New Romney 2-3 Metrogas - I want to get sleeping giant Metrogas to SCEFL level, says trophy-winning manager Wayne Priestman

New Romney 2 – 3 Metrogas
Location	The Community Stadium, 251a New Hythe Lane, Larkfield, Maidstone, Kent ME20 6PU
Kickoff	16/05/2026 15:00

NEW ROMNEY  2-3  METROGAS
Bill Manklow Inter-Regional Challenge Cup Final
Saturday 16 May 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from New Hythe Lane

METROGAS manager Wayne Priestman says his club has ambitions to reach the Southern Counties East Football League First Division after winning the Bill Manklow Inter-Regional Challenge Cup for the second time in the club’s history.

The Gas finished their NRG Gyms Kent County League Premier Division (11^th  tier) campaign in eighth-place having picked up 58 points (18 wins, four draws and 14 defeats) from their 36 games.

Metrogas beat Cuxton (3-0), Ide Hill (2-1), AFC Rangers (2-0), Kent United (2-1) and AMG Ballerz (4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw) to reach the Final.

New Romney finished their campaign in 12^th place in the table, finishing seven points clear of the relegation zone, having picked up 45 points (14 wins, three draws and 19 defeats).

They have beaten Snodland Town Reserves (3-0), Equinoccial (2-1), Upchurch (4-2) and Stansfeld Oxford & Bermondsey Club (2-0) all away from home – but a lacklustre first half performance cost them in Larkfield today.

Metrogas scored twice inside the opening 11 minutes through winger Sahid Kamara and striker Daniel Igwe scoring his 13^th goal of the season, before New Romney centre-half Wayne Rogers pulled a goal back following a set-piece.

Kamara then notched his 14^th goal of the season to put Erith-based Metrogas firmly in the driving seat.

New Romney scored an injury-time consolation through striker Tom Walmsley’s fourth goal of the season.

“I thought we started off really, really well in the game,” said Priestman, 42.

“I think the first half, we were the much the better team. We spoke about it at the beginning of the game, having a fast start. Every time we start fast in games, we do well. When we’re slow in the first period of the game, it takes us a little bit longer to get into games but we spoke about a fast start.

“I thought New Romney were very good in the second half but I think the first half won us the game.”

New Romney player-manager, James Everitt, 39 tomorrow, added: “Hard to take. I thought first half we didn’t win any firsts, seconds. They were the better side.

“Shane Gore pulled out a couple of worldies and they’ve scored from the rebounds but look, we’ve had a long season, played a lot of games (45). I couldn’t ask for any more from the players.

“Second half, they just worked hard for us and gave us absolutely everything that they’ve had and on another day that just wins you the cup but today it didn’t, that’s football.”

The former Folkestone Invicta player was asked what was missing from his side.

“I thought the first half, winning the firsts and seconds and I think other than that, the passion and want and desire has always been there, working hard for each other has always been there.

“It’s just those fine margines.  First half, Metrogas won the firsts and then the seconds and second half we did it.  Second half, we were the better team.”

Metrogas came out with all guns blazing, with winger Harvey Mead being denied by 44-year-old former Wingate & Finchley (Isthmian League Premier) goalkeeper Shane Gore.

Right-back Adam Riley released Mead on an overlapping run and the winger cut towards the corner of the six-yard box but Gore stood tall and flicked the ball around his near post after only 72 seconds.

“Harry’s a very good player.  He used to play for us, then went to play higher at SCEFL Prem. He’s had spell at Stansfeld, Greenwich Borough and Glebe, came to us back end of the season to full in love with football and get minutes under his belt and he’s done well for us,” added Priestman.

Metrogas opened the scoring after only two minutes and 13 seconds on the clock, following the second phase of Wilfried Meledje’s resulting right-wing corner.

Riley recycled the ball back in from within the right channel and Alfie Raishbrook’s flicked downward header brought a brilliant diving save from Gore, diving to his right and using a strong right hand to push the ball away.

However, New Romney’s players failed to react and Metrogas’ left-back Kenzie Parkinson laid the ball inside for Kamara to take a touch before clinically curl his right-footed shot into the top far corner.

“Sahid’s a very good player. He’s scored from left-wing this season. He’s scored something like 14 goals this season from left-wing, done very well this year, so he’s got that ability in his locker,” said Priestman.

Everitt said: “It’s a great save! You know what you’re going to get from Shane. He’s a very experienced goalkeeper, it’s a great save but then it leads to the corner and they score from the corner.

“It’s hard to take but we’ve got to react a little bit quicker for it.  We didn’t get out to him quick enough to block the shot. It happens. It’s one of those games but it’s how you react afterwards,

“We reacted in the second half, not the first half but look you can’t take nothing away from my lads at all. Other games they get out and block it. This time, it didn’t happen.”

