Shropshire Star

Dog gives footballers the runaround in seven-goal non-league classic

The away team might just have a new lucky mascot.

Published

Dogs on the pitch are always good fun to watch, but this one might just have inspired its owners’ team to a dramatic comeback.

With Tunbridge Wells leading promotion-chasing Chatham Town 2-1 in their Southern Counties East League fixture, a dog sprinted onto the pitch from the Chatham supporters’ section.

Having apparently become trapped under the gap between the fencing and the concrete, the pooch was eventually freed, but ended up running straight into the spotlight.

The footage was recorded by Simon Crockford, 51, who was sat with the home fans.

Two Tunbridge Wells defenders and a Chatham winger attempted to clear the pet from the grass, eventually shepherding it back from whence it came.

And while the brief comic interlude was over after around 30 seconds, did it inspire a comeback of epic proportions for the away side?

Tunbridge Wells extended their lead to 3-1 after the interruption, only for Chatham to level the score with 12 minutes remaining.

And with the game almost up, winger Jonathan Pilbeam, who had earlier helped clear the dog from the pitch, popped up with a dramatic winner.

A dog runs off the pitch at a game between Tunbridge Wells and Chatham Town
(Simon Crockford)

While some teams might look for divine intervention when it comes to winning league titles, canine intervention was the order of the day for Chatham.

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