Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Turner 37 Olutade 50
Concord Rangers (1) 3 Payne 39 Green 46 Allen 86
Attendance: 463
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/2,151
Such was Tonbridge Angels fate on a afternoon of monsoon conditions, they were the better side but emerged pointless as Concord Rangers found a winner in the closing minutes in the most unfortunate of manners.
The weather forecast had been for driving rain, a 99% possibility, and the early morning drizzle quickly turned into the expected deluge.
Twenty months ago this game would not of reached its conclusion but the tireless work of the ground staff and thousands of pounds of investment have produced a surface that can now withstand the fiercest of downpours.
Steve McKimm made one change from the side that beat Dorking last Saturday. Adam Lovatt’s loan spell has ended and with the prospect of no games for three weeks it wasn’t renewed at this time. Into the side came Jamie Fielding but the bench looked paper thin with just four, two of which being 16-year-olds.
Tonbridge made the early running with Joe Turner in the thick of everything that was good about them, but the best of the early chances fell to Concord’s Lamar Reynolds who fired over.
After one of several corners, Concord’s goalkeeper, Myles Roberts, briefly the custodian in a loan spell at TN10, failed to hold the greasy ball and the scramble that ensued might have brought a goal but saw the ball hacked to safety.
Turner had the clearest chance after 24 minutes with a shot narrowly wide of the post and three minutes later his free kick was just over the crossbar.
On 33 minutes, Concord reminded the Angels back line that they were still in the game and Jonny Henly needed to be at his best, making a superb double save from Reynolds.
But it was the Angels that took a deserved lead after a break from Ibrahim Olutade ended with a cross for Turner to touch home from close range.
The lead was only to last two minutes as Joe Payne drove home after good work down the left.
As the teams turned round for the second period it was Tonbridge’s turn to face the howling gale and driving rain. Henly’s first kick saw the ball returning in his direction to highlight the task in hand and this was made harder when the visitors went in front after just a minute of the half when an unchallenged header from Danny Green found the target.
This time it was the Angel’s turn to quickly respond and after 50 minutes Turner’s free kick was audaciously back heeled into the net at the far post.
The home side now dominated the proceedings and thought that they had gone in front after 64 minutes when a Tommy Wood header was ruled out, we know not why.
The chances to get the noses back in front came and went for the Angels before, four minutes from time, a wicked stroke of misfortune gave Concord the opportunity to win the game which was gratefully accepted by Ben Allen. A hopeful punt forward saw Allen, first take advantage of a slip on the sodden grass by Harry Hudson and as Henly advanced he similarly slipped over to allow the Concord player a finish from an acute angle into the unguarded goal.
The weather-depleted crowd of 463 showed their appreciation of a good Angels performance and that sometime’s it just isn’t your day.
Picture: Dave Couldridge
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