Binfield (0) 4 Moore 58 Efedje 72 Pegg 80 Pagliaroli 90
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 389
Admission: £6 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 158/1,853
New Ground: 351
For a variety of reasons, manager Jay Saunders had 13 players unavailable, leaving him with two Academy players in his starting line-up, Josh McArthur making his first team debut with another three taking their places on the bench.
In a rustic setting, Hill Farm Lane at the end of a narrow lane that was inaccessible to the club coach, is a pleasant ground of a standard that is possibly a step lower than that in which they play with a couple of small stands on one side and on the top of a grass bank behind the goal sits the dressing room/bar/food outlet complex. The pitch was in desperate need of a lawn mower, but sure as eggs are eggs, that was on the direction of the Binfield manager, and the scene was set for an upset but no Tonbridge supporter present could have expected the second half performance that led to an embarrassing defeat.
Binfield opened the half on the front foot with Sean Moore forcing Jonny Henly into an early save with the Binfield captain also wasting a golden opportunity after 16 minutes when he shot over. In between, Tonbridge’s only effort of the opening half was a Lewis Gard effort that was well saved by Chris Grace, low to his right.
The fact that the visitors went into the break with the game still goalless was mainly down to some steadfast defending from Ben Swift and Sonny Miles.
The Angels had an early chance in the second period when TQ Addy shot into the side netting but it was Binfield that went ahead after 58 minutes when Moore latched onto a loose ball, 20 yards from goal, curling a shot into the far corner.
Grace excelled to turn over the bar a Miles header after Swift had headed on a corner but once Johnny Efedje’s header from a corner doubled Binfield’s advantage after 72 minutes, there was only going to be one winner.
Lewis Peg’s corner sailed over the head of Henly and into the far corner for the third goal with 10 minutes remaining and in the last minute of time added, Brad Pagliaroli had an acre of space in the penalty area to compound the Angels agony. In the final moments, in encouragement to his defender, the Binfield goalkeeper shouted, "keep going, they've got nothing." It hurt, but it was true.
Jay Saunders offered his apologies to the travelling support in his post-match interview commenting: “A lot of lads let themselves, the club and me down. Full credit to Binfield, but in 13 years of management that is one of the worst performances from my sides.”
The manager will be hoping that several of his senior players are available for selection for next week’s trip to Cheshunt in a return to National South action.
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