West Kent Sunday League News Report Sunday 13th November 2016
These
reports are no longer published in the local press. They are not
copyrighted, feel free to use providing you acknowledge the source!
West Kent Sunday League Report – Sunday 13th November 2016
The demise of Goudhurst United's Reserve team means we have lost four of
the forty-two teams that were present at the time of the AGM in
June. We can all trot out the various reasons why local 'amateur'
football is in terminal decline. Perhaps those of us of a certain age,
who grew up when paying football in winter and cricket in summer was
normal, will have to accept that playing outdoor team sports for fun is
no longer an important aspect of many people's lives today.
This graph shows the decline in numbers over the past fifteen years. The
green line is the downward trend year on year. The number on the left
is WKSFL membership at the close of the season concerned.
Kent Sunday Cups
Three WKSFL teams took part in Third Round ties, one made it through but two fell. It was a successful morning for Tonbridge Origin,
who travelled over to Maidstone to play Langley Athletic in the Premier
Cup and came home with a 3-0 win. Top scorer Myles Lowden was on the
scoresheet, as were Alex Page and Jack Kinnear. Sam Jenner had the
shut-out in goal.
No such luck for Insulators
in the same competition. Their long trip to Ashford to play Market Hotel
was unrewarded as they lost 4-2. Yet again players were missing for Insulators. They were soon one goal down,
but equalised through Martin Page-Mitchell. However, further goals for
the home side saw Insulators 3-1 1 down at half time. Tom Bridge pulled
another back, but the home side scored ten minutes from the end to
settle the game.
In the Junior Cup, our last representatives Gardener's Arms went down 3-2 at Kennington Sunday. Andrew Grundy and Kane Joseph scored.
WKSFL Intermediate Cup Second Round
These games went pretty well according to form, except perhaps in the Paddock Wood derby. Paddock Wood hosted Green Lane
and were hammered 8-1. By far Green Lane's best result of the season,
they had a hat-trick by Josh Harris, two from Craig Smith and one each
from Tom Welch, James Sandiford and Robert Montandon. Scott McGuire scored the consolation goal for the Wood.
Pembury Sunday, riding high at the top of Division Two, beat Third Division St John's Yard
by 6-1. Pembury's Steve Harper scored his third hat-trick of the
season, Matt Rice-Tucker weighed in with two and the sixth came from
Andrew Meyrick. St John's Yard pulled one back through Jack Veness.
It was Div 3 against Div 2 also at Tintagel Road in Orpington, where Green Street Blues made visiting Langton Green
work hard for their 3-2 win. Blues scored through Neal Brooks and Phil
Brooks, but Green won with goals by Jai Cox, Tom Coleman and Richard
Marsh.
And in another Div 3 v Div 2 tie, Brenchley travelled to Ticehurst
to meet the Village Club. With only one win under their belt so far
this season other than the game against the now defunct Hadlow Hornets, Brenchley will have been pleased no doubt with the 6-3
outcome. Dan Woods was the main man, scoring a hat-trick. Dave Hartfield
scored twice and Martin Aso the sixth. For Ticehurst, Rob Briley, Ricky
Angel and an un-named Brenchley player scored. That by the way was
Ticehurst's third own goal for them this season.
And there were another nine goals at Hawkenbury, where extra time was needed to separate Hawkenbury Sunday and Tonbridge Invicta.
Hawks were another team badly in need of a win, having gone six games without.
Goals from Russ Anderson 2, Ashley Bell 2, Luke Graham and an own goal
from Oli O'Gorman saw Hawkenbury overcome Invicta in a hotly contested
second round tie .
Hawkenbury started strong opening the scoring through Luke Graham after
some good work from Russ Anderson left the ball on a plate for Graham to
tap in. Invicta rallied, managing to level the scores after a ball from
the right was picked up and dispatched from 25 yards by Sam Wing into
the top left corner to make it 1-1 at the break.
