Tunbridge Wells 0-1 Faversham Town - It's exciting times and hopefully it's a start of a journey, says delighted title-winning Faversham Town manager Tommy Warrilow

Tunbridge Wells 0 – 1 Faversham Town
Location	Culverden Stadium, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9SG
Kickoff	15/04/2025 19:45

TUNBRIDGE WELLS  0-1  FAVERSHAM TOWN
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 15 April 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium

FAVERSHAM TOWN manager Tommy Warrilow says it’s a great feeling to get it done and clinch the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title with a comfortable victory over a fatigued Tunbridge Wells.

The Lilywhites return to the Isthmian League South East Division following a two-year absence, thanks to holding midfielder Matthew Newman rifling in the only goal of a poor game at Culverden Stadium to secure the club’s sixth league title, having previously won the old Kent League title in 1970, 1971, 1978, 1990 and 2010.

Faversham Town kept the same starting eleven that claimed a 2-1 win at Larkfield & New Hythe seven days ago and they needed at least a point to put a ‘C’ beside their name in the League table.

Three starters for Tunbridge Wells, Joshua McArthur Nolan, Jacob Feasey and Rocco Zilli were relegated to the subs bench after arriving late and Faversham Town’s 27-goal striker, Tashi-Jay Kwayie turned his ankle inside the opening 12 minutes and was substituted.

Three Tunbridge Wells players have also picked up ankle injuries, Tom Penfold, James White and Feasey, while long-throw specialist and captain, Harry Hudson was forced off with a knee injury towards the end of tonight’s game, which was dominated by long throws.

Holding midfielder Hudson launched seven into the Faversham box, while Faversham’s left-back Bradley Simms launched 15, making this an awful spectacle for the crowd of 211 to watch.

“It’s a great feeling mate, obviously it’s taken a while to be able to say it but I think everyone was congratulating us before today because of the massive goal-difference,” said Warrilow.

“To come here on a horrible Tuesday night, on a horrible pitch and dig in and grind a result out, sort of sums up the performances you’ve got to do in this league to get out of it, it’s not about the beautiful 3G pitches.

“Just to have it done now is a massive relief and it’s a difficult league to get out of. I’m pleased for everyone. For the people who do the videos, to the physio’s, every single person, the whole club.  It’s had a bit of a bad time the last couple of years, we nearly done it last year but to go one better this year is nothing to sniff at.”

Tunbridge Wells manager Steve Ives added: “I think obviously from Faversham’s point of view, it’s job done, so congratulations to them, a big congratulations to them.

“I thought it was a tight game, settled by a long throw but from their point of view I guess once they’re in front it’s for us to sort of wrestle that back.

“I thought we were competitive. I certainly don’t think we put a bad account of ourselves in but it’s disappointing. It would’ve been nice to get a point. They would’ve still have won the league and we would get something from it, that would’ve been nice.”

When asked about his late players, Ives replied: “It’s difficult midweek, Tunbridge Wells is particularly horrendous at the minute thanks to the idiots that run the Highways Commission, so we had to make three enforced changes to the starting line-up, not that it should really matter because we’ve got so many games.

“There’s an element of squad rotation and we’ve rested two or three tonight as well because they just need a little bit of life in their legs. I’m not going to hide behind that.”

Faversham Town started the game on the front foot and Simms’ second long throw came in from the left and found Kwayie at the back post and his header from a tight angle was steered past the near post inside the opening five minutes.

Faversham keeper Jacob Russell launched a big kick which released winger Nathan Wood down the channel and his cut-back from the by-line was sliced towards his own goal by Hudson but George Bentley smothered the ball low to his right.

Simms’ third long throw bounced off a shoulder from within a crowd of players and Bentley smothered the ball low to his right inside the six-yard box (8:36).

Faversham Town sealed the deal by scoring the only goal of the game, with 17 minutes and 27 seconds and inevitably it came from a long throw.

Simms’ launched his fifth long throw into the Tunbridge Wells box, the ball was flicked on by Callum Davies at the near-post and the ball sailed towards an unmarked Newman at the far post, and he rifled his left-footed volley into the roof of the net from eight-yards to score his sixth goal of the season.

“On pitches like that, that’s what you’ve got to rely on as well. You’re never going to get a well-worked passing, free-flowing goal,” admitted Warrilow.

“They defended really well aerially. I thought we’d caused a lot more problems in there but to be fair they got a couple of close ones in the first half, a few ricochets haven’t gone our way.

“How that ain’t a penalty, I don’t know and then you start thinking, but we get the goal and not being funny, we’ve defended brilliantly all season and another clean sheet.

“Tonight ain’t about playing well, it’s about getting three points and going home but the boys have given everything again tonight and I’m delighted for them all.”

Ives added: “From my point of view, we’ve lost our man round the back post, the guy who was responsibility for it has held his hands up.

“Unfortunately, it’s just been a bit of an Achillies heal for us defending dead ball and it’s a shame because I’m sure if it stayed nil-nil, well they would’ve been happy anyway, so we’ll never know.

“Weve had Fisher, VCD and Faversham here (recently) and all three of them have only scored one goal between them, so we’re obviously not doing anything too wrong.”

Faversham Town’s centre-half Davies was a threat at set-pieces as Tariq Ossai’s corner from the left was delivered deep and a free-header looped over the crossbar.

There was to be no completed patterns of play from either side and the Southern Counties East Football League have to think about the paying spectator next season and spread out their League fixtures during the course of the whole season – instead of cramming them into the final two months of the season when part-time footballers are worn out playing too many games in a short space of time and teams produce games lacking in quality as a result.

A poor clearance from Bentley went straight to Wood, who took a touch, looked up and struck a right-footed drive from 35-yards, which bounced around the far post – but Wood and Tunbridge Wells’ leading scorer on 22 goals, second striker Regan Corke were not involved in the game at all.

Faversham’s right-back Ossai launched a long ball out of defence and this released quiet 21-goal striker Johan Caney-Bryan, who lacked composure inside the box and sent his right-footed shot over the crossbar in the 38^th minute.

Tunbridge Wells created just the one chance and this came 45 seconds later when central midfielder Jack Gallagher cut inside and onto his left-foot and drove his speculative 30-yard drive flashing just past the foot of the right-hand post.

“I think it’s relatively speculative,” admitted Ives.

“Faversham play with that one pivot midfielder, Matt Newman, who had a good game but there’s potentially spaces around him so we play with the two number 10s and thought maybe we might get some opportunities from there.

“Jack didn’t really get hold of it though. I don’t think their goalie had to make one save. He hasn’t had a particularly difficult night, has he?”

Simms’ eighth long throw was looped into the Tunbridge Wells box from the left and Davies came up from the back and his header cleared the crossbar.

Most of the second half was played out as a dull hard-fought stalemate, on a pitch that was not conducive to free-flowing football and no football was played on it at all, with way too many long throws.

“Of course it was and same for them.  Yes, that’s what I mean. You do the maths. It doesn’t take Einstein to work out you’re not going to get a game of football on here,” added Warrilow.

ives added: “I mean look, I think both sides, you’ve got to play the circumstances and if you’ve got a guy with a long throw, Bradley Simms, I think he made Harry Hudson look a bit inadequate at times. He really has got a dangerous launch on him, it’s flat as well.

“They’ve obviously got some big lads attacking it, so we knew we had to concentrate and on the one (that they scored with), yes, disappointingly disappointed we didn’t manage to.

“You teeing it up to say it was another bore fest? I thought it was quite an entertaining game.”

The game was so dull, there were more empty plastic water bottles that were thrown into a dustbin (that was positioned between the two dug-outs) by Warrilow and O’Brien than shots on goal!

The best the home side could create was in the 55^th minute when Hudson launched his sixth long throw into the Faversham box and the ball was flicked on by Gallagher at the near-post, the ball took a deflection within the crowd and Russell comfortably plucked the ball out of the air as it dropped.

Both sides cancelled each other out and Faversham Town took 21 minutes to create something, following their fifth of six corners.

Ossai floated the ball in from the right and Davies found space at the back stick to guide his header past the left-hand post.

Tunbridge Wells failed to win themselves a corner and found dominant pair Davies and Ben Gorham a hard nut to crack.

“I’ve said all along, clean-sheets win your leagues and that’s why we’ve got the massive goal-difference we’ve got as well,” said Warrilow.

“We do attack a lot, we are a forward-thinking team but when you come to places like this, you can’t play football on it.  You can but you’re going to come unstuck, you just got to sometimes win ugly and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Ives added: “They’ve got the best defensive record in the league, fair play to them, but we’ve had clean-sheets against VCD (0-0, home 29 March) and Fisher (0-0, home 8 April) and we haven’t managed to ship one from open play so there’s plenty of positives for us.”

Faversham winger Kieron Campbell smacked a right-footed free-kick into the wall from 30-yards, the ball sailing over and from Ossai’s resulting right-wing corner, the ball came out to Campbell, who struck a right-footed half-volley screaming just past the far post.

Simms’ 15^th and final long throw came in from the right and substitute striker Rolando Onu jumped at the near-post to steer his header past the right-hand post.

You had to wait until 44:28 until the game’s only chance from open play as a long ball played in Onu in behind the resilient Tunbridge Wells centre-halves of Lewis Allan and Keanu Barnett but Bentley rushed off his line and smothered the shot low to his right in a one-v-one situation.

“Do you know what, he (Onu) optimises it. We’ve put him on (we’ll asses Tashi’s injury tomorrow morning), no disrespect to Danny Parish, we put him on because he’s a real handful. He leans into people, he’s quick, he’s powerful and I thought he done brilliantly for us up there. He done his job,” said Warrilow.

“People in football will know what he done. It was a hard thing to ask him, we’ve asked him to do that a lot as well, so I’m just gutted he didn’t get his goal but he’s a good lad and he’s been a credit since he came in.”

When asked about his side’s second half performance, Ives replied: “I just think they’re in front so from their point of view it’s probably more about just being solid and seeing if we’ve got the minerals to open them up.

“I think we had a good go. I don’t think we made it easy. I don’t think we stopped going but their goal wasn’t really in any serious threat, so congratulations to them. Consistently, they’ve been the best side in the league and the table reflects that.

“I guess we can take a little bit of credit that we’ve put up a battle. We’ve put up a lot more of a battle than we did at their place (losing 4-0 on 15 February).

“It was a good save. I think we made a mistake in midfield. I can recall it. I’m not going to name the player, made a mistake in midfield, got caught on it and Bents, that’s probably the best save of the game for either side to be fair, so that’s what he’s there for at the end of the day, just doing his job.”

Referee Nicholas Monkman’s final whistle brought scenes of celebration from the travelling fans, as Faversham Town have joined Scott Porter’s Hythe Town (2011) and Matt Longhurst’s Erith & Belvedere (2023) as club’s that have secured promotion here at Culverden Stadium in recent years.

Reflecting on his first title-winning campaign of his managerial career, Warrilow said: “I’m just pleased with everything. It’s a difficult pitch to play on. I’m just glad to put it to bed now.

“It’s up to the others to scrap it out for the play-offs. I’ve been on the receiving end of a few of them and it’s not a nice feeling but you work all season.  We don’t have to dog in that fight this year and that’s the most important thing.

“Our fans have been brilliant all year.  I mean the thing is when you draw a game or lose a game the reaction outside the club is completely over the top.

“Like I said to the boys, no one’s going to really congratulate you for winning the league, they’re just going to turn round and say ‘well, they’re supposed to win it,’ and that sort of shows the ignorance of some people that don’t watch this level week-in-week-out.

“It’s disrespectful to the teams that are in it, let alone ourselves because there’s no givens in this league. 

“Like I said to (Alex O’Brien, my assistant manager), it’s good feeling because like I said the play-offs are alright but when you lose them they kill you because your season finishes on a Tuesday night, sometimes on a Saturday. I’m just glad it’s done.

“No disrespect, when we came in January of last year, we didn’t really know any of the players (in this League). We knew a few, I’ve bumped into but getting to know the teams but we’ve turned up here, I watched these the other week, I think there’s seven changes from the team that I saw.”

Champions Faversham Town (25 wins, nine draws and two defeats, 90 goals, 27 conceded) will get their hands on the silverware at Salters Lane on Easter Monday when bottom-of-the-table Lordswood visit.

Whitstable Town bounced back from their Kent Senior Trophy Final defeat to Larkfield & New Hythe on Sunday, by beating Lydd Town 2-1 at Belmont Road tonight.

VCD Athletic (75 points, two games left), Fisher (65 points, two games left), Whitstable Town (62 points, five games left) and Rusthall (62 points, three games left) are in the play-off zone tonight, with Punjab United (61 points, two games left) waiting for any slip-ups.

The bottom five sides are Stansfeld (38 points, two games left), Kennington (37 points, three games left), Snodland Town (35 points, two games left), while Lydd Town (32 points, two games left) and Lordswood (28 points, three games left) remain in relegation trouble.

Warriliow insists his side will not take it easy during the last week of their title-winning campaign

“We’ll be treating it the same.  We’re training Thursday night, we’ll be treating Lordswood the same, we’ll be going to win the game because we’re going to have a big crowd there. We want to try to hold onto them for next season, so if they come and see a good performance but it will be a fantastic day out because they’ll be some celebrations afterwards and again we’ll be in on Thursday to prepare for (our final day game away to) Rusthall.

“Listen, we’ve won the league, we’re champions. If you don’t enjoy times like this, you shouldn’t be in football but it’s exciting times and hopefully it’s a start of a journey but you just get on with it now.

“We’re going to enjoy tonight, enjoy Monday but I want to still go unbeaten for the rest of the season.

“I’ll go home and have Sky Sports on all night and I’ll just be going through things and obviously the real world. I’ve got to go to school tomorrow so it can’t be nothing too lively.

“But I’m just delighted tonight. I wanted to come here, I didn’t want to draw, I wanted to win. We’ve got two more games to go. I want six points and then we’ll carry on.

“I really am (pleased for chairman) Gary Smart.  It’s not been pretty but he’s a straight batter, he’s an honest bloke, all the board, everyone.

“I’m really am pleased with it all, especially the investment. Everyone’s seen what’s gone on down there and made that into a different animal and what it needs to be doing now, it needs to be pushing on and that’s another tough journey but it’s a do-able journey.

“At least the stigma of we should be winning every game, I think that will die down a death (in the Isthmian League) but we’re probably still be one of the favourites.

“I haven’t looked that far ahead. I’m just going to enjoy the rest of this season and then we’ll sit down and discuss the summer, we’ll sort some friendlies out and just build on it.

“It’s nice to have some good times down here because it’s not been that much of them lately.”

For Tunbridge Wells, they sit in thirteenth-place in the table (12 wins, seven draws and 14 defeats) and complete their campaign with games against Erith & Belvedere (home, Thursday 17 April), Corinthian (home, Saturday 19 April), Rusthall (home, Easter Monday 21 April), Sutton Athletic (home, Wednesday 23 April) and Holmesdale (away, Saturday 26 April).

“We’re a little bit walking wounded but look, it’s our own fault, to a point we can’t complain about it because the facilities meant we’re now having this crazy run but we want to finish as high as we can.  We want to pick up as many points as we can,” said Ives.

“We’re a little bit fatigued, we’re a little bit walking wounded but for the benefit of people that pay their money either behind the scenes or coming through the turnstile, we’ll keep on giving it everything we can until the last game next Saturday.

“I hope Tashi is alright by the way because I don’t know whether that was an impact or whether he’s twisted his ankle – I’ve got a lot of time for Tashi so I hope he’s alright?  The pitch does take its victims every now and then.

“It’s just nice to have a bit of a rhythm because we’ve gone so long without playing. It’s nice to actually remember what it’s like to play football.

“Let’s be honest, I think people were looking at us as potential relegation after we lost to Faversham away actually. I think people were raising an eyebrow. Some clubs would actually like us to go to be quite honest but we pulled that out of the fire.

“After losing 3-0 at home to Punjab United on 18 March, we had a six-match unbeaten run, which came to an end at Stansfeld (losing 2-1 on Saturday), fair play to them, that probably keeps them up.

“But just personal pride and just standards really. You just want to finish as high as we can. We finished 13^th last year so if we can finish higher than that it will be progress. I would’ve liked seventh. I thought it was achievable, I’m not so sure now after losing back-to-back but we’ll just keep on going.”

When asked about his plans for next season, Ives replied: “I think we just get this season finished, just re-group as a coaching team, just see where we’re all at mentally, sit down.

“There’s no point making a sob story, yes it’s had it’s difficulties, sit down with the club, just understand what they’re going to be able to realistically do in the next couple of years.

“I said to the chairman the other day, ‘I haven’t got any ambition to manage anywhere else,’ it’s just a question whether I’ve got the energy to manage full stop to be honest. 

“I could go and watch (Crystal) Palace if I wanted to hurt myself week-in-week-out.”

Tunbridge Wells: George Bentley, Brendan Austin, Muiz Alaka, Harry Hudson (Joshua McArthur Nolan 82), Lewis Allan, Keanu Barnett, Rory Ward, Jack Gallagher (Rocco Zilli 75), Rhys Bartlett, Regan Corke, Festos Kamara (Jacob Feasey 82).
Sub: James White

Booked: Festos Kamara 76

Faversham Town: Jacob Russell, Tariq Ossai, Bradley Simms, Matthew Newman, Callum Davies, Ben Gorham, Kieron Campbell (Jack Parter 90), Tommie Fagg (Frannie Collin 82), Johan Caney-Bryan (Samuel Hasler 82), Tashi-Jay Kwayie (Rolando Onu 12), Nathan Wood.
Sub: Danny Parish

Goal: Matthew Newman 18

Booked: Rolando Onu 53

Attendance: 211
Referee: Mr Nicholas Monkman
Assistants: Mr Steven Tunnicliffe & Mr Thomas Sansom
Observer:  Mr Deryll David