Tunbridge Wells 2-2 Thamesmead Town (AET) We should have beaten them, admits Farnie - EXCLUSIVE

TUNBRIDGE WELLS 2-2 THAMESMEAD TOWN (after extra time)
FA Carlsberg Vase First Round Proper
Saturday 6^th October 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium

Rikki Cable’s eighth goal of the season with ten minutes of normal time remaining prevented Kent League leaders Thamesmead Town being knocked out of the FA Vase at the first hurdle at Culverden Stadium today.

The striker, who plays on the left of a three-man attack, drove home the leveller to break Tunbridge Wells’ hearts, to force extra time.

Despite being in the bottom four in the Kent League table, Tunbridge Wells had numerous chances to win this game, but were forced to play with just substitute Mike Lord as a lone striker, having had striker Aaron Shade sent off for a second booking with 85 minutes on the clock.

Shade, who was initially booked on the stroke of half-time, was shown his second yellow card for kicking the ball away.

And from that moment, Tunbridge Wells’ chances of causing a shock disappeared, as Thamesmead Town gained the upper hand and looked like they would go on and win the game.

Thamesmead Town went into this game without big striker Richard Dimmock, whose netted 12 goals this season, as he was serving a suspension.

Bradley Killick was his replacement, whilst Scot Mulholland came in for Tony Gallagher, who was relegated to the subs’ bench.

And Thamesmead were forced to substitute Brown after 55 minutes, having turned his ankle.

For the home side, Brad Sandeman, whose previous clubs include Port Vale and Maidstone United, was forced to watch the match from behind the home dug-out due to tendonitis.

Midfielder Sam Phillips came in for Lloyd Gofton, who was “away” and teenage defender, Justin Shea replaced Dan Hunwick, who was benched.

And it was Thamesmead Town, a side that’s scored a whopping 38 goals during their first eleven competitive games this season, that opened the scoring.

Wells’ goalkeeper Matt Bromby was picking the ball out of his net after just four minutes and 13 seconds, and was at fault.

The former Tonbridge Angels stopper failed to make safe a drilled drive from James Brown and Curtis Williams was on hand to score his sixth goal of the season by stabbing the ball into the net.

The goal came about as Thamesmead were allowed to play their trademark slick passing football, started by a move down the right from Killick and Robbie Tarrant.

But despite the early set-back, Tunbridge Wells weren’t fazed and went on to thwart Thamesmead from playing.

And they almost levelled after eleven minutes when Shade stabbed his shot straight at Chris Conneally following Phillips’ near-post corner.

Tunbridge Wells scored a deserved leveller after 25 minutes through striker Ben Starkey, his second successive goal since being called up from the reserves.

All eyes were on Shade, who was losing his cool on the right hand side of the box, and the ball found its way to Starkey on the left-hand side.

The striker looped the ball over the advancing Conneally and seized on the opportunity and after the ball bounced once, stabbed the ball into the roof of the net from underneath the crossbar.

But Thamesmead almost hit back within three minutes, following their first corner of the game.

Cable exchanged a one-two with Tarrant and after twisting and turning, his shot brought a comfortable low save from Bromby.

A fine diagonal pass from central defender Lew Watts set Cable on his way down the left, and after riding a challenge from Andy Boyle, his left-footed shot was saved by the advancing goalkeeper.

The game was now poised at one-all and it was Tunbridge Wells who came close to taking the lead after 34 minutes.

Phillips delivered his corner towards the far-post and Boyle out jumped Conneally and headed the ball against the near-post.

But Thamesmead Town squandered a good chance just three minutes later, Brown skied a left-footed shot over from eight-yards after Tarrant’s corner fell into his path in the middle.

Referee Mr Robert Wilkins (Worthing), his first time in charge between these two sides, showed five yellows - and one red - during the game and Boyle was booked after the half-time whistle was blown for dissent.

Thamesmead Town, meanwhile, created a couple of chances within the opening two minutes of the second half.

A trademark Cable run, where he picked the ball up down the left channel, before cutting inside, resulted in his right-footed shot, from inside the D, bringing a comfortable save from Bromby.

And Bromby got his body behind the ball to deny Curtis Williams scoring with his left-footed shot from 25-yards.

Dave Forster, Tunbridge Wells’ combative central midfielder, was unlucky not to score with a bullet header from twelve yards, following Phillips’ fifth corner of the game, soon after.

And Tunbridge Wells fully deserved to take the lead with 57 minutes on the clock.

Following a clearance from Bromby, striker Joe Fuller latched onto Shade’s through ball and kept his composure when he only had the advancing Conneally to beat, and fired the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from twelve-yards to score his sixth goal of the season.

