Staplehurst Monarchs (0) 0
Cuxton 91 (2) 2
Headcount: 30
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 2/582
The only football club that I can walk to! My home club were deserving of a visit with my last time being three years ago. The last two years has seen the Monarchs successful on the pitch, but bureaucracy and Covid had robbed them of promotion to the SCEFL until the restructuring offered them a place in Step 5.
Staplehurst may well have some agreement in place with the league but I was surprised to see that, despite the League season starting in four days time, there are no floodlights installed and no seating stand, both of which I understood were ready to go. In fact, on my last visit I was told that all the groundworks for the lights was in place. The foundations are in place for what I would presume will be a drop-in Atcost stand.
For 45 minutes, Monarchs didn't look ready on the pitch either. A header at the goalkeeper in the first minute was a bright start but for the next 40 minutes their Kent County League opposition, Cuxton 91 completely dominated.
Cuxton went ahead after three minutes with a well worked corner played to the near post from where the #7 fired home. It seemed a training ground goal until the coach asked the corner taker if he had meant it!
I was able to recognise a few of the Staplehurst players, not from walking my dogs around the village but ex-Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper Steve Lawrence, ex-Tonbridge Angels Under-18 Alex Bishop and Tonbridge Under-21 Sam Jones. Lawrence made a good save after 11 minutes turning an effort over the bar.
But, after 17 minutes, Lawrence was beaten again when a very poor clearance from a Monarchs defender allowed the Cuxton centre forward, a very decent footballer, a virtual free hit which he took with a powerful shot.
Staplehurst managed to get to the break with no addition to the deficit but quite how, I'm not sure.
In fairness, the Monarchs made a much better fist of the second period and had a great headed effort from a corner not been cleared from the line after 57 minutes perhaps the momentum gained might have yielded a result.
They had the ball in the net after 63 minutes but this was disallowed for offside and an effort from West, a player remembered from three years ago, came back off the woodwork with three minutes to go.
Staplehurst begin their league season at Croydon on Saturday and it would be good to see the village getting behind the club in greater numbers for their first home game.
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