Local rivals Tunbridge to face each other in the next round.
Tunbridge Wells 1-0 Eastbourne
The FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.ON
Preliminary Round
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Culverdon Ground, Tunbridge Wells
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Tunbridge Wells edged passed Eastbourne in The FA Youth Cup on Tuesday to set up a First Qualifying Round derby with rivals Tonbridge Angels.
Manager Darrell Cousins was as pleased with his side's performance, which was sealed thanks to a goal from youngster Callum Bennett, as he was with the win.
"It was a really good, entertaining end-to-end game with two evenly matched sides," he said. "I think in the end we deserved the win, but it was a good game to watch."
The next tie pits the two Kent sides against each other and Cousins will not have to work too hard on his pre-match research.
"We know a lot about them because they have taken a couple of our players over the last couple of years who are likely to play against us," he explained.
One youngster that Tunbridge have managed to keep hold of is 16-year-old Bennett, who was able to win the game for Tunbridge despite his size.
"Callum is probably the smallest lad on the pitch but it was him who popped up to score our goal, he sneaked in and got on the end of a well delivered free-kick just when I thought everyone was going to miss it."
Eastbourne manager Shaun Harper admitted after the game that as much as it pains him to exit the tournament, he does not mind losing to a better side.
He said: "We made hard work of it but I can't take anything away from them. I take my hat off to them, they took their chance and we didn't. It's disappointing but we did not perform on the night and Tunbridge did."
