For the second time in three weeks, Tunbridge Wells suffered a 3-2 reverse against one of their fellow front-runners in the Southern Counties East League. 
But this latest defeat against new leaders Whyteleafe, which moves the Surrey side eight points clear of Tunbridge Wells with just four games remaining, has all but ended their remote title hopes.
Whyteleafe took the lead after 26 minutes when Jenson Grant rose highest at a corner to glance a header past Chris Oladogba. Two moments of individual brilliance, from Jon Pilbeam and Jake Beecroft, gave Tunbridge Wells a half-time lead.
But two goals in three second-half minutes from veteran striker Roscoe Dsane and a 40-yard ‘Rooney-esque’ lob by Bentley Graham turned the game around, and despite the home side puffing and blowing up the hill, Sheikh Ceesay in the Whyteleafe goal only really had one further save to make.
Tunbridge Wells manager, Martin Larkin, kept the players on the pitch at the end for what appeared to be a ‘clear-the-air’ session, and couldn’t hide his feelings about the result.
He said “It was a big game today and it is always disappointing to lose. Fair play, Whyteleafe are probably the best side we’ve played this year and deserve to be where they are. We’ve got four games left now and need to get as many points as possible. Every game is winnable, we just need to turn up on the day.”
“They came out second half and were electric. They were really good, first to the ball, but it is disappointing for us as if we’d taken our chances, we could have won the game. We scored two good goals; Pilbeam after the corner and for Jake, who meant it, it’s about time he got one for us. It gave us the lift we needed, but we didn’t perform to the level we can in the second half, and that needs to be looked at. We were a bit makeshift at the back today as we had four players out, but I thought Lewis (Mingle) was outstanding in his first game at centre-half.”
As the manager had admitted, his team were slow out of the blocks in both halves, but credit for this has to be given to Whyteleafe, who spent most of the match with at least three, often four, players in advanced positions ready to counter attack. It took only 92 seconds for their first attempt after a flowing passing move from Greg Andrews, Roscoe Dsane and the outstanding Sam Clayton, who took the ball past Scott Whibley, but Jason Bourne slid in to deflect Clayton’s shot into the arms of Chris Oladogba.
Half of the Whyteleafe team were involved in the next attack, and it looked as though the Tunbridge Wells defenders were chasing shadows as the ball crossed the field via Clayton, Bentley Graham (twice), Dsane and Jenson Grant, whose shot was deflected wide. From the resulting corner, Grant headed over from a central position in the box, having escaped his marker.
Oladogba had to be alert to tip over a Clayton shot, before the same player almost capitalised on a mistake from Lee Radford. The young left back tried to chest down an Andrews cross inside the area, but the ball ran loose to Clayton who inexplicably lifted the ball over with the goal at his mercy.
It took 22 minutes for Tunbridge Wells’ first half-chance in the match which, as the goals later would, came from a piece of individual brilliance. Jon Pilbeam picked up the ball midway inside the Whyteleafe half, rolled past Dylan Merchant, flicked the ball over Adam Broomhead into the area, where Sheikh Ceesay was quickly off his line before Pilbeam could get a shot away.
On 26 though, Whyteleafe took the lead, and it showed how much Tunbridge Wells missed the suspended Perry Spackman. Clayton whipped a corner in from the right wing and Grant had the freedom of the area to glance a header past Oladogba into the left side of the net.
The Wells’ keeper pulled off an outstanding save, flying to his left to parry a Clayton shot after the striker had weaved through two challenges, and within a minute, the home side were level. Jake Beecroft’s corner flew over the crowd of players in the box, out to Pilbeam to the left of the ‘D’. Pilbeam took a touch past Graham and before anyone could react, lashed a left-foot shot across Ceesay into the right corner of the net.
This seemed to affect the visitors, and with two minutes remaining before the interval, another moment of brilliance from Jake Beecroft saw Tunbridge Wells take the lead. Beecroft picked up a quick throw on the left corner of the area, and whipped a curling shot over Ceesay into the top right corner of the net. An unstoppable effort that looked in from the moment it left his boot.
