Tonbridge Angels (2) 5 Lee 28 Modeste 42 Parkinson 58 Wood 72 Beere 89
Grays Athletic (0) 0
Attendance: 179
Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 38/196
So the next game that I watch, albeit from the relative comfort of my armchair, will be the biggest in the nation’s football history for 55 years. The country will hold its breath on Sunday, 11th July 2021, no one with an ounce of football knowledge expects it to be easy, and winning a competition of the magnitude of the European Championship never should be.
Alongside the manager and players of 1966 that have received legendary status, Gareth Southgate can lead his squad into the hearts of the nation, not that they haven’t already done so.
And all they need to do is beat Italy. 33 games unbeaten, a couple of months shy of three years, so the task is huge but not insurmountable and the fact that the game is at Wembley with the majority of the support being England’s should not be underestimated.
All of which has no bearing on Tonbridge’s comfortable 5-0 win against a makeshift Grays Athletic team but in years to come it will put into context the moment of time when the nation was in waiting. Pre-season is progressing nicely, three wins out of three, 10 goals scored, none conceded, new players settling in well, new shape looking positive and supporters are back.
Tonbridge dominated from the first whistle although it took 28 minutes to break the deadlock when Arthur Lee headed in at the far post from a Tom Beere left wing corner.
Just before the break, Tommy Parkinson stood up a cross to the far post for Ricky Modeste to score with a diving header. Two preseason goals, both headers for the Grenadian international.
The second half introduced Craig Braham-Bennett, a Montserrat international, just one more needed and Tonbridge can postpone games during the international breaks!
A 58th minute corner saw a Grays defender turn the ball into his own net under pressure from Parkinson. It’s pre-season, if Tommy wants to claim it, he can have it!
The fourth goal after 72 minutes was a thing of beauty. A long crossfield pass from Joe Turner found Beere on the right and his low cross was turned home by Tommy Wood.
The afternoon was wrapped up in the last minute when Beere’s shot from outside the box left the goalkeeper stranded after taking a bit of a deflection.
Sadly we know England won’t have it this easy tomorrow but the country awaits, it shouldn’t expect but it lives in hope that finally, football’s (no, I’m not going to say it!)
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