Tunbridge Wells 0-2 Dartford - Farnie: Some players aren't good enough! - EXCLUSIVE

TUNBRIDGE WELLS 0-2 DARTFORD
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 1^st August 2006
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium

Dartford stretched their unbeaten record to six pre-season games with a comfortable victory at Kent League side Tunbridge Wells tonight.

The Ryman League Division One South outfit opened the scoring after just five minutes, courtesy of Dave Martin’s lob over the advancing former Darts goalkeeper Jimmy Simpson and into the far corner.

Tunbridge Wells’ skipper Jason Bourne was penalised for fouling winger Ryan Hayes inside the penalty area after 29 minutes.

And although Hayes’ left-footed penalty was saved by Simpson, diving to his left, the former Slade Green winger was first to react to tap home the second.

Tunbridge Wells, meanwhile, failed to live up to their impressive 4-2 victory over their Ryman Premier League neighbours Tonbridge Angels last Saturday.

And they picked up three injuries to Mike McKeown (hamstring), Nick Blade (ankle) and former Dart, who lives in Milton Keynes, Danny Nicholls (Achilles).

Manager Martin Farnie, though, learnt that some of his players aren’t up to Kent League standard.

In an EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game, he said: “I learnt some of the players aren’t quite ready to take the next step up.

“I learnt that one or two aren’t good enough, I learnt that we’ve got a long way to go.

“I learnt Saturday’s result (against Tonbridge) whitewashed some of the problems that we have got at the moment.

But the former Dartford coach insisted he doesn’t take pre-season matches seriously but he will once their Kent League campaign gets underway at Thamesmead Town on 12^th August.

He said: “It’s pre-season and I count it as another training session so I’m not too concerned what went on.

“Just some of the players won’t be playing regularly for me that started tonight.

“The only disappointing thing tonight was that we’ve picked up three injuries but it’s pre-season so I’m not that really concerned about results.

“When the Tonbridge result came through by text I was thinking that everyone thought “we’ve cracked it now” and it’s come and bit us on the bum tonight!”

Darts boss Tony Burman, meanwhile, was delighted that his depleted side - he only brought a 14-man squad to Culverden Stadium - stretched their unbeaten pre-season run to six games.

He said: “I thought it was a good work-out really. We played well tonight and they had a great result against a team two divisions higher than them.

“They were up for the game and we’ve played quite well tonight - it’s pleasing.”