Photo: Main Stand at Rochester United (courtesy of pieandmushypeas.blogspot.co.uk)
Tunbridge Wells’ season continues tomorrow at Rochester United in the SCEFL with The Wells looking to build on a Bank Holiday Monday victory at Crowborough that ended a sticky run of results that produced an FA Cup exit and five dropped league points. Rochester currently sit in mid-table and have lost their previous three home matches to date. www.tunbridgewellsfc.com caught up with first team manager Martin Larkin to see what he was expecting from the encounter.
“As a squad we have trained well this week and are looking forward to following up our win at Crowborough,” he outlined. “We know we will be in for a tough game. They have some new players from last year and the ground is always a difficult one to go to - but we know what our scouting team has told us. we just need to make sure we execute our game plan and make sure they worry about us more than we worry about them.”
The team appeared to get it together in the second half at Crowborough to end a disappointing nine days, but Larkin refutes things hadn’t been working before Monday's match snapped into gear. “We won our first two league games without conceding a goal, I think everyone needs to get their expectations aligned to the circumstances we find ourselves in. Partly through our choice and partly through choices of others we have had a large turnover of players this year which means seamless 7-0 wins every week were never going to be on the cards. As a unit we have a very solid foundation (we’ve still conceded just three goals in five league games) and the attacking play will take time, but it will come.
“We have some superb attacking talent at our disposal, but when it mattered last year in the big, big games we were found wanting. Consequently, we’ve chosen to sacrifice a bit of our attacking flair to have a stronger base and more experience so that when it comes to the business end this year and we find ourselves ahead in the big games (like we did against Ashford and Whyteleafe last year), we are better suited to close those games out and secure the points we are going to need.”
And Larkin is open to dialogue with supporters during this time of transition. “Firstly, a big thank you to the fans who travelled to Crowborough on Monday and supported the team,” he expressed. “I am experienced enough to understand that as we grow as a club, opinions behind the goal will become more varied. All I ask is that you support the team in the same way you have done every week, and if your frustrations do grow please feel free to speak to me after the game. I am always happy to discuss the team with you - the fans - who we play for.”
Travelling to Rochester United tomorrow?
Kick-Off 3pm
Adults - £6
Concessions - £3
U16s - £1
Programmes - £1.50
Postcode - ME2 3TU