Tunbridge Wells U21 2 Tonbridge Angels Res 1

Match 113/16/1420 - Tuesday, 28th March 2017 - Suburban Shield

Tunbridge Wells U21 (1) 2 Biddlecombe 33, Adams 49
Tonbridge Angels Reserves (1) 1 Morrison 30
Attendance: 107

Entrance: £1 Senior
Team Sheet: None
Mileage: 36/7,742

Who would be a goalkeeper? Lewis Mitchell single-handedly kept Tonbridge Angels in this game, but an inexplicable handling error four minutes into the second half ultimately decided the game and sent Tunbridge Wells through to the Semi-Finals of the Suburban Shield.

Tunbridge Wells deserved to make progress in the competition; in Josh Biddlecombe they had the only genuine first-teamer in either side and he had a quality that was above anybody else. Biddlecombe is suspended from the Wells first team game on Saturday, hence his inclusion in the Under-21 side for this game.

The closest either side came in the opening 20 minutes was a shot from the left from Tunbridge Wells' Joe Adams that crashed against the crossbar.

But it was the visitors that took the lead when a pass over the top sent Dameli Morrison clear to cleverly lob Callum Hampson in the Wells' goal.

The lead was only to last three minutes when the ball was slid through the centre for Biddlecombe to draw Mitchell from his line before slotting it past the goalkeeper.

Tunbridge Wells enjoyed a period of dominance before the break with Ollie Vidler having a shot blocked and Tom Lawrence sending the rebound over the bar.

Mitchell's nightmare moment came in the 49th minute when a cross from the right from Adams should have been an easy collect for the goalkeeper, but under pressure from Biddlecombe, he dropped the ball over his line with the referee quite rightly deciding that the striker had not impeded the goalkeeper.

Tonbridge had the odd half-chance through the second period but it was the Wells that made the clearer chances and the reason they didn't run out much clearer winners was due to Mitchell's brilliance.

The young Tonbridge stopper dived low to his left to deny Biddlecombe after an hour and his double save ten minutes later from close range was out of the top drawer.

If any criticism could be made of Biddlecombe's performance it would be that he was wasteful in front of goal and another couple of chances went begging just prior to the final whistle.