Tonbridge Angels Academy 16 Dorking Wanderers Academy 0

Match 07/20/1810 - Wednesday, 26th August 2020 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge Angels Academy (4) 16 Copeland 2,12,31,65,66,72 Wotton 43 Lewis 50,52,53,58,61,63,70,75,90
Dorking Wanderers (0) 0
Headcount: 12

Admission: None
Programme: None
Mileage: 32/334

As a teenage goalkeeper in a Mens’ Sunday League team, I once made about a dozen pretty decent saves in a game that brought a demoralising 17-0 defeat. Trudging towards the dressing rooms at full time the opposing striker, who had probably scored a dozen of the goals, put an arm around me in a consoling manner. “Well played goalie”, he said, “without you it would have been 18!” So you can imagine the sympathy I had for a young Dorking Wanderers goalkeeper who had performed heroically but still seen 16 goals pass him.

A young Dorking side were relatively competitive in a first half that saw the Tonbridge Angels Academy go into the break just the four goals to the good. But an early second half salvo that saw a hat-trick in three minutes for Ned Lewis break their resolve and as heads dropped their young custodian was left continually exposed.

Tonbridge went in front after just two minutes when the goalkeeper could only parry a shot from Russell Aleshinloye into the path of Louis Copeland who tucked the ball home without a great deal of pressure. After 12 minutes, Copeland doubled his tally when his fierce drive went underneath the goalkeeper. Cameron Wotton struck the underside of the bar before Copeland completed his hat-trick on 31 minutes when he was on hand to finish at the near post after Wotton had headed the ball down.

There was enough time for Copeland to return the compliment to Wotton, who deserved his goal.

Three second half minutes, three goals for half-time substitute Ned Lewis on 50, 52 and 53 minutes broke the hearts of the visitors and at 7-0, the Angels were left to run riot. Lewis added his second hat-trick with goals on 58, 61 and 63 minutes to bring up double figures.

Copeland decided to rejoin the act with the 11th and 12th goals before Lewis added his seventh with a 70th minute header.

Copeland raced through to collect his double hat-trick and Lewis made it 15.

The Dorking goalkeeper can look back on the period from 75 minutes when the 15th goal went past him to a last minute goal, a treble hat-trick finish from Lewis, with particular pride as he single-handedly saved his side on half-a-dozen occasions. One hopes that his tormentors were a little bit more consoling than mine had been 50 years ago!