Bath City (1) 1 Fletcher 7
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 1,085
Admission: £12
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 300/7,784
Suddenly, I am desperate for this season to end.
In the main, my footballing life surrounds Tonbridge Angels and, whilst relegation seems an impossible nightmare, the winning of just a single point is becoming a torturous task.
Steve McKimm is being forced to put out patched up teams with square pegs in round holes and the subsequent level of performance has become a hard watch.
To travel just to Tonbridge and watch such a lack of quality with so little created in the way of chances and when that single opportunity arrives it is wasted is bad enough but when that journey has been a 300 mile round trip, it is difficult to justify it to even yourself.
The day started badly and got progressively worse. The whole plan surrounding a coach journey to Bath was based around meeting an old friend that I hadn’t seen for seven years and enjoying a beer or two. The coach hadn’t left Tonbridge when I received a text to say that he had tested positive for Covid and wouldn’t be coming.
Twerton Park is an old ground with plenty of character but, my god, is in dire need of some TLC. Plans to redevelop in what is an area in serious need of regeneration seem to have fallen by the wayside and the choice must surely have to be made, spend some money on it or it is going to crumble under your feet.
The beer I promised myself was disappointing and the surroundings in which it was drunk were in keeping with the whole place.
The square pegs in round holes included Tom Beere at right wing back which could only have been a needs must choice.
The game itself barely needs any description. Tonbridge fell behind to an early goal when Bath’s Tom Smith played an exquisite pass to send Alex Fletcher clear to shoot into the bottom corner. To wear the ginger mullet, Smith needs to be a decent player and in a dreadful game with two really poor sides, he was head and mullet above anyone else.
From that point, Tonbridge huffed and puffed, enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but did nothing of note with it. Bath goalkeeper, Ryan Clarke, was called on to make a regulation save from James Taylor whilst, on 27 minutes, Smith replayed his assist to Fletcher but this time Henly is equal to the shot.
Henly did well to save a shot from Cody Cooke and smothering the rebound and, on 64 minutes, Taylor had the Angels’ best chance thus far with Clarke saving very well.
On 72 minutes, Tonbridge’s golden chance came and sadly went. A corner was played short to Taylor who sent in a cross that found substitute Ibrahim Olutade in front of goal, but his diving header was steered well, well wide and hearts sank that this wasn’t to be our day.
Luca Woodhouse was introduced with five minutes to go for his National South debut, but it is a lot to ask of an 18-year-old to rescue a point although he did have a shot that only found the side netting.
Wins for both Billericay and Welling maintains the anxiety despite the substantial goal difference in favour of Tonbridge and did nothing to dispel the gloom of the long journey home.
Please let Bank Holiday Monday put an end to this. I don’t care whether it is by our own volition or otherwise, then we can go to St Albans next Saturday thankful that this season is at its end.
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