Southall (1) 4 Mills 34 Austin 52 Mark 75 Pitt 90+7
Tunbridge Wells (3) 4 Thompson 17,43,90 Lawal 27
Attendance: 95
After extra time
Played at Ashford Town (Middlesex)
Admission: £4
Programme: £1
Mileage: 142/2,510
Southall ground share at Ashford Town (Middlesex) hence the Sunday afternoon fixture and the game being played to the constant rumble of a plane taking off from Heathrow and climbing into the sky every 45 seconds. For any football fan that doubles as a plane spotter it has to be a heavenly venue.
The game took an age to get going and the plane spotting was actually a welcome distraction until, after 18 minutes, a fine right wing run and cross from Josh Froggatt saw the Southall goalkeeper only push the ball into the path of Jason Thompson who crashed the ball into the roof of the net.
With the goal the game sprang to life and another cross from Froggatt to Thompson saw the striker hit into the side netting whilst the Wells goalkeeper Ryan Nicholls had to save well from Jack Mills.
After 29 minutes a well worked short free kick routine saw Jake Beecroft slide a through ball to Christian Lawal to shoot between the goalkeeper and his near post.
After 32 minutes Southall’s Ben Long picked up a booking that was to prove costly later in the game.
But, four minutes later, a fine shot from just outside the box by Mills gave Nicholls no chance and offered the home side a route back into the game which Southall grasped with Mills firing just over a couple of minutes later.
The Wells though restored their two goal advantage just before the break when a free kick from Euan Sahadow was turned into his own net by a defender under pressure from Thompson, who I admit thought had scored.
Southall, with nothing much to lose in the second period, placed their visitors under pressure from the outset and the Wells were the architects of their own downfall in this period as they continually gave the ball away.
Seven minutes into the half, Nicholls had to make a desperate save at his near post but, a minute later, a corner from Mills was met with a powerful header from close range by the home captain, Gavin Austin.
Southall continued to press, Mills saw a shot saved by Nicholls feet and substitute David Pitt tried an audacious lob from about 40 yards. In between Tunbridge Wells had a free kick awarded for a back pass 10 yards from goal that ended with a Thompson shot rattling the underside of the bar.
On 77 minutes Southall got parity that their second half endeavours had deserved when full back Jack Roper had time and space to pick a shot into the far corner.
After 81 minutes, Long’s second yellow was converted into a red card and with a man advantage Tunbridge Wells pressed on for a winner that appeared to have come when Beecroft passed for Thompson to fire home in the 90th minute.
Tunbridge Wells attempted to manage the game out with the ball held in the corner for long periods but it appeared that the referee was going to add every second that ball remained there, whether it was in play or otherwise. Three minutes became seven when a final free kick taken by the goalkeeper found substitute Pitt, who waltzed a couple of tackles before sending the game into extra time with the last kick of regular time.
Neither side could find a winner despite close calls for both teams, so on to Tuesday night.
Admission: £4
Programme: £1
Mileage: 142/2,510
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