The break came at the wrong time for Hawkenbury, with Invicta scoring
twice in the first ten minutes of the second half. The first, a classic
Sunday league goal mouth scramble which ended in confusion between the
Hawks keeper and defenders, resulting in an easy tap in for Wing to
score his second and send Invicta 2-1 up. Invicta extended their lead
after the Hawks failed to clear after a corner, again a there was a
goalmouth scramble, eventually the ball was smashed in from six yards by
Wing to complete his hat-trick. 2-3 to Invicta.
The injection of half time substitute Ashley Bell eventually paid
dividends, as he latched onto a through ball and made the Invicta
back line pay after a save from the keeper left him with an acute finish
from the left into the empty net. A tight game ensued with chances
coming for both sides, but it was the Hawks who drew level with five
minutes to go through Russ Anderson after a clever ball from Ashley
Bell. 3-3 after ninety minutes. The whistle and extra time was not a
blessing for Invicta, who then lost two players to prior commitments.
It wasn't long before Hawkenbury took advantage through Russ Anderson
again who slotted past the 'keeper to take the lead. Anderson again
caused havoc after a great through ball was brought down by the keeper
to conceded a penalty. Ashley Bell converting the penalty sending the
keeper the wrong way. 5-3.
Hawkenbury were in the driving seat with a number of chances to seal the
game. But it was an Invicta scorer which sealed the win for the Hawks,
after a cross from the right was turned in by Oli O'Gorman to make it
6-3. Hawkenbury progress. A good game which is always tight between
these two.
Regrettably, Speldhurst Rangers were unable to raise a team to play SE Spitfires and thus forfeit the tie.
So, the last eight in the Intermediate Cup will be : Brenchley,
Gardener's Arms, Langton Green, Hawkenbury Sunday, Green Lane, Pembury
Sunday, SE Spitfires and either Rusthall Club Athletic or Paddock Wood
Reserves, who play next week. So, one Division Three team will face up
to Division Two opposition while the other ties will be all Division
Two. The draw is yet to be made.
WKSFL Junior Cup Second Round
Rusthall Club Athletic go
through to the third round after winning their delayed Second Round tie
6-2 against Tonbridge Origin Reserves. In another game that went to
form, the Club made it four League and Cup wins in a row. Gary McCafferty
scored two of their six, Ash Woodroofe, Jamie Law, Jamie Webzell
and George Webzell the others. Alex Williamson and Wayne Page scored for the Origin.
The last eight in the Junior Cup will be : TW Ridgewaye, FC Grinstead,
Insulators Reserves, Rusthall Club Athletic, TW Foresters
Reserves, AFC Six In One, Crowborough Town and Bricklayer's Arms. The draw is yet to be made.
Division One
With Tonbridge Origin and Insulators engaged in those County Cup ties, Artois United had the chance to stretch their lead at the top. They were however thwarted by Armada,
who won 2-1. Artois had a run of four consecutive league wins abruptly
halted, while for Armada it's two wins and a draw from their last three. No details about the game are available.
Simla continue to make up ground
and have games in hand over most of those above them. TW Foresters
started at a fast pace and got an early goal through Taylor Galvin.The
pace subsided and Simla got an equaliser just before half time with
Steve Smith the scorer.
Simla began to take control in the second half, with two goals from Ian
Parsons and one for David Blundell. Foresters pulled one back, Garry
Hughes finding the net, but Simla stood firm until the end of the match.
Goudhurst United's decision to
concentrate their resources seems to have worked. They achieved
their first league win of the season, 3-2 at home to Blackham & Ashurst. Goals came from Will Mantle, Josh Cleaver and Ricky Norman. The visitors replies were by Stevan Rivore and Ross Campbell.
The game between Dormansland Rockets and Rusthall Rangers was called off.
