Lordswood 1-2 Tunbridge Wells - Those that work hardest get the rewards in life, says Martin Larkin

The Culverden Stadium outfit were described as bridesmaids after losing their previous four finals in 1986, 1992, 2006 and 2011, but they were rather fortunate to beat an impressive Lordswood side, who deserved more than a cruel defeat on their first appearance in the final.

Lordswood boss Jason Lillis, who will team up with Ryman League Division One South club Whitstable Town at the end of the season to assist Nicky Southall, was immensely proud of his players but blamed wastefulness in front of goal as the main reason for picking up runners-up medals.

Lillis said: “Obviously the best side lost that but if you give them chances they’ll take them and they had two shots at goal all game and scored two and we’ve had chances, dominated the game and not taken our chances and that’s the story of our life really.

“It’s not so much I don’t think they played well.  I think we didn’t make them play well.  I mean we’re a good side.  When my boys are consistent and they do their jobs right we’re a match for anyone.  We proved it in the FA Vase run, playing against some great sides. 

“My boys can hold their heads up high, what they’ve achieved today.”

But Larkin, 32, said it was all about winning on the day.

He said: “We won, we won, that’s all that matters.  Whenever you get to a final you don’t get prizes for playing well. You get prizes for winning and that’s what we did.  We found a way.  There was a really strong wind, but Lordswood put us under a bit of pressure a little bit but we found a way.  We couldn’t get out of our half for the first half.  Second half we found a way and that’s all important.”

Lordswood, who went into the game sitting in seventh-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table with 41 points from 25 games, three fewer points than sixth-placed Tunbridge Wells, who have three games in hand, opened the scoring early on.

Tunbridge Wells keeper Chris Oladogba was credited with an own-goal after a brilliant free-kick from Lordswood striker Jordan Wells, which gave the underdogs a deserved early lead.

But the large numbers of Tunbridge Wells fans in the 736 crowd were celebrating their equaliser, when Lordswood skipper Gary Cook scored an unfortunate own-goal.

But an immaculate curler from Tunbridge Wells’ winger Jon Pilbeam ensured that this season’s FA Carlsberg Vase Finalists will take the three-handled piece of silverware back down the road.

It was Tunbridge Wells’ first trophy for 25 years and Larkin added: “We’re very proud.  The players were fully aware of that. They wanted to win stuff because all the hard work that goes in is there because you want the rewards. 

“Those that work hardest get the rewards in life and that’s what we’ve done today.  We dug in, there was times there when we were on the rack. 

“Lordswood played really well, which we expected because it’s a cup final for them as well, but in the second half we found a way and that’s all that matters.”

The Tunbridge Wells supporters gave their heroes excellent vocal support from inside the north stand – this final attracting the largest crowd to watch a match at Tonbridge Angels’ Longmead Stadium this season.

The coin toss brought a chant of “we’re the famous Tunbridge Wells and we’re going to Wembley,” – but Lordswood were to break the deadlock with only 9 minutes and 17 seconds on the clock with a free-kick that would have graced the national stadium.

Lordswood right-back Joe Kane was brought down by Joe Fuller from behind and referee Lee Dyson awarded a free-kick, 28-yards from goal.

With the red-shirted Tunbridge Wells players lined up along the 18-yard line, Jordan Wells clipped a sublime right-footed free-kick over the wall and the ball curled towards the top right-hand corner.

Unfortunately for the Lordswood striker Oladogba stepped to his left and the ball bounced down off the angle of post and bar, bounced off the goalkeeper and dropped over the line for an own-goal.

Larkin felt it was harsh that his highly-rated keeper was awarded the own-goal – but if a shot hits the woodwork and goes in off a goalkeeper or a defender than the goal cannot be awarded to the attacker.

He said: “That’s a bit harsh, I think, if it goes in as an own-goal.  It’s very, very harsh because it’s a very, very good free-kick.  It’s the one place you probably don’t want that space to put it in to score and he’s done it.  I’m not going to fault Chris at all.  Chris has kept us in the game with some very good saves.”

Lillis added: “He can have that one! I’m going to give him that one!

“He’s a good player. He’s on for better things. He’s been a bit slack lately but today he’s pulled it out.  I’m not going to praise just one player.  My players gave me everything today, every inch of them.”

Lordswood created and squandered some decent chances to put the game to bed during a one-sided first half.

Lee Maskell whipped in a corner from the left towards the far post and Kane sent his header across goal and past the far post.

