Merstham (0) 1 Dillon 58
Tonbridge Angels (2) 2Smith-Joseph 35 Beere 40
Attendance: TBA
Admission: £5
Programme: None
Mileage: 86/320
Today was more of what you expect from Pre-Season, scorching hot. Merstham is a lovely setting for a football ground with high hedges that provided second half respite in the shade, as the thud of leather on willow would have sounded more appropriate than the raucous voices of high energy footballers.
The day also represented the first day of my football supporting life post-Directorship as the Tonbridge Angels AGM brought to an end my time on the board. I now look forward to enjoying the game, back on the terraces with friends and fellow supporters.
Covid is still probably dictating that the M25 on a hot weekend is nowhere near as busy as you might expect and a trouble free ride into leafy Surrey was a blessing.
Tonbridge brought and retained their 100% preseason record but did concede their first goal of the period to the Isthmian Premier League side.
Joe Turner was first to test the home goalkeeper with a well struck shot that was parried to safety after three minutes.
A minute later, the first of several testing of the woodwork came when a cross from the left was met by wing back Jerry O’Sullivan whose shot came back off the right hand post.
Merstham slowly found their feet and on 17 minutes forced Jonny Henly into a decent stop and 10 minutes later Henly made a better stop with the follow-up striking a post.
Tonbridge finally went ahead after 33 minutes when a Tom Beere free kick came back off the crossbar for Aaron Smith-Joseph to fire home the rebound.
Five minutes before the break the visitors doubled their lead when Beere volleyed in from the left hand edge of the six yard box after being set up by Smith-Joseph.
Following the usual rash of half-time changes from both sides, Craig Braham-Bennett rattled a post three minutes in the half before Merstham exerted a bit more pressure and deserved their way back into the game when Ryan Dillon angled a drive into the bottom corner.
The game rather died on its feet in the second period probably due to the near 30deg heat with barely half chances falling to either side.
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