Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Gethin 90
Lordswood (1) 1 Reid 18
Attendance: 172
Admission: £5
Programme: £2
Mileage: 36/6,705
A penalty in time added salvaged a point for Tunbridge Wells, leaving visitors Lordswood still languishing in the relegation spots.
The penalty award was one of many curious decisions made by the referee who, surely, would have had better evenings.
A draw was probably a fair result, Tunbridge Wells certainly held the lion’s share of the game but defeat would have been rough justice on a Lordswood side that pressed well for an hour, giving the Wells not a second on the ball and, in the last half-hour, put a head or a boot on everything that was sent into their box.
Lordswood started the better and were well worth their lead after 18 minutes. Aaron Lee Wharton made a fine save from an initial shot on goal but Josh Reid was on hand to tuck home the rebound from close range.
The Wells recovered from the setback and forced corners aplenty but, apart from one on 22 minutes, that was headed onto the roof of the net by Freeman Rogers, none came to anything.
The home side lost the influential Connor Pring to injury on the half-hour and Wharton needed to be alert to deny Sam Bailey.
Kyron Lightfoot produced a scintillating run after 38 minutes but his final shot flew high into the night sky.
Confusion reigned just before the break when Freeman Rogers was sin binned, for what nobody really knew.
An early second half free kick from Lightfoot that was punched away by Lordswood goalkeeper, George Bentley, sent the tempo for a half that the Wells dominated. But, as with the first half, a multitude of corners brought no reward.
As they searched for an equaliser, Tunbridge Wells left themselves open to the counter attack and Zak Jakubowski twice found himself one-on-one with the last man, narrowly missing the target both times as he got his shot away.
As the clock ticked its way into time added, Tunbridge Wells were awarded a penalty when Lordswood’s Philip Makinde saw red after dragging down Lightfoot. An initial foul happened outside of the area but Lightfoot retained his footing allowing the referee to wave play on before he was finally felled.
Matt Gethin’s penalty was brilliantly turned onto the crossbar by Bentley, but Gethin followed up to head home.
Gethin might well have won the game with a header that went wide but, in fairness, that would have been rough justice on Lordswood.
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