Kennington 0 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 07/24/2246 - Saturday, 27th July 2024 - SCEFL Premier

Kennington (0) 0
Tunbridge Wells (1) 2 Feasey Attendance: 140
Admission: £5
Mileage: 36/270

The Kennington programme described their visitors on the opening day of the SCEFL season as the league’s stalwarts.

An accurate assessment of which there can be no doubt, but one which Tunbridge Wells supporters could probably wish they were not saddled with after 57 years at the same step. Surely no other team in the country has served longer without a promotion or relegation.

The Wells have had an encouraging preseason and with this opening success at a ground where fortune rarely favours them there were reasons for optimism.

But any dreams of ending that long wait are tempered with the knowledge that the league is awash with money and that the Wells’ and most of the division have budgets that are dwarfed by the likes of Faversham Town.

But Leicester City proved that miracles do happen and all the challengers can do is be consistent, win games and hope that the favourites stumble.

Since I was last at Homelands, the landlords Ashford United have replaced their threadbare carpet and the stadium instantly looks a great deal more respectable.

Kennington made a good start with Harry Linch threatening down the right side and efforts from Charlie Owen and Alfie Giles tested the Wells’ goalkeeper, George Bentley.

Having survived the opening quarter hour, Tunbridge Wells opened the scoring when a cross from the right allowed Jacob Feasey to touch home past Joe Mant.

Once in front, the Wells dominated and chances fell to Kazeem Richards, Regan Corke and Lewis Unwin before Bentley saved well, after 27 minutes from Fin Dent.

Further chances for Feasey and Unwin should have seen Tunbridge Wells put the game to bed before the break.

The early part of the second period saw the Wells continue to dominate but a failure to convert their chances including Feasey missing from the spot left them vulnerable.

The penalty brought a chaotic few minutes that also saw Kennington’s Adam Phillips sent off, seemingly for dissent.

After 72 minutes, Mant kept the home side in the game with a double save from Unwin and substitute Rory Ward but five minutes later from a corner Siji Akinlusi secured the point with a powerful header.

Time remained for Kennington’s Liam Whiting to sit out the final moments in the sin bin.

An encouraging result for the Wells, but meanwhile Faversham were flexing their muscles.

Kennington 2 Tunbridge Wells 0

Match 8/22/2015 - Saturday, 30th July 2022 - SCEFL Premier

Kennington (2) 2 Griffin 12 Middleton 30
Tunbridge Wells (0) 0
Attendance: 256

Admission: £5 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 36/986

Tunbridge Wells began the new season, in fact a new era under the management of Luke Carpenter, with an inauspicious performance at Homelands, where hosts Kennington groundshare with Ashford United.

A poor first half display did see some improvement in the second period but they failed to break down the Kennington defence despite the home side having been reduced to 10 men after a dreadful challenge from Charlie Owen brought a red card after 25 minutes.

The Wells began slowly and paid an early price when Kennington went in front after 13 minutes when a misplaced cross from right back Jordan Griffin sailed over the head of goalkeeper Billy Johnson into the far corner.

Following Owen’s dismissal, Connor Pring brought a good stop from Kennington’s keeper Joe Mant with the rebound being struck home by Trevor McCreadie, only to be disappointed by an offside decision.

That disappointment was compounded two minutes later when Liam Middleton capitalised on a slip by a Wells defender to fire in a shot that was parried by Johnson, but the striker collected the rebound to score into the bottom corner.

The visitors fashioned a chance when a cross from James Nurden found Jack Palmby but his effort was straight at the goalkeeper.

Tunbridge Wells dominated the second half as the 10 men of the home side defended their lead but the chances came and went without testing Mant to any great degree.

McCreadie had the ball in the net on the hour converting a cross from Jaan Stanley with a header that was chalked off by a very doubtful offside decision.

Attempting the draw some positives for Tunbridge Wells, there wasn’t many better players on the pitch than Palmby and McCreadie definitely gave the impression that he has goals in him given a better service than he received today.

Away from the game, with the new Tonbridge Angels pitch nearing completion, a viewing of this first generation surface at Homelands offers plenty of warnings for the future if it is not maintained correctly. This pitch had its problems from the outset and now is in such a sad state, as the pictures below show, that it really needs to be retired to the recycling plant.