Saturday 27th March 2010
Kent League Premier Division
Greatness Park, Sevenoaks
Admission: €6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 73
Match Rating: 3
It was only a last minute decision that took me to this game today. It was my intention to visit a Kent County League game in south-east London, however, heavy disruption on Southeastern Trains meant that Sevenoaks was the most convenient place to watch a game, and so I headed to the grandly named Greatness Park for this Kent League Premier Division encounter. The ground is located about a five minute walk from Bat and Ball train station, or about half an hour from Sevenoaks train station, which is served much more frequently.
Greatness Park is a fairly attractive ground which, although permanently enclosed, is set in a public park, with two small modern seated stands along one side with a stand providing a covered standing area located between the two seated stands. Changing rooms are portakabins close to one of the corner flags. Immediately behind the opposite goal end, there is a large grass bank which would certainly offer the best view of the action.
It is fair to say that Sevenoaks Town have been an absolute revelation this season. As a club that has finished in the lower half of the table in every season since they entered senior county league football in 2003, the aim for the club this season was a best-ever top ten finish. They have far surpassed this so far, currently in fourth place in the league and have been around there for most of the season, and were only three points off of second place. Before losing last week, they had won their previous five games on the trot and have also reached their first ever senior cup final this season. As for the visitors, they have not been affected by losing their Harrow Meadow ground last summer and now having to share Holmesdale's Oakley Round ground and are in good form, in sixth place in the league and only three points behind today's hosts and with a good end to the season, could come close to matching last season's excellent third place finish.
Two teams in good form meant I was looking forward to an open, attacking game, unfortunately this was not how it turned out, as particularly in the first half, both sides struggled to put more than a couple of passes together before losing possession. Sevenoaks did take the lead with quarter of an hour on the clock, with a long throw in was flicked on and John Maloney headed in at the far post. This was how it stayed at half time and was a reasonably fair reflection of the game, with Greenwich very rarely threatening the Sevenoaks goal. Within three minutes of the restart however, Greenwich were back on level terms, when a cross was swung in from the right, and the ball was headed across the keeper and into the net by Richard Moran. For the rest of the match, Sevenoaks did most of the attacking and spurned a couple of wonderful opportunities to win the match, which they were left to rue when Greenwich scored the winner five minutes from time thanks to a fierce drive from Sam Friskey. This was hardly a smash and grab victory though, as this was an evenly balanced game, just that Sevenoaks had most of the few chances available.
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