Maskell then swept the ball out to Peter Huggens, who laid the ball inside to Imran Englefield, who cut inside from the left and his right-footed shot from 25-yards clipped of Tunbridge Wells skipper Jason Bourne and Oladogba caught the ball at the second attempt.

Lordswood’s two left-sided players then tried their luck from 30-yards.

Larkin’s side allowed Englefield to run forward before he cracked a right-footed drive, which sailed harmlessly over, before 75 seconds later full-back Adam Hooper drove his shot straight at Oladogba.

It took Tunbridge Wells 27 minutes to create their first goalscoring opportunity, such was Lordswood’s dominance.

Andy Irvine clipped the ball into Jack Harris’ chest and he cushioned his header across goal to give Andy McMath an opening, but his right-footed drive from sixteen-yards bobbled into Matt Byott’s arms.

Lillis rued another excellent chance when 22-goal striker Mark Murison stole the ball off central defender Perry Spackman outside the box before dribbling forward but he lost composure and skied his right-footed shot from sixteen-yards.

Lillis said: “That’s what you get from Mark. He’ll do something brilliant and then he’ll just…”

Before adding: “He’s learning. We’ve got him out of local football. He’s learning.  If he just keeps on going what he’s doing and he wants to believe in that he’s going to be a good player then that’s what you are.”

Tunbridge Wells created a half-chance when McMath whipped in an excellent cross with his right-foot and Harris glanced his header across goal and Kane headed the ball up in the air and Byott did well to catch the ball under pressure.

McMath produced another precise free-kick towards the far post for Spackman to plant his bullet header narrowly over the Lordswood crossbar from eight-yards.

But the game’s turning point came with the last kick of the first half when Lordswood should have doubled their lead with another well-rehearsed training ground free-kick.

Cook back-heeled the ball to Kane who unleashed a powerful right-footed drive towards goal, which Oladogba parried upwards and Murison agonisingly looped his header over when well-placed from ten-yards.

Lillis added: “I think that was the key thing. I mean he’s got to score there but he always gets in those situations. One he’ll score them and then he won’t, but I’m not going to say anything about that. We should’ve won the game!”

Going through his first half chances, Lillis said: “You’ve got enough paper?  They’ve had two all the way through the game and we’ve had loads and don’t take them.  We needed that second goal in the first half just to calm us a little bit, but fair play to them, they’ve come through and got the win.”

Larkin was full of praise for his opponents and said: “They played well.  I expected them to play well, they’re a very good side.  They’re very well organised and got some dangerous players. They’re always going to play well, it’s a cup final and we didn’t.

“We had to have some words at half-time.  We sort of gave them ten minutes to try and fix it and we couldn’t, so we changed what we wanted to do and we found that way to win and that’s what we’ve been doing since October.”

Larkin added: “We had a few choice words with a few individuals’, which we don’t normally do, but we did that and the belief is always there. We’ve built this belief over the last five or six months, that’s what’s pulled us through the Vase games, that’s what pulled us through the cup games and the spirit is there and that’s what dragged us through.”

With Tunbridge Wells attacking the end where their supporters were housed throughout the entire game, they created an opening when Bourne played the ball down the line and Pilbeam cut the ball inside to Stanford, who ballooned his left-footed shot high over the bar from 20-yards after 53 minutes.

Lordswood striker Jordan Wells then stroked a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which Oladogba saved low to his right, before Larkin made a tactical change and brought Carl Cornell into the fray and a tired-looking Tunbridge Wells side began to tick.

The game began to edge towards Tunbridge Wells and Pilbeam whipped in a cross from the left-hand side of the box and Harris’ towering header from 12-yards looped into Byott’s hands and right-back Kane went down with cramp.

Tunbridge Wells received a big slice of luck when they clawed themselves back from the dead in the 58^th minute.

Cornell played an excellent pass to release Pilbeam down the left-hand side of the penalty area, and he raced comfortably past the struggling Kane, before driving a low cross towards the near post.

Lordswood keeper Byott managed to swiftly get down low beside the post to push the ball away, but the ball bounced off Cook and nestled inside the bottom near corner for the second own-goal of the game.

Larkin said: “I thought the ball before from Hooley (Cornell) was the ball.  Hooley dropped into that hole, like we wanted him to do and with the outside of his right foot he’s spinned it out to Pilbeam.  It was a fantastic pass from Hooley.  Pilbs has done what he does. He got outside of him, put the ball in dangerous areas and that’s what we ask him to do in training – put crosses into dangerous areas.  Unfortunately for Cookie it’s bounced off him and gone in.”

Lillis added: “I didn’t realise it was an own-goal until he told me!  It was a great save and he’s parried it onto him and that’s just unlucky! What can you do about that?  But my boys responded well.”

