Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Maidstone United (0) 2 Kargbo 49 Court 90+7
Attendnance (TBA): 1,200
Admission: £15
Mileage: 48/4,941
THE WAIT GOES ON
That went well! Let’s get this out of the way from the outset, Maidstone United won the Kent Senior Cup Final because they were the better side on the night; they had the best player on the field and found two finishes in a game where that art was severely lacking.
But, I’m making no apology in being a Tonbridge Angels supporter and this blog doesn’t hide that fact and, without condoning the behaviour of Tonbridge’s Alfie Pavey, the after-match carnage would have been avoided if the Maidstone goalkeeper, Nathan Harness, had stayed with his team mates celebrating their win and not make the inane decision to sprint 60 yards across the pitch to goad Pavey, who met him with a headbutt that laid him out. Without that run, the cup would’ve been presented, both teams could take their medals and everyone would have gone home, elated or disappointed.
Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium is a bit cavernous with little more than 1,200 people inside with 475 Maidstone supporters occupying the Gordon Road stand whilst 750 Tonbridge fans (and neutrals) were sat in the lower tier of the Medway Stand with both ends uninhabited.
The match, not of the greatest quality, was not helped by poor officiating from an experienced referee, Dan Blades, who has many games at National League level and, supposedly, is in line for promotion. Nobody should accuse him of being biased, he was equally bad for both teams. Perhaps the wisest decision he made all night was at the final whistle when, as the carnage ensued, he wandered away to the dressing room.
That the Kent FA has labelled the occasion as “an evening to remember” can only smack of the suits partaking a little too heavily in the liquid refreshments.
The first half, on an evening that became increasingly cold, was one in which the Angels had the better of the possession and territory, but the two best chances fell to the Stones.
On 23 minutes, the Angels had a viable penalty appeal turned away as Harness felled Frankie Baker in the box in an effort to retrieve the ball.
The first meaningful shot of the evening came a minute later when a shot from outside of the box from Jordon Thompson, Harness did well to get down and push the ball away to safety.
After 35 minutes Maidstone should have hit the front when a cross from Leo Hamblin found the head of Hamzad Kargbo who steered the opportunity wide of the right hand post and, as the clock ticked into added time, Maidstone debutant Mark Boruk, who had an impressive game, swung in a cross from which John Gilbert wastefully blazed over.
The opening of the second period saw better intent from Maidstone and they were ahead after 49 minutes when a Riley Court corner dropped in the box for Kargbo to squeeze the ball into the far corner from close range.
Just past the hour, Matt Rowley was called upon to make a good, low save to deny Court, as the 19 year-old was proving the driving force in either midfield.
Angels’ manager Alan Dunne rang the changes but clear opportunities were thin on the ground.
On 81 minutes, Maidstone were reduced to 10 men when Hamblin was shown the red card for an off-the-ball incident and the Tonbridge contingent sensed a turning point in the game and, in the final minute it came, when Naz Bakrin steered a free header wide from six yards.
Seven minutes of added time saw shots from Pavey and Maidstone’s Jamie Yila, who inexplicably hooked the ball wide with an open goal gaping.
In the very final act, Court sealed the cup with a free-kick from the edge of the box, a fitting way for the best player on the pitch to end. It is a shame, that a 19 year-old saw fit to take time out of his celebratory run to his own supporters to provoke a seasoned professional in Scott Wagstaff. The petulance of youth.
The final whistle, the chaos, the felling and the miraculous resurrection of Harness saw the presentations put on hold as the Tonbridge team returned to the dressing room.
51 years and still waiting for an Angels Kent Senior Cup win whilst, for the 20th time, Maidstone take the honours in a game that as the Kent FA say, will be remembered, but for all the wrong reasons.
Photos below from Dave Couldridge
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