Tunbridge Wells 1-0 Holmesdale - We're very lucky to have Keelan Mooney, admits Wells boss Larkin

It was devastatingly cruel for resilient Holmesdale, who shut out the hosts until the 21-year-old former Maidstone United striker won the hard-fought stalemate, with the second half goal timed at 45:26.  There was no way back for the Bromley based visitors, who put everything into their inaugural major Cup semi-final, their biggest game of their history.

“He’s quality!”, Larkin said of his match-winner afterwards.  “He’s been playing with his ankle hanging off for the last three weeks after a really bad tackle at Beckenham, so he’s been strapped up again.  I didn’t think we was going to get a whole game out of him but when Hooley (Carl Cornell) phoned in sick today he had to and he’s delivered.  

“He’s (Mooney) not a Kent League player when he’s on fire.  He’s an exceptional centre forward. He’s got that bit of magic that we needed today to get the game won.

“He’s cut in on his right foot and drilled it.  He’s finishing is exceptional.  When we do finishing drills in training he never misses the target.  Even if he’s got two chances in a game, he’ll score one of them and that’s obviously what he did.  That’s how good he is.  Two chances, both on target and one goes in. That’s what we want.  We’re very lucky to have him.  The lads’ love him in and around the club.”

Europe’s anthem “The Final Countdown” blasted out of the public address system as the players walked out at Culverden Stadium - a pitch that Holmesdale’s management staff criticised as it wasn’t conducive to the impressive passing game that they produced during their 2-1 win at Fisher last Monday.

Tunbridge Wells clearly missed 20-goal striker, Carl Cornell, who was suffering from sickness in the early hours of the morning, so his place was taken by Jack Harris, who made his first start, but it was Mooney that stepped up to the plate, scoring one of only two chances created by the home side.

“Hooley (Cornell) is the leading goalscorer in the league and he’s a good part of how we play and we tried but he was so ill we couldn’t use him.  He’s been throwing up since five in the morning, every hour, and there was no hope unfortunately.  

“It’s a shame because to lose that kind of quality did affect how we played, but Jack (Harris) did well.  He’s a young talent and he’s to be an exceptional football so it’s good for him to have some experience of a big game.

“We all knew Hooley wasn’t playing, so we knew we had to work a little bit harder and that’s what we’ve done.”

Tunbridge Wells failed to produce any clear cut chances, kicking down the slope.

Steve Ashmore, who was lurking just outside of the Holmesdale penalty area, should have called visiting goalkeeper Darren Ibrahim into action, when he met two corners from Alex Rich and Andy McMath, which were both high and wide.

Holmesdale did actually register a shot on target in the 23rd minute.  The ball would have looped in if Wells’ keeper Michal Czanner hadn’t plucked the ball out of the air, when right-back Lee Scott pumped a right-footed clearance up field from the halfway line.

Real clear-cut chances were few and far between in what turned out to be a scrap on a poor playing surface.

It was clear that Tunbridge Wells missed Cornell, who has been the subject of an official seven-day approach from VCD Athletic, which was immediately turned down.

Hardworking right-winger, Sam Phillips, cut the ball back to McMath, but the central midfielder sent a right-footed angled shot over the crossbar from 20-yards.

The first half’s only real clear-cut chance finally arrived in the 28th minute - and Holmesdale would have brought the game to life had they taken it.

Nicholas Gonsalves released Ben Chick and the diminutive midfielder cut inside down the left and his drilled low shot from a tight angle was turned around the foot of the near post by Czanner.

Ironically, Mooney scored from a similar move later on in the game.  That proved to be the difference between the two sides - a quality goalscorer.

It was no surprise that it was goal-less at the break and the bumper crowd of 180 were desperate for some excitement for the second half.

Holmesdale squandered another decent chance, just 67 seconds after the re-start.

Gonsalves hooked the ball forward for Michael McKenna, but the number 9 scuffed a poor shot, which rolled into Czanner’s gloves at the near post.

