Hamworthy United 3-1 Tunbridge Wells - We're disappointed that the journey has come to an end, says Tunbridge Wells boss Richard Styles

Hamworthy United 3 – 1 Tunbridge Wells
Location	County Ground, Blandford Close, Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset BH15 4BF
Kickoff	12/02/2022 15:00

HAMWORTHY UNITED  3-1  TUNBRIDGE WELLS
The Buildbase FA Vase Fifth Round
Saturday 12 February 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from The County Ground

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Richard Styles apologised for his side’s poor performance during the first half-an-hour which ended their hopes of reaching The FA Vase Quarter-Finals.

Tim Sills’ side raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes through Bailey Rowe, before the striker notched his hat-trick early in the second half with an overhead kick following a corner to take his tally to five goals for the season.

Tunbridge Wells striker Matthew Gething then had a penalty saved and headed in a last-gasp consolation to score his nineteenth goal of the season as Hamworthy United reached the Quarter-Finals for the first time in their history.

The Hammers went into this FA Vase Last Sixteen tie sitting a point clear of Horndean at the top of the Wessex League Premier Division table, unbeaten at home in 17 games this season and with only one league defeat in 28 league outings.

The Hammers went into this game on an impressive 13 match unbeaten run and ended Glebe’s Wembley dream by beating the Chislehurst-based side 3-2 in the last round, with Harry Hudson’s side playing with 10 men for 86 minutes.

Before that, however, the Dorset side beat Corsham Town (4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw), Cadbury Heath (6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw), Andover New Street (2-1) and Royal Wootton Bassett (3-1), all away from home.

Hamworthy United last tasted any defeat here at The County Ground when Downton won a Bournemouth Senior Cup tie back on 21 March 2020, extending that run to a very impressive 35 match unbeaten run on their artificial pitch by ending Tunbridge Wells’ hopes of making a return trip to Wembley Stadium.

Tunbridge Wells went into the game in tenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table, having collected 34 points from 21 games.

The Wells – who lost 2-1 to now National League North side Spennymoor in the 2013 FA Vase Wembley Final – reached this stage of the competition by beating Roffey (4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw), Hilltop (3-2), Walton & Hersham (1-0) and Wallingford Town (4-2) and they found themselves 2-0 down at Bridgwater United last month before Robbie Bissett scored a last-gasp equaliser to take the game to a penalty shoot-out, winning it 5-3.

But Hamworthy United were a very strong and physical outfit and the outstanding Steve Devlin bossed the midfield during the first-half as Tunbridge Wells, who were without suspended pair Jordan Wells and Kyron Lightfoot, couldn’t get hold of the ball during a poor start to the game that cost them dearly.

“We’re disappointed that the journey’s come to an end,” said a disappointed Styles.

“You go into a game, there’s two teams fighting it out and battling and trying to win a game of football to get through to the next round, unfortunately, it wasn’t our day.

“They done nothing today that surprised me.  They’ve done nothing that we didn’t know.

“I think (Devlin) had a good game. I don’t think he did a lot second half but he’s experienced, he’s played at a very high level.  I think the first half-an-hour won them the game if I’m being honest.

“We didn’t start as well as we wanted to. We couldn’t get our foot on the ball. We couldn’t play. It took us too long to acclimatise and play the way that was going to get us joy. It took us half-an-hour for us to do that and at this level of football you can’t do that.

“Listen, they were physical, they were hungry, they were at it. They were pressing us on our every touch and move. We had to put the foot on the ball and move them around more than what we did, we didn’t.  I don’t know why that is and that’s something for me and the staff to look at.”

Hamworthy United started the game on the front foot, creating their first chance inside the opening six minutes, following the first of their seven corners.

Wideman Matthew Neale cut a corner back to Devlin, who struck a first-time left-footed drive curling over the top of the far post from 22-yards.

Neale was forced off through injury in the ninth minute, as was centre-half Connor Cocklin on the stroke of half-time.

