Slough Town 1 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 11/22/2018 - Saturday, 13th August 2022 - National League South

Slough Town (0) 1 Benyon 57
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Turner (pen) 64
Attendance: 467

Admission: Pass
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 152/1,201

Departing home with temperatures already in excess of 30degC and heading for the forecasted hottest place on earth, slight exaggeration, Slough, to watch 22 men kick around at ball from 3 o’clock when the Mercury will reach 100degF in old money. Is this actually insane?

I remember a 1970’s film (I’m no movie buff), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They and for these footballers it seems eerily appropriate.

Slough's Arbour Park is a modern ground, 3G, large main stand but what it doesn’t have in abundance is shade. The covered ends of the ground have no depth which left one end in direct sunlight and was avoided with a seat in the main stand during the first half. A handful of spectators were brave enough to sit in the stand opposite which must have been roasting.

The referee took the commonsense decision to have two water breaks per half and an unfortunate injury to Tonbridge’s Tom Parkinson effectively added a third one.

During the first half news filtered through of an abandonment at Chippenham after a player collapsed during the game. The reason is not clear but if it was heat related then surely questions need be asked of the justification of playing in such extreme conditions.

Thankfully, injuries apart, the game passed off without incident but just spectating was thoroughly uncomfortable and the players of both sides should take great credit in producing a decent game.

A training injury for Doug Loft brought one change from last week’s winning start at Weymouth with Tommie Fagg coming into the side. Fagg’s central midfield role became that of a central defender after Parkinson’s injury on 21 minutes.

Slough just about edged the first half that was blessed with very few chances with a half chance for Femi Akinwande and at the other end Fagg did well to clear from in front of the goal line.

After an opening 10 minutes in which the Angels carved out several chances it was Slough that took the lead with the simplest of goals. George Wells crossed from the left and Elliott Benyon had time and space to steer a header past Jonny Henly after 56 minutes.

The lead was to last just six minutes when Joe Turner cut in from the left only to be downed just inside the box. Turner cooly sent Jonathan North the wrong way to level the score.

Tonbridge, with Craig Braham-Barrett wreaking havoc down the left, were the team most likely to win the game in the closing minutes but, overall, a draw was a fair result. The only result that mattered though was that everybody, on and off the pitch, came through unscathed. You, have to say though, that playing this match and others in the areas of extreme heat, was utter madness.