Controversy and ugly scenes reared it’s ugly head around the 75th minute mark, reminiscent to last week’s Old Firm Scottish Cup Fifth Round Replay spat between Neil Lennon (Celtic) and Ally McCoist (Rangers).

Phillips and Jonathan Gallagher fought for the ball and it appeared that Holmesdale’s midfielder Gallagher stamped on the chest of grounded Phillips.

Holmesdale’s goalkeeper coach, Ross Mitchell and Tunbridge Wells’ assistant Brad Sandeman both expressed their thoughts on the incident, with Mitchell claiming “it’s a great tackle,” and when the word “mug” was used, this incensed Sandeman, who replied, “why am I a Mug?”

The verbal confrontation continued and the pair both squared up beside the touch-line, going eye-to-eye, whilst Wells boss Martin Larkin was expressing his views on the stamping incident to assistant referee Mark Scott, who appeared to have ignored the coaches bust-up behind him.

The Swanscombe based assistant called over referee Mr Simon Finnigan and after consultation ordered Larkin out of the technical area, threatening to abandon the game if Larkin didn’t follow his instructions, so the manager jumped over the red fencing and watched the rest of the game behind the perimeter fencing beside his dug-out.

To his credit, Holmesdale manager Gary Davies did excellently to calm things down and coach Grant Watts turned to me and said, “It’s like an Old Firm derby!” and Mr Scott ignored his question as to why Larkin was sent off.

“The challenge was fine,” said Larkin afterwards.  “As Sam got up the guy stamped on him, it’s as simple as that!  Whether he meant it or not, it doesn’t really matter but the linesman and referee missed it. They ask us to respect them, which we do, but I’m not someone who tends to scream and swear at people, that’s not how I operate, but a swear word has popped out and I’ve been sent-off.

“There’s a lot more swear words being chucked out by other people and no-one was punished so it seems strange that I was asked to leave.

“But that doesn’t really matter, the most important thing is we’re in a Cup Final.  I don’t really care how we do it or how we got there.  We’re in a Cup Final.  That’s all that matters.”

When asked his opinion on the coaches spat, Larkin replied, “It’s just a dug-out.  That’s football!  That’s how it happens.  It’s a passionate game. When the game’s finished everyone shook hands and we’ll go in the bar and have a drink together.  It’s not a problem.”

Goalkeeper coach Mitchell, meanwhile, was asked his take on the incident, which was a surprise, especially as he is also the club’s secretary.

“It was just a bit of, it was nothing really, it was,” he said.  “He (Sandeman) said our player kicked out at him (Phillips) and the tackle was bad, but I didn’t think it was.  I just thought he was trying to get our player sent off, which I don’t think is the right thing to do to be honest.”

Tunbridge Wells’ first shot on target finally arrived in the 82nd minute when Mooney hooked right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty box forced Ibrahim into making a low save to his right.

And at the other end, McKenna could have won it for the Dalers, but his poor shot flashed just past the foot of the near post.

But Erith Town - who won 3-0 at Beckenham Town in the other semi-final - will contest the Kent Senior Trophy Final against Tunbridge Wells on Sunday 17th April - thanks to Mooney’s last-gasp smash-and-grab.

Mooney had a swarm of Holmesdale players around him - right-back Scott had a chance to clear the ball -but Mooney cut in from the left and drilled a low shot towards goal, which beat Ibrahim at his near post and sparked wild scenes of celebration from the home faithful and players alike.

Holmesdale immediately threw on a couple of substitutes but it was too late and some of their players were dead on their feet at the final whistle, as the game really should have gone into extra time - and maybe decided by a penalty shoot-out as it was that poor.

Mitchell added: “I don’t think we got what we deserved.  Congratulations to Tunbridge Wells and I hope they go on and do well in the final.

“Did the better team win? No!  I don’t think so.  I think we were the better side but that doesn’t mean anything in a semi-final game.  We obviously lost the game and Tunbridge Wells go through.

