Snodland Town 0-0 Larkfield & New Hythe - We know what we've got to work on, we've got to work on our finishing and putting teams to bed, says winless top-five chasing Larkfield & New Hythe boss Tony Reid

Snodland Town 0 – 0 Larkfield & New Hythe
Location	Potyn's Sports Field, Snodland Community Centre, Paddlesworth Road, Snodland, Kent ME6 5DP
Kickoff	25/08/2025 15:00

SNODLAND TOWN  0-0  LARKFIELD & NEW HYTHE
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Bank Holiday Monday 25 August 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Paddlesworth Road

WINLESS Larkfield & New Hythe joint-manager Tony Reid says his side have got to work on their finishing and putting teams to bed after failing to take any of their 10 goalscoring chances during a poor local derby at Snodland Town.

Just one month into the new season, the standard and quality has clearly dropped in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division, as a sun-kissed derby day crowd of 313 were subjected to a poor standard of football and awful finishing in front of goal.

After back-to-back wins over Stansfeld (2-1) and Broadfields United (4-0 in the FA Cup), Snodland Town have failed to beat Sutton Athletic (0-1), Hythe Town (0-4), Ashford Town (Middlesex), (2-3, FA Cup) and joint-managers Fred Dillon and Luke Jessup made six changes to their side that lost 3-2 at home to Tunbridge Wells at the weekend.

Snodland Town are now in thirteenth-place in the table after today’s set of results, having picked up four points from five games, while Larkfield & New Hythe are underperforming one place above, having drawn all four of their opening four league games.

Erith & Belvedere (1-1), Punjab United (2-2), Rusthall (1-1) and now Snodland Town have all ended in stalemates, while the Larks have suffered first hurdle exits in both of The FA Cup and The FA Vase, losing at home to Epsom & Ewell (0-3) and Peacehaven & Telscombe (0-2) respectively.

Jessup reeled off a lengthy list of unavailable players with Charlie Sheringham, 37, who works in the education sector, away on holiday having scored a couple of goals against Tunbridge Wells a couple of days ago, who claimed the points courtesy of Regan Corke’s hat-trick and first-choice goalkeeper Justin Lee was serving a suspension.

Kaylam Burgess (suspended), Femi Ogunbiyi (work commitments), Liam Parle (knee medial ligaments), Kane Phillip (broken wrist), Robbie Roberts (knee), Matt Self (work commitments), James Teodorescu (playing for Isthmian League South East Division side AFC Whyteleafe) and ‘physio’ Daisy Comerford’s treatment table saw right-back Tyler Jackson-Hunt added with a hamstring pull in his left leg towards the end of the first half.

“It was refreshing.  I knew the boys are disappointed a little bit. We should’ve won but a lot of positives I took for myself, which was that, one, we kept a clean-sheet, secondly we played football for the 90 minutes, not just for 45 minutes,” said Reid, 48, a former Bromley striker during their part-time Isthmian League days.

“Definitely we know what we’ve got to work on. We’ve got to work on our finishing and putting teams to bed.  That was there for the taking evidentially but these things, in the spur of the moment, you think what could’ve we done better but credit to the boys today.

“I think they know for the last couple of weeks they’ve kind of been tense, not been smiling, just a little bit on edge. I wouldn’t say on edge. I think today just worked for them, they had a lot of options, there were smaller gaps in between the defence and the midfield and the front two.

“We tweaked it slightly. I wanted them to express themselves in the final third because we changed the formation a bit. I think I felt we didn’t have any wingers as such but we always have wingers. We were quite narrow but we still had an outlet, got loads of crossed into the box but you just can’t rely on strikers.

“I’m a striker myself, you will have a barren spell and it’s down to the striker to come out of that barren spell but if you can’t rely on your strikers, you need your midfielders to contribute and you need your defenders to contribute as well, so these things happens in games.

“I’ve spoken to Fraser (Walker) before he went on holiday.  I’ve identified a few things. We will talk when he gets back as well, get a few targets that we probably need to get in and that’s when he comes back we’ll sit down and talk about.”

For Jessup, the Snodland Town joint-manager added: “Considering our recent results, I think it’s probably a good point in some aspects and I’m sure you’re probably fairly aware we were without 11 players today, arguably 12 with one other on a long-term injury.

“I think on the grand scheme of things, we’re pleasantly pleased with a point. I thought today we applied ourselves a little bit better.

