Analysis by Matt Harris & Craig Methven
Theoretically, The Wells have four league matches scheduled for November – two at home and two away. We say ‘theoretically’ because the previous couple of years have been quite thin on the ground where League action is concerned with postponements and rearrangements owing to cup action. It’s difficult to know how to get statistics spanning the seven years for league action alone, so as the evenings draw in, the floodlights come on and the fog begins to roll, with Novembers traditionally offering plenty of cup action, that’s where we start this time around.
Right at the start of the month is the FA Vase First Round clash at Culverden against Rochester United (November 1, 3pm). This has been a special competition for a little longer than the Wembley year with The Wells still involved in the competition for five of the last seven years, and progressing further on four of those five occasions. One of those matches produced a joint-high-winning margin under Martin Larkin’s tenure, when Holyport were beaten 8-0 at Culverden.
Larkin has highlighted his need to instil a sense of how special this competition is among the newer squad members, but also points out the role the crowd could play. “What we really need is for the town to help us separate this from a normal league game - and that means the town turning out in force to support us,” Larkin said. “The bigger the crowd, the better - we had almost 1,300 last year for the Crowborough game and if we could get just half of that against Rochester we’d be delighted, and it will make a massive difference.” [So bring friends, folks.]
Regarding the opposition, “we’ve had them watched by our scout and I managed to watch them in their Sevenoaks game, so we will have a clear game plan and we are going to work on that in training this week,” he outlined. A win on Saturday would see a Second Round match played on November 22 (it’s an unusual occurrence to have two Vase games in November), while defeat would leave a blank Saturday, as things currently stand.
The Ghost of Novembers Past
November 3, 2007 – Martin Larkin’s first taste of first team action from the Tunbridge Wells dugout. At the end of October, Martin Farnie and assistant Steve Gibbons parted company with the club following a disappointing start to the season and Mike Robbins and his assistant Larkin whose reserve team had been tearing up the reserve division to that point were promoted - Robbins as first team manager and Larkin as assistant manager. A League Cup game at VCD Athletic provided the backdrop for their debut and resulted in a 1-3 defeat, Mike Lord hitting The Wells’ goal.
“I can’t remember too much from the games during that first November apart from the first against VCD where the speed and power was a big step up from the youth and reserves football we’d been managing,” Larkin recalls. “I do remember thinking to myself I wanted to be involved in this, but I wanted to do it my way and lead. Luckily I got that opportunity.”
That first month ultimately proved to be a difficult one with The Wells playing five games (two in the League Cup and one in the Kent Senior Trophy) and losing all of them. Mike Lord’s goal proved to be the only one scored all month while 14 went in against (nine in the cups). A baptism of fire, some might say…
Watch five minutes’ worth of punditry on Match of the Day and you’ll be quickly reminded that football’s full of clichés. One apparently holds true: ‘A year in football is a long time’. So it proved a year into Robbins and Larkin’s tenure (November 2008). In complete contrast to their first month in charge, all three league matches were won, progress was made in the League Cup, and the only blip was an FA Vase exit – 0-1 at Chirstchurch in the Second Round Proper. All-in, 11 goals were scored, and four conceded. Another year on and Robbins had moved on, leaving Larkin as first team manager. His first November in charge proved unusual in that there were no cup distractions, and four league matches yielded three wins and a draw – nine goals scored and three conceded. The following represents The Wells’ records in the various competitions played in over the past seven years during November…
Seven-Year November League Record:
P - 14; W - 8; D – 2; L - 4; F - 26; A – 21 (GD +4)
Seven-Year November FA Vase Record*:
P - 5; W - 4; L - 1; F - 15; A – 2 (GD +13)
* Includes goals scored in Extra-Time
Seven-Year November League Cup Record:
P - 7; W - 2; D - 1; L - 4; F - 8; A – 14 (GD -6)
Seven-Year November KST/KSC Record:
P – 2; W – 0; L – 2; F – 1; A – 8 (GD -7)
Summary:
It’s clear where priorities have been in previous Novembers, with positive League and Vase records to show. But can The Wells separate the cup from the routine business of league action? Let’s finish with a quick look at the league opposition coming up in November…
Greenwich Borough: Greenwich would have been hosting The Wells in the midweek before the biggest match of their history had they not lost to Worcester in the FA Cup. Instead, they’ll be keen to start making up their many games in hand and assert themselves on the top places in the SCEFL. They’ve drawn at Ashford and lost at Phoenix on the road this year – both of whom occupy top three positions.
Lordswood: Visits to Lordswood have generally been tight affairs, as shown below. Mixed outcomes over the years, combined with a glance at the league table showing that they’d be above The Wells if they win their games in hand suggests The Wells will have to be on their mettle to grind out a result there this season. The Lords have won three, drawn one and lost one at home – Ashford beating them 4-0 being the only chink in their home fortress wall to date.
Fisher: Below, you'll see that Fisher have tended to come to Culverden in generous mood in the past. They’ve also lost heavily at Ashford (6-1), Canterbury (3-0) and Cray Valley (4-1) this season. BUT, they’ve fired a warning shot that The Wells would be wise to heed: The Fish have been to Holmesdale and done what The Wells couldn’t in two attempts – they won there, pretty comprehensively, 3-0. Which Fisher will turn up at Culverden? Place your bets now…!
Holmesdale: Sitting in mid-table at present a free-scoring start to the season that saw The Wells comprehensively beaten in the FA Cup had dried up somewhat until the final Saturday of October when Corinthian were smashed 6-1. While The Wells nicked a very late point there earlier in the season, The Dalers’ away form has been patchy to date. They’ve enjoyed a couple of decent wins, but both Ashford United (4-1) and Erith & Belvedere (3-1) have beaten them on the road – and with those two currently occupying the top two spots, there’s a very decent yardstick to set your standards by.
Here's a list of results for The Wells against this month's league opposition in their correlating fixtures going back seven years...
2007/08
Greenwich B (A) 0-1
Lordswood (A) 2-3
Fisher (H) -
Holmesdale (H) 2-2
2008/09
Greenwich B (A) 1-2
Lordswood (A) 2-1
Fisher (H) -
Holmesdale (H) 1-0
2009/10
Greenwich B (A) 3-0
Lordswood (A) 1-1
Fisher (H) 3-2
Holmesdale (H) 1-1
2010/11
Greenwich B (A) 2-3
Lordswood (A) 0-3
Fisher (H) 7-1
Holmesdale (H) 3-0
2011/12
Greenwich B (A) 5-2
Lordswood (A) 1-0
Fisher (H) 6-1
Holmesdale (H) 4-1
2012/13
Greenwich B (A) 6-2
Lordswood (A) 4-1
Fisher (H) 1-1
Holmesdale (H) 5-0
2013/14
Greenwich B (A) 1-3
Lordswood (A) 1-0
Fisher (H) 3-0
Holmesdale (H) 2-2