Holders confident of avoiding quarter-final exit

ERITH TOWN boss Steve O’Boyle praised both sets of players’ for their common sense during the only game played in the Garden of England yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Dockers’ attracted their largest crowd of the season as 119 watched a goal-less draw with Croydon.

The only other Kent League game was between Sporting Bengal United and Norton Sports, at the Mile End Stadium in east London, as the cold snap even wiped out every single game in the Ryman League.

O’Boyle, who arrived at Bayliss Avenue at 8 o’clock yesterday, felt the game was in doubt at that time, but the pitch was deemed playable following a pitch inspection three hours later, and the club were rewarded as fans flocked from far and wide to Thamesmead for their football fix.

“Before the game started the pitch was fine, a little bit hard, but it was playable,” O’Boyle told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Second half, it was starting to get a little bit dangerous out there, so to get the game finished, I was amazed really.

“The temperature was supposed to be up to 4c in the afternoon - and it never reached above freezing.

“If we knew the temperature before the game, we’d probably not have bothered.

“Credit to all the players though to finish the game. There was no trouble during the game or anything like that.”

The point sees the Dockers leapfrog over Erith & Belvedere into sixth place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League table - 15 ponits behind leaders Hythe Town.

Warmer temperatures are expected in Kent this week, to enable the Kent League Cup Quarter-Final First Leg tie at high-flying Tunbridge Wells to go ahead on Tuesday night.

Erith Town are the current holders, having stunned favourites Hythe Town in last season's final at Folkestone Invicta's Buzzlines Stadium in Cheriton Road.

“I’m looking forward to Tuesday night,” said O’Boyle. “Another hard game for us, hopefully it should be on, we’ll go there full of confidence.

“They’ve got some really good players, and if we’re not on our game we’ll get beat.

“But on our day we’re good enough to go to these places and compete with these teams.”

For Tunbridge Wells, meanwhile, four points from a possible 12 in the last month have meant Mike Robbins’ side are sitting in third place in the table.

Robbins can rely on some star players for the game as the cold snap has enable them to regain their fitness.

“Firstly, Wes Tate resumed training (last) week,” Robbins revealed to www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk.

“This coincides with the return of Barry Gardner, Alex Rich and Brad Sandeman - while Mike Lord has recovered from a bout of man flu he had over the festive period - so we’re getting a lot of key players returning to the side.

“Martin Larkin and I also had a very lengthy meeting (last) week with the players, and laid down the law. We feel it’s time to return to the way we were playing at the end of last season, where everything we achieved moving forwards was based on hard work.

“Perhaps we’ve got a little wrapped up in ‘sexy football’ along the way, but from here on, we’ll be basing everything on hard graft, digging in at the trenches with your team mates is what matters. We’ve told the lads that anyone not prepared to do that can leave now.

“We want to see players working together on the pitch in pairs, and down the sides - exactly the ethos we had here at the end of last season. We need to start defending from the front. The lads have been left in no doubt what we’re expecting from them over the remaining months of the season. Basically, we’re looking to have the hardest working midfield, front line and defence in this league.

“Nobody’s position is safe in the side, and if achieving our objectives means a couple of players are going to need to be released, then so be it. But there will be no further additions to the squad, as we have exactly what we need here right now.

“The bottom line is that we haven’t got to where we are to mess about. We expect the troops to give 100% and keep pushing on until we arrive at our targets.”

Looking ahead to the visit of holders Erith Town, Robbins said: “Erith Town may not fancy their game against us, knowing we felt aggrieved that they beat us in the league a couple of months back.

“Also, The Dockers are a side I have not beaten yet - so there’s another reason to lift our game against them.

“Ultimately, (this) cup tie sums up the Kent League this season. Almost everybody can beat anybody else this season, meaning there are no dead certainties for the silverware this year.

“We’ll be plugging away game by game, though, making sure we are at least in the mix - and ready to be where we want to be going into next season too.”

Mike Robbins’ quotes courtesy of www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk

Visit Erith Town’s website: www.erithtownfc.com

Tunbridge Wells v Erith Town
Bulmers Cider Kent League Cup Quarter-Final First Leg
Tuesday 13^th January 2009
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Culverden Stadium, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells