Tunbridge Wells 0-0 Cray Valley - We can now fully concentrate on Wembley, says Martin Larkin

TUNBRIDGE WELLS  0-0 CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS)
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Monday 29^th April 2013
Stephen McCartney reports form Culverden Stadium

TUNBRIDGE WELLS boss Martin Larkin says he will name his Wembley team on the day before the club’s biggest game in their history. 

Larkin made eleven changes to his side that came away from Canterbury City with a 3-1 win at the weekend, in what turned out to be Simon Austin’s last game in charge.

Since beating Shildon over two legs to reach the FA Carlsberg Vase Final, Tunbridge Wells have had to cram in thirteen games in 29 days.

Tonight’s goal-less draw against Cray Valley means they will go into Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Vase Final against big-spending favourites Spennymoor Town in seventh-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table – with two league games still left to play in May.

Larkin, 32, who has the weight of the county on his shoulders to end Kent’s thirteen year wait for FA Vase glory at Wembley Stadium, was pleased that the club’s fixture pile up has come to an end

He said: “Obviously we wanted it to go better, we’re pretty confident in the changing room that if it had been spaced out over a period of time it would’ve gone better.  It’s out of the way now and we can now concentrate on what we’re all talking about and thinking about.”

He added: “It wasn’t a great game to be honest. They were very good in the first half. We came into it in the second half.  We rested everyone from Saturday, gave Andy Irvine 45 minutes and (Tom) Davey got 90 minutes, which is great.

“It’s a very different team to what we normally play, but they’ve been fantastic.  Those players that have been involved in all of these games don’t normally play. Our squad players have really stood up over the last two months and they’ve been fantastic.”

Cray Valley boss Steve Chapman felt his side dropped two points in their final league game of the season.

He said: “Yes, I think so.  I think they weren’t at full strength and we wanted three points to get a bit of revenge for the (9-1) drubbing that they gave us earlier in the season. It wasn’t to be though.  I think we played well, had the majority of the play, but couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

“We had loads of chances.  At half-time we spoke about it.  We needed to be a bit more clinical. I think all of our chances fell to our defenders unfortunately.  There’s a lot to work on next year.”

Larkin has utilised his squad over this gruelling period and when asked whether he knows his starting eleven for Wembley on Saturday, he replied, “No!  To be fair we know who is going to play in goal.  We know what the back four is, we know the midfield four is so we’re lucky that we’ve got three exceptional forwards. We’ve obviously now got Richard Sinden who has got better and better every time he’s played for us so we’ve got four to choose from, so it’s getting that best combination up top.

“We’re very lucky which ever forwards we put out they’re going to play well for us. It’s a case of making sure that we have the right combination to start and then the right combination to make an impact on the hour mark.

“Someone’s going to be disappointed out of those unfortunately, but hopefully it’s a case of they understand the reasons why we done it and in every single Vase game we’ve had this year the bench has made an impact and we’ll be looking for that to happen on Saturday.”

Larkin explained why he will break the disappointing news to his left-out players on the eve of the game.

Barry Lakin, who went on to manage Erith & Belvedere, was to be the eighteenth-man of Deal Town’s squad against Chippenham Town in the FA Vase Final back in 2000.

“We’re such a close-nit group, they’ll see what the bigger picture is all about and get around the guys,” said Larkin.

“I’ll let the guys know on Friday to know what’s happening, to give them the night to sleep on it and wake up Saturday and be energised for the team.

“Hopefully one or two are going to grab the storylines and the glory on the day. What’s important is that the team win. It doesn’t matter who does it, who scores, who blocks, who saves what. It’s important that the club perform and the club win and everyone excepts that.”

Cray Valley, who went into their last game of the season on the back of two wins on the bounce, formed a guard of honour for Tunbridge Wells and clapped their Wembley bound opponents on to the pitch.

Cray Valley, like many other Kent clubs, will take a coach full of well-wishers to Wembley on Saturday.

Chapman said: “I agreed with Martin before the game. I’ve got a lot of respect for Tunbridge Wells, a Kent League team going to the Vase final. I thought it was just appropriate.”

Larkin appreciated the gesture and said: “It was a nice touch. The reality is that some of the guys that played today won’t be involved on Saturday, so it’s nice for them to get the appreciation as well. It’s been a huge squad effort to get us all where we’re going on Saturday. It’s nice for those guys to get all the limelight as well.”

Cray Valley dominated the first half against the recently-crowned Kent Senior Trophy winners and should have opened the scoring after only 38 seconds.

Left-back Steve Springett whipped in a cross, which sailed over goalkeeper Michal Czanner, but striker Chris McGinty’s header from two-yards was caught by the Slovakian stopper at the near post.

A back-pass from Tunbridge Wells’ right-back Steve Ashmore was cleared by Czanner, who was relieved that Reece Grant’s block bounced wide of the post.

Cray Valley continued to press and Dan Gunner swung in a left-footed free-kick from 35-yards for Joe Matthews to come up from the back to ghost in and place a firm header towards goal from six-yards, which Czanner caught above his head.

Cray Valley’s fourth chance arrived in the tenth minute when McGinty released Grant down the right and the winger cut in to the six-yard box and his left-footed poked shot forced Czanner to dive low to his left at his near post to make the block.

Speaking about Thamesmead resident Grant, who also plays for the London representative side and Welling United’s under 18 side on a Sunday, Chapman said: “Reece is a good, young lad. He’s been on trial at Southend for the last fortnight and they’ve invited him back. On a personal point of view part of me wants him to progress because he’s got a lot of potential and on a selfish point of view I actually want him to play for us next year.”

A fantastic Monday night crowd of 240 waited for 17 minutes for the home side to fashion their first opening.

Czanner launched a big kick straight down the middle of the pitch and FA Vase hero Andy Irvine waited for the ball to drop before cracking a powerful right-footed hooked volley straight at visiting keeper Matt Bailey from 25-yards.

Larkin said: “He hurt his back last week so it was a case to give him 45 minutes to get his legs ticking over today before we decide what we’re going to do up top this weekend.”

Cray Valley were denied when Gunner fired in a corner from the right which saw Springett ghost in at the near post to glance his header across the face of goal for Adam Humphries to clear off the line.

But a brilliant double save from Cray Valley’s stopper Bailey denied Tunbridge Wells grabbing a 33^rd minute lead.

Ashmore swung in a left-footed free-kick into the box and Tom Davey’s left-footed shot on the turn was clawed away by Bailey to his left and the keeper recovered to turn Jason Barton’s follow-up, from an acute angle, around his near post.

Chapman said: “Fantastic save, one of the best saves of the season! I think he was under a lot of pressure. A lot of fans were having a go at him behind the goal but to pull off a save like that, up until then we had all of the game and one chance we could’ve been one down.”

Larkin added: “I think Barton tried to wrap his right foot around it. If he could’ve squared it, it’ll be a tap in for someone. He couldn’t quite get there because of the angle but both played well today. Barton played really well at centre half and Davey was very good again.”

Cray Valley had the majority of the second half chances, but they couldn’t find the clinical touch in front of goal.

McGinty chipped in his cross towards the far post and Gunner’s looping header bounced on to the top of the crossbar and behind for a goal-kick inside the opening four minutes.

McGinty then whipped in another cross from the right and Grant’s free-header was comfortably caught by Czanner.

The home faithful standing on the banking cheered when Cray Valley right-back Michael Brown sent his free-kick sailing harmlessly over the bar from 28-yards.

Faced with a sea of red shirts in front of him, Sam Gent did well to cut inside and stroke a right-footed shot towards goal from 17-yards, which bounced once into Czanner’s gloves.

But Tunbridge Wells squandered an excellent chance to grab the lead with nineteen minutes left.

Ashmore, who was inside his own half, pumped a high deep hanging free-kick towards the far post for an unmarked Barton to send his header sailing agonisingly wide of the near post.

Larkin added: “Barton will be kicking himself that he could’ve done better with a header.  He had a couple there. He’s normally very, very good at that!”

A miss-kick from Gunner inside the Cray Valley penalty area was sliced towards his own goal and Bailey did well to push the ball against Richard Sinden, who could do nothing to prevent the ball to go behind for a goal-kick.

However, Cray Valley’s good work was blotted when they were reduced to ten-men in the 79^th minute when substitute Ayo Noble kicked out at Davey on the ground and referee Peter Cruise had no option but to show the midfielder a red-card.

Both managers were asked their thoughts on the flashpoint.

Chapman said: “I think he was a bit unfortunate, he’s not that type of player but I think he got a bit over zealous.  He kicked out. He’s only a youngster. He’s one of my centre midfield players for my London team. He’s one for the future. Hopefully he’ll learn from it.

“It’s cost him £35 and a three-game ban for the start of next season and I’m already missing a few players at the start of next season through bans so it’s not done me any favours.”

Larkin added: “He kicked him. He kicked him twice. Davey was on the ground, the whistle went and he kicked him twice. It’s a red card!”

A left-wing cross from central midfielder Davey sailed over Bailey and clipped the top of the crossbar before dropping to safety.

But Tunbridge Wells forced a couple of late chances to win their last league game before locking horns with Spennymoor Town at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Keelan Mooney played the ball inside to substitute winger Brad Large down the right and he played the ball inside to Sinden, who set up Mooney, whose right-footed drive from sixteen-yards was saved by Bailey, low to his left.

And inside injury-time a long throw from left-back Tom Carr was flicked on at the near post by stand-in skipper Boyle and Sinden’s header was caught by Bailey.

Larkin praised the 240 fans that flocked through the turnstiles and the support that they will offer his side at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

“The club shop in town that Royal Victoria Place (shopping centre) have opened for us has made a big impact and we’ve had 240 here tonight on a Monday night.  They must’ve known we weren’t putting a strong side out. The support is great.”

Larkin is delighted with the way that ticket sales have gone to date.

He said: “We spoke five weeks ago about can we hit ten thousand as a club and can we get ten thousand through the gate and have some kind of legacy.  We have sold 9,500 at the start of the week, we’re going to crack that ten grand mark at some time during the week.

“There’s a lot going on Saturday who haven’t already bought tickets that we know about so we’re going to be close to twelve thousand that we know about through the gate in the Tunbridge Wells end, which will be absolutely amazing. Yes, it’s fantastic support and the players deserve it.  They’ll make a fair bit of noise, so we’re excited about that support.”

Larkin added; “The season’s not over. We’ve got a Wembley Cup Final on Saturday and we’ve got two league games following that so we’ve still got games to go.

“We can now fully concentrate on Wembley. It’s on everyone’s mind over the last five weeks. You can’t get away from it and to be fair we don’t want to get away from it. We wanted to enjoy it and embrace it and over the last five weeks and now we’re just keen to play.”

Chapman, meanwhile, reflected on the Millers’ top-eight finish in only their second season in the Kent League.

“I’m pleased with top eight,” he said.  “Top six was the target, but people underestimate the strength of teams in this league and if you look apart from maybe Corinthian the teams that have got the biggest budgets have finished above us.

“We’ve got some big plans next year to bring in about four or five new players but I think we’ve got a nucleus of a good team next year. 

“We’re an established team in the Kent League now and the nucleus of our team, Joe Matthews, Jamie Miller, Ben Healy, who is injured at the moment, will all be here next year and the players that I’ve brought in will also stay next year like Paul Gross, Michael Brown, Sam Gent and Matt Bailey. 

“We’ll build on that for next season and hopefully we’ll be able to challenge and push to get in that top six.”

Tunbridge Wells: Michal Czanner, Steve Ashmore, Tom Carr, Sam Phillips, Andy Boyle, Jason Barton, Keelan Mooney, Tom Davey, Andy Irvine (Brad Large 46), Richard Sinden, Adam Humphries.
Subs: Jason Bourne, Joe Fuller, Jack Harris, Chris Oladogba

Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Matt Bailey, Michael Brown, Steve Springett, Joe Matthews, Ryan Sawyer, Sam Gent, Reece Grant (Paul Gross 81), Jamie Miller, Luke Tanner, Chris McGinty, Dan Gunner (Ayo Noble 72).
Subs: Jay Smale, Tunde Aderonmu, Bobby Sturgeon

Sent Off: Ayo Noble 72

Attendance: 240
Referee: Mr Peter Cruise (Rochester)
Assistants: Mr Leigh Judd (Tunbridge Wells) & David Lunani (Bromley)