The first game of the Kent FA’s “Grassroots Weekend” saw Red Velvet FC produce a stunning performance that Park Regis just couldn’t keep pace with and saw Velvet run out comfortable winners.
Harry Taylor headed the Eltham side into an early lead that Harry Pieske doubled on the half hour before Taylor netted his second and the side’s third on the stroke of half time from the spot.
Two further goals followed after the break as substitute Ryan Wall completed the scoring after the Park Regis defence had conceded an unlucky own goal shortly after the restart.
For Velvet boss Jim Eason it was a job well done as he told KSN after the game. “I’m a very happy manager – we’ve been with the boys for three years now and this is a great achievement.”
“It was important to get the early goal as it settled the side down – I had an idea that things would happen early in the game with the way that the warm up went and the early goal helped us to get into the flow of the game.”
“To be fair to Park Regis, we expected them to come at us in the second half and they did. The game wasn’t over until the final whistle and we knew Park Regis would give us a good game and they did helping to make the game what it was, but they met a Red Velvet side today in top form!”
For Jim Eason, the Park Regis boss, it was a case of what might have been. “I’ve always said the boys every week when we play, if you get beaten by a better side, you’ve no complaints and Red Velvet today was by far the better side.”
“We’ve got a young side and there were nerves coming out here in front of a lot of people and we were second best today.”
“I’ve never played in a Kent Cup Final and that’s what these boys have achieved today and I take my hat off to our boys for getting here toda,y but at the end of the day they were a bit stronger than us and congratulations to them.”
Red Velvet was fastest out of the blocks and could have been in front in the first minute had Alfie Maisey been able to get a cleaner connection on Sam Smith’s great right wing cross.
Not that it mattered that much as the Eltham side were in front after only eight minutes with a goal that could have been practiced for many years in the Taylor family backyard as Harry got on the end of Jack’s free kick to magnificently angle a looping header over Regis keeper Joe Austin, who could only look on in despair as the ball dropped into the corner of the net.
Just past the half hour the lead was doubled as skipper Harry Pieske was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net as Regis couldn’t clear a teasing Maisey cross.
Regis just couldn’t get into their stride and things got worse for the Sittingbourne side as on the stroke of half time Harry Taylor had his second as he made it three from the spot after he’d been fouled following up Jack Taylor’s pile driver that had smashed back off of the angle of post and crossbar.
Velvet keeper Liam Barnes was finally called into serious action six minutes after the break as he did well to hold onto Conor Simpson’s low drive before disaster struck for Regis in Velvet’s very next attack, Smith’s cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by a defender.
Maisey was then denied by a truly magnificent left handed save from Austin as Velvet threatened to run riot.
Four did become five with quarter of an hour to go as Ryan Wall got on the end of a Charlie Vizzard through ball – after it had eluded Jay Hedges who’d burst into the box – to steer the ball into the corner to seal what was an emphatic win.
Park Regis FC – Joe Austin, Charlie Phipps, Jack Matthews, Rob Reardon, David Wethey, Josh Davidson, Gary Elliott, Tom bullock, Conor Simpson, Chris Griffen, Paul Pullen
Subs – Chris Elliott, Joe prince, Billy Austin, Siom D’Emamanuele, Lewis Woollven
Red Velvet FC – Liam Barnes, Jack Taylor, Charlie Vizzard, Jay Hedges, Kasey Pamphlett, Sam Thompson, Sam Smith, Harry Pieske, Harry Taylor, Alfie Maisey, Tom Maylon
Subs – Luke Jacobs, Ryan Wall, George McMahon
Referee – Billy Woods
Assistants – Derek Peck, Steve Todd and Roger Wadhams
Photography by PSP Images.