The impressive Meledje was pulling the strings for Metrogas inside the New Romney half, scooping man-of-the-match for his first half work.

The technically gifted central midfielder switched the play out to Mead on the right, who cut onto his left-foot and his 20-yard angled drive was pushed around the post by the diving Gore.

“Wilf is a fantastic, fantastic player. Wilf’s biggest issue is he’s never played at a level where he’s had to test himself and he’s got a few habits where sometimes he over plays but we spoke to him about what we wanted from him today and I agree, Wilf was a very good player and I think he was one of the best players on the pitch for me.”

However, a dominant Metrogas deservedly doubled their lead following the resulting corner, with 10 minutes and 4 seconds on the clock.

Attacking midfielder Raishbrook swung the ball in from the left, the ball bounced off someone within a crowd of players and fell to Igwe, who hooked the ball in with his right boot from four-yards.

“Dan’s done well this season, especially as last season he wasn’t a forward and he was a centre midfielder,” revealed Priestman.

“We played him up front in a couple of games and he did well so this year we gave him a chance of playing him as a forward.

“He should’ve scored a few more but he’s done well this year, not just his goals but his presence up front. He’s a big focal point. He brings a lot of other players into games and done a lot of tireless work.”

Everitt claimed: “I think it’s a bit of a foul on the keeper. You’ve got two around him, he can’t come out.  The arms are all around him but look other games you get it, today we didn’t get it and we’ve just got to react to that and we’ve just got to take it on the head now, just got to take it and build for next year.”

The nineteen-goal attacking midfielder Raishbrook was impressing during the first half and he played the ball in from the left and holding midfielder Alfie Fullbrook’s downward header at the back post was gathered by Gore, stepping to his left.

But New Romney pulled a goal back with 18 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock, following a quality left-wing free-kick.

Holding midfielder Joshua McCue swung in a left-footed delivery towards the near-post where captain Rogers hooked his left-footed shot into the bottom near corner from a tight angle and Priestman admitted Raishbrook lost his man.

“Good finish, a great ball. It’s a worldy strike from two yards.  But yes, he was in the right place at the right time and he’s finished if off, fair play to him,” said Everitt.

“Good, that’s what we want. We want us to be alert in the box and you wouldn’t thought of him being at 45 or whatever he is, to react that quick!”

Priestman added: “To be fair to New Romney, they looked very dangerous from set-pieces and we spoke about not giving set-pieces away today.

“The goal comes from one of our players switching off from when the ball falls down and he took responsibility at half-time.  Alfie put his hands up and said ‘that was my main, I should’ve been marking him’, and he’s got the tap in.”

Meledje and Raishbrook were making things tick for Metrogas during their dominant first half performance.

Metrogas fully deserved their 3-1 lead when it arrived with 34 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock, with slow and overweight Rogers at fault in the build-up.

Igwe cut into the box from the right and his shot was parried by Gore (who had poor distribution) diving to his right and Kamara swept home the rebound into the bottom right-hand corner from inside the six-yard box.

“If I remember it right, he plays the ball down the channel, Dan runs onto it, he gets a shot and the keeper saves it. Comes back out and Sahid Kamara is there for the rebound,” said Priestman.

“If we get good starts, I’m happy.  Second half, we spoke about just managing the game, so I don’t think we were as effective in the second half but we did what we wanted to do to see the game out until their late goal.”

Everitt added: “I think that’s a mistake by us trying to play out from the back but look we’ve made a mistake, they’ve punished us. If they made a mistake, sometimes we don’t punish them. That’s what they did today, they punished us on a mistake. It is what it is, that’s football.”

Gore made amends, however, making a comfortable low save, as Metrogas created another chance through some more poor defending from Rogers, who played for New Romney in their 5-2 defeat to Fred Dillon’s Chipstead in the 2019 Final in Rochester.

Meledje slipped a low left-footed pass into Kamara, who easily spun Rogers and his right-footed shot on the turn was comfortably gathered low to the keeper’s left.

“Sahid took the chances he creates this season, he could easily be on 25 goals. He’s even said it’s a part of his game that he needs to work on.  The more easier chances, for some reason, he doesn’t score. The harder chances, he does score,” added Priestman.

Meledje played the ball into Igwe, who laid the ball off for Raishbrook, who drilled a low first time right-footed angled drive across the stranded Gore, the ball flashing just past the foot of the far post.

Everitt was also impressed with Meledge, adding: “I thought the eight ran the game first half. We couldn’t get near him and you can’t really create if you can’t get near players like that.  You can’t get the ball down and play. If you’re not winning the firsts and seconds, he was just everywhere!”

