Highworth Town (0) 1 Clark 85
Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Cass 60 (pen)
After extra time
Att. 254
Entrance: £3 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 266/4,282
New ground: 271
Match Report
Highworth Report
Tunbridge Wells’ supporters, who made up more than half of the 254 attendance, won’t forget Highworth Town in a hurry if they were to progress to the later stages of the competition, perhaps even Wembley itself once more.
One of the greatest fascinations of the FA Vase is that with the clubs coming from just a couple of steps within the pyramid the teams are usually evenly matched, especially at this last 32 stage with comparisons of the differing leagues difficult to make.
The fixture had been in serious doubt with plenty of rain having fallen in the Wiltshire town in the days leading up to Saturday. The Highworth volunteers completed a sterling job with the pitch, heavy but clearly playable, passing a morning inspection.
A first look at The Elms might have suggested that this fourth round tie was going to be an easier task than the visits to Westfield and Portchester, whose facilities were superior to those than Highworth, although the pitch at Westfield was even heavier.
The outcome of the match ultimately hinged on a couple of key decisions from the referee and depending on the colours that you were wearing he got them right or he got them wrong. With the use of an ordinary pair of eyes, I felt that the match official got both decisions right, albeit that he needed a helping hand with the second big call.
Tunbridge Wells should have put the game out of the reach of their hosts in the opening 25 minutes. Within the first three minutes, a through ball from Brendan Cass sent Paul Booth into the penalty area as a defender slipped on the sodden turf. Booth rounded the advancing goalkeeper but as he lined up his shot into an unguarded net, the striker himself lost his footing and the chance was lost.
Booth had a further opportunity but chose to cross rather than take on a tight angle only to see the ball intercepted and efforts from Joe Fuller and Tom Davey cleared the bar. The traffic was very much one-way with the hosts seemingly overawed by the occasion.
Highworth, having survived the early pressure, grew into the game and there became a sense of foreboding that Tunbridge Wells would live to regret those early missed chances. TJ Bohane, a 30 goal striker, began to stretch the visiting back line bringing a save from Steve Lawrence at his near post. Just prior to the break, the noisy Wells support held its breath as a pass across the face of goal found Dan Drewett, who, from inside the six-yard box, managed the more difficult option of crashing his shot against the crossbar rather than into the empty net.
After a quiet start to the second half, in terms of chances at least, Tunbridge Wells went ahead slightly against the run of play as a result of the referee’s first big decision on the hour. From the length of the field, it was difficult to determine whether the challenge on Paul Booth was fair or foul. Highworth supporters alongside us, one of whom appeared to be a club official, vociferously claimed that the ball had been won, quite how they could make that judgement without the benefit of bionic eyes is difficult to appreciate. For my opinion, the defender made his challenge from behind, so regardless of whether he got the ball or not, it was a foul. Brendan Cass converted the spot kick to open the scoring.
The goal lifted the confidence of the Wells and for a ten minute period it appeared that a safe passage to the next round was in their grasp. Fuller blasted over after a good move opened up the opportunity for the midfielder.
With nothing to lose, Highworth mounted a final 20 minute assault on the Wells goal that finally yielded a deserved equaliser after 85 minutes following a moment of madness that Lawrence would rather forget. The Wells’ keeper charged from his box to clear but his header was charged down, leaving Brad Clark with an open net in which to place his shot.
Into extra-time and the Wells’ support fell uncustomarily quiet as the home side sought a winner. One attack after another left the Wells regularly conceding free kicks around the box from which Highworth failed to deliver a knock-out punch.
The final, and most defining incident of the match, came with 112 minutes on the clock. The dangerous Bohane was sent clear but was hauled to the ground by Perry Spackman earning the Wells central defender a second yellow and therefore a red card. The referee immediately pointed to the spot for what should have been a winning opportunity for the Wiltshire club.
Whilst issuing the red card, the referee’s attention was sought by the linesman ending with the penalty decision being overturned in favour of a free kick on the edge of the box. This was a decision that from just 20 yards or so, I would say was completely the correct one. Assertions from the Highworth management that Bohane was two yards inside the box are fanciful. But having given the original decision, this was a mighty let-off for Tunbridge Wells.
A goalmouth scramble with the ball loose inside the six yard box was survived along with several corners and edge of the box free kicks to preserve the Wells’ interest in the competition.
There is something just as glorious in a rearguard action as there is in winning easily and this was one of those games that can lead supporters to believe that their name might well be on the trophy, albeit that a replay next Saturday cannot be taken for granted. The pitch at Culverden may prove to be a similar leveller to the one at The Elms, but with home advantage the odds now favour the Kent side.
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