Tunbridge Wells 4 Erith Town 0

Match 25/13/1052 - Tuesday, 24th September 2013 - Southern Counties

Tunbridge Wells (1) 4 Fuller 18,89, Pilbeam 51, Harris 61
Erith Town (0) 0
Att. 278

Entrance: £3.00 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 26/1,986

Match Report

Tunbridge Wells swept aside the Southern Counties East league leaders Erith Town, in the best performance of any of my teams so far this season. This was an eagerly awaited encounter with Erith enjoying an unbeaten start to the season and also boasting one of the most potent strike forces in Kent League football, with ex-Wells striker Rikki Cable, who has netted seven times already this season, in their ranks.

A large, boisterous crowd (by Kent League standards) was expected and, although the 278 was a little short of the number that I had hoped for, they made a noise worthy of at least another hundred.

On a pristine pitch that looks to be improving as the weeks go by, Tunbridge Wells played a brand of football that was both pleasing on the eye and clinically effective, at times they literally passed their way through their opponents.

Erith Town made a decent start to the game and looked to be revelling themselves in the atmosphere before the home side opened the scoring after 18 minutes. A free kick from the left taken by Jon Pilbeam was touched home at the far post by Joe Fuller.

The Wells should have doubled their advantage soon after when a sparkling move involving Jack Harris and Carl Cornell ended with Ian Parsons having the goal yawning in front of him from inside the six yard box. How he managed to spoon his effort over the bar, only he will know. It was a shame for the newly-recruited youngster from Hawkenbury who later missed another, albeit more difficult opportunity, because he had, in general, a fine game.

A one goal lead at the break against a side with the attacking capabilities of Erith Town is the most slender of margins, but the second half performance from the home side just swept them to one side. Six minutes into the second period a free kick from Cornell rebounded off the wall into the path of Pilbeam whose shot went under the body of Tom Warren.

The game was ended as a contest on the hour with a fine individual goal from Harris, cutting in from the right and unleashing a blistering shot into the bottom corner. "We want four" chanted the Wells faithful, but I suspect on the line what Martin Larkin was seeking was a clean sheet to go with the goals and steadfast performances from Scott Whibley and Andy Boyle completely neutralised the much-vaunted strike force of the visitors.

The crowd did, however, get their fourth goal in the dying minutes of the game, Joe Fuller, who was quite outstanding in midfield, getting on the end of a corner from the diminutive Adam Humphries to double his tally on the night from close range.

Tunbridge Wells are not going to sweep all before them in their pursuit of the league title. Erith have far too many good players to allow this bad day to derail them and Ashford United remain unbeaten, but this Wells side is capable, very capable of producing something special. I visualise some very intriguing and entertaining encounters at the top of the Southern Counties League in the months to come.