“Recently we’ve been getting decent first half performances. We were 2-0 up at the weekend and we were 2-0 up against Ashford in the Cup and we’ve let both of those leads go, where today, that second half , shall we say I think has served us well.”

With Larkfield & New Hythe playing with a narrow midfield three of Montel Williams, Kieron McCann and Tyler Ibe, Snodland Town went close to scoring from a set-piece from within the right channel inside the opening seven minutes.

Tod Bamber – a towering presence more akin to nightclub bouncer than a number 10 attacking midfielder behind ineffective lone central striker Steve Karkari – drew a free-kick out of Larkfield centre-half Nathan Daly.

Zak Loveridge – who has arrived at Snodland Town from Glebe, where Dillon managed last season – produced an inventive left-footed free-kick, which he drove low and across the goalkeeper, who dropped down to his knees and watched the ball flash just past the foot of the far post.

Jessup said: “I couldn’t tell from the angle where we were but we assumed it was close by everyone’s reaction. I’m guessing it was fairly close?”

Reid added: “I think it’s one of those balls that went across the box.  That’s the ugly side of the balls that you don’t like and I always say to strikers that’s when you have to anticipate and the same with defenders. It’s a danger zone that you don’t go into but I think that was probably one of three chances they probably had.”

Ibe dominated Jackson-Hunt during the opening 20 minutes with some pacey runs down the left flank but went missing like several attacking players on both sides the longer the game went on.

Ibe hung over a cross from the left and it appeared that Snodland goalkeeper Samuel Saward had punched the ball into his own goal but referee Jeff Davis deemed the keeper was fouled by Larkfield’s ineffective number nine, Matthew Day.

Both camps were asked about the incident.

Jessup said: “Honestly, my initial reaction was something was just off, it didn’t look right. Whether it was a blatant error by the keeper, I’m not buying that one personally but I thought he was pushed and he put him off. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve seen them given many a time.”

Reid added: “I think that was a goal, it (should’ve) stood.  I’m not quite sure that the lino (Steven Page) saw. He reckons it was a foul on the goalkeeper.

“Matt’s gone for the ball, it’s gone over his head, the goalkeeper’s punched it and he’s punched it into his own goal, so for me that should stand, yes?

McCann – who often sprayed the ball about from the middle of the park – threw the ball short to Nathan Gordon, who played the ball short into Ibe, who poke the ball into the feet of Snodland’s holding midfielder Alex Arif, before Ibe skipped past Arif outside the box before sweeping his left-footed shot across the keeper and harmlessly past the far post from 25-yards.

“Ibe’s got a good delivery on him. He’s got a good shot and he just needs to trust himself as well,” said Reid.

“I think I’m going to get the best out of him. He just needs to understand that role a little bit better.  We changed it a little, a little bit deeper. He is good as a winger or as a forward but he needs to be clinical.

“I say to all of the boys when you play up top, you have to be clinical, you’ve got to work the goalkeeper. If you don’t work the goalkeeper, then there’s no opportunity.”

But Snodland Town wasted a glorious chance to change the outcome of the game in the 19^th minute through route-one football down the slope.

Saward launched a big kick straight down the middle of the pitch, the towering Bamber used his height advantage to knock the ball on. Loveridge hooked the ball over to unmarked winger Samuel Naiwo, who went to pieces and sent his right-footed chip looping high over the crossbar from 18-yards.

“I think our new signing, Samuel Naiwo, I think he’s one-on-one with the keeper as well and he’s lobbed the keeper and also just put it over the bar,” added Jessup.

Larkfield & New Hythe created a half-chance with 10 minutes of the first half to go, when McCann clipped a long ball into the box from the half-way line and Day nipped in front of diminutive centre-half Sonny Jackson to flick his right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner from a tight angle, which was comfortably saved by Saward, low to his right at his near-post.

Arif picked up one of four Snodland Town cautions for a foul on Williams and Saward lined up a two-man wall for Day’s right-footed free-kick from 30-yards, which bounced in front of the keeper who made a comfortable midriff save.

“Look fair play,” said Jessup, who was delighted with the positive reaction from his stand-in goalkeeper.

“I gave Sam our keeper on Saturday a bit of a verbal volley shall we say for a couple of mistakes at the weekend but I think today he looked fairly assured. I don’t think he really put a foot wrong, a couple of decent saves and a clean sheet.

“When I do give him a little bit of grief, fair play but I think today he deserved a pat on the back.”