Neale’s replacement, Jack Lovell, pressed James Huggins inside the Tunbridge Wells half and Devlin drove forward before unleashing a left-footed drive from 30-yards, which screamed just over the crossbar, as the midfield enforcer aimed for the roof of the net.

Dominant Hamworthy United took a deserved lead in the 15^th minute.

A long ball was played up to Lovell at knee height and he flicked the ball on for Rowe, who got in behind centre-half Jack Hope and placed his left-footed drive across the diving keeper, the ball trickling into the bottom far corner, a clinical finish in a one-v-one situation.

“It’s a sloppy goal. It’s not a good goal from a defensive point of view. It was a sloppy goal to concede and one we’re not happy about,” added Styles.

Tunbridge Wells were facing a mountain to climb when clinical Hamworthy United doubled their lead with 19 minutes and 56 seconds on the clock, following their second corner.

Devlin floated the ball in from the left, the ball was flicked on and Tunbridge Wells didn’t have time to clear their lines at the near post and Rowe swept his shot on the turn inside the bottom near corner from inside the six-yard box.

“I think they’ve won the header and it’s come down and they’ve reacted first. It’s as black and white as that really,” added Styles.

“We were not panicking (going 2-0 down). We know what we can do but we had to man up a little bit and grow a pair of balls and roll our sleeves up and take the game by the scruff of the neck a little bit and do the things that was going to get us success and we didn’t do that until about the 35^th minute.”

Hamworthy’s 20-goal striker Max Wilcock worked the right-channel before the ball was cut-back for right-back Harvey Wright, who dragged his shot past the foot of the near post from just outside the corner of the Tunbridge Wells penalty area.

Tunbridge Wells created their first opening in the 35^th minute, on the counter-attack.

Devlin’s hanging corner was plucked out of the air by goalkeeper Aaron Lee-Wharton, who bowled the ball out to centre-half Bissett. 

Bissett played the ball into winger Regan Corke, who was in the centre of the pitch and he played the ball to Gething on the outside and he teed up Frank Griffin, in a pocket of space just inside the penalty area but his right-footed drilled shot was straight down the keeper’s throat as Shane Murphy beat the ball away at head height.

“It was the first time that we went into midfield and came out the other side and that was evident that was the way to move this team around,” said Styles.

“It took us too long to do it but when we did it, we got joy and on another day that could’ve gone in.”

Wilcock outmuscled Bissett some 35-yards from goal before cutting the ball onto his right-foot and cracked a drive towards the top far corner, forcing Lee-Wharton to dive to his left to push the ball towards safety.

Tunbridge Wells created another good chance in the 43^rd minute when Bissett played Jonathan Shea in behind Cocklin with a threaded through ball along the deck and his right-footed drive across keeper Murphy, who dived low to his right and used a strong right-hand to flick the ball away.

Pring’s follow-up shot was blocked as Cocklin put his body on the line and Shea’s flicked header was grabbed by Murphy.

“To score at that moment just before half-time would’ve been brilliant, to come back to 2-1 going into half-time would’ve been an ideal time to score,” admitted Styles.

Hamworthy United went route one on the stroke of half-time as Murphy’s big kick straight down the middle was knocked on by Wilcock and Lovell smacked a left-footed half-volley which screamed past the left-hand post from 25-yards, with Lee-Wharton well-beaten.

“We committed bodies forward and when you do that you probably potentially leave yourselves open when they hit us on the counter,” added the former Lordswood manager.

Styles made a tactical change at the break with striker Richard Atkins replacing ineffective central midfielder Huggins, who lost the midfield battle.  Tunbridge Wells pushed their full-backs on and had four men in attack, with Atkins playing behind Gething, with Corke and Grffin playing higher up the pitch on the flanks.

Styles said: “We had a bit of a conversation. There was a lot of talking from me and a lot of things we did, just setting a plan really, letting the boys know where they were, what they were doing, what they weren’t doing and putting a plan in place to try to have a go second half really.

“I think we could’ve started the game better.  We could’ve put our foot on the ball better and you come away to these places, they’re tough places to come and you have to earn the right sometimes.  You have to do the ugly, you have to be big, you have to be strong and you have to match their physicality and their hunger.

