Match report: Kent Senior Cup Final
Match Report by: Ben Austen
With a huge game against Bath City to come on Saturday, George Elokobi switched up the side a bit, giving some of fringe players the game time they needed. This included a first start for 17 year old Mark Boruk, who was absolutely outstanding and more than held his own up top with Hamzad Kargbo.
Given the build up to the game, it was always going to be Tonbridge that would come flying out the traps in the early stages but the Stones withstood their pressure and limited them to clear cut chances in the opening quarter of an hour.
Whilst the Stones looked threatening on the counter attack, the Angels were looking for that clever pass in behind and it nearly paid off when Frankie Baker beat the offside trap but Nathan Harness was quickly alert to make a superb sliding challenge to keep the game deadlocked. Harness was called into action not long after when Angels skipper Jordon Thompson drilled a half volley from the edge of the box which needed to be parried to safety by the Stones keeper.
Leo Hamblin was offering himself from those familiar positions on the left hand side for crosses and his decent delivery towards the back post was what Kargbo had been waiting for in the first half hour but whilst tussling his man, he couldn’t keep his header down.
On the stroke of half-time, skipper John Gilbert probably should have given the Stones the lead when Boruk done really well to win the ball just inside the Tonbridge box before laying it on a plate for Gilbert but didn’t quite get his head over the ball as his first time shot sailed over the bar.
The Stones came out for the second half with that little bit more intensity in our attacking play and it only took 5 minutes for that to pay off. Tonbridge didn’t deal with Riley Court’s out-swinging corner before a flick fell into the path of Kargbo who just about managed to get enough contact with his left foot to divert the ball past Matt Rowley for the breakthrough.
Once Elokobi’s men went it front, they smelt blood as they seeked further damage to Tonbridge’s confidence as good link up play from Court and Boruk saw the Stones forward play Court through but was met with an important low save from Rowley to keep Tonbridge in the contest.
It started to get a little bit touché in places as cards were being dished out but it wasn’t to stop the Stones as they went looking for a killer second goal. Gilbert managed to get the better of Thompson in the box before seeing his shot from a tight angle come crashing off the crossbar.
The last 10 minutes were where things started to kick off. Leo Hamblin was down on the ground following an off the ball incident but something had happened in the aftermath and it led to referee Dan Blades issuing Hamblin a straight red card.
It gave Alan Dunne’s side the leg up they needed as they looked to throw everything at it in an attempt to take the game to penalties. Substitute Naz Bakrin had a great chance to equaliser from a decent cross on the right hand side but headed wide.
It was very end to end as we entered 7 minutes of added time. Sam Corne looked to try and wrap the game up by attempting to lob Rowley before the rebound fell into the path of Jamie Yila who had an open goal but somehow managed to put the effort wide.
There were slight doubts that it could come back to haunt us as Rowley got on the end of a Tonbridge corner in the final seconds but couldn’t connect with it well which surely signalled defeat for the Angels.
However, the Stones wanted to finish the game off in style and with the last kick of the game, Court curled a beautiful free kick from 20 yards out, giving Rowley no chance and sealing a memorable night for George Elokobi with at least finishing with some silverware before (potentially) his final dance on Saturday in Somerset.
Tonbridge Angels:
Maidstone United: Hamzad Kargbo 50’, Riley Court 90+8’
Tonbridge Angels: 1. Matt Rowley, 2. Brad Williams (18. Naz Barkrin 84 mins), 3. Matty Warren (4. Scott Wagstaff 58 mins), 5. Ethan Sutcliffe, 7. Ricky Korboa (10. Marcus Sablier 68 mins), 9. Frankie Baker (14. Tom Leahy 58 mins), 11. Oluwabunmi Babajide, 16. Adeleke Omole (24. Kyle Smith 63 mins), 20. Jordon Thompson (C), 23. Bailey Akehurst, 29. Alfie Pavey.
Maidstone United: 1. Nathan Harness, 2. David Sesay, 3. Leo Hamblin, 4. Lexus Beeden, 10. John Gilbert (C), 11. Jamie Yila (25. Ashton Mitford 90+6 mins), 14. Mark Boruk (6. TJ Bramble 65 mins), 17. Riley Court, 21. Malachi Mbogba (5. George Fowler 65 mins), 23. Hamzad Kargbo (8. Sam Corne 83 mins), 24. Taylor Foran. Subs not used: 13. Lenny Holden.