Tankerton - Kent FA U16s Girls County Cup Winners
So, the big day was here at last, a day that we thought perhaps might never happen. But here we were, at the Kent FA U16 Girls’ Final!
The scene was set for a perfect evening, with the sun bathing the stand at the Gallagher Stadium. At the very least we would be leaving with a nice tan by the end of the evening but, as it turned out, we left with a warm glow as well!
The girls were buzzing after the coach journey from Tankerton and came onto the pitch in great form, loudly cheered on by the Tankerton fans. If they were nervous, they were not showing it and looked fired up for the match.
Thank you again to Happy Paws, Interpreting Matters & to Yvonne and Pete, residents at Seaview, who donated funds to make the whole day happen. We are still gutted that our Deaf Team could not be mascots on the day. Thank you @YMSTravel for their amazing service and support.
The match started at a frenzied pace and Maidstone made the early running, probing down both wings, but the Tankerton back line held firm and cleared the ball well on each occasion. We all knew this Maidstone team was physical, with all their players playing the correct age group and them finishing near the top of the league, but the Tankerton girls matched them all over the pitch. When the line was breached, Aoife was solid in goal, mopping up the shots and through balls that came her way. We weathered the early storm and started to play our way into the match, the strength and pace of Daisy and Alice causing a few problems for the Maidstone defence. The team’s organisation and structure were looking good, all moving as one. The back four looked strong, stopping each Maidstone attack and the midfield was working hard.
Maidstone were doing a good job of stifling Daisy in the first quarter of the match but this created space for others, and Tankerton started to cause a few problems for Maidstone who then conceded a penalty on 20 minutes, bundling Alice off the ball in the box. Alice dusted herself off and calmly slotted the penalty kick into the bottom right corner, giving the keeper no chance at all. Maidstone, stung by conceding a goal, tried to up the pace and launched an immediate attack on the restart, putting Tankerton under some pressure for a few minutes before our girls gained some territory and spent the next few minutes camped in Maidstone’s half. We started creating some chances and had a series of corners. The girls were playing a brilliant game so far, keeping Maidstone unsettled and unable to establish their free-flowing passing game. It seemed that Tankerton wanted this game more than Maidstone, challenging harder for every ball and being that half a second quicker to every ball. The crowd too seemed to be all Tankerton, with barely a whisper from the Maidstone supporters. It was intense on and off the pitch as the half wore on. Could Tankerton keep this up? As we neared half-time, Maidstone were awarded a dubious free-kick which was struck really well. Aoife was unsighted and saw it only at the last moment but what a save! Great reactions saw her push the ball around the post and the 1-0 lead was preserved into half-time. Our girls left the pitch in an ebullient mood, acknowledging the loud cheers from the stands. Maidstone were kept on the pitch by their manager, presumably being given a good talking to.
The second half started as you might expect; Maidstone stung into action by their manager and coming out all guns blazing. They seemed to have changed tactics and were now putting balls over the defensive line to turn our girls and utilise the pace of their forwards and it did almost pay dividends. One golden chance was spurned by their striker, helped by some great keeping from Aoife, and another shot fizzed over the bar. Despite all their possession and territory, Maidstone were not creating too much and could not get the goal they desperately wanted. Tankerton were holding firm, their own intensity level staying super-high and still making life so hard for Maidstone. Seeing Tankerton captain, Sophie, lead by example, using her body to get to the ball first, but was a great example of the players fighting like never before. The pressure Maidstone were exerting came at a cost though, leaving themselves light at the back and inviting the break from Tankerton which duly came. Great link-up play between Alice and Laura fractured the Maidstone defence and pace and strength from Daisy took her across the face of the box and then towards goal where she hooked a super shot past the keeper’s outstretched hand into the top of the goal. After the game, Daisy’s goal was described “Van Basten-esque”. Going away from goal she hit a half volley (which is a harder volley to control than a full volley because the ball is on the rise and in this case the ball had dropped from the sky and hit with a high bounce) and hit it into the top bins (the Euros are currently on and I promise you will see full international players mess up half volley finishes).
The team went wild, the crowd went wild: 2-0 up against the strong favourites! We were starting to believe! Maidstone looked stunned. I don’t think they have been in this position many times before, so it was becoming a real test of character for them. It was going to be a tough final 30 minutes for Tankerton too, and there was no room for resting on laurels. The girls showed tremendous maturity and composure and soaked up Maidstone's pressure.
Another quick break looked like it might yield yet another goal for Tankerton, only to be thwarted by some last-ditch tackling from Maidstone players. Then another attack from Tankerton, a great pass through to Daisy who was now one on one with the keeper; a Maidstone player then came from nowhere and took Daisy out! In other football that would be a sending-off, but our players respect the referee’s decision. Alice hit a good free kick which just went over the bar. Maidstone had had more of the ball, but Tankerton were creating better chances.
As the half wore on, Maidstone continued to press although their frustration was apparent, with a few heads dropping and comments being made to each other. Tankerton held their composure, though, even when Maidstone pulled a goal back with a well taken chance. Leyla and Georgia returned to calm the players down. Isobel and Fleur made some fantastic interceptions, which they did the whole game and Laura, who was back in midfield, carried on getting stuck in as she had done all game. Elif and Lauren holding their position in midfield, the wide players working so hard throughout the game to support the fullbacks but also to support the forwards, and Daisy and Alice always a threat going forward.
The last 10 minutes were going to be tense and so it proved, with Maidstone having another couple of half-chances, including a looped header dropping onto the bar but being scrambled to safety. The clock ticked on as every Maidstone wave was repelled and the ball pushed back into their half. A series of corners in the last two minutes caused hearts to flutter in the stands but each one was dealt with. As a final corner was cleared the referee blew for full time and the cup was Tankerton’s! Seeing all the subs, coaches, all the U16s and the supporters run on to congratulate the players, really showed what is great about Tankerton FC.
The crowd erupted; the noise was immense. I have no idea what the official attendance figure shows but with that noise you would be forgiven for thinking there were 2,000 Tankerton fans there!
In summary, this was the best performance this team has ever put together and what a time to do it! They stopped Maidstone from playing their game through tactical nous and sheer grit, effort, and determination that never faltered throughout the game. They kept their heads up even when conceding late and being under pressure. It was a complete performance from the girls. A trophy has never been so deserved by a fantastic group of girls. We are proud of you all and you should be proud of yourselves for all you have achieved over the last few years, guided by Dean. Above all, Dean’s mantra of having fun while playing has made this team what it is today. Well done to all of you.
Message from Dean:
I just want to thank everyone again for all their support, especially Rachel, Dale, and Sarah for helping me on the touchline, all the help in training and on the day. Thank you for the chant "Deano, Deano” after the final whistle from players and supporters; it is something I will never forget. However, the real stars are all the female players whom I have had the pleasure of working with during the last five years at Tankerton, who helped us reach and win the Kent FA County Cup. Also, thank you to the supporter who described it as Dean’s tactical master class, but it was really a Tankerton Girls Players’ Master Class.