Tunbridge Wells 3 AFC Croydon 1

Match 39/19/1761 - Tuesday, 22nd October 2019 - SCEFL Premier

Tunbridge Wells (3) 3 Sahadow 14 Thompson 20 Fjord Rogers 24
AFC Croydon (1) 1 Ogun 36
Attendance: 155

Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 38/2,656

A blistering first 25 minutes culminating with a goal that could grace any level of the game gave Tunbridge Wells a three goal lead that, although AFC Croydon improved, was comfortably enough to secure the three points.

The Culverden pitch had taken a hammering from the wet weather over the last few days but although it was visibly soft it was perfectly playable.

Tunbridge Wells started on the front foot and in those opening 25 minutes AFC Croydon barely left their half. Euan Sahadow put two efforts over the bar before supplying a cross that was headed over by Jordan Wells in the 10th minute.

AFC’s goalkeeper, ex-Wells favourite Nic Taylor, made a good save to deny Fjord Rogers but, after 14 minutes to breakthrough finally came when a shot from Josh Froggatt could only be parried by Taylor into the path of Sahadow who made no mistake from close range.

The visitor’s defence were being overrun and, from a Jake Beecroft corner, Jason Thompson had the freedom of the six yard box to bury a header for 2-0.

But the best was yet to come, a sharp three man passing move between Thompson, Wells and a lofted cross from Sahadow ended with a stunning volley from Fjord Rogers that Taylor could only watch on helplessly.

The Wells might have four or five up with some desperate defending seeing a corner to safety and Sahadow testing Taylor before, with their first real attack on goal, a cross from Kazzeem Richards was converted by Dominic Ogun into the bottom corner.

The second half was more even-handed but the Wells never really looked like giving up their advantage. Taylor saved at his near post to deny Froggatt and Thompson should have done better with a header that cleared the bar in the opening 10 minutes.

Simon Overland made his first save of the match after 67 minutes following a header by Nahum Green and it took a fine saving tackle from Chris Lawal with three minutes remaining to deny AFC a grandstand finish.

The pitch had probably sapped the energy out of the legs of both teams in the latter part of the game but Tunbridge Wells had managed to get their work done in that electric first quarter.