Sevenoaks Town 0-6 Tunbridge Wells - We were the masters of our own downfall, admits Simon Jones

The Wells must play their last 11 league games in the next 21 days, starting with home games against Deal Town on Tuesday night, then Canterbury City 48 hours later, before locking horns with Lordswood to contest the Kent Senior Trophy Final at Longmead Stadium on Sunday.

Larkin’s heroes complete their campaign with The FA Carlsberg Vase Final against big-spending Spennymoor Town at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 4 May, aiming to replicate Tommy Sampson’s Deal Town’s heroes when they defeated Chippenham Town 1-0 thanks to THAT Roly Graham winner thirteen years ago.

Tunbridge Wells extended their unbeaten run to fifteen games with an emphatic 6-0 win over their neighbours Sevenoaks Town at Greatness Park tonight – five of the goals that came in the first half, which left struggling Sevenoaks embarrassed.

Jack Harris, 19, who was being watched by Blue Square Bet (Conference) Premier side Dartford, did his chances of progressing in the game no harm at all by scoring a well-taken 35 minute hat-trick, before wingers Stuart Thorley and Josh Stanford (2) got in on the act.

Tunbridge Wells leapfrogged over Lordswood and Corinthian into fifth-place in the table with 43 points from 21 games – sixteen points behind leaders Erith & Belvedere, with four games in hand.

“It’s probably not going to happen in terms of the amount of games we’ve got in such a short space of time,” Larkin said of his title chances.

“It’s not to say we can’t keep the momentum going. We’ve still got VCD and Erith & Belvedere but we’ve got bigger things, not bigger things, that’s the wrong word, we’ve got two cup finals to concentrate on and there’s too many games in a short space of time, but that’s not to say we won’t try to win every game, but it’s defiantly between those two at the top I would’ve thought.”

For Sevenoaks Town, their largest defeat of the season leaves them nine points adrift of Fisher at the foot of the table, after collecting a miserable three wins and a draw from 27 league outings.

All Sevenoaks Town boss Simon Jones could do was to hold his hand up and admit his side came off second best in all departments.

“Tunbridge Wells are a very good side,” said Bromley based Jones.

“Let’s be honest about it, a very good side. They played with a good pace, a good tempo, a good level of quality and they moved the ball quickly and we couldn’t compete with it.

“We’ve got a lot of inexperience, a lot of youth. It caught us off guard and we ended up capitulating ourselves but it was credit to them.  I thought first half they were excellent.  I thought we didn’t stand up to the challenge very well.  We got ourselves disorganised and out of shape.

“I think it was a good lesson for the boys. It was a serious talking to at half-time. A bit of change. A bit of focus and again in a weird sort of way it’s probably just what the team sometimes needs – to be shown to be reminded in practical terms what we tell them every week about how they should be looking at things and how they should be reacting to the game and on that basis credit to Tunbridge Wells. Well played and for our boys a good lesson to learn. 

“This will leave them a scar on the back they will always remember and force them to play better in the future.”

Sevenoaks Town played a big part in their downfall and embarrassing defending gifted Wembley bound Tunbridge Wells an early lead.

Chris Page’s clearance rebounded off Billy Simpson and Carl Cornell picked up the loose ball and passed to Harris, who slotted his left-footed shot across goalkeeper Yves Banpellenga to roll the ball into the bottom far corner after only 92 seconds.

Larkin challenged his side to gain revenge for their 1-0 home defeat to their neighbours back in August.

He said: “Pleased with the first half. We were very, very good.  The team talk was pretty simple. It was to challenge the guys to come out and perform. We haven’t got a great record in this derby, which is disappointing, considering the difference in the size and the quality in the season.  So we were upset losing that game at our place at the start of the season and we wanted to win here tonight. We wanted to win and really turn it on and I thought in the first half we did.”

Reflecting on the first goal, Larkin said: “Again, it’s preparation.  We knew they like to play from the back at certain times and we told Jack and Hooley (Cornell) to play nice and high and see if we can nick something early and we did that and 90 seconds is pretty quick and he took the goal well.”

Jones admitted his side started poorly.

He said: “At the beginning there were too many times that we were the masters of our own destruction and if the truth be told we’d try to either over complicate things or take too long on the ball and failed to close down at the right time, put the right level of pressure on and it was probably a bit too easy.

