Lordswood 3 Tunbridge Wells 4

Match 75/18/1668 - Saturday, 22nd December 2018 - SCEFL Premier

Lordswood (1) 3 Wells 17 Hooper 55 Hollick 75
Tunbridge Wells (1) 4 Biddlecombe 4 Williams 67 Thompson 68 Harper 90
Attendance: TBC

Admission: £3.50 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 36/4,438

Lordswood and Tunbridge Wells served up a Christmas feast with a seven goal thriller that was decided by a 90th minute goal along with two sendings-off as the visitors continued their recent revival.

With their ever-enthusiastic following in fine voice, Tunbridge Wells got off to a flyer with the opening goal after just four minutes. An initial shot was only parried back into the path of Josh Biddlecombe whose effort came off the inside of the near post to rebound to just inside the far post.

Following the opening goal, Tunbridge Wells dominated for 20 minutes with Jason Thompson instrumental in much of the forward momentum. Thompson saw his well shot saved by Dan Smith after eight minutes and Smith excelled again within a minute to touch over the bar an effort from Dane Moore and producing another fine save to deny Thompson, pushing the ball away for a corner, from which Ola Williams headed wide when he should have hit the target.

The play had been so one-way it came as a surprise when Lordswood equalised on 18 minutes. Jordan Wells rode a challenge from which the referee played a good advantage to fire into the bottom corner.

A coming together with little Christmas goodwill between Lordswood’s George Blake and Biddlecombe that saw the Tunbridge Wells player pushed to the ground. From the melee that ensued, red cards were shown to Blake and Moore. At 10-a-side, it was the home side that regrouped the better as Tunbridge Wells lost their early momentum.

Wells, who was a handful, set-up Euan Samadow who forced Callum Hampson into a save at his near post and saw a shot deflected away for a corner. A minute from the break, Williams cleared from the line an effort from Wells as the visitors clung on to their parity.

Despite, being pushed onto the back foot, Tunbridge Wells might well have gone into the break with a lead had it not been for a great save from Smith who turned a shot from Jamie Humphris onto a post.

Into the second half, it was Lordswood that got their noses in front when a cross from the right, pulled back to the edge of the box found substitute Adam Hooper whose cleanly struck shot whistled past Hampson.

Tunbridge Wells turned the game on its head with two goals in a minute. On 67 minutes, a corner from Humphris found the head of Williams to level the score. Within a minute, Thompson was allowed to travel, right to left across the 18-yard box before burying a shot into the bottom corner.

Smith saved at the feet of Humphris to keep the Lords in the game and this was rewarded after 76 minutes when Hampson failed to collect a corner allowing Jason Hollick to head into the unguarded net.

Both sides had chances to win the game before the clock ticked to the 90th minute when Humphris stood up a cross from the left for Stephen Harper to bundle the ball over the line for the winner.