Larkfield & New Hythe produced a nice move when McCann and Antwon McKenzie linked up before Bryan Zepo and Ibe both linked up before striker Zepo was played in behind Siji Akinlusi but his left-footed shot from a tight angle from the corner of the six-yard box was comfortably held by Saward at his near-post.

Snodland Town’s central midfielder Harry Hudson launched six long throws into the penalty box – which didn’t make sense as it was meat and drink for Larkfield’s towering defenders who easily headed the ball away.

“Matt Self wasn’t available. He works in a hospital so another player with a long throw that we can be direct with,” revealed Jessup.

“Harry’s got more of a loop, Matt’s a little bit flatter and with Steve Karkari, Tod Bamber, Paul Lee and Siji Akinlusi, we’ve got four big lumps up there that we’re looking to be a little bit more direct with.”

It was a typical cagey local derby but the second half was completely dominated by Larkfield & New Hythe, kicking down the slope with Gordon dominating Paul Lee with some overlapping runs and linking up well with Ibe.

Jessup said: “We changed it up a little bit just because we have let a few first half leads recently, being 2-0 up or 2-1 up at half-time, so today we sort of rallied the troops a little but and asked for a little bit more impact from there perspectives, to give us their views on it instead of once voice.

“We had a bit of a group chat, shall we say, so yes we heard from the floor.”

When asked how joint-management works at Snodland, Jessup replied: “We’ve got very similar opinions on football, very different styles of management and sort of personal skills in that sense. I’m probably a little bit more direct and Fred’s a bit more arm around the shoulder and I’m happy to pay good cop, bad cop. Fred’s definitely the good cop.

“I’ve still used a few choice words recently because we haven’t been quite at it. Look, that’s the beauty of it. If there’s two people, there’s always two opinions on stuff. We get to spread the work-lad because it’s like an unpaid role for us and that’s by choice.

“It’s spreading the load and getting different opinions, different perspectives and he can call on his contacts for players, hence why I brought in Charlie Sheringham for the weekend, he’s a friend of mine. We’ve had him at a couple of clubs but Fred’s brings in a couple of good little players as well, like JT (Teodorescu) for instance, who was excellent on Saturday.

“I haven’t seen a negative, not that I will tell you if there was but if there was a negative maybe at times I think we can just be a bit more ruthless in games, a bit more of a cutting edge.”

Reid added: “Don’t change anything! I think we’ve done the hard work going uphill, now looking at the percentage of play that we had. I think if they only had probably one chance with that cross that you mentioned and I think that was it.

“I think they ventured into our half three times but when we looked at the second half, I just said to them we’ve got to be clinical, take our chances, play football, express yourself and don’t let the first 45 minutes be undone by a mistake by us.”

Larkfield & New Hythe went close to smashing the stalemate after only 134 seconds when Woodcock launched a long ball forward from the half-line line and Saward came rushing off his line towards the corner of his box to meet Day, who hooked his right-footed volley over his head and watched the ball bounce agonisingly past the foot of the far post from 16-yards.

“I think we dominated. I don’t use the hill as a factor. I think we controlled the ball well. I think we played in tight spots, we opened up the game, we made them run around a lot. I think that was just down to us. The players were more comfortable and had more options as well,” said Reid, who hasn’t managed a Kent club before and hasn’t won any of his six games in joint-charge of the Larks.

“I couldn’t believe it! I don’t know if you saw me. I’m jumping up and down and I’m thinking that was a goal. How that went past that post is beyond me. Like these are the pivotal moments that you’ve got to be clinical.”

Woodcock launched just the one long throw into the Snodland penalty area and in the second phase of the set-piece the ball was cleared out to the impressive Gordon, who cracked a left-footed drive towards the top left-hand corner from 35-yards, which initially slipped through Saward’s raised gloves before gathering at the second attempt.

Referee Jeff Davis whistled and pointed to the spot (8:28) after McCann swept a first-time pass out to Ibe on the left-wing, who cut into the box and went down under Lee’s challenge. 

The assistant referee on that side of the pitch (Steven Page) was standing down the other end of the pitch but obviously had excellent vision as he deemed that the challenge was not inside the penalty area and the resulting free-kick was wasted.

Both manager’s replies were naturally inevitable.  This website doesn’t have the budget for cameras and in-play action replays, so we’ll just never know if right-back Lee’s challenge was inside or outside the penalty area.

Reid said: “I think that was a stonewall penalty! I’m not quite too sure how this works though because I’m always led to believe that the ref is doing that other half….

