Lewes (0) 0
Tonbridge (1) 1 Blewden 43
Attendance: 460
Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 77/1,677
New Ground: 282
Match Report
I have to say I loved everything about this stadium. Built into a natural bowl, it has a blend of old and new with a quirkiness that can only be enjoyed in non-league football. The ground is entered at the top of the Philcox Terrace, a steep covered enclosure with an unusual corrugated-style roof reminiscent of the demolished stands at Watford and Coventry’s old Highfield Road ground. To the right is the full length, all-seated Rookery Stand and at the opposite end there is an area of uncovered terracing that covers half of the width of the pitch. The other length is a steep grass bank that only offers a walkway on the top for viewing, from where I watched this match. Four beach huts are utilised as sponsor’s boxes to add to the quirkiness to the ground. The infamous flint wall, that brought a planning refusal when Lewes were a conference club for a single season, proudly remains atop the grass bank.
Successive defeats at the hands of Leiston, alongside an injury list that had decimated the midfield, had dampened the optimism surrounding Tonbridge. Steve McKimm moved quickly to bolster his options with the loan signing of Mitchell Pinnock and Anthony Riviere. Pinnock was a great success at Longmead last season before signing for Maidstone during the summer whilst Riviere joins from Margate having previously served at Eastleigh, Sutton United and Welling.
Both players have not had a great deal of first team football this season and Pinnock, in particular, looked very rusty. Riviere, however, settled well and was extremely comfortable on the ball.
The game was a scrappy affair that was ultimately won with a goal that was in keeping with the majority of the match.
The game started slowly, very slowly, with little to excite either set of supporters. Tonbridge were marginally the brighter with ex-Lewes player of the year Nick Wheeler sending a couple of inviting crosses into the box but without anybody making the ground to attack the ball. In the meantime, a shot wide from ex-Tonbridge player, Henry Muggeridge was the best Lewes could muster.
The game meandered its way towards the break and a goal-less half when Tonbridge broke the deadlock. A cross from Wheeler was half cleared under a challenge from Nathan Elder to Luke Blewden, who from around the edge of the box, scuffed a shot towards goal. How the ball evaded the young Lewes goalkeeper, Nik Tzanev, goodness only knows as the ball limped apologetically over the line. The ex-Lewes striker didn’t celebrate; I’m not sure whether this was out of respect to his old club or embarrassment that his mishit shot had found the net!
The second half was marginally better inasmuch that Lewes had a far greater intent but were proving absolutely toothless in front of goal. If things don’t improve in that area of the pitch for the Rooks it is going to be a very long season.
The substitution of Elder for Ellis Brown after 56 minutes almost paid instant dividends when he narrowly missed the right hand post and after 61 minutes he sped away from the Lewes defence but was denied a shot on goal by a magnificent, last ditch challenge from Richie Welch.
This was proving a period when the visitors were in full sail. Pinnock shot wide right, Riviere did similarly and then Brown spurned his third chance, this time shooting wide left.
But the chance of the half came with six minutes remaining when Riviere dinked a cross towards Brown who saw his header come back off the post to the feet of Charlie Webster who missed his shot completely.
In the final moments, Tzanev atoned for his earlier error when he denied Blewden who had sped clear of the Lewes back line.
Later McKimm admitted that it was a game that was not pretty, but three points and leaping five places back to third was all the justification needed for the sizeable visiting support. League leaders Leiston and Grays Athletic both lost heavily in their midweek fixtures, leaving top spot just three points away with a game in hand.
If Tonbridge supporters wanted pretty on Wednesday night, it was the Dripping Pan that offered the beauty.
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