New Romney’s chance on the stroke of half-time had a Hythe Town feel to it.

Left-back William Dempsey threw the ball inside to John Walker and the left-back drilled a speculative right-footed 35-yard attempt, which deflected past the post.

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Priestman said: “We were talking about not giving set-pieces away and not losing the ball cheaply on attacks.  They could always have a chance on set-pieces. They’re quite a big team.  Josh McCue has got a very good delivery and the other part of the game was when we attack, don’t pass the ball silly and then lose possession and allow them to counter-attack us.

“I felt like they left their two strikers up front and they played a very narrow four, which allowed them to get the ball very quickly.”

Everitt added: “I wasn’t best pleased, as you can imagine! I just said ‘look, we can turn this round, we can go on and beat them’, but we’ve got to have a bit more desire to get the firsts and seconds and win your headers and win your tackles.

“The lads came out and they’ve done that.  They’ve done exactly what I’ve asked and I think if we had another five minutes, we would’ve won that.”

Everitt brought himself on at the interval and New Romney started to play with plenty more desire and came out with all guns blazing at the start of the second half.

Warren Smith’s poorly executed free-kick delivery from the right flank was chested down by Walmsley before Jack Fenton sliced his shot past the near-post after 182 seconds.

An awful Rogers was cut open once more as Meledje’s through ball put Kamara through on goal before the Metrogas winger rolled the ball past the advancing Gore and past the foot of the far post in a one-v-one (5:37).

Raishbrook then fed Mead, who cut in from the left but hit his shot into the ground from 18-yards and Gore made a comfortable save low to his left.

The second half proved to be an non-event for the 172 spectators at New Hythe Lane, as Priestman declared his side had done all of their hard work before the interval.

New Romney were guilty of a glaring miss in the final 12 minutes when substitute striker Lucas Wade released Fenton on an counter-attack and lacked composure when it mattered, drilling his right-footed drive from 12-yards just past the right-hand post.

Everitt refused to throw wide attacker Fenton under the bus for his match defining miss.

“Look, he’s a young lad, he’s only 17. He’s been brilliant for us this year. Other days, it goes in. He’s been brilliant. I will moan at him if he’s not creating chances. If he’s missing chances, then that’s alright.  Other days he will score that. It’s nothing on Jack at all, he’s been brilliant.”

Priestman added: “Do you know what, I actually give a lot of credit to James Ashley, who came on. He tracks him and I think he puts him under enough pressure, where he’s got to make a decision. If James doesn’t track that run and get back, then eight’s got a free shot and he done well because he doesn’t foul him either and if he would’ve failed him, he would’ve been in trouble, so he’s got back and put enough pressure on the eight to put him under pressure.”

Metrogas goalkeeper Daryl Fishenden pulled off a brilliant save high to his left to ensure Rogers’ right-footed volley (after Smith’s deep delivery into the Metrogas penalty area) was tipped over the bar by the keeper’s outstretched right-hand.

“It’s a great save. I’m surprised Wayne got there again. They were better first half, we were better second half and they’ve taken their chances. We had a chance to make it three-all and we didn’t – it’s football,” admitted Everitt.

Priestman added: “Daryl’s made numerous saves like that in my spell at Metrogas and I’ve been here four or five years now and he can pull them out of the blue all the time.

“He’s a great goalkeeper, a great team player. He’s been at the club for I’d say over 10 years now, way before I’ve come and he’s been my number one since.

“I don’t think we were as good as the first half but the responsibility of the boys was not to do anything silly and overplay and just manage the game.

“I don’t think we were as affective but it was just not losing the game second half.”

New Romney had five minutes and 50 seconds of stoppage time to rescue the game and Walmsley did score with 46 minutes and 46 seconds on the clock.

Cody Stanton put the ball into the Gas penalty area, Everitt brought the ball down and his shot was kept out by Fishenden before Walmsley rifled in his left-footed shot in off the underside of the crossbar from eight-yards.

Everitt said: “Great finish.  Tom was in the right place at the right time. A good ball. We made the difference. The keeper saved it again and we were alert to the seconds. That’s something I said at half-time. We’ve got to be alert to the seconds and Tom was and we’ve scored from it.  Other day we do that straight from the off and it’s not a 3-2 loss.

Priestman added: “To be fair, the done well the whole second half. I feel like they had nothing to lose and they came out and James Everitt came on and he’s a very physical player, very strong player and he’s a leader for them, that’s why he’s player-manager.

“When we played them previously last season, I think he scored two against us in a game for them, so we know his danger. We spoke about when he came on, I just didn’t expect him to play in midfield. When we played them previously, he played up top and had a massive effect on the game, so he’s a good player."

