Lordswood 1 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 67/12/1020 - Sunday, 14th April 2013 - Kent Senior Trophy Final

Lordswood (1) 1 Oladogba (o.g.) 9
Tunbridge Wells (0) 2 Cook (o.g.) 58 Pilbeam 84
Att. 739

Entrance: £3 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 26/5,685
Played at Longmead Stadium, Tonbridge

Match Report


The first trophy of this bewildering season duly arrived in Tunbridge Wells' trophy cabinet following their Kent Senior Trophy victory in the Sunday afternoon sunshine at Longmead Stadium. Over the course of the next couple of weeks there could be several "first for" occasions and when this particular final whistle sounded, it confirmed the Wells first silverware for 25 years.

Lordswood, themselves making their own little bit of history with their first-ever senior final can look back on the game as one that they really should have put to bed in a first half in which they dominated; scored a peach of a goal and must have generally delighted their supporters, resplendent in orange-coloured rose button holes, but heavily outnumbered by the Tunbridge Wells contingent in a crowd of 736.

After making the early running, Lordswood took a deserved lead in the 10th minute. A sweetly flighted free kick fully 30 yards from goal from Jordan Wells struck the angle of post and bar but was rewarded as the rebound struck the diving Chris Oladogba to divert the ball back into the net.

Given it was a Cup Final, a strangely subdued Wembley-bound Tunbridge Wells were virtually overrun in the opening half hour. As Lordswood played the football and opened up the Wells creating several good chances, Martin Larkin's side were reduced to hitting long, hopeful balls towards Andy Irvine, who was getting little change from a solid central defensive pairing.

When Mark Murison robbed Perry Spackman to advance on goal one-on-one with the keeper, only the lift the ball over the bar from the edge of the box, a two goal interval lead would have been no more than Lordswood deserved. Murison was guilty of spurning another gilt-edged chance in the dying seconds of the half when a parry from Oladogba was headed over by the striker.

But, having not taken their opportunities, Tunbridge Wells were going to take heart from the fact that they entered the break only a goal in arrears.

A different Tunbridge Wells emerged from the dressing rooms and a 57th minute substitution bringing Hooley Cornell into the fray changed the game. Within a minute of his introduction, Cornell produced a superb pass to allow Jon Pilbeam to drive a low cross into the six yard box. Lordswood goalkeeper, Matt Byott managed to get a hand onto the cross but only to direct the ball into the path of Gary Cooke who inadvertently deflected it into his own net.

Where the first half had been one-sided, the second was much more even and both sides traded opportunities before, with six minutes remaining, Cornell set up Pilbeam to curl a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box for the winning goal.

Defeat was hard on Lordswood, who had acquitted themselves well in their first final, but wasteful finishing and a moment of magic from Pilbeam meant that the silverware made its way over Quarry Hill for the first time in 25 years. Dreams of a trophy of much greater significance remain, but Tunbridge Wells will not be afforded such a poor first half display by Spennymoor at Wembley on May 4th.