Two goal hero Andy Irvine is glad to be back at Tunbridge Wells after firing them into the FA Vase semi-finals.

The man whose goals fired Tunbridge Wells into the last four of the FA Carlsberg Vase actually left the club pre season to move up to the Ryman League with Herne Bay.

But home was very much where the heart is for Andy Irvine, and the striker returned to the Culvenden Stadium, and is now just a two legged Semi Final away from playing under the Wembley Arch.

“I have to say tonight that coming back from Herne Bay now is probably the best move that I’ve ever made,” he admitted after Saturday’s Quarter Final win over Hadleigh United.

“That’s not to say that I’m not grateful to Herne Bay as it’s helped my game come on leaps and bounds and experience that I hadn’t previously had. But now I’ve come back here, they’ve looked at certain aspects of my game and I think you saw today that this team is going from strength to strength – I even have to say that this is probably the best game that I’ve ever played in.”

Irvine, who’s dad Alan was a member of the Tunbridge Wells side the only time the club has ever won the Kent League title in the mid 1980’s, conceded that only having a week to prepare for the last eight contest in a strange way possibly worked in Wells’ favour.

He said, “I think only having a week between rounds helped us. We were able to carry the momentum we got by winning so late at Larkhall into today – we’ve been joking about in training that we’re in “Vase month” as it doesn’t seem to be ending at the moment.”

“We haven’t had any League games for a month to disrupt us or divert our attention from the Vase and I do think that has helped us no end! We’ve proved that on our day we can give the best teams a run for their money.”

“We actually don’t care who we get in the last four as after the exploits of Herne Bay last year, the Kent League is at long last beginning to get quite a name – we believe that on our day we can beat any team at our tier and that what this competition now is all about after all.”

After dominating early on there was a sense around the ground that the Suffolk visitors were just getting into the game, just as Irvine struck the crucial opening goal ten minutes from half time. Irvine said “There’s always that nervousness – these cup games can get to you a little bit when it doesn’t quite break for you where you want it to and begins to play on your mind.”

“And that’s why it was important that when Hadleigh did get on top, we really did clamp down on them and not allow them to get in and that’s where our back line have really helped us out. But there certainly was a nervy spell just before we scored the first goal.”

“The feeling when the first goal went in, I really don’t quite know what to do especially as it came from my right foot! We’ve had a laugh and a joke really over the last couple of weeks about what we might do if we get goals in these big games but it’s when it happens that it only truly hits home how important it is.”

The bond that exists at Tunbridge Wells is there for all to see as is the respect that the players have for manager Martin Larkin – a fact that Irvine readily agreed to.

“We all play for Martin as well as ourselves and the fantastic support that we get here. Martin has built a very good squad and has got a very good relationship with all the players. We look to Martin when we got the important first goal and really it hits home then at the amount of hard work that he’s put into it.”

“The fact that we all play and we all socialise together helps us as players and that does show because, like last week, when we went behind twice against Larkhall, we fought back which just highlights this amazing team spirit, but that is without doubt a result of what’s been set up here for us.”

With over a 1,000 people crammed into the ground, the new hero of the Culvenden had a final thank you to the supporters who answered the call to support the team.

“The fans here today were unbelievable – its a record breaking crowd and wherever you looked around the ground there seemed to be hundreds of people watching on and it’s moments like that as a player you don’t forget and it really was as good as it looks.”

“I know that all the players really appreciated it and let’s hope that they all come back – not just for the semi for for all the other games that we’ve still got to play.”

“It’ll be a good night of celebration but we’ve got to be focused as we’re back here for a League game – what’s that? – on Tuesday night against Beckenham. We know we’ve got the bigger games to come, and so we wont go silly tonight.”

Pictures supplied by Jake Stanford