Tunbridge Wells (0) 2 Irvine 76, Pilbeam 83 (pen)
Shildon AFC (0) 0
Att. 1,754
Entrance: £3 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 26/4,601
Match Report
When I first starting writing That’ll Be The Day the first thing I needed was a title and the inspiration was the words that my Dad would use when I would wish for something, football-wise, that wasn’t likely to happen.In 1999 Gillingham had their day, and thankfully the old fella was fit enough to share it, as my eyes unashamedly moistened as they walked out onto the Wembley turf for the first time in their history. Sadly the old boy isn’t around anymore, as the threshold is set for another day as Tunbridge Wells took another step towards an occasion that seven months ago would have been fanciful even to the supreme optimist.
This was a day when Gillingham had to take a back seat, my season ticket could lie idle as the need to be at the Culverden Stadium as this little bit of history unfolded was too special to miss. The week had been one of weather watch as this interminable winter drags its heels to a much overdue conclusion. It was something of a surprise that the game had been given even an initial go-ahead on Friday afternoon but from my London workplace, through Friday night and into Saturday morning, continuous rain and sleet left serious misgivings that the weather-beaten pitch could take the volume of water that was being thrown at it.
Whilst I caught a couple of hours sleep following my night shift, an army of volunteers were setting about forking the pitch in an effort to make it playable, a seemingly impossible task. Their effort was rewarded by an inspection at 11.30 a.m. that decreed that it was playable as long as the weather didn’t further deteriorate. On any normal Saturday, I would arrive at Culverden at 2.50 p.m. and be met by a couple of people in front of me at the turnstile, today at 1.30 p.m. there were a couple of hundred or more in the queue, these were waiting patiently for the referee to consult both managers before giving the final go-ahead.
The Shildon team filed past the queue to enter the stadium and there could not have been a doubt in their mind that the game would be played as the customers were starting to pay at the gate before the last of the players had entered the changing rooms. There was obviously a great will on behalf of both clubs to get the tie played, almost certainly Shildon had little desire to make the 600-mile round trip a second time.
The first look at the pitch might well have been that perhaps it’s going to be okay, but just the player’s warm-up left it decidedly worse for wear. Someone remarked that the players shouldn’t have been permitted to warm up in the penalty areas but, in truth, there wasn’t a square foot of the pitch that wasn’t going to suffer.
By the start, 1,754 were in attendance for the most important match in Tunbridge Wells’ history, some of whom, according to Minnie, were asking the way to the stadium on arrival at the station, I can only say, I hoped they enjoyed the walk because that’s a fair old step. Among the attendance there was a coach-load from the north-east that had travelled down in the morning and was in Tunbridge Wells by late morning and they positioned themselves and their flags behind the far goal, something that I cannot ever remember witnessing before. A temporary stand was quickly filled to its capacity as the best viewing points were sought.
As the game unfolded, both sides did their very best to play football in impossible circumstances. It was quickly established that this Shildon side were strong and capable and would pose by far the biggest task that Tunbridge Wells have faced in this FA Vase run, but this was the semi-final , so nothing less should have been expected. The conditions and two resolute defences were offering up very few chances in a first half that descended into a contest somewhere between the Eton Wall Game and mud wrestling. For the Wells, Josh Stanford and Jon Pilbeam ploughed their way down the flanks presenting a significant threat that was snuffed out by experienced defending from two wily old pros in Shildon’s full backs, whilst the home keeper, Chris Oladogba, was called upon to make a couple of comfortable saves. A chance after half-hour opened up for Pilbeam, but this first serious attempt on goal from the home side was charged down inside the penalty area.
Shildon began the second half on the front foot but immense defending from Scott Whibley and Perry Spackman was limiting their attempts to those that were being comfortably dealt with until, past the hour mark, there was an almighty fright for the home support as a shot was parried by Oladogba into the path of Jamie Owen, but a last ditch block from Pilbeam saved the day.
By now the conditions were descending into farce and with Shildon holding the balance of play, I know I wasn’t the only person in the ground that thought a goalless scoreline might be considered a good result. Oh ye of little faith!
With 13 minutes remaining on the clock, another Shildon attack was broken down and Pilbeam was released to attack down the right flank with space that he had found restricted by his opposing full back all afternoon, this time he drove the ball across the face of goal to an unmarked Andy Irvine who coolly picked his spot to shoot past Keith Finch to the roar of approval from Culverden.
No sooner it was one, it was two. Six minutes later, Hooley Cornell, on as substitute weaved his way into the box and was brought down by Shildon’s skipper, Richard Flynn to gain a penalty. It appeared that the coolest person inside the ground took responsibility for the kick, Jon Pilbeam sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and into the corner for a two goal advantage.The slog in the mud was done, the battle on and off the pitch was won, but the tie is not. Next Saturday it is the turn of the southerners to make the long trek north and to be faced, from reports, with a pitch that is little better than Culverden and a Shildon side that is going to be even stronger with their own support in the majority.
If the Wells can come through this test, then they will have their day, the eyes will almost certain moisten again and I will look to the heavens and I will hear the old man saying “Tunbridge Wells, at Wembley, That’ll Be The Day!”
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