“You have to match that, first half-an-hour we probably didn’t, if we’re being honest.”

However, Hamworthy United sealed the deal by killing off Tunbridge Wells with their third goal, timed at three minutes and 51 seconds into the second-half following their sixth corner of the game.

No one was standing on the right post as Devlin floated the ball in from the right and Rowe had his back to goal and crashed an overhead kick into the right-hand corner from six-yards out.

Styles said: “It’s football, beating the first man, not no fault of his own and then it’s a good finish, don’t get me wrong.

“The defender could maybe be a bit more physical but it’s an overhead kick off a good delivery. If we had defended it near post it wouldn’t have happened so certainly something for us to look at.”

Tunbridge Wells were given a lifeline by referee Michael Ryan in the 51^st minute, which they failed to take.

Atkins was fouled inside the box by centre-half Billy Walker but Gething’s right-footed penalty was stroked towards the bottom left-hand corner but Murphy dived to his right to push the ball around the post.

The save delighted the home fans in the crowd of 661, the largest crowd of the season within the caged football ground, which has a similar feel to K Sports’ football ground in Aylesford.

Styles said: “That’s when you know it’s not going to be your day really because it was a penalty.  Nine times out of 10 he scores them so yes, what more can I say?”

Styles made another tactical switch on the hour when Josh Froggatt came off the bench and Griffin switched from left-wing to right-back, with four at the back, two holding midfielders in Harry Hudson and Pring and they pushed men forward in a bid to salvage something from the game.

Pring’s first-time pass released Gething, who cut inside and teed up Pring, whose left-footed drive from 30-yards sailed over the crossbar, with four of his team-mates inside the Hamworthy penalty area.

“Connor Pring run the game second half. He got on the ball and he’s shifting them around and I thought he was brilliant on the ball second half.  I thought my defenders defended very well second half.  Player-for-player the performance for the last hour was a lot better than the first 30 minutes and that on reflection we needed to be better and start better.  We weren’t good enough for the first 30 minutes and that ultimately is what’s killed us really,” said Styles.

Tunbridge Wells were to be denied by a headed goal-line clearance in the 64^th minute, however.

Pring, who was now dominating midfield, played the ball out to Corke on the right-wing and his low cross was pounced on by Gething on the corner of the six-yard box close to the by-line. He cut the ball back to an unmarked Pring, who looped a left-footed shot towards the far corner, only for right-back Wright to head the ball off the line.

“Pringy done everything right.  He couldn’t have done anything more there and that should be a goal,” said Styles.

“I mean it’s tremendous defending from their guy, to get on the line and get their bodies on the line and I respect that fully.

“Pringy’s been wiped out as he’s taken the shot completely so my argument is to the officials once that happens, obviously we don’t score, obviously that’s got to be a penalty or a free-kick depending where he’s stood but I think he’s been completely wiped out and he’s on the floor after he’s done it.  Yes, he didn’t score, it’s been cleared off the line, great defending but that’s a foul.”

Another chance came Tunbridge Wells’ way halfway through the second half when Gething cut the ball back from the right channel for Atkins, who swept a first-time shot looping over the crossbar from 10-yards, when put under pressure from his marker.

Bissett threw the ball in from the left and left-back James Nurden whipped in a deep cross towards the far post and Atkins’ free-header was destined for the near corner, only for Murphy to pull out a great save at his near post.

“Once again, we done a lot of good things, good crossing, attempts on goal and made the keeper make a save, the keeper’s made a good save, it’s a chance,” added Styles.

Devlin played the ball down the line and Lovell almost capitalised on a mix-up involving Hope and Lee-Wharton, but the ball trickled over the by-line before he could try to score from a very tight angle.

Tunbridge Wells produced a sweeping move in the 38^th minute when Bissett fed substitute Johnny Phillips and he swept the ball into Nurden, who whipped in a deep cross into the Hamworthy United box.

Gething used his chest to set up Atkins, but his shot on the turn from 12-yards was deflected over the crossbar.

