Worthing (2) 4 Pearce 18,56 (2 pens) Colbran 42 Trialist 48
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Wood 45
Attendance: 506
Admission: £5
Programme: None
Mileage: 118/580
A 100% preseason record came crashing to earth at a familiar landscape to previous sorry results for Tonbridge Angels.
This game would never have taken place as a preseason friendly if Worthing had taken their rightful place in National South after leading the way in the last two Covid-ridden Isthmian seasons.
There’s something about Woodside Road and Tonbridge conceding penalties and nothing changed with this visit. At least we managed to keep 11 players on the pitch.
Shorn of three experienced players in Joe Turner, Tom Parkinson and Arthur Lee, the Angels were on the back foot from the outset and never really got a foothold in the game at any stage.
Early pressure from the home side eventually led to the opening goal after 16 minutes, inevitably from the Woodside penalty spot. The Worthing 3G might have been relaid but a wicked bounce led to the ball striking the hand of Harry Hudson and the referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot from which Ollie Pearce converted.
Worthing, with their tails up and the Angels rattled, another mix-up almost gifted a goal to the home side but the ball was scrambled away and the chances continued to fall the way of Worthing until the 40th minute when a shot from Joel Colbran from outside the box nestled into the top corner.
Having barely threatened the Worthing goal, Tonbridge were given a lifeline, on the stroke of half-time, when the goalkeeper chased a ball he wasn’t going to get and was beaten by Tom Hanfrey whose pass inside allowed Tommy Wood an easy finish.
The goal however, changed nothing in terms of momentum in the second period. After just two minutes an uncharacteristic mistake from Sonny Miles, treading on the ball, which led to him being robbed with a Worthing trialist finishing past Henly.
After 55 minutes, the Woodside curse reared its head again when JJ O’Sullivan upended Pattenden in the box for another penalty from which Pearce sent Henly the wrong way.
A plethora of substitutions, eight in all, from the home side finally stalled their rhythm whilst Tonbridge, who only had four on the bench anyway, introduced Zak Guerfi who injected a bit of fresh impetus.
The game drifted to its close leaving for the first time this preseason more questions than answers. One question easily answered is that if there is a better side than Worthing in the Isthmian Premier, they are the champions.
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