“In that first half I can probably count three, maybe four of the goals which should’ve been cleared, should’ve been defended better and I think with a little bit more desire, a little bit more passion, the guys don’t’ concede these goals – but we did!”

Harris then played the ball inside to Cornell, who unleashed a powerful right-footed drive from 30-yards, which sailed harmlessly wide of the post, before Sevenoaks’ first shot on target came inside five minutes when central midfielder Page hit a left-footed drive from 30-yards, which bounced into Michal Czanner’s gloves.

Yet more poor defending, this time from Simpson, gave Cornell another chance but Banpellenga dived to his left to make the save.

Tunbridge Wells’ midfielder Sam Phillips then clipped a ball towards the far post for Joe Fuller to ghost in unmarked to plant his header wide.

There was clearly a gulf in class between the two neighbours and Sevenoaks Town’s first half performance was simply embarrassing, with people in blue not working as a team and playing as eleven individuals.

The close season is the time for Sevenoaks to mirror Tunbridge Wells by signing local based players, who want to play for the badge with pride and passion and know the meaning of tonight’s game, something that was clearly lacking tonight.

Thorley, Harris and Cornell linked up well in the 20^th minute but Phillips shanked his shot wide of the near post, before sloppy defending from Sevenoaks Town helped Tunbridge Wells double their lead halfway through the first half.

Harris was brought down by a challenge from Simpson on the edge of the box and Cornell clipped his right-footed free-kick over the wall from 20-yards, the ball crashing down off the crossbar and Thorley reacted to the loose ball to place the ball into the net from close range.

Larkin said: “Hooley was good tonight. He got four assists in the first half. It was a really good free-kick. It was unlucky not to go in. Stuart reacted in the box. Stuart is a really good player. He can play in a number of positions and he’ll certainly get some game time. He took his goal well.”

Thorley is now being rewarded for his patience with a start here tonight.

“He was really good at the start of the season. He was unfortunate when someone like Lewis Mingle becomes available. We definitely didn’t want to lose Lewis in the summer so to have him back was fantastic and unfortunately Stuart has been left out a little bit.  Stuart is also away at university so it’s his last year at uni so he’s travelling up from Brighton and next year he’ll be here full-time so we’ll be using him a lot more.”

Jones added: “That was my biggest complaint to the boys. It was along the lines that it was a good free-kick. The keeper’s done quite well with a little fingertip to touch it on to the bar but we all stood like statues and Tunbridge Wells were a bit more eager to get to the second ball and knock it in.

“This is where we can learn a bit in the future about where our inexperience counts against us. We’ve got so many youngsters in the side. It’s difficult for them to actually react to the second ball where the more experienced boys are half a yard ahead of them.  Again, it’s another good lesson for the team.”

It could have been three when Stanford unleashed a low left-footed drive which forced Banpellenga to dive low to his right to tip around the post.

Sevenoaks Town squandered a decent chance to claw themselves back into the game when Aaron Johnson clipped the ball forward from midfield and Scott Whibley slipped and former Erith Town winger Chris Walker drilled a powerful left-footed drive wide of the far post.

Harris then produced two brilliant finishers, within five minutes to put the game to bed.

Goal number three arrived in the 32^nd minute when right-back Jason Bourne delivered a free-kick some 40-yards from goal and Harris rose like a salmon to plant his header over the stricken keeper to find the top far corner from 12-yards.

Larkin said: “We’ve been on at Jack for two years about his heading and that side of his game. He was superb tonight. He was really good.  We challenged him strongly on Saturday to pick things up and start driving his season forward. He had a lot of disruption with his shoulder injury and the sending-off at the start of the season. He’s coming hot right at the right time and when he’s hot, he’s hot and it was a really good goal.”

Jones was stunned when he noticed that his smallest player was marking Harris.

“We left Tommy (Whelan), a small full-back, a very, very good full-back, but we’ve allowed the most prolific header of the ball to go with our smallest player. Again, that’s a level of our naivety where we have to match up size for size and take responsibility.  I think it could be defended but all credit. It was a good header let’s be honest.”

Prized asset Harris produced an even better finish when Phillips’ ball over the top released Stanford down the left and he cut the ball across the face of the penalty area for Harris, who allowed the ball to roll across him, before taking a touch and unleashing a right-footed screamer into the top far corner from 17-yards, to score his 21^st goal of the season.

