Crowborough Athletic 3 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 76/21/1940 - Monday, 27th December 2021 - SCEFL Premier

Crowborough Athletic (1) 3 Murrain 23 Duncan 80,83
Tunbridge Wells (1) 2 Gethin 6 Lightfoot 58
Attendance: 513

Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 50/4,192

What a Christmas Cracker and like a bottle of champagne that has proved difficult to uncork the game exploded into a dramatic finale.

In atrocious conditions, both sides deserve great credit for the entertainment served up for a crowd of over 500 in this festive A26 derby. A pitch that was always going to end up as a mud bath was never going to aid the quality of the game but both sets of players did their best to play football.

Similarly positioned in mid-table, a competitive encounter was to be envisaged and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Tunbridge Wells started the better and it was no great surprise that they took the lead after just six minutes. Initially, a driving run by Harry Hudson from midfield saw James Nurden sent clear down the left and his low, driven cross was met by Matt Gethin who had a relatively easy tap in.

As the rain pelted down it would be easy to relate to floodgates being opened but Crowborough were having none of that and just a minute later, Elliott Duncan struck a post with the follow-up denied by an instinctive stop from 17-year-old Frankie Leonard.

The home side continued to force the pace and after Leonard had saved from Jacob Lambert and Harry Osborne had fired over they deservedly found an equaliser on 23 minutes through ex-Tunbridge Wells striker Lucas Murrain. An initial shot from Ollie Hyland came back from the crossbar and a second effort was beaten away by Leonard but the goalkeeper was helpless as Murrain fired straight down the middle from the rebound.

The game ebbed and flowed with both goalkeepers called into action. In the Crowborough goal, Cameron Hall saved from Kyron Lightfoot on a trio of occasions whilst Leonard saw efforts from Osbourne and Duncan narrowly fail to find the target.

Tunbridge Wells ended the half firmly on the front foot. A free kick from Lightfoot was saved by Hall and a shot from Hudson was deflected wide by a coat of paint.

The visitors picked up the second half as they finished the first and Hall needed to paw away a cross-cum-shot from Frankie Griffin and save from Lightfoot. But the natural flow of the game meant that Crowborough would have their spell and with it a golden opportunity to take the lead when Lambert broke through to set up Duncan whose shot was saved by Leonard but as the ball was recycled a cross found the head of Ali Mouajal who somehow directed it over the bar.

A minute later, the 58th, the Wells got their noses in front a second time with once more an initial run and pass from Hudson finding Lightfoot on the left side side of the box, his shot appeared to take a deflection and the ball looped over the stranded Hall and into the far corner.

Tunbridge Wells failed to capitalise of their momentum and back came Crowborough. In the 77th minute, the referee was left with a difficult decision as the Wells goalkeeper lay prone on the ground with the game going on around him. A pass through the left channel saw Leonard sliding in at the feet of Murrain, the slippery ball escaping his grasp and taking a knock in the process. The loose ball was sent goalwards and defenders twice cleared from the line before the referee called a halt to give the stricken keeper some attention, much to the annoyance of Crows supporters who felt there had been minimum contact with the goalkeeper.

Their upset turned to joy three minutes later when the ball was picked up from a clearance by the impressive Duncan who, from 20 yards, curled an exquisite shot into the top corner.

The game had turned now into the home side’s favour and three minutes later they found a winner when a cross from the right saw the ball fall to Osborne whose shot was parried but only into the path of Duncan who scored from close range.

So the A26 bragging rights goes the way of the Crows and on balance they just about deserved it. But as the battle weary players trudged to the tunnel, muddied head to toe to a man, they could feel the appreciation of the spectators who had witnessed a traditional no quarters given, none asked Christmas Derby.