Tunbridge Wells Senior Charity Cup

Semi Final

Saturday 23rd April 2022

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.29

Hawkenbury 2 West Farleigh 0, attendance 30

7’ 1-0

75’ 2-0

@ Hawkenbury Recreation Ground

Hawkenbury Road

Hawkenbury

TN2 5BU

No Admission or Programme.

I never visited Hawkenbury during their five seasons spent in the Kent County League Division 2 East from 2009/10 to 2013/14. I only got to visit the ground today, after Tunbridge Wells District Council gave the club permission to play one final game here, before removing the goal posts for the Summer.

Hawkenbury are in fourth place in the Sevenoaks & District League Premier Division, whilst West Farleigh play two levels higher, in Kent County League Division 2 Central & East, where they are second in the table, very much in the running for one of the two promotion spots and still able to take the title.

The game was played in very windy conditions, not helped by the ground being very exposed. Despite being well grassed, apart from the two six yard boxes, the pitch was awful, being rock hard and very dusty and certainly affected the game. Hawkenbury went ahead early, a defender heading into his own net, trying to cut out a diagonal free kick into the box. West Farleigh always gave the impression that they would turn things round, but the equaliser just didn’t come. The killer second goal came fifteen minutes from time, when an innocuous effort from 25 yards, somehow went under the ’keeper.