This was the first meeting of these teams and was expected to produce an excellent game, the ex.Isthmian Leaguers coming to St Albans with a good reputation and a good record in the Spartan League. After a pleasantly fought contest honours were even, but it was only through the home team experiencing the worst of luck in many of their efforts that such an end was arrived at.
During the closing stages of the game some questionable decisions by the referee, particularly regarding the offside rule, exasperated the spectators and, to make matters worse, he blew his whistle for “Time” when, according to the watches of everyone else, there were at least three minutes still to go. He was escorted to the pavilion by the police. As the City were attacking it was of course within the bounds of possibility that the Tunbridge goal would have fallen in the two or three minutes that were not played and with the light failing fast, the Wells goalkeeper was probably the person who was most relieved of all when the final whistle went.
Tunbridge Wells did not show anything more than average Spartan League form and the goalkeeper and centre-half were the only outstanding players.
Reprinted from “The Herts Advertiser & St Albans Times” – 22nd November 1913. |
