Tunbridge Wellls 1 Corinthian 2

Match 18/18/1611 - Tuesday, 7th August 2018 - SCEFL Premier

Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Lawrence 74
Corinthian (0) 2 Hurcomb 82 Housego 86
Attendance: 151

Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 38/887

Finally, what has been an interminable pre-season (of my own making by starting in June), I finally have competitive football and with it comes change.

The long, baking summer was replaced by a soaking as the Culverden pitch, an absolute credit to the work of Brian Sampson and his team, enjoyed the liquid refreshment from the sky. And for a long period during the game it appeared that the veritable goalfest of pre-season was about to be replaced by a goalless draw.

Both Tunbridge Wells and Corinthian opened up their season with defeats on Saturday, the Wells going down at Glebe whilst their visitors were brushed aside by a Chatham side who are among the favourites for the SCEFL Premier this season.

The opening half-hour was, I’ll use my term absorbing when nothing really happens. Josh Biddlecombe and Jeremy Tudor-Pole had efforts saved with ease by Corinthian goalkeeper, Aiden Prall whilst at the other end, ex-Wells man Bradley Large had a shot cleared from the line.

And that was really the story of the first period with Biddlecombe stretching Prall into a good low save the only real action to employ a goalkeeper.

It took 65 minutes for the game to come to life as Prall dropped a cross but the resultant stab at goal by Tudor-Pole was wide.

There was an air of resignation that neither side had the fire power to break the deadlock when Tunbridge Wells were awarded a free kick wide on the left about 20 yards out after 76 minutes. Tommy Lawrence’s free kick, whether it was a cross or not only he knows, found its way through the crowded penalty area to nestle in the far corner.

It was a wake-up call for Corinthian and eight minutes later they were level. A cross from the right was deflected upwards and an acrobatic overhead kick from Large looped the ball back across the face of goal for Michael Hurcomb to bury a header.

At this point a draw was definitely a fair result but Corinthian found a winner with three minutes remaining. A cross was only cleared to the edge of the box from where Oscar Housego struck a controlled, low shot back into the net.

Certainly, for Tunbridge Well, a cutting edge in front of goal is needed for this season to show any real improvement on the last one, but everyone with a Wells allegiance knows that.