Sevenoaks Town 3-1 Lordswood. Moore warns his side not to "Crash and Burn" - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Joint managers Bob Pittaway and Derek Moore have worked tirelessly during the close season to change around the west Kent club’s fortunes after finishing rock bottom last term.

But they did ride their luck early on. With sixteen minutes on the clock their goalkeeper Joe Skillman advanced off his line and brought down Lordswood striker Mike McKenna just two yards inside the penalty area.

Maidstone based referee Mr Graeme Ions had no option but to point to the penalty spot but brandished just a yellow card to the former Cray Wanderers’ goalkeeper.

But Skillman made amends when he comfortably saved McKenna’s right-footed penalty.

He was, however, beaten just two minutes later from a wonder strike from Mike Cunningham.

Cunningham, out on the right flank, looked up and saw Skillman was off his line and unleashed a right-footed shot from 45-yards which flew over the back peddling goalkeeper and found the net via the far post.

The Medway side’s joy, however, was short lived and Sevenoaks went close from Frankie Whitehead’s quickly taken free kick which flew agonisingly past the right post.

Sevenoaks Town drew level in the 28^th minute when Lordswood goalkeeper Gavin Hopper palmed James Dalton’s fierce drive up into the air and the ball dropped kindly for Tony Askins to poke home his second goal of the season.

The home side should have increased their lead later in the half but Askins’ powered his header just past the far post following a cross from the right from former Erith Town midfielder Matt Fagan.

Lordswood created just two chances during the second half through two former Sevenoaks’ players.

Andy Mills’ right-footed low drive from 30-yards was spilled by Skillman, but he collected the ball at the second attempt after 51 minutes, and skipper Dave Forster blazed the ball over the bar following Mills’ delivery from the left 25 minutes later.

In between these two chances, Sevenoaks Town took the lead after 61 minutes, following crisp passing around the box.

Whitehead exchanged a one-two with Askins and with his right-footed placed the ball into the right corner from ten-yards to score his second goal of the season.

Hopper made two fine late saves from former Dartford reserve team striker Matthew Jones-Butler and Askins but couldn’t prevent Jones-Butler netting his third of the season in the 89^th minute after he punished some poor defending from the Medway side.

“It’s been incredibly hard work,” admitted Moore EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

“We’ve done a lot of work at the back end of last season after the debacle of last year. We tracked down the players we were looking for, worked hard through the close season and we signed what we feel is a quality squad.”

Moore will be looking for maximum points from their next two games, against Erith Town (away on Saturday) and at home to Sporting Bengal United later in the month.

“We believe we can sustain it,” he insisted. “We’ve got some strength in depth in the squad. We’ve got a couple of suspensions and injuries but we believe we can go from strength to strength.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Erith Town on Saturday, Moore added: “Well we believe that we can win any game we go into but one thing we’ve warned the lads in the changing room after today’s game is we don’t want to crash and burn as we did last Saturday against Moneyfields after the euphoric victory at Tunbridge Wells the Monday prior.”

Sevenoaks’ FA Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle last Saturday, losing on home soil to Moneyfields by three goals to one.

“I don’t think it’s a big blow,” admitted Moore. “It’s disappointing because for some of the lads it was the first time ever in their lives that they’ve taken part in the FA Cup.

But Moore appreciates playing good football - and winning matches - will entice locals to Greatness Park to watch the team after a disappointing figure of just 57 came through the turnstile.

“We’ve tried to coach the lads to try and get the ball down and pass the ball with quality and be confident in receiving the ball,” he said.

“We did have an excellent move for the second goal and it just underlines some of the quality we’ve got in the side.

“The pitch helps our style of football. The pitch is terrific - it really has recovered from the work in the close season and its come back well after the drought finished - so it bodes well.

“We can only put a good side out on the pitch that can get results and try to talk it up as much as we can.

“But its all about results at the end of the day. Sevenoaks is not necessary the hotbed of football but certainly what’s gone on the pitch here at the moment people who come down I’m sure will come back for more.”

Coming soon: Interview with Lordswood manager Paul Piggott.