Lordswood, however, responded well, and Kane played the ball across the face of the penalty area for Englefield to crack a right-footed drive from 20-yards, which only just cleared the crossbar, as did a similar effort from Cook.

But Lordswood squandered a gilt-edged chance in the final ten minutes, which would have sealed a deserved victory.

Murison delivered an excellent cross from the right and the unmarked Jordan Wells glanced his header harmlessly wide, when in truth should have at least tested the Tunbridge Wells keeper.

Lillis admitted: “I think we should’ve scored in the second half a couple of times as well.

“That’s the killer instinct you need,” Lillis said of the miss.  “I mean you can go through a list of chances of what we had but these boys are learning so I just hope they can take the leaf how they performed there and just get better.”

That miss proved crucial as Tunbridge Wells produced a real piece of quality to grab victory with six minutes left.

Fuller played the ball into Cornell’s feet, who dribbled along the edge of the Lordswood penalty area before rolling the ball back to the unmarked Pilbeam, who cut inside to create a yard of space before unleashing a brilliant curler with his right-foot, which flew beyond Byott’s despairing dive to find the top far corner of the net.

Lillis said: “It was a great finish, but at the end of the day we should’ve got a bit tighter to him. We knew he was always going to cut inside and we just never got close to him but great finish so what a great finish.

“Games are won and lost what the other team do and they scored two and we scored one.”

Larkin hailed Pilbeam’s fourteenth-goal of the season and said: “He did very similar in the semi-final against Erith & Belvedere. He’s put it into the top corner. He’s got that ability. He’s a fantastic player.  A lot of his dangerous work is his pace and his wing play and he scores goals as well. He’s scored a lot of goals this year and that was a fantastic finish and worthy of winning any cup final.”

The Tunbridge Wells faithful chanted “are you watching Spennymoor?” but Larkin’s side will have to perform much, much better if they are to beat the big-spending Northern League outfit underneath the Wembley Arch on 4 May.

Larkin said: “We’ve got a really good side. It’s about time the guys get given credit for it.  We’ve got a very good set of players here.  They’re playing some good stuff and winning important games.  You want them to get the credit they deserve. 

“There’s only one other Kent League side (Deal Town) that’s got to Wembley for a final.  We’ve won a trophy today. We’re going to finish high in the league if we win our games in hand.  It’s a very talented bunch. They deserve the full credit.”

Larkin praised his club’s supporters who inspired their team and made it seem like a home game in neighbouring Tonbridge.

“We knew they’d be noisy for us. They were great behind the goal, they’re fantastic. It gets better and better playing in front of those sort of large crowds.”

Larkin has changed the mentality at Culverden Stadium this season.

He said: “We’ve build this winning culture and winning games is what we do. We found a way.  The way we wanted to go and win it wasn’t quite working so we changed it with half an hour to go and tried to win it a different way and we did and again that’s what we’ve been doing since October really.”

Larkin’s side will be playing in front of a thousands more people in their next cup final.

The Tunbridge Wells boss said: “We’ve sold six thousand plus tickets for Wembley and I hope we get close to ten thousand and if we do that it will be a big springboard for the club to kick on.

Revealing the mood inside the Lordswood dressing room afterwards, Lillis, who is targeting a top-five finish, replied: “They’re disappointed. It’s a strange feeling because the boys are proud with what they’ve done and it’s just not nice it didn’t go our way.”

Lordswood: Matt Byott, Joe Kane, Adam Hooper, Gary Cook, Peter Huggens, Dan Wells, Imran Englefield (Ellis Trutwein 90), Lee Maskell, Jordan Wells, Mark Murison, Sam Hallett (Stephen Munn 85).
Subs: Steven Sage, Beau Taylor, Grant McIlheron

Goal:  Chris Oladogba 10 (own goal)

Booked: Joe Kane 5, Adam Hooper 52, Peter Huggens 69, Imran Englefield 75

Tunbridge Wells: Chris Oladogba, Jason Bourne, Tom Carr, Joe Fuller, Scott Whibley, Perry Spackman, Jon Pilbeam, Andy McMath, Andy Irvine (Richard Sinden 89), Jack Harris, Josh Stanford (Carl Cornell 57).

Goals: Gary Cook 58 (own goal), Jon Pilbeam 84

Booked: Andy McMath 55, Jack Harris 72

Attendance: 736
Referee: Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend)
Assistants: Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone) & Mr Michael Ingram (Chatham)
Fourth Official: Mr David Smart (Maidstone)