Bishop Justus (1) 4
Hugh Christie (1) 2 Carter 17, Elliott 55
Headcount: 60
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 74/3,726
A Development game with the Academy is usually a quiet affair with one man and a dog watching, or in most cases, this man without his dog. But this trip to Bromley and Bishop Justus proved somewhat different!
These games are mostly played on school pitches at a time when the vast majority of students are diligently immersed in their studies, but on this occasion about 50 lined the touch line to give their Bishop schoolmates some boisterous support and when Tonbridge’s Squad 2 team turned up following their earlier kick-off at Eltham then there was support for both teams.
It was a cold day and when the darkest of clouded dropped a heavy hailstorm it dampened the high spirits for a brief period.
The Hugh Christie (Tonbridge Angels Academy) struggled to get into the game from the outset and goalkeeper Will Young was forced into a double save just prior to Bishop Justus taking the lead after eight minutes with a header from a corner sparking World Cup winning celebrations from the sideline with the harassed referee struggling to keep them of the pitch and behind the line!
The Angels found their feet and on 17 minutes were level after a shot from Charlie Hatcher was well saved but, from the resultant corner, a well directed header from Cameron Carter that sparked similar, perhaps retaliatory celebrations.
Those Bishop classmates were given more to cheer in the remainder of the half with Young being kept busy but Sammy Nunes had a couple of efforts that were not too far wide.
The second period saw Bishops initially maintain their momentum and a cracking 25 yard effort needed a fine save from the Angels’ second half goalkeeper, Noah Blackmore.
But it was the visitors who took the lead on 55 minutes when good work from Harry Flemming saw Reece Elliott collect a pass to drive home a 25-yarder into the top corner. Now bolstered by the Squad 2 contingent the celebrations got even more exuberant!
Sadly that spirit was quickly extinguished as a loose ball dropped in the box for Bishop to level the score two minutes later.
Poor defending from corners cost the Angels again after 67 minutes when another header was unchallenged and when a shot was buried into the bottom corner with eight minutes to go, the spoils were going the way of the Bromley side. There is no place for solemnity with the Development squad and the bus ride home was bouncing with a singalong, perhaps it was a good choice not to bring the dog!
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