Kentish Football 
Maidstone United 1-4 Tonbridge Angels - Main smashes club record
Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final
Wednesday 11th April 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Bourne Park
Tonbridge Angels striker Jon Main, 26, rewrote the record books tonight by scoring the most goals for the club in a season.
The former VCD Athletic and Cray Wanderers marksman, smashed a 45-year record as his two goals took him past Keith McCurley, who scored 40 goals for the west Kent club during the 1961-62 season, on 41.
But Main, whose bagged six hat-tricks this season, blotted his copy book when his 86th minute penalty was saved by Slovakian goalkeeper Michal Czanner.
Had he taken that chance, he would have equalled Jimmy Constantine’s record of seven hat-tricks for the club.
But Tonbridge Angels ensured they reached the Kent Senior Cup final for the first time in 32 years, when Maidstone United were beaten that time too.
The Stones made a staggering ten changes to the side that were held to a 2-2 draw by landlords Sittingbourne on Easter Monday.
Only Ryan Royston played tonight and with his side 4-0 down inside 30 minutes, the big central defender scored his ninth goal of the season, scoring a consolation ten minutes into the second half.
Czanner, Kane Rice, Royston, Jason Barton, Alex Tiesse and Simon Austin were the only familiar faces on show and player-manager, Lloyd Hume got through ninety minutes as Stones fielded a squad of mainly reserve team players.
The Stones only priority is to ensure they will be playing Tonbridge Angels in the Ryman Premier League next season – hence their weakened side.
Luke Piscina had the first Angels chance when his right-footed drive from 25-yards deflected wide of the upright, following a move involving Ray Powell and Fraser Logan.
But they broke the deadlock after just nine minutes and 39 seconds on the clock.
A penetrating run by Scottish winger Logan saw him roll the ball off the rock hard surface to Piscina on the right hand side.
And his low centre was met by Powell, who turned slowly before stabbing the ball past Czanner with his left-foot at the near post from six-yards.
Maidstone United squandered their best chance of the night, to level proceedings after 13 minutes.
Aaron Shade, a recent capture from Angels’ reserve side, whipped in a free-kick from the left but the unmarked Austin headed over from six-yards.
However, they were punished for that miss as Tonbridge doubled their lead after 19 minutes.
Main scored one of his trademark goals, latching onto a through ball, this time from Ian Parkes.
The striker’s lightening pace enabled him to beat two defenders before rifling the ball high into the far corner from an acute angle from ten-yards.
Tiesse, who partnered Austin in attack for the entire 90 minutes, was unlucky when his right-footed drive curled past the far post in the 27th minute.
But Tonbridge booked their place in the final with two goals within 59 seconds.
Main broke the club record after 29 minutes when he latched onto another through ball from Parkes and from sixteen-yards drove the ball past Czanner.
And Parkes, six-yards from goal, got the slightest of touches at the far post to Main’s stabbed effort across the face of goal, as the ball rolled past a shell-shcoked Czanner, who stuck up his arm appealing for offside.
With the Stones 4-0 down and crashing out of the competition, joint-manager Alan Walker was pleased that his side won the second half 1-0.
“The game was over at four-nil and we said to them “let’s go out there second half and everyone stick to their jobs.” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“We said let’s try and play a little bit of football and let’s look at it as a fresh 45 minutes and have a look at what we can do.
“We’ve ended up with 1-0, allright Michal’s saved a penalty but I understand Tonbridge easing off the gas but we restricted them to very few chances really second half.”
After Austin skied his 25-yard shot over the crossbar within the first two minutes of the second half, it was Royston who scored against his former club, in the 55th minute.
Hume, who dropped into the heart of defence from his midfield holding role, whipped in a free-kick from the right and this was met by a looping header by defender Scott Gooding, only as far as Royston who drilled a right-footed shot past Bromby from sixteen-yards.
Angels substitute Matt Lovell went close with a left-footed free-kick from 22-yards in the 63rd minute, which arrowed over the top of the right post.
Main latched onto another trademark through ball seven minutes later, this time from Powell, but the striker’s shot on the angle rolled wide of the near post.
Tiesse’s shot screamed past the far post on the angle from ten-yards following a low centre from the highly-rated Sam Morrison.
Angels boss Tony Dolby made a rare appearances when he came on for the last eight minutes to slot in at left-back.
But Main squandered two excellent chances to bag his seventh hat-trick of the season.
