Tunbridge Wells (0) 0
Whitstable Town (0) 1 Freeman 66
Attendance: 749
Played at Tonbridge Angels FC
Admission: £5
Programme: £2
Mileage: 38/8,489
Ricky Freeman has scored goals at every level he has played but his 66th minute volley following a Perry Spackman headed clearance rocketed into the net past Cameron Hall, who probably only felt a rush of air as the missile whistled past will rank among his best.
Whitstable Town had already placed the Kent Senior Trophy in their cabinet and also secured promotion as runners-up to Sevenoaks Town to the Bostik League.
On a hot day at a resplendent Longmead Stadium, it was the respective defences that held the upper hand with chances for both sides, but particularly Tunbridge Wells, at a premium.
The Wells opened the brighter with Jack Harris firing over in the first minute and Jared Tresparderne heading a Josh Stanford free kick over the bar after five minutes.
Whitstable’s first opportunity came after nine minutes when Freeman pulled his shot wide.
The best effort of the first half came after 26 minutes when a rising shot from Jon Pilbeam was touched over by the Oysterman’s goalkeeper, Dan Eason.
If the first half had resulted in a close encounter, the second half certainly swayed the way of the East Kent team. After 56 minutes Danny Williams shot tamely into the hands of Hall but, two minutes later, the Wells stopper was a mere spectator as Williams' header struck the post.
Josh Burchell planted a header at Hall a couple of minutes before Freeman’s moment of magic with a goal that deserved to win any cup final.
Tunbridge Wells mounted a last 10 minute effort with Eason saving from Pilbeam and Josh Biddlecombe firing over but the feeling was that they could have played for a week and not found a way through a solid Whitstable defence and this is the area in which they have to recruit to make headway next season.
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