“The players gave 100% today and I can’t fault any of them and I think they’ve been superb throughout the season and they were superb again today.”

Holmesdale coach, Grant Watts, 37, who’s young brother, Kirk, turns out for Kent League rivals Erith & Belvedere, was like all of his colleagues, crestfallen at the final whistle.

“I didn’t see that coming to be honest with you!” said the former Crystal Palace, Bromley and Croydon striker.

“I didn’t see anyone scoring over the 90 minutes.  It was pretty much a cat and mouse game but it’s a very cruel way to lose a semi-final (between) two even sides.  

“You’ve got to remember we’re little old Holmesdale, we don’t pay no money, we train once a week for an hour and the boys put in a good shift today.

“The players are gutted because we wanted to make a bit of history for the club and get to a final.  I think we didn’t deserve to lose after 90 minutes but that’s football.”

Watts admitted he felt the game was heading towards extra time.

“That’s what we was looking at,” he said.  “We was talking about making some changes with about 10-15 minutes to go.  I couldn’t see them scoring, but then again I couldn’t see us scoring as well.  I don’t think either keeper had a save to make in 90 minutes really.  It was a very even game.”

And on Mooney, Watts added, “He hasn’t done anything all through the game and he scored the goal.  That’s what a good centre forward does!

“It’s a great finish, but your emotions, you sometimes reflect on the game.  You think to yourself ‘could we done more? Could we have defended better?’  I can’t remember how it (the goal) was!  All I can remember he’s got inside the centre half or the right-back and it’s fell nicely for him and he’s taken a touch and he’s finished it quite well.”

It was a disappointing end to the club’s historic Kent Senior Trophy campaign.

Watts agreed, saying, “I’m disappointed for everybody at the club because it would have meant a lot to us to get to a final.  We’ve only been in the Kent League for what, four years.  I’m chocked for everyone.  They really, really wanted to get to the final and to lose in such a cruel way, with literally seconds to go and not be able to change it and chase the game and have a go back was a cruel way.”

The Holmesdale pair want the notorious Culverden Stadium pitch to improve.

“The pitch is absolutely awful here,” bemoaned Mitchell.  “You have to have so many things to qualify to be in this league.  I think the Kent League have to come down and have a look at this pitch because it’s not fit for football.  It’s more of a rugby pitch to be honest and we couldn’t play our football but it’s the same for both sides but it isn’t good.”

Watts added: “You was at the game the other night against Fisher and we try and play football.  Unfortunately that pitch is horrendous!  You can’t play football on that kind of pitch and that’s stopped us from doing what we wanted to do, getting the ball down and play decent football, but we’ll take it on the chin.  It’s just disappointing.”

Tunbridge Wells: Michal Czanner, Jason Bourne, Alex Rich, Drew Crush, Andy Boyle, Perry Spackman, Sam Phillips, Andy McMath, Keelan Mooney, Jack Harris (Jon Pilbeam 66), Steve Ashmore.

Subs:  Tom Davey, Scott Whibley, Rob Wells, Callum Hampson

Goal: Keelan Mooney 90

Booked: Perry Spackman 56, Jason Bourne 75

Sent off: Martin Larkin (manager) 76

Holmesdale: Darren Ibrahim, Lee Scott (Badar Mohammed 90), Ethan Pinnock, Nicholas Gonsalves (Nicky Meta 90), Lyndsay Prescott-Kerr, Ricky Hardie, Jonathan Gallagher, Kevin George, Michael McKenna, Wayne Robinson, Ben Chick.

Subs: Adam Woodward, Chris Hatt, Sam Truman

Booked: Ben Chick 87, Nicholas Gonsalves 52, Jonathan Gallagher 76

Attendance: 180

Referee:  Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone)

Assistants: Mr Mark Scott (Swanscombe) & Mr Darren Rudd (Dartford)