Jones said: “Again, we sat back off him and allowed the ball to bounce and it allowed him to look, allowed him to set and allowed him to finish and with a little bit more desire to get out to the ball and close the space down.  Credit to the boy. It was a nice finish.”

Larkin said: “He does that all the time in training. Some of the goals he scores in training are unreal and he certainly finished that one well.”

Conference South leaders Welling United were interested in Harris last summer and Conference Premier Dartford are keeping tabs on Harris presently and on this performance Larkin expects to be listening to offers after the club’s date at Wembley Stadium.

“He shouldn’t be here! What we said at the start of the season if he had not had the sending-off, not had the broken shoulder, he wouldn’t be here now,” said Larkin.

“He’s a very, very good player. He’s still got a lot to learn.

“We’re in talks with a couple of clubs about his improvement and that kind of thing so if a club come knocking then we’ll sit down with Jack and make the right decision for him and guide him on his way.

“But if he wants to stay then obviously we want to keep him.  We’re looking to be very competitive next year. We’ve got a lot to play for this year and he’s a massive part of that.”

Tunbridge Wells had a goal ruled out when Stanford clipped a cross towards the far post for Cornwell to nod in but assistant referee Oliver Fyfe had already raise his offside flag.

But goal number five did arrive in the 44^th minute, with an “EASY, EASY” chant coming from a travelling supporter.

Harris picked the ball up inside the Sevenoaks half, laid the ball off for Cornell to release Stanford down the left and with keeper Banpellenga shamefully out of position, the winger placed a left-footed half-volley into the bottom far corner.

Jones said: “I was disappointed with that, the goalkeeper’s position. There was a lot of issues on that one. I think it was a bit of a comedy of errors if the truth be told.”

Larkin said: “He said he meant it! He puts balls in good areas and that was a good one.  The goalkeeper possibly wasn’t quite great and Josh took advantage of it and put it away.   I thought Josh was superb tonight. He lost his spark a little bit in the last few games but he certainly got it back tonight.”

Sevenoaks Town’s players trudged off the pitch arguing amongst themselves and Jones revealed that he had to lift his players during the half-time interval.

Jones responded and made a triple substitution, hauling off Banpellenga and youth team keeper Calum Keswick came on to prevent the scoreline going into double figures.

Jones said: “I made a sub keeper because I wanted to change the keeper.  The other keeper wasn’t injured. It’s as simple as that. I wanted to change it.  I felt it was beneficial to the team.”

When asked what he said to his players at the break, Jones simply wanted his players to show some heart.

“Honestly? I think what we talked about was show a bit more desire, recognising all of the strengths that Tunbridge Wells have shown against us.  How we were going to counter act their style of play and how they were performing.

“Could we stand up to that challenge? Could we actually shake off the real disappointment of the first half.

“What we were looking for were champions and leaders in the dressing room because it would’ve been easy to go out there and capitulate another five and walk off with a crazy double score because as a management team we could only send the players out there so we sent them out to play with a bit more heart.

“One of the biggest problems in the first half was when we had the ball we gave it away constantly so it was a reminder what colour shirt we played in, making sure we found our footwork, we find our players, we moved the ball quicker and that we actually close the space down and work harder when they’re on the ball.

“It was about improving the quality and being honest with them. Saying you’ve got a choice. You can either go out there and show some heart and some spirit or you can crumble and fold and let’s see what you’ve got inside you!”

Larkin wanted a clean sheet.

He said: “We said keep our standards and a clean sheet.  I didn’t want them scoring. We wanted that clean sheet. We knew naturally we’d drop off a little bit in the second half because we’ve got a game tomorrow and a game Thursday and a cup final Sunday.

“The boys naturally weren’t going to put things in and we knew we were going to make three changes so we’d dropped off a little bit.

“We should’ve scored a few more. Sinden had a couple of chances, he should’ve scored. Hooley should’ve scored two. We’ve missed a penalty.

Tunbridge Wells took their foot of the pedal during the second half, reserving energy for Deal Town on Tuesday night, and this allowed Sevenoaks Town to restore some respectability.

But Fuller swung a corner in from the left into the Sevenoaks Town box, which came out to Jason Barton, who powered the ball back into the danger area and Keswick used his legs to deny Lewis Mingle his first goal of the season.

