty area, his shot was blocked by the busy Fleet goalkeeper.

Referee Paul Kelly waved away Tonbridge’s shouts for a 63^rd minute penalty after Lee Maskell brought down Ben Rainbow inside the box.

Marshall made the save of the game three minutes later when he tipped over Neville’s right-footed fierce drive from 25-yards.

Tonbridge sealed the impressive victory by scoring two late goals.

A superb strike from Parkes with fourteen minutes left gave Tonbridge a deserved 3-0 lead.

John Sinclair’s corner was cleared by the Fleet defence into the midfielder’s path and he drilled a shot into the bottom right hand corner from 25-yards.

Tonbridge made it four with just three minutes remaining when Phil Cramp marked an impressive display when he lobbed the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into an empty net from 18-yards.

But the two-goal hero refused to take all the plaudits, praising all of his team-mates as they emulated the club’s reserve side of 1997 by winning this competition.

“The boys have done really well,” said the 21-year-old. “We’ve worked as a team all season and since Christmas we’ve done really well.

“It’s a team performance. I can only score the goals but the defence have saved the goals and we’ve kept a clean sheet again. The midfield have played their part, Parkes’ scored a screamer again.”

But the Tonbridge resident expected more from the opposition, especially with them being a Nationwide Conference club.

“We knew they would be very fit because they train four times a week and their professionals,” he said.

“We knew from the start that they’ll come out and start straight away but I think we done well, we gelled as a team. We knew it would be hard but we’ve all battled as a team and done very well.”

With first team managers Tony Dolby and Gravesend & Northfleet’s boss Liam Daish in the crowd, Cramp hopes his manager will give him a chance next season.

He said: “All I can do is try100% every game and if I get a chance then I’ll take it and I’ll try my very best but I have to wait for my chance.

“I know the first team are doing really well, in the play-off’s so good luck to the boys but hopefully if I’m apart of it next year it will be a bonus.”

Angels’ reserve team boss Julian Leigh, meanwhile, was pleased his skipper Sim Johnson lifted the trophy after such a good performance from his side.

“We actually played well tonight,” he said. “We were really up for it. My squad’s quite a young side, there’s only a couple of players that bring the age group up a bit but yes, I thought we’ve done really well.”

The 49-year-old former Sevenoaks Town first team manager added: “We’ve now gone 15 games unbeaten and its looking good for the club with the players we’ve got.”

Leigh, however, is expecting to lose players to Dolby’s first team squad in the close season.

“Obviously there’s a bit step up especially if the first team do go up next season but at the end of the day I think they’ve proved tonight they can make that jump and the best of luck to them if they do.”

When called upon, former Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper Matt Bromby was on hand to make some impressive catches from crosses, and Leigh praised the highly-rated Tonbridge based goalkeeper.

“I’ve got to say the one for me is Bromby in goal. I think he’s made an immense difference in the team,” praised Leigh.

“Crosses and everything it’s like picking apples today. I think when you’ve got a good keeper from the back it just adds so much confidence to the team.”