Crowborough Athletic (0) 2
Tonbridge Angels U18 (1) 1 Knight 22
Headcount: 41
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 44/7,866
My apologies go to those who are expecting to read a report from Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s post- or pre-season friendly at Crowborough Athletic. For 45 minutes the game had my full attention and the new intake of Angels youngsters were performing very well on a tired, end of season pitch. But the half-time break brought the compulsive look at the phone and a tweet leapt out and hit me like a house brick, Steve McKimm has been sacked as the manager of Tonbridge Angels.
Returning to the Under-18’s, they withstood some early Crowborough pressure and gradually grew into the game creating their first chance after 13 minutes when a cross from Joe Newman found Felix Waring but his effort was well saved at the near post. Crowborough responded with an effort that was narrowly wide.
Tonbridge took the lead after 22 minutes with a well worked goal involving Sam Firimans and Harry London setting up Ethan Knight for a shot into the bottom corner.
This gave the Angels the momentum and chances fell for Knight and London before the break.
And then came the break and a total distraction but before we get to that there was a second half played out before my eyes even if I wasn’t taking it in.
Crowborough equalised on the hour when cross from the left was met with a good header at the far post and with it the momentum switched to the home side who took the lead seven minutes later when a long ball forward that saw the striker round Matt Larkin to tap the ball home.
This wasn’t a bad performance with some decent play at times but defensively the Angels deteriorated in the second half.
The half-time news was a bombshell and my phone became red hot! Nothing made sense. The timing, a day after safety was assured in National League South and with just one game remaining, seemed heartless and this was a sacking, Tonbridge’s first for 34 years as McKimm tweeted: “Just had devastating news that I’ve been sacked as manager of Tonbridge Angels after 8 years due to the club thinking I can’t take the club no further. Remit was to stay in the league, job done. Thanks for all your support.”
For the 45 minute journey home, the phone constantly buzzed and, at home, it took the best part of a couple hours to wade through the twitter responses and other social media and the theme was most definitely that of shock and almost total support for the dispensed manager.
The club’s statement issued some time after McKimm’s reveal spoke of a “unanimous” decision on behalf of the board and that it was felt they had “taken the club as far as they could and would not be able to continue to match the ambitions of the club going forward.”
Somewhere along the line, sense needs to made of this, but at this particular time none could be made.
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