Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Havant & Waterlooville (1) 1 Roberts 34
Attendance: 585
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/3,089
We all know the feeling of frustration, but the Oxford Dictionary of the word defines: “the feeling of being upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something” or “the prevention of the progress, success, or fulfilment of something”. Both of which are the perfect summation of the feelings of management, supporters and, indeed, the players of Tonbridge Angels’ present inability to score a goal.
Three and three-quarter games; counting added times etc., the best part of 350 minutes have elapsed since Ricky Modeste’s top corner curler at Billericay found the net and the frustration of the failure to turn decent performances into points is rooted in this goal drought.
Steve McKimm has tried to effect change, but whatever the permutation of the forwards it has brought the same result, no goals. Responsibility doesn’t entirely lie with the forwards, of course and in the desperate final minutes assault on the Havant goal it was a outside of the box effort from Joe Turner that was narrowly wide and a Sonny Miles header that was turned goalwards by Tommy Wood only see it cleared from the line that prevented that “fulfilment”.
Havant and Waterlooville came to Longmead on the back of frustrating Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup on Saturday for 72 minutes before a bad injury disrupted their resolve and eventually led to their defeat at The Valley.
In a normal set of circumstances, anything gained from a game against Havant has to be considered a success but with the visitors arriving with a weakened team and then losing two players in the first 20 minutes, opportunity knocked.
But Havant perfectly executed the ugly side of the game with all its dark arts. They were horrible, but really good at it.
The first chance of the game fell to the home side when a cross from JJ O’Sullivan eluded the onrushing Ibrahim Olutade by a matter of millimetres. On such small margins games are defined.
Havant were dangerous on the break and in the space of a minute from the 16th, they broke clear twice with Jonny Henly forced into fine saves from Abdulai Baggie and Scott Rendell.
On 25 minutes it was the turn of Will Mannion in the Havant goal to excel tipping over a lob from O’Sullivan.
The visitors went in front after 34 minutes when a poor touch in the centre circle from Harry Hudson allowed Baggie to send James Roberts clear and slot past Henly.
On the cusp of half-time a melee ensued in front of the Havant bench as O’Sullivan, who was already on a booking, made a tackle that incensed the Havant manager, Paul Doswell, who encroached onto the pitch to confront the Tonbridge defender. The referee showed the manager a red card as O’Sullivan went unpunished.
O’Sullivan was substituted during half-time as McKimm opted for safety in numbers.
After 20 second half minutes that had brought a chance apiece, Tonbridge changed their front two, bringing on Jake Hutchison and Tommy Wood and launched their assault on the Havant goal and in the final 15 minutes, Sonny Miles was thrown forward to bolster the attack.
With nine minutes remaining, Miles’ header at the far post was narrowly wide and from another corner three minutes later, his header back into the area was turned towards goal by Wood only to be cleared from the line by Joe Oastler.
As the game entered added time, Wood had another effort saved by Mannion and Joe Turner’s well struck shot whistled the wrong side the post.
It was all so frustrating, but it is goals that win matches and, at the present time, Tonbridge cannot buy one. It might be that a lucky penalty award or an own goal off a backside will be the spark for a change in fortune, we can but hope.
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