West Kent Sunday League News Report – Sunday 17th April 2022

Cup ties took precedence on Sunday, with the Intermediate and Junior Cup semi finalists now known. There were also key games in Divisions One and Two.

WKSFL Intermediate Cup

Artois United Reserves and Dormansland Rockets made it to the semi-finals with big wins in Sunday's quarter-finals. Rockets beat Westerham 6-0, with six different names on the scoresheet - Ben Connolly, Rich Wetton, Ben Perry, Ashley Hollom, Ollie Whitefoot and an opponent. Wetton is now joint top scorer in Division Two League and Cup matches.

AFC Tonbridge gave very good account of themselves for the first 45 minutes against Artois United Reserves, reaching the break 3-2 down. The Artois players received a talking-to at half time and responded with two early goals. AFC Tonbridge's resistance finally ended in the last fifteen minutes, conceding five for a final score of 10-2.

The game was played on a very hard and very bumpy pitch. Both teams had difficulty controlling the ball, defenders nightmare! AFC Tonbridge played this well, sending the ball high and long towards the Artois defence, hoping mistakes would be made. They were. Artois defenders conceded four corners in rapid succession, clearing the first three wildly but safely. On the fourth occasion, a weak clearance was spotted by Lee Elliott, who cracked home low and hard beyond ´keeper Holder to put AFC Tonbridge into the lead after seven minutes.
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Joy was short lived. On fourteen minutes Alex Bridges equalised with a shot that deflected off a defender just enough to elude AFC's goalie. Prolific scorer Ollie Sugden put Artois ahead on 35 minutes, robbing a defender out wide, cutting inside and scoring with a low hard shot. Duncan Ibottson made it three, responding first after a header had hit a post.
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But AFC Tonbridge hit back just before half time, when Brad Robinson robbed a dawdling defender on the edge of the area and struck an accurate drive from 12 yards past Holder. So, just the one goal in it at the break.

Artois came on for the second half with new purpose. Two early corners yielded the same result, a towering header at the far post from Alex Webster. Carbon-copy goals and it was 5-2 after an hour. Resistance crumbled. Sugden had spent much of the first half chasing poor passes, but his team-mates improved the delivery, giving him two more goals, two assists for Keith Ingles and Rhys Newton to add to the score and he was unlucky not to score more himself, twice hitting a goal-post. His industry and perseverance was the highlight of the game. His second goal was a repeat of the first. He completed his hat-trick with an accurate read of a high bounce, a 180º spin and couldn't miss from ten yards.
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AFC didn't give up. Although Holder was fairly untroubled in the second half, he was called off his line to make a brave interception just outside the area. Fin Crowhurst rounded off the scoring in the final minute, taking advantage of tired defenders making mistakes. Arrois United Reserves are now in two semi-finals but out of contention for league honours. They are a well organised side and I think favourites to claim both the Intermediate and Junior Cups.

ARTOIS UNITED RESERVES 17 APRIL 2022

AFC TONBRIDGE 17 APRIL 2022

The other two semi-final places go to Insulators and Sedlescombe Rangers whose opponents, Dunton Green and Tonbridge United respectively, found themselves unable to field a team.

WKSFL Junior Cup

TW Ridgewaye Reserves eased past Royal Oak 5-0 and will meet AFC Borough Reserves in next Sunday's semi-final. Dan Thomas, Eden Northcote, Billy Mcleod, Dom Lambert and Callum Marshall scored the goals.

The other semi-final will be between Insulators Reserves and Artois United Reserves, also next Sunday.

Division One

Two big games, two big results and it is all down to the final matches to decide the League title.

Pembury Sunday's last chance of honours vanished when they lost 4-1 at Simla, for whom Matt Coleman, Dom Welsh, Bal Maher and Brad Draper scored. Charlie Johns was Pembury's scorer. Simla meet Charcott in their final game next Sunday.

Artois United meanwhile hit three unanswered goals against Paddock Wood, Ethan Zimmermann, Connor Morrow and Nathan Moseley scoring. Artois United met AFC Valour next Sunday. The phones will be ringing pitch-side I am sure!

West Kent Sunday League Division One including Sunday 17th April
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Artois United	17	15	1	1	89	16	73	46
2	Simla	17	15	0	2	113	16	97	45
3	Pembury Sunday	17	13	2	2	61	17	44	41
4	Paddock Wood	17	8	0	9	49	39	10	24
5	Charcott	16	7	1	8	61	38	23	22
6	AFC Valour	14	6	1	7	27	45	-18	19

Division Two

AFC Borough's 6-1 win at home to Goudhurst United confirmed them as Division Two winners. Ed Handford, Oscar Harrison, Jake Lorimer, Sam Sales, Jacob Feasey and George Holman were the scorers. Jamie Crouch scored what can only have been a consolation for Goudhurst. Second place is still up for grabs, but both Odukwe and Dormansland Rockets will be occupied with cup matters next weekend. The two have yet to play each other in phase two of this split season.

West Kent Sunday League Division Two including Sunday 17th April
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	AFC Borough (C)	18	9	3	6	54	50	4	30
2	Odukwe FC	17	8	0	9	53	45	8	24
3	Dormansland Rockets	16	6	2	8	34	50	-16	20
4	Insulators	16	3	3	10	37	69	-32	12
5	Goudhurst United	17	3	1	13	36	62	-26	10
6	TW Ridgewaye	18	2	1	15	23	58	-35	7

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