Tunbridge Wells U21 5 Corinthian Reserves 3

Match 83/16/1390 - Monday, 30th January 2017 - Suburban Shield

Tunbridge Wells U21 (4) 5 Bartlett 3,80 Smith 11, OG 41, Lawrence 44
Corinthian Reserves (1) 3 Pearce 16, Tanner 75,79
Headcount: 40

Entrance: £3
Programme: None
Mileage: 58/5,857

If ever there was a competition that was devised to fill up a few empty days then surely it must be the Suburban Shield. Information is sparse; I had managed to work out that a group stage was involved by virtue of Tunbridge Wells playing both Corinthian and Tonbridge, little did I know that Cray Valley and Crowborough were also involved. In the case of Tonbridge, how they are going to manage to fulfil the fixtures, especially the home ties, goodness only knows.

Tunbridge Wells managed to maintain the air of mystery by not providing any information on the line-ups, in fact on the FA Full time website they still have only nine starting players listed. I do despair, and the Wells are far from the only guilty party, when clubs cannot manage to list the players from both sides anywhere.

Corinthian play their Suburban League football in the top division, whilst Tunbridge Wells are positioned in the southern section of the division below, this was not apparent as the home side took complete control of the game in the first half.

Tunbridge Wells were ahead in three minutes when a cross from the right was turned in from close range by Rhys Bartlett and they were two in front after 11 minutes when a shot from Callum Smith, a new signing from Westfield, went through the Corinthian goalkeeper, Harry Earls.

Corinthian fought back to reduce the deficit five minutes later when Louis Pearce turned in a cross from about a couple of yards.

Tommy Lawrence saw a lob go just over with Earls helpless before Jake Hampson, in the Wells goal, made a good save low to his left to deny Corinthian's number eight.

Four minutes before the break a Corinthian defender turned a shot-cum-cross into his own goal at the near post and the tally was increased to four in the last minute of the half when Lawrence scored at the far post.

Two goals in four minutes from Luke Tanner reduced the deficit to a single goal but Bartlett put the game to bed with ten minutes remaining turning in a cross from Bes Sadiku.

With both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells involved in the competition, I'll be following it as closely as internet searches allow!