Tunbridge Wells 1-3 Erith & Belvedere - Farnie: Shea will be snapped up by a pro club - EXCLUSIVES

TUNBRIDGE WELLS  1-3  ERITH & BELVEDERE
Kent League Premier Division
Wednesday 28^th March 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium
 
 
Erith & Belvedere leapfrogged over Deal Town into seventh place in the Kent League table with a flattering 3-1 win at Culverden Stadium tonight.

Striker Adrian Deane showed why he’s played at a much higher level when he gave the Deres the lead with a stunning right-footed volley, from across his body, which flew into the top far corner, from 25-yards.
 
But second-from-bottom side Tunbridge Wells drew level through Joe Fuller’s eighth goal of the season before the Deres took the lead with Steve White’s 23^rd goal of the season on the hour mark.
 
And substitute Micky Collins added a flattering third with the last kick of the game with the goal timed at 52 second half minutes and nine seconds.
 
A resurgent and experienced Tunbridge Wells side started brightly and should have opened the scoring after five minutes.
 
Richard Radbourne’s first corner of the game was met by a glancing header from Ben Hilden but the lanky left-back cleared the crossbar.
 
Then, Brad Sandeman played the ball over the top of the Deres defence and the ball was knocked down by James Carter, whose on a dual registration with Ryman Leaguers Dartford, but Dave Hassett skied his effort from eighteen-yards.
 
But Erith & Belvedere, who have lost just one league game since Chris Cosgrove and Paul Gorman took the helm last November, started to dominate proceedings.
 
Deane whipped in a free-kick towards the middle of the penalty area and White leapt to plant a sixteen-yard header towards goal but it was never going to trouble James Simpson.
 
But the former Dartford goalkeeper was rooted to the spot when Deane scored his tenth – and best – goal of the season after 22 minutes – finding the top far corner with a stunning volley.
 

“It was actually a magnificent strike,” Gorman said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

 
“He hit it on the volley from coming across his body and he’s actually put it in the top corner – you can’t get any better.”
 
The Doncaster born manager added: “He does it week in, week out, great strikes of the ball but he has to do a little bit more.”
 
Whilst Erith & Belvedere have Deane in their ranks, Martin Farnie, the Tunbridge Wells manager, also has a gem in sixteen-year-old central defender, Justin Shea.
 
Farnie insists the teenage sensation has a big future in the game – expecting him to follow Dave Martin and Chris Dickson into professional football.
 
“Our best player for a long time has been young Justin Shea,” Farnie said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
 
“He put a couple of feet wrong tonight when he got caught for the second goal but overall he was outstanding tonight.
 
“He’s something special and hopefully people will stay away from him and I don’t lose him.
 
“If he goes anywhere he’ll go to a pro club.  He won’t go anywhere else.
 
“And coupled with Andy Boyle, whose experienced, I think the two of them are playing well.”
 
Tunbridge Wells, however, almost stole the lead when Fuller’s right-footed shot was blocked by Alan Hughes’ legs following an attacking raid down the right by Dave Hassett and Carter.
 
But the hosts drew level after 34 minutes on the clock when they were awarded a dubious throw on the right.
 
This was launched into the penalty area by Andy Boyle and after a near-post flick on Fuller was on hand to stab the ball through a crowded goal-mouth and into the net.
 
One of many poor decisions from Rainham based assistant Mr Chris Williams prevented Tunbridge Wells equalising inside the first three minutes of the second half.
 
Carter picked the ball up just inside the visitors’ half and drove forward before playing the ball to Hassett.
 
Hassett, who scored a hat-trick in Wells’ 3-2 home win over Lordswood on Saturday, went on to roll his shot past Hughes but a dubious offside flag had already been raised by the assistant, who was clearly out of his depth at Kent League level.
 
Steve Chioma’s fierce left-footed drive screamed past the far post before White gave the visitors the lead on the hour.
 
White latched onto Mitchell Crawley’s ball over the top of the Wells defence and coolly rounded the advancing Simpson before slotting home.
 

Tunbridge Wells squandered an excellent chance to draw level within three minutes but Fuller’s glanced his header well wide of the far post following a whipped in cross from substitute Ted Ansell, another player on dual registration terms with the Darts.

