Tonbridge Angels 2 Whitehawk 0

Match 53/18/1646 - Saturday, 3rd November 2018 - Bostik Premier League

Tonbridge Angels (0) 2 Drage (o.g.) 78 Turner 90
Whitehawk (0) 0
Attendance: 508

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/3,338

Patience is a virtue …

And patience was needed in abundance, on and off the pitch as Whitehawk, victims of some recent heavy defeats, decamped on the edge of their penalty area in search of some reward from their trip to Tonbridge.

Whitehawk’s manager, Jude Macdonald reshuffled his squad during the week bringing in no less than five new faces including that of Nathaniel Pinney, previous of the Angels. Four of the newcomers were to feature in the starting eleven.

Among the home support there was a high expectancy that, following successive home defeats, a return to winning ways at Longmead was a formality and we know how often that can come back to bite you.

On the front foot from the outset, there was nothing to suggest that those opinions would be misguided. With the visitors sitting so deep, Tonbridge could play in front of them as much as they desired and wing back Jack Parter was involved in the first couple of efforts in the opening five minutes, setting up a chance for Tom Parkinson to head over and bringing a save out of the Whitehawk goalkeeper, Melvin Minter

Minter made saves to deny Joe Turner and Alex Read before, out of nowhere, Pinney pulled a shot narrowly wide after 15 minutes.

The one-way traffic continued with Minter acrobatically turning over a header from Turner as the crosses from both flanks literally rained in on the Hawks’ goal.

Pinney placed a header wide of the post after 39 minutes and it was an oddity that after a half that had been almost totally dominated by the home side, the two closest efforts had gone to the visitors.

The second half could literally be a cut and paste from the first. Jared Small was creating havoc down the right, ably assisted by his wing partner James Folkes but without reward.

Whitehawk offered so little threat that Steve McKimm was able to gamble by sacrificing one of his central defenders, Callum Adonis-Taylor for the extra creativity of Tommy Whitnell. After 73 minutes, following a corner from Turner, a shot came back off the bar with the follow-up shot from Whitnell cleared from the line.

That pre-game optimism was now turning into despair as supporters sensed an afternoon of wasted chances. But, finally, after 78 minutes, there was a breakthrough. Folkes drove in a wicked, low cross that was turned into his own net by Matt Drage.

Adem Ramadan came on for Small, who deserved the fulsome applause for his performance, and in the final minute he created an opening for Turner, who produced an audacious chip over the advancing Minter.

The Whitehawk support, were magnificent in their range of songs and wholehearted support that continued for the whole 90 minutes and for several more after the final whistle. They sang to We’ll Meet Again: We’ll Score Again, Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When. For their sakes, they deserve to be right but, almost always, it is needed to cross the half-way line to do so.