“I’m clearly looking at it if it’s across the line and he said it wasn’t.  The ref, who clearly didn’t see it, he’s at a different angle. I understand that he’s there but there is not VAR. For me that was a penalty, I’m disappointed.”

Jessup added: “We had the perfect angle for that and we were right with the linesman. It was comfortably outside the box.

“Where the free kick was spotted, on the edge of the area, it wasn’t even that close. It was a good couple of yards out and the linesman’s called it and do you know what, in fairness today, I’m not too adverse to giving my opinion on referees and linesmen but I thought today they got, it was almost like a perfect performance.

“I think they gave the right decisions. I thought they let the ball go when it needed to and the decisions go when they needed to but that was comfortably outside the box.”

Larkfield & New Hythe had a goal ruled out for offside by the other assistant referee Stephen Luke, which left Reid frustrated.

McKenzie clipped a deep cross towards the unmarked Ibe, who put it on a plate for Williams, who tapped the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box but Mr Luke deemed Ibe to be in an offside position.

Reid said: “You can say that from the comments that I got told, everybody said, all the fans on this side were saying ‘it’s clearly onside,’  From (the technical area), I can’t see the angle. He looked onside to me but then someone came over and someone from the board or from the club said ‘yes, he was miles onside.’

Both bosses were asked about Gordon’s dominance down the left.

Reid said: “Apparently MOM but I think he gives you that ability. He’s comfortable on the ball and it’s something that we’re going to be working on.  Tyler Ibe just steps inside and allows Nathan to go on the outside because it’s a position which we call a ghost, that if there is a diag he gets it and then he puts a cross in but I think he was exceptional today.”

Jessup admitted: “They looked like they may have targeted that area. The ball went down there a lot but fair play to them, they looked dangerous down there.”

McCann’s deflected right-footed shot from 25-yards was comfortably caught by Saward following the away side’s first of three corners, taken short by Ibe and Gordon cutting the ball back from the left.

The poor quality was proven as dominant Larkfield & New Hythe squandered a couple of excellent gilt-edged chances to claim a deserved three points.

Gordon played a low pass in from within the left channel before Ibe cut into the box before toe-poking his left-footed shot crashing against the crossbar from 16-yards (32:36).

“There’s a patten emerging but we’ve looked at all the previous games, we didn’t have this pattern so I’m looking at the positive,” said Reid.

“The more opportunities or creating opportunities and hitting the target, which we were doing, we weren’t doing that enough, so I’m looking at the opportunities.  Ok you could say in hindsight that you need someone that’s clinical – I wish I was playing because I probably would’ve scored.”

Jessup added: “We had a good angle on that. It was a bit of a toe poke effort and I would’ve said the keeper sort of had it half-covered really. He didn’t look too flustered about it but another day that hits the crossbar and goes in.”

Their next attempt on Snodland’s goal was shockingly poor and the ball remains in orbit (39:26).

Lee allowed the outstanding Gordon to reach the by-line before putting it on a plate for substitute right-winger Bailee Caine, who lashed a first-time left-footed drive high over the crossbar from 10-yards, just 245 seconds after coming off the bench.

“So now you’re talking about this pattern, some of the opportunities, I can understand the frustration from the boys’ point of view.  As you know, I’ve been in this game long enough to know I’ve got to rectifying those frustrations as well so it may be frustrating for the boys with all these opportunities but like I said, a stepping block, going in the right directions and hopefully this will make sense when it works.”

A laughing Jessup added: “I had Bailee here last year. I wasn’t too worried, shall we say. Bailee will take that in good faith, arguably he should’ve done better.”

Caine turned provider though, slipping a fine 30-yard diagonal pass along the rain-starved slopy pitch but all Day could do was stroke a weak left-footed shot straight at Saward, who made a comfortable low save to his left.

Larkfield’s final corner was swung in from the left by Woodcock and Saward caught the ball and drilled a hooked volley out of his hands from the edge of his penalty area.  The ball sailed over the head of last defender McKenzie and Snodland Town had a glorious chance to claim the local bragging rights (47:34) on the counter-attack.

Greedy substitute striker Alvin Turyatemba went for glory himself and cut into the box and his right-footed shot was deflected into the foot of the side netting by Connor Collins finger-tips.  Turyatemba should have squared it to the unmarked Naiwo, but didn’t so the game finished goal-less.

