Welling United (1) 2 Saunders-Henry 39 Akinyemi 86 (pen)
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Embury 9 Olutade 70
Welling United win 4-3 on penalties
Attendance: 214
Admission: £5
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 74/7,201
Certainties in life (apart from death and taxes) are that Tonbridge lose at Welling and, unless you are of a certain vintage, the wait for a Kent Senior Cup success will go on. An almost certainty is that once a game goes to penalties we can start the walk to the exit despite that being broken this year against King’s Lynn in the Trophy.
Yes, the inevitable happened and, if at the end of the season, Tonbridge stay in National South and Welling are relegated, they can enjoy their day in the sun, whenever that might be. How the semi-finals and final are going to be fitted in before player’s contracts expire in early May, goodness only knows.
If that sounds like glad we are out, far from it. Our win against Maidstone and this penalties defeat have been hugely enjoyable watching Academy lads stepping into senior football and looking the part.
As a game it was probably justice that it went to spot kicks with Welling definitely edging the first half but the Angels enjoying the better of the second.
Academy starlets Joe Tyrie, Luca Woodhouse and Ben Hermitage were starters with Tom Green coming off the bench and Sutton Common Rover’s Under-18 goalkeeper, Toby McKimm, took his place between the sticks, and didn’t the boy do good!
After a quiet opening, Tonbridge took the lead, against the run of play, when a pinpoint cross from Aaron Smith-Joseph was volleyed home from close range by Jake Embery.
Welling had a goal chalked off four minutes later and went on to dominate the possession for most of the half with McKimm starting to excel. But the young keeper had no chance when a cross from Ben Allen to the far post found the waiting Mason Saunders-Henry who had little more than a tap-in to finish.
The second half started with the Angels more to the fore but, after 58 minutes, Welling were awarded a penalty after the referee took his time before adjudging that he had seen a handball in the box. Alfie Matthews’ spot kick was low, but McKimm guess the direction to bring off a good save.
Tonbridge regained the lead on 70 minutes when Embury was sent clear. Samuel Jackson, the Welling goalkeeper, plunged at his feet but Embury’s shot looped up, off his body, and Ibrahim Olutade was on hand to steer it home.
Joe Turner, on as a substitute, and Woodhouse had chances that might have put the game to bed but on 84 minutes Welling were awarded another penalty following a clumsy challenge and this time Dipo Akinyemi sent McKimm the wrong way to level the scores.
With two minutes remaining, McKimm produced a stunning save to turn over a close range header from Akinyemi over the bar and thus ensuring that the game went to the dreaded shoot out.
No need to name and shame, but the woodwork played a big part in the shoot-out with the frame being used to good and bad effect before Matthews struck home Welling’s sixth penalty to win 4-3.
If I carry on paying my taxes, perhaps one day we will win at Welling and that will probably be the year we win the Kent Senior Cup.
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