Firstly, after turning Hume, referee Mr Tony Mason had to hesitation but to point to the spot after the Stones player-manager handled the ball.
But Main’s poor right-footed penalty brought a comfortable save from Czanner, who dived to his left to block.
And after latching onto another defence splitting pass from Parkes, Main attempted to lob the goalkeeper from 25-yards but Czanner had advanced to the edge of his box to pluck the ball out of the air to prevent it bouncing into an empty net.
Dolby, however, was pleased that his club had reached their first Kent Senior Cup final for 32 years and that Main broke the club’s goalscoring record.
“It will be nice if we can finish a great season with some silverware,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after their comfortable win.
“He’s thoroughly deserved it with the amount of goals he’s scored, rubbish penalty at the end but that happens,” he said.
Angels fans chanted “sign your contact” at Main during the game, and when asked where the striker will be next season, Dolby replied: “Tonbridge. No I’m not sure, we’ll see. A little bit of talking to go on and we’ll see what happens.
And Dolby insists he’s the man that can make Main a better all-round player.
“I think the goals that he’s scored, I would say there’s a lot more to come with him in his all-round game but the amount of goals that’s he’s scored has just been phenomenal,” said Dolby.
“A lot of clubs would give their right arm for that sort of return for a striker.”
But Dolby recalls the time when Main, who joined the club from Cray Wanderers back in January 2006, failed to emulate his goalscoring form that he showed for his previous club – before the striker signed up to an Agent and became the only player at the club to have one.
“It hasn’t been easy,” admitted Dolby. “We’ve worked on him during the summer as he wasn’t anywhere near last year where he should have been. In fact, I think he finished the season on the bench.
“But he started in the play-offs and done well and he’s picked up this season.
“I think we play to his strengths, have got a good understanding, got some good players in the club who know where to put the ball in the right areas and Jon knew how to finish all year.”
Walker, however, was full of praise for many of the youngsters who took their chance to shine against Angels’ first team squad.
“I’ve learnt that we’ve got some very good youngsters in the reserves,” he said.
“Very pleased with the performance of the young players out there and a bit disappointed with some of the more experienced ones.
“We had a good chance to deal with three of their goals I thought in the first half and didn’t take the opportunity to do that.
“But I was really encouraged with the way the young lads, who play in the reserves, try to get it down.
“They done really well, I’m really proud of them.”
Peter Nott is the club’s reserve team player and Walker praised him for his work ethic in the background.
He said: “He’s brought them through from quite a young age and Peter being like he is, they’ve been encouraged to get the ball down and play football, which we want all our teams to do at the football club.
“I thought they were superb in difficult conditions. I thought some of the stuff they tried to play the young lands when they came on second half was fantastic.”
Despite Angels fans shouting derogatory and abusive chants at their hosts, who basically couldn’t care less about the outcome of this cup game, Walker has a lot of respect for his former club.
“I’ve got a lot of affection for both clubs,” he said. “Tonbridge are a great club and Tony and Ruths (Mike Rutherford) have done really well for them and I’m delighted to see them doing well.
“It looks like they’re not quite going to challenge for the play-off’s this time but they’ve done really well and I’m really pleased for them.”
Ashford Town welcome Bromley to The Homelands in the other semi-final next Monday, and Dolby wants the final played at Dartford’s stunning £6.5m Princes Park Stadium.
The Kent Senior Trophy final between Whitstable Town and Bearsted is being played there on Sunday and Dolby feels the Senior Cup final should be staged there too.
“Not to bothered who we play but a nice pitch would be nice,” he said.
”Princes Park? Yes, that sounds ideal. The pitch over there is nice so that will be ideal.”
Subs: Andy Hart, Shaun Surridge.
Goal: Ryan Royston 55
Booked: Lloyd Hume 67
Tonbridge Angels: Matt Bromby, Scott Gooding, Jon Heath, Robbie Kember (Tony Dolby 82), Steve Aris (Mike Cramp 55), John Beales, Ian Parkes, Luke Piscina, Ray Powell, Jon Main, Fraser Logan (Matt Lovell 45).
Subs: Ashley Dann, Scott Whibley.
Goals: Ray Powell 10, Jon Main 19,29, Ian Parkes 30
Attendance: 259
Referee: Mr Tony Mason (Sidcup)
Assistants: Mr Daniel Wyatt (Orpington) & Mr Andy Mead (Orpington)
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