FA Cup Prelininary Round Replay
Croydon (0) 2 Toney 49, Hudson 86
Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Parsons 76
Attendance: 110
Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 88/950
New Ground: 278
Match Report
Prior to kick off thunder rumbled around the Croydon Arena, but no lightning was seen until Lauris Chin showed a clean pair of heels to his opposing full back as a early warning to the visitors.
On Monday, whilst Croydon opted to postpone a local derby against Croydon Athletic, Tunbridge Wells decided to play their Southern Counties East game against the league leaders Corinthian. I can only think they are questioning that decision as they looked "leggy", whilst I'm sure 90 minutes on Monday would have taken something out of the legs of the hosts, especially on a pitch with grass that was too long and an uneven bounce.
Over the two matches, Tunbridge Wells have come up against a goalkeeper of significant potential. Francis Ameyaw kept Croydon in the tie on Saturday with a series of good saves and made several more in this replay to see his club over the winning line.
The first half was far from entertaining fare with very few chances created by either side. Tunbridge Wells started well with an 8th minute Jason Barton header tipped over the bar by Ameyaw from a corner. The following corner brought another save by the goalkeeper at his near post.
Despite their threatening pace on the counter attack, Croydon didn’t really create anything of note in the opening 45 minutes; a couple of comfortable saves for Steve Lawrence was as much as they could muster.
Ameyaw, however, was called into action once more after 34 minutes. A mistake in the box allowed Andy Irvine to pull a pass back from the bye-line to Brett Ince whose shot towards to bottom corner was turned away by the goalkeeper.
Croydon were in front in the second period before some of the supporters had collected their half-time tea. A superb pass from Karl Douglin cut the Wells open to put Tristan Toney through to finish clinically from the edge of the box with a shot into the top corner.
Tunbridge Wells reacted positively, after 52 minutes, Lee Radford (a waste a full back, in my opinion) got in a great cross from the left, but Irvine failed to connect and from a corner, Barton headed the ball forward to a position in front of goal, but Joe Fuller failed to get the ball out from under his feet.
Just past the hour mark, Croydon had a breakaway attack that led to Lawrence's poor clearance falling at the feet of Douglin, but the striker’s effort at an empty goal was well wide from 35 yards.
The Wells were knocking the door. Ameyaw tipped over an Izzy Izokun header; Fuller headed narrowly over and Irvine rounded the keeper and crossed with no one on hand to supply a finish.
The goal the visitors deserved finally arrived on 72 minutes when substitute Ian Parsons curled in a shot from the left hand side of the box after good linking between Radford and Irvine.
The impetus was with the Wells but with five minutes remaining Croydon delivered the knock-out punch. Toney sped away down the right side but his cross only found the Tunbridge Wells defender Gary Beckett, whose sliced clearance returned the ball to Toney, who this time passed across the face of goal to Jermaille Hudson who finished well into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Three fine finishes and two good goalkeeping performances over both legs of the tie gave Croydon the right to host Molesey in the next round and collect the £1,925 prize money.
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