Tunbridge Wells’ response to the Erith disappointment was pretty clear for all to see on Saturday at Croydon, and means the side have enjoyed three wins in the last four league matches.
At a point some might want to see league momentum build further, The Wells have two cup ties this week that could either be seen as a distraction, or a great opportunity, depending on your perspective. First team boss Martin Larkin is firmly in the latter camp, as he speaks with www.tunbridgewellsfc.com about the week ahead…
“The Cups are always exciting,” he elaborated. “We have three that we are in, and the goal is to still be in them all in January. From there onwards anything can happen.”
Tuesday evening sees Cray Valley PM come to Culverden for the Preliminary Round of the SCEFL Challenge Cup (KO 7.45). The winner will then travel to Fisher in the next round to fight for a spot in the Quarter Final.
“Cray will be a tough fixture - they have scored a lot of goals in the league this year, but we were superb on the opening day against them,” Larkin notes. “It’s a Tuesday night under lights with all the day’s work and travelling involved, so we will need to be at our best.
“I imagine both teams will have an eye on Fisher in the next round as that’s a game that both will fancy, and equally Fisher will fancy their chances at home so it’s going to be exciting to start that campaign.”
Then of course Saturday brings Woodstock Sports to Culverden for a Kent Senior Trophy match (KO 3pm) that offers the prize of a potential first-ever competitive match against Rusthall, should The Wells and The Rustics win their respective matches first. This will be The Wells first game in the Trophy since winning it two years ago, and Larkin’s keen to get involved in the competition again.
“I was upset we weren’t allowed to defend this trophy, so in my eyes we have a point to prove on Saturday. The draw is done all the way to the Semis and I think all the teams on our side of the draw will be thinking there is a chance to progress.
“The chance to play Rusthall in a competitive game is a great incentive for us. We have had to listen to an awful lot from that part of town over the years - so it will be nice to play them properly, if - of course – we both manage to get through our ties on Saturday.”
Finally, although it’s still a few weeks away the FA Vase is on the horizon (November 1), now that The Wells know their opponents in the First Round Proper.
“The Vase is the Vase,” Larkin concluded. “It’s special to us and we will need to educate those new to us as to why it is special and what the fans expect. We will be ready come November 1st. We are having Rochester watched twice before we meet - so we will know what to expect. But we know it’s a tie that if we play to the best of our ability we will be very tough to beat. We just need to make sure we are at that level.”