Crowborough Athletic 3 Tunbridge Wells 0

Match 70/16/1377 - Tuesday, 27th December 2016 - Southern Counties East

Crowborough Athletic (2) 3 Carrington 5 Attwood 38 (pen) Crabb 50
Tunbridge Wells (0) 0
Attendance: 503

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £1.00
Mileage: 46/5,092

The difference in mood at the final whistle was as stark as the result itself. Whilst Jason Bourne led his side to a sombre warm-down, the exuberant Crowborough matchday announcer was exclaiming that the home side had now gone a club record 27 games without defeat. As the Tunbridge Wells supporters, who had turned up in good numbers, waited patiently for the Crows to disappear into the dressing room he chose to repeat their admirable record rather than rubbing salt in the wound with a comment along the lines of “and we didn’t even break sweat”.

Tunbridge Wells remain a precarious three points clear of the relegation places but their run of consecutive defeats now sits at six and whilst they have three games in hand of Erith Town and Beckenham, their defensive frailty hardly inspires confidence that those games will bear enough points to steer them to the calmer waters of mid-table.

Of course budgets tell the story of what players are available to the respective managers. Whilst Sean Muggeridge can parade the likes of Zak Attwood, Lee Carey and his son Henry, all with experience at Ryman Premier League clubs or higher, Jason Bourne’s cloth is cut from loaned players and youngsters.

When, five minutes in the second half, an Attwood cross was deflected onto his own post by Luke Carpenter with the rebound falling handily at the feet of Sam Crabb, who with time aplenty picked his spot into the bottom corner, it afforded the Crows the opportunity to spend 40 minutes with foot off the pedal, playing at training ground pace with the added indulgence of a little showboating to please the home support.

Perhaps there was the slightest case of what might have been with Crowborough’s opening goal after five minutes. A Tunbridge Wells attack had been thwarted with successive shots by Charlie Cornford and Ryan Crandley parried away by goalkeeper, Dan Ellis. The subsequent clearance sent Sam Carrington clear to tuck the ball past the advancing Steve Lawrence. It was a case of stretching Ellis at one end to conceding in a matter of 10 seconds.

Crowborough gathered momentum from the opener and after 16 minutes Dan Perry struck a post and, after 30 minutes, Lawrence saved bravely at Perry’s feet as the winger broke clear.

The Wells were on the wrong end of a harsh decision after 38 minutes when a penalty was awarded for handball against Jake Hampson after the ball reared up off the turf. Attwood coolly converting the spot kick into the bottom corner to double the Crows advantage.

Once Crowborough opened up a three goal lead in the 50 minute, the game deteriorated quickly as the home side went through the motions with the visitors not having the wherewithal to threaten their freewheeling opponents. Bradley Large, on as a 61st minute substitute for Crandley produced a cross for Josh Biddlecombe to shoot over the bar in their only meaningful attack of the second period.

Whilst the Crows celebrated and looked forward to a FA Vase Fourth Round tie against Eastbourne Town, the Wells face another daunting derby fixture against Sevenoaks Town on Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd January 2017.

This was my first visit to Crowborough in the lifetime of this blog. The ground has changed inasmuch that it is now fully enclosed in accordance with the ground regulations of senior football, my last time was a pre-season game well over 10 years ago when the pitch was just roped off and the touchlines strewn with dogs mess. But these days, it is professional and welcoming. Pre-game walking behind the goal having bought a cup of tea, a stray ball from the warm-up took the tea clean out of my hand! The stadium announcer kindly purchased a fresh cup for me, a very nice gesture.