Erith & Belvedere (2) 3 Oshilaja 35, Adesite 36, Froggatt 76
Tunbridge Wells (0) 2 Crandley (pen) 51, Large 84
Attendance: Est. 50
Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 78/3,117
Bourne’s squad was already stretched with goalkeeper Steve Lawrence missing with a broken thumb. There were four changes in total from Saturday’s home win against Bearsted, the ageing limbs of Michael Czanner took Lawrence’s place in goal, whilst there was a surprise return for Luke Hackett who had returned to parent club Dorking Wanderers, but has been told he can get game time when he is not required by Dorking; also returning to the club and straight into the side was Brad Potter and Tom Mackelden returned to the starting line-up. Tom Bryant, Kane Penn (injured on Saturday) and Tom Davey were unavailable for selection.
In front of a meagre attendance, probably amounted to no more than 50, the Tunbridge Wells faithful that made up half of that number were not particularly entertained in a first half that saw them enter the break two goals down, having brought just one meaningful save out of E&B’s goalkeeper, Sam I’Anson, Crandley firing a free kick from the edge of the box which the keeper parried to safety, low to his left.
It was a very slow opening period with the home side not creating much of note either, although they were the more direct of the sides. They moved the ball around reasonably well, which was something, on the night, the Wells failed to do.
It took until the 35 minute for E&B to find a way through. The Tunbridge Wells defence stood off Al-Hassan Oshilaja, who fired in a shot that went past a static Czanner and into the centre of the goal.
Just two minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage. Anthony Adesite’s shot from the right took a wicked deflection and although Czanner got down at the post, the ball squirmed from his grasp and into the net.
Tunbridge Wells were offered lifeline after five minutes of the second half when they were awarded a penalty for holding. Crandley stepped up and fired the spot kick low to the goalkeeper’s left to reduce the deficit.
After 55 minutes, the ineffective Josh Biddlecombe, in fairness starved of service, was replaced by Dale Ashman.
Czanner showed there is still life in those old bones when he managed to palm to safety a cross that was dropping underneath his crossbar.
After 70 minutes, Crandley overstretched on the right touchline and had to be replaced with a suspected hamstring strain.
Four minutes later the Wells were once again two behind. A through pass split the defence leaving Josh Froggatt a run on goal to slide the ball past Czanner with a composed finish.
Five minutes from time, Bradley Large hooked the ball in from close range to set up the possibility of a big finish but, apart from an Ollie Bankole effort into the side netting, the home side held out comfortably.
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