Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Turner 52
Hemel Hempstead Town (0) 1 Castiglione 61
Attendance: 1,312
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/7,053
Tonbridge Angels season could almost be encapsulated in this one game. The improvement over the season has been significant but, at the end of the season, they might well fall slightly short. The thickness of a post; a miraculous double save from Hemel’s Craig King denied the Angels after a first half in which they had struggled to make an impact on the game.
This was viewed by many (myself included) as a must win and, having not won it, points are now going to be needed from games that perhaps were not considered likely to have any yield.
The terms of Jordan Greenidge’s loan made him unavailable to line up against his parent club with Tommy Wood leading the front line. Tariq Hinds, Devonte Aransibia and Bailey Akehurst were rested to the bench with Jack Wood, Tommie Fagg and Craig Braham-Barrett returning to the starting XI.
A warm Good Friday enticed an impressive 1,300-plus crowd but, apart from the 50 or 60 Hemel supporters, they were not given too much to cheer in a first half in which the home side were slow out of the blocks and never really got up to full speed.
Hemel, who started the afternoon six points off the playoffs, had the best of the first half and went closest after 17 minutes when Montel McKenzie struck the post.
Tonbridge’s best chances fell to Jack Wood who curled a shot into the arms of King and a volley from Fagg that was wide of the target, but overall it was a low key half.
The second half started with a greater intensity and Jonny Henly was called upon to make a double save to deny Charlee Hughes within the first minute.
But it was Tonbridge that got their noses in front after 52 minutes when Joe Turner curled in a shot from the left hand side of the box into the far corner.
This was the period in the game in which the Angels were most buoyant and might have doubled their advantage when a ball across the face of goal from the right by Jack Wood agonisingly evaded Fagg at the far post.
Hemel were back on terms just past the hour with a poor goal defensively from a Tonbridge point of view. A long punt forward from the goalkeeper was met with an unchallenged header and as the ball dropped there were opportunities to clear before a snap shot from Josh Castiglione that found the bottom corner.
With a draw little use to either side, the game opened up and produced an exciting last half-hour with the best of the chances falling to the Angels. Tommy Wood was denied by a terrific challenge when sent clear by Turner and, with seven minutes remaining, the latter struck a post.
King preserved the point for the visitors with a magnificent double save from Turner with the follow-up from Jack Wood miraculously kept out.
For Hemel Hempstead, one would guess that their course is run; for the Angels where’s there’s the maths, there’s hope.
Pictures: Kathryn Bell
No comments:
Post a Comment