Haringey Borough (2) 4 Young 37 (pen),45,71 Figuiera 83
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Greenidge 41 Crichlow 75
Attendance: 402
Admission: £5 Senior
Programme: Online
Mileage: 112/1,605
Weather: 26degC., last of the summer heat
When I woke up to the dog barking her early morning call, little did I know that the highlight of the day was to be getting the flu jab.
To be fair, with Tottenham playing just down the Lane, the sensible decision was made to let the train take the strain along with the W3 bus and this worked as admirably as the NHS. Who said we live in broken Britain?
Something that is broken, one would guess irrevocably, is Tonbridge Angels' relationship with the FA Cup, once more being dumped by a lower league club, with barely a whimper.
But, I mean was I really surprised?
I see our entry into the FA Cup as a sort of Care in the Community Day. We pitch up at a club that hasn't moved a step forward since we last visited. We add about 100 or more to the usual gate and then donate a cheque for £3,375 with a guarantee of another £1,125 to come. Such is the appreciation of our kindness, I would suggest that we make it an annual event.
At least the W3 was waiting outside to beat a hasty retreat.
Following last Saturday’s debacle and the tirade that followed, spirits were lifted with the return of Jeremy Santos only to be trodden into the threadbare carpet of Coles Park.
Ten minutes of early promise were swept aside as Haringey Borough were allowed to grow in confidence probably on the back of their realisation that of a thousand Tonbridge passes, 990 were going to be completely pointless. Jonny Henly was brought into the game making decent saves from Michael O’Donoghue and Matt Young.
The late summer heat continued with another day of 26degC temperatures that brought about a water break. Haringey were invigorated by their intake of H2O and, on 34 minutes, struck a post before three minutes later they were awarded a penalty following a foul by Greenidge that was duly converted by Young.
A quick equaliser dispelled initial thoughts that this was to be another FA Cup nightmare. Santos crossed from the right; Joe Turner poked the ball goalwards for Jordan Greenidge to touch the ball home at the right hand post.
But the nightmare thoughts returned before the break when Young cut in from left to curl a shot beyond Henly into the far corner.
A half-time substitution saw Ruben Soares-Junior withdrawn for Gianni Crichlow and the winger had an immediate opportunity when the goalkeeper, Dillon Barnes, parried a shot into his path but his shot sailed into the gardens behind the goal.
The Angels threatened but their efforts only provided further footballs for the gardens.
On 70 minutes, Young completed his hat-trick with a decent strike from 20 yards that might have taken a deflection. Three minutes later the Angels were back in the game when the ball dropped for Crichlow to this time rifle a controlled shot into the bottom corner.
But the hopes of a comeback were quickly dispelled as Walter Figueira struck with another long range effort that flew beyond Henly into the top corner.
In the closing moments the home side hit the bar and Joe Boachie for the Angels steered a close range effort into the goalkeeper’s hands.
It was a day in which Tonbridge might have conceded six and equally might have scored six. It was an FA Cup day and those days only ever end in tears.
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