Larkfield & New Hythe (0) 1 McIlheron (o.g.) 61
Staplehurst Monarchs (0) 0
Attendance: 828
Admission: £3
Mileage: 26/7,758
It was the cruellest of ways to lose any game of football but to see a season ended in this manner was harsh in the extreme.
Just past the hour, a forward pass down the left saw Larkfield’s Matt Day’s cross from the byline take a deflection off Staplehurst’s Grant McIlheron that looped up and over a helpless Steve Lawrence and into the net.
Premier League managers regularly lament “fine margins” and this was the finest of margins in a SECEFL First Division Playoff that had all the hallmarks of either being settled by a single goal or going the distance to penalties. If there was one small mercy we were spared that.
A relative local derby and warm sunshine attracted a huge crowd of 828 to Larkfield and New Hythe’s Taray Group Community Stadium where the second and third clubs in the division would meet for a place in next season’s Premier Division.
In an attritional first half that was edged by the visitors, the first chance of the game fell to Staplehurst on 11 minutes as Caine Smith managed to get on the end of Danny Ashton’s pass before the onrushing Larkfield goalkeeper, Jordan Carey, but his lob nestled on the roof of the net. That proved to be the one and only chance of the half.
Early chances in the second half also fell the way of the Monarchs with Smith firing over three minutes into the half and, on 55 minutes, Carey produced a magnificent save to turn over Smith’s near post header from Ashton’s cross.
It was probably the defining moment as five minutes later Larkfield were in front courtesy of McIlheron’s misfortune.
Staplehurst were a whisker away from parity just two minutes later when Jack Hyslop’s free kick was wide by the narrowest of margins with Carey beaten.
Larkfield, to their credit, managed the game to the final whistle well with neither side creating much in the final 25 minutes.
Larkfield take their Premier place and look forward to visits to, and from, the likes of Faversham Town and Whitstable Town, big clubs that really should not be in the League while Staplehurst regroup and although the disappointment will be acute they should remember that two years ago, just being in this league was only dawning on them as a reality.
Paul Atkins, Staplehurst manager, said: “I’ve said to the boys before we started, ‘make a good account of ourselves’ and I think they did. I know that they did.”
You did and the village should be proud of the season’s achievement.
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