Bishop's Stortford 3 Tonbridge Angels 4

Match 85/18/1678 - Saturday, 19th January 2019 - Bostik Premier

Bishop's Stortford (2) 3 Worman 17 Cureton 30 Renee 88
Tonbridge Angels (1) 4 Turner 8,50 McKenzie 47,69
Attendance: 280
New Ground: 333

Admission: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 140/5,018

In a week of controversy surrounding Leeds United’s manager Marcelo Bielsa’s spying tactics, good old-fashioned scouting identified a weakness in the Bishop’s Stortford’s defence that paid rich dividends for Tonbridge Angels.

An eighth minute goal from a Joe Turner free kick that was flighted deep into the penalty area and with the aid of a slight deflection carried through into the net signalled the Bishop’s vulnerability in the air that was to be exploited with long throws from Arthur Lee that caused mayhem time and again.

That it became an afternoon when the best form of defence was attack with seven goals that would have thrilled any neutrals but brought a certain amount of despair on both benches.

The Stortford goalkeeper, debutant Arthur Janata saved well to his left before the home side responded with a leveller after 17 minutes when a speculative shot from Ben Worman crept past Angels’ goalkeeper Jonny Henly.

Successive long throws from Lee were barely dealt with and the second, after 22 minutes, ended with an effort from Turner being cleared from the line by Isaac Nkosi.

But it was far from one-way traffic with Henly saving and on the half-hour the home side were in front when a misplaced pass allowed Ryan Charles to get behind the Angels’ defence and cross for Jamie Cureton to score his 350th senior goal.

Lee’s long throws and anything swung with height continued to cause much concern to the home side but they managed to get to the break with their lead intact.

Any self-congratulation on this feat had disappeared within five minutes of the restart. After 47 minutes, a Turner cross was headed on by Tom Parkinson for Chinedu McKenzie to convert at the far post.

Three minutes later, Parkinson and McKenzie combined before Turner burst through the plant a shot past Janata.

The visitors were now in complete control with Alex Read going close twice in a minute, Turner forcing Janata into another save before the Angels gave themselves breathing space from the Arthur Lee long throw routine that was headed on by Parkinson for McKenzie to nod home at the far post.

Had Lee’s 76th minute header not been cleared from the line, the nervous final minutes would not have mattered but when Johnville Rennee shot through a crowd of bodies after a corner had only been partially cleared.

Five minutes added time gave Bishop’s Stortford the encouragement to press for an equaliser and when the ball fell at the feet of Cureton in the last of those minutes it seemed a banker that the marksman would retrieve a point but his effort cleared the bar by some distance.

This was my first visit to the ProKit Stadium that is conveniently positioned just off the M11. The stadium is well appointed even if the pitch itself is a bit of a cabbage patch. The main grandstand is an impressive, brick built structure that houses the dressing rooms, bar and function facilities. Behind each goal there is covered terracing whilst opposite the main stand another smaller, Atcost-style stand offers another 200-plus seats. Along the length of this side is a small terrace that was the envy of all of us that stand on the clubhouse side at Longmead.