Jason Thompson had two shots blocked on the edge of the Tunbridge Wells box, before the ball was quickly switched down the hill to the other end. Pilbeam did well to hold off a challenge from Merchant, but couldn’t direct his shot on target to extend the lead.
If the half-time lead should have given the home side confidence, you couldn’t tell, as Whyteleafe threatened to over-run the third placed side at the start of the second period. Thompson curled an early free-kick just past the angle of post and bar, Oladogba had to save from both Dsane and Andrews, and Clayton dragged a shot just past the left post. The keeper also had to be brave to deny a point-blank header from Grant, as he hadn’t time to spot the assistant’s flag.
The goal that Whyteleafe were threatening finally arrived on 62, from a long ball into the box by left-back Tommy Smith. For once, the reliable Lewis Mingle missed the ball and Dsane nipped in to flick the ball past Oladogba, and slam his shot into the empty net.
Ian Parsons had a free header at the back post from a Beecroft cross, but somehow managed to steer the effort across goal and wide, and Tunbridge Wells were made to pay the ultimate price on 65 as they fell behind again. A long clearance saw Dsane and Mingle in a foot race. Oladogba came out of his area to head clear, but the ball fell to Graham, fully 40 yards from goal, who lofted a shot over the retreating Mingle, where it bounced up into the roof of the net.
Things could have been worse for Tunbridge Wells as Oladogba was forced into a reaction save with his feet to deny a Dsane header from close range, then was relieved that Andrews shot straight at him, as the home defence was being swamped whenever Whyteleafe came forward.
Beecroft played a ball in behind the visitors’ back line, where Pilbeam was quickest to react. Chris Seenan met his cross on the volley, but somehow Ceesay, in scrambling across his line, somehow managed to flick the ball onto the bar and to safety with a trailing leg. Pilbeam had another opportunity one-on-one with the keeper moments later, but his early shot sliced across the face of goal and wide.
Dsane saw a shot deflect off the legs of Scott Whibley onto the post, and Graham drew another good save from Oladogba, as Whyteleafe continued to press for another goal right up to the final whistle.
Although the title is not yet mathematically out of reach, this defeat should end Tunbridge Wells’ hopes for this season. But, for a club who have made gradual improvements over the course of the last three years, their admitted aim for this year was to be in a position to challenge the leaders; something that has been achieved.
Larkin added though, “We’ve got a strong work ethic running through this club, so we’ll pick ourselves up and get ready forTuesday night (the last home game of the season against Holmesdale). We’ve had more wins, more points and more goals as a team than at any time in recent years. Our record has been really good, but we have to tweak the record in the big games.”
“We’ve not done well against Whyteleafe, Ashford (their Easter Saturday opponents) or the Corinthian’s of the league, so it’s something to work on. We’re building slowly from local talent, so it is going to take time and we’ll continue with that next year.”
TUNBRIDGE WELLS: Chris Oladogba, Jason Bourne, Lee Radford, Jake Beecroft, Scott Whibley, Lewis Mingle, Ian Parsons (Richard Sinden 79), Joe Fuller, Chris Seenan, Jon Pilbeam, Elliott Everson (Jack Funnell 61).
Subs not used: Adam Humphries, Andy Boyle, Steven Lawrence.
Goals: Jon Pilbeam 34, Jake Beecroft 43.
Bookings: Chris Seenan 66.
WHYTELEAFE: Sheikh Ceesay, Tommy Smith, Cedric Abraham, Adam Broomhead, Dylan Merchant, Jason Thompson, Bentley Graham, Jenson Grant, Roscoe Dsane, Sam Clayton, Greg Andrews (Ryan Fowler 79).
Subs not used: Gareth Williams, Tom Pratt, Daniel Burnett.
Goals: Jenson Grant 26, Roscoe Dsane 62, Bentley Graham 65.
Bookings: Adam Broomhead 89.
Attendance: 278
Referee: Mr J Horne
Assistants: Mr O Bentley and Mr H Wager