A hat trick from veteran striker Paul Vines won an absorbing Kent Senior Trophy for Southern Counties East League side Greenwich Borough despite a valiant showing from Kent Invicta League Champions elect Hollands and Blair.

Vines opened the scoring on the half hour before doubling the lead ten minutes into the second half.

Borough then withstood a Blair onslaught from which the Gillingham side only had Rob Denness’ 70th minute penalty before sealing the contest themselves when Vines completed his hat trick thus denying Blair the Kent Invicta League, League Cup and KST treble.

Borough boss Ian Jenkins was naturally very happy after the game.

Speaking to KSN he said, “It’s great to win a cup especially after you’ve had a League season like the one we’ve had.”

“It’s been frustrating in the League, because we’ve been beaten by sides that, with the greatest respect, we should have beaten!”

“We had a good run in the FA Cup and have got Tunbridge Wells in the League Cup Final at Welling in a couple of weeks. But of course to win the Senior Trophy is great especially the way we played.”

“Delighted for Paul Vines as I thought he was terrific today, although if we’d have got the penalty any earlier than the last minute we wouldn’t have let him take it.”

Jenkins explained ruefully “We’ve missed five of our last six kicks and had to earmarked Jamie Humphries to take one, but how could I have said no to Paul with the last kick of the game.”

Blair boss Paul Piggott was disappointed after the game yes, but that disappointment was tempered with the knowledge that next weekend his charges will be crowned Kent Invicta League Champions barring a mathematical miracle and a goal difference switch of 44 goals in two games.

“We don’t like losing football matches,” Piggott told KSN after the game, “but we gave it all we had and at the end of the day, I couldn’t have asked more of the players today.”

“We only asked of them one thing before they went out and that was to make sure that they didn’t leave anything in the dressing room, and not one of them did!”

When asked about missing out this week on being crowned League champions, the Blair boss replied, “We’ve always said that we’d sooner do it in front of own fans ourselves next weekend. But fair play to Greenwich they took their chances today, and that was the difference!”

Indeed Greenwich had the ball in the Blair net inside the opening minute when Lewis Wood’s strike was ruled out by an assistant’s flag.

Rob Denness was then instrumental in Hollands & Blair’s first real chances – firing over himself from the edge of the box, before creating his side’s best first half chance.

With the ball bouncing on the Greenwich 18 yards line, Denness nipped between Chris Edwards and keeper Craig Holloway before squaring for Jordan Gallagher who couldn’t quite wrap his foot around the ball as it bobbled away from the striker as he seemed destined to score.

The game’s opening goal duly arrived on the half hour when Wood played the ball across the face of the Blair goal for Vines to walk the ball into the empty net with Blair keeper James Smith struggling to make his ground.

Blair thought they’d released top scorer James McDonald shortly afterwards but an incredibly late flag put paid to that attack, before on the stroke of half time Denness was denied an equaliser by a brilliant defensive block.

The second half began with Blair defender Tom Staff almost slicing a Jamie Humphries ball into his own net. It sparked a period of pressure for Greenwich in which the doubled their lead through that man Vines again!

Humphries sprinted clear from half way only to be denied by a fabulous Steve Dampier tackle only for the ball to run loose to Vines who was quickest to react and scored from the tightest of angles!

Blair now had to chase the game and as it became more stretched the game opened up at both ends – Luke Fewsdale’s free kick for Blair, was flicked on by Denness to McDonald, who was denied by a brilliant block by Chris Edwards, before at the end on a two v two break, Wood sprinted clear and prodded the ball past keeper Smith as well the far post.

Hollands and Blair needed a break to get back into the game and they duly got it twenty minutes from time.  Denness played in sub Anthony Carlton down the right, and as he played the ball back to Tom Michelson whose shot was handled by Gary Alexander leaving referee Marshall with no option but to point to the spot, from where Denness made no mistake.

Blair now sensed their chance and forced Greenwich further and further back to such an extent that Borough at one point looked almost as they were playing a 7-0-3 “defensive” formation, yet Blair could not find a way through, and it was Greenwich who created the better chances with Blair keeper Smith denying Wood with his legs, and then Vines with a fabulous low save from the edge of the box.

Vines though wasn’t to be denied as in the third minute of stoppage time, Wood was brought down in the box and Vines duly converted to seal himself the match ball and his side the Trophy…

 

 

GREENWICH BOROUGH – Craig Holloway, Chris Edwards (Chris Saunders 80), Jack Clarke, Aaron Day, Joe Vines, Danny Young, Lewis Wood, Gary Alexander, Paul Vines, Billy Bennett, Jamie Humphries

Subs – Jamie Wood, Rob Gilman, Gary Borrowdale, Danny Phillips

 

HOLLANDS & BLAIR – James Smith, Lewis Taylor, Bryan Greenfield Sam Welch 65), Stuart West, Steve Dampier, Tom Staff, Luke Fewsdale, Tom Michelson, James McDonald, Rob Denness, Jordan Gallagher (Anthony Charlton 84)

Subs – Ashley Doe, Joe Clark, Reece Butler

 

Referee – Tom Marshall

Assistants – Danny Swannell & Joe Stokes

Fourth Official – Mike Marsh