“That’s ultimately what we was praying on today was the counter-attacking football, being positive, hard to beat and there was an opportunity there where he’s one-on-one with the keeper and that’s where heroes are made,” said Jessup.

When Jessup was pressed that the substitute should have squared it to his team-mate, he agreed, adding, “One hundred percent, one hundred percent! He knows that. We all know that. I think he also could’ve cut in, he didn’t need to square it but I think he could’ve cut in and done a little bit more with it but easy to say in hindsight.”

Reid admitted his side got away with one there and it would’ve been a smash-and-grab raid from Snodland had they snatched the last-gasp win, following a lacklustre second half showing from the hosts.

“I was screaming and shouting before we took the actual corner to make sure that’s always set up. That’s one of my biggest gripes is that when you’re attacking you’ve got to make sure that you set up.

“I’ve done it for years, as you know, is when we’re attacking, I always take a snap shot of our defenders just in case it does break down.

“That needs to be better in itself but apparently it was organised but then someone switched off and drifted out that zone, so I’ll be having a conversation when I get in the changing room with the boys.

“Two points dropped but away from home a point gained and it’s still early doors as well and I guarantee we’ll go on a crazy run.”

Kennington are leading the way at this early stage with 12 points from their opening five games and the play-off places are held by Kevin Stevens’ unbeaten Bearsted (10 points from four), Sutton Athletic (10 points from five), Billy Hamlin and Jamie Phipps’ Erith & Belvedere (eight points from five) and newly-promoted side Faversham Strike Force (seven points from four).

Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Bearsted, Jessup said he enjoys his visits to Honey Lane, where double European Championship winner Alessia Russo and her brother Giorgio played for the club before they were famous.

“I like that place, I don’t know why. I think it’s their pitch. I like the set-up. I like the way, where it’s situated. I actually like the people there as well.

“We couldn’t be more excited, a nice local derby. Larkfield’s around the corner but Bearsted’s a mile or two further along.

“We are going to be very well prepared for that and like we said to the boys today, what a great launchpad we’ve got, not at our best or our strongest on paper but we have got a big opportunity here with a few coming back, with a nice clean sheet today. Bearsted are going to be in for a tough time.

“Well, I think I can say without over egging it or being sort of over optimistic but we are very confident. I know it may be not like that at the minute but we are very confident, especially with players that we know we have coming, know what we’ve coming back from injury and suspension.”

Reid, meanwhile, welcomes surprise leaders Kennington to New Hythe Lane on Saturday.

“I’m new to this League as you know Steve and it may sound very arrogant but I’m not really worried about any opposition, only that Larkfield turn up and we play our game and if we play our game and start being ruthless up top, yes three points it is.

“Again that’s (drawing our first four league games) in the past, it’s about moving forward and how we rectify it, so when Fraser gets back we’ll be siting down, I’ll, be talking about how we move forward collectively as a team and what areas we need to improve. I know those areas need to be identified very quickly, which I will do.

“Coming in as joint manager is a little bit different for me but Fraser’s a good lad. We talk a lot. I talk to him more than I talk to my family!

“I’ve been observing for the past two weeks but now it’s time to install and make some changes. What can we expect? Anything to do with the top four or the top five and it’s achievable.

“I always like a big squad (I have a squad of 24) but I think we need a goal getter, someone who’s ruthless and he’s clinical in front of goal and they’ll take chances.  You just can’t rely on half-chances but we need someone who knows how to find that back of the net.”

Snodland Town: Samuel Saward, Tyler Jackson-Hunt (Elliot Wenham 41), Paul Lee, Alex Arif, Siji Akinlusi, Sonny Jackson, Zak Loveridge, Harry Hudson, Steve Karkari (Alvin Turyatemba 77), Tod Bamber, Samuel Naiwo.
Subs: Matt Walton, Alfie Coates, Alfie Kitt

Booked: Alex Arif 44, Harry Hudson 60, Elliott Wenham 70, Zak Loveridge 90

Larkfield & New Hythe: Connor Collins, Clark Woodcock, Nathan Gordon, Antwon McKenzie, Sam Fitzgerald, Nathan Daly, Tyler Ibe, Kieron McCann, Matthew Day, Bryan Zepo (Tito Somuyiwa 81), Montel Williams (Bailee Caine 81).
Subs: Ross Ibbertson, Jahmahl King, Luke Russell

Attendance: 313
Referee: Mr Jeff Davis
Assistants: Mr Steven Page & Mr Stephen Luke
Observer:  Mr Brian Smith