Hamworthy United almost caught Tunbridge Wells on a counter-attack inside the final three minutes when a long ball released quiet winger Eddie Hodge, who was held up by Hope outside the box but once inside the box Hodge was to be denied by a fine diving save from Lee-Wharton, who dived low to his right and used a strong right-hand to push the ball around the post.

Devlin swung in the home side’s seventh and final corner of the game towards the far post where Lovell looped his header over the crossbar.

“I mean, we’ve committed bodies forward. Hopey’s delayed really, really well, one-v-one but it’s difficult and the guy’s got the shot and Aaron’s there to earn his money,” added Styles.

Tunbridge Wells scored a consolation with one minute and 49 seconds into stoppage time following their eighth and final corner.

Phillips floated the ball in from the right towards the near post and Gething rose to bury his header into the top right-hand corner from eight-yards, which proved to be too little too late from the Kent side.

Styles said: “It’s just a shame it came when it did and it didn’t come after an hour or after 45 minutes because it would’ve been interesting to seen what would have happened or materalised from there really.  The dream is over in the space of 90 minutes.”
 
There was still time for another chance to be created by the visitors’  when Griffin smacked his volley over the crossbar from inside the D after Phillips teed him up after Bissett threw the ball in from the left.

Styles was full of praise for around 150 Tunbridge Wells’ fans who made the 374-mile round trip to the south coast.

“I mean, we’re extremely lucky to have the fans.  The boys do realise what amazing fans we have and how lucky we are to have the fanbase we do.  The support and the effort has been absolutely tremendous and I can’t thank them enough.

“I’m just sorry I couldn’t give them the performance or give them the dream that they wanted this year.”

Tunbridge Wells return to league action on Tuesday night when Tower Hamlets visit Culverden Stadium.

Their opponents remain in the bottom two, having collected 12 points from their 26 league games, three points clear of basement side Lordswood, who have two games in hand.  Tower Hamlets are five points adrift of safety (Rusthall).

“Sometimes it’s good to get straight back into a game because you haven’t got long to dwell on it and what we’ve got to make sure is that we don’t and that we hit the ground running again and don’t make it a hangover,” said Styles.

“We’re trying to finish the season as best as we possibly can and at the same time we’ve got a good foundation, me and the staff to put a plan in place going into next season now and look at where we are and what we’re trying to do and work towards our objectives.”

With nothing left to play for in their last 17 league games considering his side are slap bang in the middle of the table, Styles was asked what he needs to turn Tunbridge Wells into serious promotion contenders next season.

With Chatham Town certain to be going up as champions this season, with Sheppey United and Glebe fighting it out to join them in the Isthmian League next season, clubs like Deal Town, Erith & Belvedere and Tunbridge Wells should be ready to mount a push in 2023.

“I don’t think we’re far, I really don’t,” said Styles. “There’s a couple of things that we need to adjust, a couple of things that we need to change.  The club is in a very good place, the fan base is in a very good place, the foundations are there.  As a club we’re ready to go and obviously that’s my job to try to fulfil that.”

Hamworthy United: Shane Murphy, Harvey Wright, Crit Clarke, Steve Devlin, Connor Cocklin (Maxwell Buckler 45), Billy Walker, Matthew Neale (Jack Lovell 9), Lee Francis, Max Wilcock, Bailey Rowe (Cameron Munn 74), Eddie Hodge.
Subs: Daniel Cann, Drew Eccott-Young, Jamie Filkins

Goals: Bailey Rowe 15, 20, 49

Tunbridge Wells: Aaron Lee-Wharton, Harry Hudson, James Nurden, James Huggins (Richard Atkins 46), Jack Hope, Robbie Bissett, Frank Griffin, Connor Pring (Johnny Phillips 82), Matthew Gething, Jonathan Shea (Josh Froggatt 61), Regan Corke.
Subs: Tom Carlton, Ryan Cheek, Frankie Leonard

Goal: Matthew Gething 90

Attendance: 661
Referee: Mr Michael Ryan
Assistants: Mr Antony Smith & Mr Stephen Matthews
Fourth Official: Mr Lewis Ward