Hollands & Blair 0 Tunbridge Wells 1

Match 105/16/1412 - Wednesday, 15th March 2017 - SCEFL

Hollands & Blair (0) 0
Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Potter 87
Attendance: 94

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Included
Mileage: 58/7,318

This was the first time I've seen the Wells since Christmas and the Crowborough game. In the intervening time, have I been hoodwinked by some fraudsters? How can a team that I watched defend so valiantly at Hollands & Blair have been letting in fives and threes? The back line were absolutely superb, to the point that a top striker at this level in James McDonald doesn't get a sniff and is forced wide on the left as Hollands sent forward their big centre half and captain to try and salvage something out of the game. A block right at the death from Keiron Tarbie epitomised the effort that had been put in and was as match winning as the goal.

The loss of Jamie Lawrence for a second booking failed to unsettle that back line, with goalkeeper Steve Lawrence employed like a long-on at cricket just fielding the odd ball that trundled towards the boundary.

Yes, there are problems in the final third, Josh Biddlecombe put in a shift, but too many runs from him and Pinnock were poorly timed and were ended with a linesman's flag.

Hollands started the game on the front foot as the early stages took the direction everybody expected it to. Bailey Pearce had a shot saved by Lawrence low to his left; McDonald shot straight at the keeper and Brad Webb turned a free kick wide within the first five minutes.

A couple of efforts from Jon Pilbeam interrupted the traffic direction but the Gillingham-based sides efforts were largely untroubling to Lawrence.

Tunbridge Wells' first real chance came before the break when a corner was headed back across the face of goal by Brad Potter to Shea who shot wide but their golden opportunity was to come a minute before the break when they were awarded a penalty after Ben Brown was adjudged to have fouled Josh Biddlecombe. Jamie Lawrence stepped up for the spot kick but blasted high over the crossbar.

The game evened itself out somewhat in the second period with the best chance falling to Blair's substitute Jack Simon whose volley came back of the face of the advancing Steve Lawrence.

Jamie Lawrence who had picked up a booking after 54 minutes, picked up another for another foul after 79 minutes and was summarily dismissed.

Three minutes from time a cross from the right from Pilbeam to the far post found Potter whose header sailed into the opposite corner for the winning goal.

These three points, I would think, banish any thoughts of relegation, unless the Wells implode and the clubs behind them go on an unexpected run of success. For the management, committee and supporters it will soon be time to take stock. Whatever decisions they make, they know that they cannot afford another season like this one, but tonight there were reasons to be cheerful.