Tonbridge Angels 0 Braintree Town 0

Match 105/21/1969 - Saturday, 12th March 2022 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Braintree Town (0) 0
Attendance: 765
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/6,019

The afternoon began with a respectfully moving show of solidarity towards the people of war-torn Ukraine, holding aloft Ukrainian flags as a minute’s silence was observed. Nobody wanted that to be the highlight of the afternoon but sadly that’s the way it turned out as probably the worst game of football I’ve watched this season unfolded.

Taking the positives, it is one more point towards safety; Joe Tupper came away from his one game cover for the suspended Jonny Henly with a couple of good saves and a clean sheet in the bank and people continue to flock to Longmead in numbers, I hope any new attendees were not out of by this lack of a spectacle.

A few weeks ago, this game was being highlighted as a “must win” as Braintree languished at the foot of the table. But their run of form has seen the climb into relatively safe waters above Tonbridge in the league.

What can I report on the game, very, very little I have to say. Both sides huffed and puffed with a lack of quality that frustrated everybody. One felt they could have played for the proverbial month of Sundays and not found the net legitimately.

I use the word legitimately as the closest either team came to scoring was in the 46th minute when a cross into the box was met by Tom Beere whose header came down from the underside of the bar to be eventually tucked home by the same player only to be ruled out for offside.

First half chances were at a bare minimum with neither goalkeeper being troubled, in fact their gloves would have been as clean as they were as the teams walked from the dressing rooms.

After the initial excitement of the second half near miss for Tonbridge, the game reverted to the pattern of the first. There was a moderately brisk breeze and trying to be kind, could this have been a reason for the number of crosses from both sides that just sailed beyond the width of the sticks and that’s only the crosses that made it past the first man.

It was tedious watching, but as the game dragged on, the feeling was just get something out of this, one point is better than nothing.

Tupper had his moments including a good save from Kyran Clements with his feet and there was a comical moment towards the end when Braintree’s Stefan Ilic completely missed his kick, losing his balance in the process and ending in a heap on the ground, it really summed up the afternoon.

The only worthwhile analysis is, file it, forget it and move on to Concord Rangers on Tuesday evening for another important game.

Pictures: Adrian Love, Kathryn Bell and Wes Filtness