Larkfield & New Hythe 1 Staplehurst Monarchs 0

Match 112/23/2235 - Saturday, 4th May 2024 - SCEFL One Play-off Final

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.

Larkfield & New Hythe 3 Staplehurst Monarchs 1

Match 99/23/2222 - Saturday, 30th March 2024 - SCEFL Division One

Larkfield & New Hythe (2) 3 Walker 33 Day 39 Babington 62
Staplehurst Monarchs (0) 1 Watson (pen) 49
Attendance: 201
Admission: £3 Senior
Mileage: 22/6,978

Staplehurst Monarchs suffered a set back in their march to the SCEFL Division One play-offs but whilst it should not prove fatal in that quest, it might prove a pivotal defeat in the all-important battle for a top three place and a home tie in the post-season finale.

Larkfield and New Hythe, with this win, now stand four points adrift of the Monarchs but with two games in hand.

A bumper Easter Saturday crowd were treated to a feisty encounter that saw the home side, with perhaps the most to lose, play with an aggression that sailed pretty close to the wind at times but without doubt brought a deserved three points.

From the first minute when a great block from a Staplehurst defender denied an early goal, it was obvious that the home side were “up for it” with as much noise coming from the pitch as from the assembled crowd.

Staplehurst had decent chances on six minutes when the eccentric Larkfield goalkeeper, Jordan Carey, saved from Omar El Mantaway with the follow-up turned wide and on nine minutes when Harley Gorse headed over but after the visiting goalkeeper, Steve Lawrence, had made a brilliant reaction save to turn over a header from Tyrell Richardson, the resultant corner found its way to the left side of the box from where Fraser Walker drove low and cleanly into the bottom corner.

Larkfield doubled their advantage on 39 minutes when Matt Day beautifully flighted a free kick over the Staplehurst wall leaving Lawrence helpless.

Staplehurst were given a helping hand back into the game early in the second half when the referee awarded them a hotly disputed penalty which was converted by Connor Watson which brought a spell in which they threatened to pull the game level but Larkfield regained their momentum and regained their two goal advantage just past the hour with a close range header from Timmy Babington.

The final half-hour was one of attrition and not very easy on the eye but Larkfield saw the game out with relative ease to gain the vital three points.

Larkfield & New Hythe 1 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 62/21/1926 - Tuesday, 23rd November 2021 - SCEFL Premier

Larkfield and New Hythe (0) 1 Beecroft (pen) 89
Tunbridge Wells (1) 2 Keyte 45 Gething (pen) 48
Attendance: 160

Admission: £3 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 28/3,474

Aaron Lee Wharton emerged as the hero, as with so many other times this season, as Tunbridge Wells edged past Larkfield and New Hythe in the SCEFL Challenge Cup.

On a bitterly cold evening, The Wells held on defiantly during the five minutes of added time after Larkfield had scored a last minute penalty.

Larkfield had launched a final 10 minutes assault after going 2-0 behind early in the second half through a Matt Gething penalty.

After a quiet opening, Wharton opened his catalogue of saves with a save with his feet after 13 minutes.

Unfortunately, much of this report won’t be naming the Larkfield players as the white numbers on a yellow shirt made them impossible to see once they got a few yards away.

One player always recognisable is Jake Beecroft and he saw his effort blocked before the Wells started to exercise a threat of their own with a Jordan Wells shot that cleared the crossbar and an effort from Johnny Phillips that found the side netting when a pass across the face of goal might have been the better option.

Wharton was back in action saving brilliantly from Josh Jackson twice in quick succession.

On the cusp of half-time, Tunbridge Wells almost took the lead when an effort from Wells struck the right hand post after being set up by Gething.

But they were not to be denied when the resultant corner was half-cleared to the edge of the box from where a well struck volley from Danny Keyte gave Larkfield’s goalkeeper, Scott Andrews no chance.

Tunbridge Wells went two goals to the good after three minutes of the second half when Connor Pring was brought down in the box for Gething to convert sending Andrews the wrong way.

Larkfield responded and forced the Wells onto the back foot for much of the second period in which Wharton excelled.

An incredible double save after 50 minutes signalled the start of his extraordinary performance but even he needed the help of a defender to clear from the line from a third effort.

A close range effort saved by the feet from Charlie Smith defied belief and a touch onto the bar and a line clearance were needed to preserve the lead.

Tunbridge Wells broke out on occasions and following an electric run from James Nurden, Phillips wastefully blazed over and a good moves involving Frankie Griffin and Nurden ended with Gething shooting over.

But the game returned to the Wharton show with the goalkeeper even getting the better of one of his own defenders as a deflection looked bound for the net.

An 89th minute penalty, given for dangerous play against Jack Hope, saw Beecroft finally beat ALW, something of an achievement as he has saved nine penalties this season!

As some disgruntled Larkfield supporters left the ground at the final whistle berating the referee for a couple of very optimistic penalty claims, the Wells supporters could only break into song “Oh, Aaron Lee Wharton”, a goalkeeper of immense talent for this level.