Christmas on hold Sam’s settled into pro game
FESTIVITIES WON’T DISTRACT ELOKOBI FROM DERBY CLASH
make sure we stay professional on Christmas Day and not get sidetracked.”
Elokobi knows all about the passion of derbies as a veteran of fiery Black Country meetings between Wolves and West Brom. The rivalry between those clubs prepares you for anything, so he’ll be ready for Longmead as Maidstone and Tonbridge meet in a league game for the first time in almost five years. Elokobi said: “The Wolves versus West Brom games were very lively, very intense.
“Like any derby, you want to win for yourselves and you want to win for the fans and this Tonbridge game is going to be no different.
“I play every game like it’s a derby so I’m sure the boys will relish the chance to be out there because the atmosphere is going to be electric. We’ve got to give our fans something to shout about because we let them down against Dorking on Saturday. “Ice-cool in the head and fire in the belly – that’s how you approach derbies.
“We have to keep our discipline but also we have to impose ourselves the right way.
“It’s a local derby, all the boys are aware of that, and we’re going to try and do our best to send the fans home happy.
“We need to look at ourselves, individually and collectively, and rectify what went wrong against Dorking.”
Maidstone host Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.
Sam Noakes is starting to feel at home in professional boxing after a second straight stoppage.
The Maidstone lightweight stopped Daryl Pearce in round three at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night. It was a highly impressive performance from the 22-yearold as he followed up his debut win over Chris Adaway. Noakes said: “I enjoyed this one a lot more – this one was cushty!
“I stuck to the game plan because all the boys were saying don’t go out and hit him too hard straight away because some people don’t want to know after that.
“So I took it easy in the first two rounds and then came back to the corner and Al Smith, my trainer, said ‘get him out of there now’.
“He was taking a beating but he’s a tough kid. Even when the referee called it off, he wasn’t happy. I take my hat off to him but his face was in a bad way. “I looked better in this fight, I felt more like a pro in there.” Noakes took 300 fans to the capital and gave them plenty to shout about.
He added: “Coming out to all those people was mental. It’s hard to explain, but it makes you feel really good.
“They are a loud bunch.” Manager Francis Warren, son of promotor Frank, also told Noakes he’d looked more like a pro and it could be a big 2020. “I hope people are taking notice,” said Noakes.
“The harder the opponent the better really because there are some bad journeymen. I like the tough ones, that’s when you learn.”
Noakes would like to thank sponsors H&C Motors, Fastlay Services, Inkfish Tattoo Studio, Roocou, Swift Roofing and Champs Boxing.