Sevenoaks Town’s best bet, however, was to give the ball to Walker down the right and the winger cracked a speculative long range drive which was caught by the Slovakian keeper.

Sevenoaks Town substitute Mickandress Makangou did well to steal the ball off Bourne inside the box and he cut the ball back to Alfred Koroma, whose shot was blocked by Barton, showing that only one team on the park had the desire for a west Kent derby.

Stanford cracked a left-footed drive which forced Keswick into diving full-length to his left to block, the ball looping narrowly wide of the post.

And at the other end, Dwayne Morris played a sublime diagonal pass to Walker, whose low drive forced Czanner to dive low to his left to catch the ball beside his near post.

Walker then unleashed another long-range drive, this time his right-footed shot from 30-yards sailing narrowly over, as the home side finally showed some balls.

“Chris has just come back to us again. He’s starting to look a little bit better as well because I think he’s starting to flourish a bit with a run of games because at Erith Town he was a bit player by the end.  For now we want him now to have a run and get up to speed.

“Dwayne Morris, as well, the pair of them gave us something different. We have to give them the ball though and that’s what the problem was in the first half. We’ve got two very talented, skilful, very good players for us bit if you don’t give them the ball, they’re a waste of time for us and second half we gave them the ball and it showed that they can play.”

Sevenoaks Town boss Jones admitted he was unclear why his side were awarded a 66^th minute penalty after Barton was adjudged to have pushed one of his players in the box.

Jones said: “I didn’t really see it. It was the far end of the pitch, in a shadowy areas of the floodlights. I couldn’t honestly see. I was surprised. First of all I thought it was a free-kick to them and then the next thing I knew the referee came across and pointed to the spot so I had no ideas what happened to be honest.

“Credit to Dwayne for stepping up. We’ve all been saying earlier on we’ve either wanted Chris Page or Alfie (Alfred Koroma) to stand up and take the penalties and on neither of our penalties they took them and I’m disappointed with that.

“There’s a structure here. Let’s get a goal, get back into it and play on and what happens was we look around and Dwayne take it and it’s a good save to be honest with you and they go at the other end and they miss and we go up the other end and then another one gets saved!”

Morris stepped up and his left-footed penalty was destined to creep into the bottom left-hand corner, but Czanner dived to his left to push the ball around the post.

Larkin added: “The referee said Barton pushed him in the back but it wasn’t a penalty.  It’s not great refereeing to be honest but they got it. He struck it fairly well. It was going in the bottom corner. Michal’s made a fantastic save. It was a very, very good save to be fair to him and you could see form the reaction of the boys how important the clean sheet was.”

It appeared that Tunbridge Wells showed Sevenoaks Town some disrespect when they too were awarded a penalty in the 70^th minute when Sevenoaks substitute Matt Parker brought down Tunbridge Wells substitute Brad Large close to the by-line.

Skipper Bourne took responsibility to take the penalty but steered his right-footed effort narrowly wide of the foot of the left-hand post, much to Larkin’s disappointment.

Larkin said: “Jason took it. We don’t like that normally. I wasn’t overly happy. He’s pretty good with them to be fair. He has the respect of the players. He wanted to take it.  Unfortunately he didn’t put it away so he won’t be taking any more this year I don’t think.”

When asked whether Bourne would have taken it had the score been level, Larkin predictably replied, “That’s why I don’t like it because it can be seen to be a little bit disrespectful.  He wanted to take it so it’s not an issue. Unfortunately he missed it!”

Jones admitted: “It’s a penalty, yes.  He missed the ball, took the player. The ball was shifted. I’ve got no qualms about that.”

Czanner saved his second penalty in the final seventeen minutes, making amends for giving it away in the first place for a sloppy foul on Makangou close to the by-line.

Makangou went beyond Jones’ principles to take the penalty himself and he was punished when Czanner dived low to his right to block the right-footed penalty with his chest.

Jones said: “It was a definite penalty, without a doubt!  I saw that. It was clear! He moves the ball, the goalkeeper pulls him.  Again, that’s a straight forward pen.

“But again, Micha stood up to take a penalty. Another rule that I’ve always have if you win a penalty, you never take it because you’re all too busy in the moment and he stood up, taken it and the goalkeeper’s for me it was a nice height for the goalkeeper to save.