West Kent Sunday League Division One including Sunday 13th November
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
1
Artois United
9
6
1
2
34
13
21
19
2
Insulators
7
5
1
1
23
11
12
16
3
Tonbridge Origin
6
4
1
1
20
10
10
13
4
TW Foresters
8
4
1
3
26
22
4
13
5
Simla #
6
5
0
1
33
8
25
12
6
Armada
6
2
2
2
9
11
-2
8
7
Blackham & Ashurst
8
2
1
5
16
32
-16
7
8
Goudhurst United +
7
1
0
6
9
37
-28
6
9
Dormansland Rockets
7
1
1
5
22
27
-5
4
10
Rusthall Rangers
4
0
0
4
1
22
-21
0
Division Two
With most teams engaged in cup matches, no games were scheduled.
West Kent Sunday League Division Two including Sunday 13th November
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
1
Pembury Sunday
6
5
1
0
23
6
17
16
2
Gardener's Arms
6
5
1
0
23
7
16
16
3
Paddock Wood
7
4
0
3
18
20
-2
12
4
Cassidy's Phoenix
6
2
2
2
14
12
2
8
5
Hawkenbury Sunday
6
2
2
2
15
17
-2
8
6
Green Lane
6
2
2
2
10
15
-5
8
7
Langton Green
7
1
2
4
22
19
3
5
8
Brenchley
7
1
1
5
13
31
-18
4
9
SE Spitfires
5
0
1
4
9
20
-11
1
Division Three
Again, most teams were involved in cup ties but one league game did take place. Brickayer's Arms made it a three way tie at the top of the table after a 3-1 home win over Paddock Wood Reserves.
The Bricks started strongly, creating a few chances early on but
failing to capitalise on them. With the Bricks building confidence, it
was Paddock Wood who strung some passes together in the middle of the
park before a through ball breaking the bricks defence ended with Alex
Bristow scoring and putting Paddock Wood one-nil up. It was to be ten
minutes before the Bricks responded, with Tommy Mulcahy striking on
target only for the keeper to get down to his left and palming the ball
onto a waiting Rob Gordon to slot home. That was his first goal of the
season!
Just before the break Dan Papper played a killing through ball for Gordon to score his second.
Despite the Bricks being the better team through the second half,it
wasn't until the 82nd minute when Gordon scored from a cross from
James Bodkin for his third.
Alex Gunn still awaits his first clean sheet for the Bricks
West Kent Sunday League Division Three including Sunday 13th November
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
1
Tonbridge Invicta
8
5
0
3
25
13
12
15
2
Crowborough Town
8
5
0
3
28
18
10
15
3
Bricklayers Arms
7
5
0
2
22
13
9
15
4
Green St Blues
6
4
1
1
20
9
11
13
5
Paddock Wood Reserves
8
3
1
4
14
21
-7
10
6
St John's Yard
8
3
1
4
19
29
-10
10
7
Rusthall Club Athletic
5
2
1
2
16
13
3
7
8
Ticehurst Village
8
2
1
5
13
25
-12
7
9
Speldhurst Rangers
6
0
1
5
11
27
-16
1
Division Four
The table had to be adjusted in midweek following the withdrawal of
Goudhurst United Reserves.
TW Foresters Reserves were gifted three points as scheduled opponents Tonbridge Casuals failed to fulfill the fixture. They have a six point lead over Insulators Reserves, who kept up their challenge with a useful 2-1 win at Goldsmith's against FC Hayward. Two goals from Ben Johnson did the job.
For once, a game involving AFC Six in One had fewer than eight goals. There were still five scored in their match against FC Grinstead
but, bad news for them, they scored only two. Grinstead finished
winners by 3-2 at Longmead. It was Six in One's first defeat in seven
WKSFL league and Cup games. Two goals by Ben Whiteman and one by
Charly Harris meant Grinstead had a happy ride home. The league's
leading scorer Ryan Smith added one more to his tally, Dave Cherry
scored the other for the hosts.
Down at the bottom, Tonbridge United picked up three useful points in a 2-1 home win over TW Ridgewaye. Chervil Goacher and Alex Underdown were their scorers, Marcus Harding was the visitors marksman.
West Kent Sunday League Division Four including Sunday 13th November
