Hemel Hempstead Town (2) 4 Fonkeu 4 Fasanmade 37 Westbrook 74 Paul 90+6
Tonbridge Angels (1) 3 Perkins 31 Taylor 54,84
Attendance: 608
Admission: £9 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 118/6,609
Defeats, especially heavy ones, engender different emotions from me. The first day thrashing at Ebbsfleet left me feeling that I had seen the team that would win the league (certainly hasn’t worked out that way) and Tonbridge would not be meeting their likes too many times. Oxford was just one of those days and accepted as such and Braintree left me absolutely seething at our performance. But this one really hurt. In the context of where we are in the season and the manner in which this was lost, as I said was a real stomach churner.
The afternoon began as frustrating as it ended. A half-hour delay to kick-off was due to an official, stuck in traffic on the A1 travelling down from Derbyshire. For Christ’s sake, this is National League SOUTH and the last time I looked there are clubs in Derbyshire in National League North!
Since our last visit back in 2019, Hemel Hempstead have installed a 3G surface and hearsay evidence, I’m not running about on it, is that it is not a very good one. I was able to lean over the fence and press down on the carpet and there was very little give in it, certainly I have visited schools with 3G’s that seemed a lot more player friendly.
But let’s not get bogged down in what might be perceived as sour grapes. Vauxhall Road is a tidy ground, nice area of covered terracing, seating on three sides, there wasn’t too much not to like.
Steve McKimm decided to go with the same side as won at Chippenham with the fit again Ricky Modeste being saved for a further week.
It was a bright, warm afternoon and the big orange orb was seemingly to have an impact on the game until it set midway through the second half.
After four minutes, the ball was in the Tonbridge net as a poor clearance fell to the feet of Pierre Fonkeu, who buried a low shot into the far corner. Despite several corners for the Angels, the afternoon looked to be going from bad to worse as a penalty was given against them following a hand ball by Craig Braham-Barrett. But Jonny Henly, diving to his right, denied Sam Mantom.
Four minutes later the visitors were back on terms when Teddy Perkins latched onto confusion in the Hemel defence following a Tom Beere free kick and his header found the back of net over the head of a defender stationed on the line.
Parity was not to last long and, after 37 minutes, a cross into the box found the head of Mantom, his header struck the post but the rebound fell kindly for Craig Fasanmade who was left with nothing more than a tap in.
Before the break Tommy Wood had an effort well saved by Craig King and a couple more corners were forced but Hemel retained their lead at the end of the half.
Joe Turner had an early second half opportunity but his shot cleared the bar, but after 54 minutes, Tonbridge were deservedly level but in quite bizarre circumstances. James Taylor, overhit a cross towards the far post but King, perhaps blinded by the sun, misjudged its direction and the ball nestled in the far corner.
A minute later, the Angels might well have been in front when a shot from Turner came back off the bar to strike King on the back but the goalkeeper was able to grab the ball before it bounced over the line.
Some pretty woeful defending from Tonbridge allowed the home side to restore their lead after 73 minutes. A corner was played short and a cross to the far post found an unmarked Jack Westbrook who had the relatively simple chance of converting.
Tonbridge were offered a lifeline with six minutes remaining as Fasanmade was sent off after a clash with Henly, he had previously been booked and received a second yellow and the Angels quickly capitalised with a goal a minute later.
A corner from the left was only partially cleared and, from about 15 yards, Taylor fired through a crowd of players into the net. The Crystal Palace loanee was watched by his boss Mark Bright, whom he must have impressed.
Into time added, Cole Kpekawa was cautioned and that should have proved costly as in a melee in the goalmouth the aforementioned throw a punch that was missed, or ignored, by the referee.
Whether it was the man advantage that emboldened Tommy Parkinson to seek a winning goal who knows, but any other time, he would have put his laces through a clearance in the 96th minute but he chose to pass the ball and from the interception the chance was set up for Chris Paul to bury a shot into the bottom corner.
Unbelievably there was still time for Hemel’s Joash Nemhard to receive a second yellow and a subsequent sending off but from the resultant free kick, Beere’s effort didn’t clear the wall and it was game over.
Over 24 hours later, the pain in my stomach still hurts.
No comments:
Post a Comment