“Again, we missed an opportunity not to add a degree of respectability because I don’t think we’d ever have any respectability after conceding six but I think it gives us a bit of something to work on.

“Once we missed two pens there’s been two or three good opportunities that we’ve had to score goals and that could’ve made it a bit more of an interesting affair.

Larkin said: “A good save again! He stood up big for a while and looked where it was going and managed to make the save. He made up for it because it was a poor pen to give away to be honest. He’s been good all night and very concentrated and it was a poor one to give away, but he made a good save.”

Tunbridge Wells, who were forced to play with ten men for the final nineteen minutes when Whibley was taken off with an ankle injury, ensured they made it a miserable night for their struggling neighbours when their sixth goal came with 77 minutes on the clock.

Bourne was fed down the right and he reached the by-line before he whipped in a cross towards the far post and Large played the ball back across goal, which was headed away and Stanford lashed his left-footed drive into the right-hand corner from 20-yards.

“He’s been our find of the season,” said Larkin.  “There’s always one that you find that you don’t know about and that was Josh!  He’s been really good. He’s had a little dip over the last month or so but he’s come up against some very good defenders in the Vase, which he’s probably learnt a few things but tonight he’s back to his best. It was a good finish.”

Jones said: “At that stage contributed a lot to the second half. I thought we played a lot better. We moved the ball a lot better. We switched it well. We worked the flanks quite well and there were some really tired legs because some of the boys that were out there have played Saturday, most have probably played Sunday and they’ve played today as well.  It was just tiredness.”

Tunbridge Wells substitute Richard Sinden missed a couple of chances in the final ten minutes.

The striker firstly latched onto Stanford’s pass and drove his shot wide, before latching onto Cornell’s pass and his shot was blocked by the keeper.

Substitute Andy McMath – who looks certain to play his last game for Tunbridge Wells at Wembley Stadium before emigrating to Australia, whipped in a corner from the right and Barton’s header at the far post clipped the underside of the bar.

Sevenoaks Town rallied slightly at the death with Christian Howell ghosting in to meet Parker’s free-kick to head straight at Czanner, who later tipped over Johnson’s speculative right-footed drive from 45-yards to force the home side’s only corner inside stoppage time.

Larkin said: “If we hit 10 I don’t think it would’ve been a poor reflection on the game to be honest!”

When asked how he will treat the games against Deal Town and Canterbury City this week, Larkin said: “We’ve won 6-0 tonight. We were sensational in the first half and we had five first choice players not involved.  Those five guys would’ve started that game and that’s how good we were.

“It’s a case of keeping it rotated around, don’t do anything silly like having two completely different sides. We don’t want any divide in it. There will be three or four lads who will start again tomorrow night and we’ll assess it again Thursday and go again from there.”

Jones admitted: “There’s no dramas. We’re bottom of the league. We’re playing a team that’s now playing in a final of a national competition with a squad that’s superbly enhanced over the course of the season. The players that they’ve got down there are phenomenal players, but you expect that for a team that’s actually progressed as far as it has done.

“It was not inevitable that they would beat us. It was highly likely considering where the two clubs are at this time. Our point is to take this on the chin, load the punches, go again and Saturday brings us another dawn. It gives us another opportunity to play our football again.”

Sevenoaks Town:  Yves Banpellenga (Calum Keswick 46), Tommy Whelan, Moses Ndandani (Matt Parker 46), Chris Page, Billy Simpson, Christian Howell, Aaron Johnson (Mickandress Makangou 46), Daniel Cooper, Alfred Koroma, Dwayne Morris, Chris Walker.
Subs: Junior Nzuzi, Andrew Jones

Booked:  Daniel Cooper 28

Tunbridge Wells:  Michal Czanner, Jason Bourne, Lewis Mingle, Sam Phillips (Andy McMath 53), Scott Whibley, Jason Barton, Stuart Thorley (Brad Large 59), Joe Fuller, Jack Harris (Richard Sinden 62), Carl Cornell, Josh Stanford.
Subs: Tom Carr, Andy Boyle

Goals:  Jack Harris 2, 32, 37, Stuart Thorley 22, Josh Stanford 44, 77

Booked:  Jason Barton 45

Attendance: 72
Referee: Mr Jamie Broughton (Deptford, London SE8)
Assistants: Mr Stephen Roots (Tunbridge Wells) & Mr Oliver Fyfe (Sidcup)