 
Nick Smith, playing on the right off a four man Erith & Belvedere midfield, did all the hard work cutting in from the right into the middle, but he lashed his left-footed shot high and wide from 25-yards.
 
And with time running out the Deres paid their hosts the utmost respect by finding the corners.
 
But substitute Matt Johnson ignored instructions deep inside injury time when he burst towards the by-line before cutting the ball back for Collins to tap home from six-yards to score his sixth goal of the season.
 
“I thought we battled hard, they gave us a really good game – 3-1 didn’t do them any justice,” admitted Gorman.
 
“It was a close game (and) we just about nicked it, I think.
 
“Obviously we put the chances away, they didn’t.  You can say flattering, yes.
 
“It was a strange game really, end of the season, it was a battle really.
 
“They’ve got nothing to play for, we’ve got nothing to play for.  Just a typical end of season game.”
 
And Farnie was pleased with the performance from his resurgent side.
 
“I thought they edged it slightly,” he said.  “I thought they probably were slightly a little bit better than us tonight but overall I can’t complain with the work-rate my lads put in.
 
“I thought our quality at times was good (and) I thought (for) half an hour we dominated the game to be honest.
 
“If we had scored in that period, I think it might have been different but they got one, we got one back and then a mistake from us for the second goal.
 
“But overall I’m pleased with the way we played tonight.”
 
Farnie believes his side shouldn’t have lost by two goals.
 
He added: “It was flattering for them to be honest.  Three-one was not a fair reflection on what happened tonight.”
 
With former England World Cup star Gary Stevens taking over the club during the close season, Farnie revealed he still needs to discuss the future.
 

He said: “We’re going to sit down when the times right, which is going to be probaby end of April time, something like that.

"That's what I'm hoping but we haven't sat down and had a real good chat.

"I've told him I want some improvements.  I want somewhere to train on a regular basis and I just want a marked improvement off the field activities.

"I want the pitch a little bit better so you can get it down and play a little bit more - just an improvement in the general atmopshere and the feel around the football club to be honest."

 
Tunbridge Wells: James Simpson, Jason Bourne, Ben Hilden, Andy Boyle, Justin Shea, Brad Sandeman (Ted Ansell 56), Abdul El-Ferdi, Richard Bradbourne, Dave Hassett, James Carter, Joe Fuller (Luke Wallond 81).
Subs: Sam Phillips, Dean Spenceley, Stuart Robbins.
 
Booked: Abdul El-Ferdi 62, Dave Hassett 67
 
Goal: Joe Fuller 34
 
Erith & Belvedere:  Alan Hughes, Michael Scowan (Matt Johnson 87), Joe Diggings, Mitchell Crawley, Michael Gonzague, Tom Maycock, Nick Smith, Austin Berkley, Adrian Deane, Steve White, Steve Chioma (Micky Collins 83).
Subs: Richard Percy, Michael Johnson, Neil Murray.
 
Booked:  Michael Gonzague 55
 
Goals: Adrian Deane 22, Steve White 60, Micky Collins 90
 
 
Attendance: 66
Referee: Mr Steve Rowden (Rochester)
Assistants: Mr Martin Peck (West Malling) & Mr Chris Williams (Rainham)
 
 
 

TONIGHT’S RESULTS

 
Ryman League Division One South
 
Maidstone United  1-2 Chatham Town
 

Kent League Premier Division

 
Tunbridge Wells 1-3 Erith & Belvedere
 
 
Kent League Division One

Ramsgate  0-1 Folkestone Invicta
 
Kent League Division Two

Dover Athletic  2-1  Margate
 
Kent League Floodlight Trophy (East)

Ashford Town  0-2  Deal Town

Kent League Floodlight Trophy (West)
 
Faversham Town  1-1   Herne Bay
 
Lordswood  2-0  Chatham Town
 

THURSDAY’S FIXTURES 
 
Nationwide Conference South
 
Welling United  v  Thurrock
(at Gravesend & Northfleet FC, Stonebridge Road)
 
Kent League Premier Division
 
VCD Athletic  v  Sporting Bengal United

Kent League Division Two

Sittingbourne  v  Greenwich Borough