Reflecting on Metrogas’ second Inter-Regional Challenge Cup success, Priestman added: “It’s a great achievement for myself as a manager and my management team.  It’s a great end to the season for us and that’s two trophies now in two years.

“I’m disappointed with an eighth-place finish. I feel like we should’ve been higher. We should’ve won more points.

“Our aim was to finish top five this year so I’m disappointed in that but pleased with a cup.

“Next season, like this season, we want to be challenging at the top of the table. We’re looking at maybe bringing in two or three more players of high quality to add it.

“I feel like we need someone who can score 25 goals in a season, that’s our biggest thingy, we don’t normally concede many goals (62 in 36 League games) but scoring goals (78) is an issue for us.

“We can’t rely on wingers and centre midfielders scoring 20 plus goals and not scoring that up front. We need our strikers scoring 25 goals.

“There’s no budget but the boys only have to pay for their yellow and red cards, so there’s no subs, no signing-on gees. The club back us fully with tracksuits, coats, everything we need, they back us.

“A new chairman has come in, who supports us fully and we’re looking to play at a SCEFL level ground next season again, so we can push on next season.

“We’re at Erith Leisure Centre but I don’t know if it’s true that Erith Leisure Centre is potentially being downgraded, I don’t know if that’s true. It’s something that were looking into because obviously the whole point of playing at a ground like that with floodlights is so you can push on.

“We wanted promotion this year and we go again next year and we’ll look to bring in two or three players to help us progress onto SCEFL level. I think if Metrogas can get into the SCEFL, it’s a sleeping giant.

“We’ve got 35 youth teams, so the club is there.  It’s built for SCEFL football. If you look at a lot of SCEFL clubs, they haven’t got the infrastructure that we’ve got other than the ground, that’s the only thing we lack.  We’ve got a thriving youth set-up, teams that have won Kent Youth League titles, SELKENT titles at youth level. just get us into the SCEFL.

“When I came in, I said my first aim would be to get us back into the Kent County Prem. Off the back of that, I want us to win trophies and cups and we’ve done that and the only thing I need to do and the boys need to do is get to SCEFL level and then we’ve ticked every box that we’ve said we’ll do at Metrogas.”

Everitt, meanwhile, will start planning for a better campaign next season.

“It’s been hard, very hard with the amount of injuries we’ve had. I think at one stage I had 14 players out and a suspended player. That’s hard on any team, especially us.

“We’re a club, we don’t pay money. We don’t pay travel expenses. They do it at their kind of their heart and they give their all effort to everything and having that amount of players out constantly, there’s nothing you can do as a club.  You’ve got to keep going and give their all and that’s what they’ve done all season.

“I never thought in any shape or form we would go down and I also said if we’ve got everyone fit in the season wed be in the top five and I still believe that.

“It’s a very hard job, making decisions and doing everything but you learn.  I’ve learnt loads throughout the whole season. I’ve learnt from Cugs (legendary former Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley) and I’ve leaned on people throughout the whole summer and year to help and do what we’ve got to do this year.

“Hopefully next year it will be a little bit easier and a bit better, get things a bit more organised, a bit more earlier but yes, it’s not too bad.

“I haven’t spoken to them about next season yet.  I said I wanted to get the final out and done with. I’ll speak to everyone this week but I want to make a real go with it next year, get some new players in, keep these players, all of them and I know I’m going to lose one or two and we’ll go from there.”

New Romney: Shane Gore, Daniel Binder (Cody Stanton 87), William Dempsey, Joshua McCue (James Everitt 46), Wayne Rogers, John Walker, Warren Smith, Jack Fenton, Arthur Pickering (Lucas Wade 74), Tom Walmsley, Vinnie Perry (Monty Saunders 66).
Sub: Edgar Rees

Goals: Wayne Rogers 19, Tom Walmsley 90

Booked: James Everitt 64, Jack Fenton 81

Metrogas: Daryl Fishenden, Adam Riley (Jack Wall 82), Kenzie Parkinson, Alfie Fullbrook, Harry Brierley (Frederick Kavanagh 71), Joe Smith, Sahid Kamara (Edward Cowap 86), Wilfried Meledje (Billy Marsh 77), Daniel Igwe, Alfie Raishbrook (Wilfried Meledje 90), Harvey Mead (James Ashley 67)

Goals: Sahid Kamara 2, 35, Daniel Igwe 11,

Booked: Kenzie Parkinson 48, Wilfried Meledje 37, Daniel Igwe 68

Attendance: 172
Referee: Mr Michael Dye
Assistants: Mr Ricky Heinson & Mr Tom Foad
Fourth Official: Mr Matthew Burchett