The confident hosts tried their luck from distance just one minute later, skipper Jason Bourne’s long-range drive bounced once before Conneally saved comfortably.

Shea’s solo run almost resulted in the teenage defender in scoring his first goal of the season, with 23 minutes left.

He picked the ball up on the half-way line and burst forwards into the penalty area but Conneally thwarted him.

With Tunbridge Wells dominating proceedings, Thamesmead wasted a good chance four minutes later to score against the run of play.

Mulholland, however, ballonned his right-footed free-kick high over the crossbar from a 28-yard free-kick.

Lord’s right-footed angled drive sailed over Thamesmead’s crossbar after Phillips and Shade combined in the 75^th minute.

A ripple of applause from the bank of terracing came after Bromby made a comfortable save from substitute Dean Burns - it’s always quiet at Culverden Stadium apart from one loyal supporter that shouts “come on you reds” at regular intervals.

But Thamesmead drew level when Cable exchanged passes with Brown, who had taken the initiative with a penetrating run, and Cable drove his shot past Bromby.

Shade’s bullet header, following a whipped in cross from substitute Lord, looped agonisingly across the face of goal as Wells could have won the game just two minutes after being pegged back.

But when Shade lost his cool, the screw turned in Thamesmead’s favour, and they went for the kill.

Brown powered a header over the top of the near post following Tarrant’s far-post corner and after skipping past Bourne, Mulholland dragged his shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post with an angled drive from 18-yards.

But both sides had to settle for an extra 30 minutes.

Substitute Pedro Knight rolled the ball to Mulholland and his angled left-footed drive was saved at the second attempt by Bromby.

Tunbridge Wells’ only chance of the first period arrived in the 96^th minute when Lord latched onto Phillips’ quickly taken free-kick and drilled his angled shot agonisingly past the far post.

Conneally was called into action with ten minutes of the game remaining, making a low comfortable save from Lord’s angled drive, after Fuller flicked on Bromby’s kick.

Burns’s weak shot from 20-yards rolled into Bromby’s arms two minutes later following Lee Loveridge’s cross from the right.

The replay at Bayliss Avenue (7:45pm) takes place on Tuesday night, but Martin Farnie, the Tunbridge Wells manager, felt his side should have won.

“I thought we should have won it today,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after his side’s battling display.

“I thought we were the better side for probably eighty minutes of the game today.

“They had a good start, we conceded a poor goal, but apart from that I thought we played really well today - I thought we were the better side.”

Farnie was delighted with the work ethic put in my his side.

He said: “I said to the boys’ before, “we’ve got to get in their faces, if we let them play they’ll beat us.”

“We got in their faces, we’ve been doing that recently as well, so it’s no surprise to me we’ve done well today.”

Thamesmead Town boss, Keith McMahon, meanwhile was thankful that his side salvaged a draw.

“To be fair, I think we’d take it after the performance today - we just weren’t good enough, didn’t play well,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Praising Tunbridge Wells, McMahon added: “Fair credit to them, they didn’t stop, they battled, worked harder than us but maybe to get them at home (for a replay) we would have took that I suppose after the 120 minutes.

“To be fair, we didn’t turn up, we didn’t battle. Tunbridge Wells, fair play to them, they’ve improved and made it hard for us.

“We made defensive errors today. For us, what we’ve done all year, we’ve been solid at the back and today we looked very poor defensively, as a team, not just the back three.

“We showed a little bit of character I suppose to come back and yes, we’d play a lot better Tuesday - we’re not going to play like that again!”

Tunbridge Wells: Matt Bromby, Jason Bourne, Andy Garrett, Justin Shea, Andy Boyle, Gary Clark, Aaron Shade, Dave Forster, Ben Starkey (Mike Lord 72), Joe Fuller, Sam Phillips.
Subs: Dan Hunwick, Dan McGahan, Adrian Hatcher, Alan Rogers.

Goals: Ben Starkey 25, Joe Fuller 57

Booked: Aaron Shade 45, Andy Boyle 45, Dave Forster 62

Sent off: Aaron Shade 85

Thamesmead Town: Chris Conneally, Lew Watts, Peter Deadman (Pedro Knight 63), James Brown, Dean Kearley, Lee Coburn (Lee Loveridge 55), Scot Mulholland, Robbie Tarrant, Curtis Williams, Rikki Cable, Bradley Killick (Dean Burns 45).
Subs: Tony Gallagher, Danny Kemp.

Goals: Curtis Williams 5, Rikki Cable 80

Booked: Scot Mulholland 2, Lee Coburn 41

Attendance: 80
Referee: Mr Robert Wilkins (Worthing, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Andrew Goddard (Worthing, West Sussex) & Mr David Bull (Brighton, East Sussex)