Torquay United (1) 2 De Silva 10 Ash 61
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Mampolo 59
Attendance: 1,850
Admission: £19 Senior
Mileage: 464/4,404
Weather: 7degC, dry and bright but cold
It’s 5.48am, I’ve beaten the alarm by two minutes and get dressed and downstairs to a couple of bemused cocker spaniels not used to being offered the outside world at this unearthly hour.
By 6.20, just a cup of tea later, I’m closing the front door and the journey to Torquay has begun, on a supporters club coach running for the first time in 17 years.
Torquay United, who didn’t know who Tonbridge Angels were two years ago when drawn together in the FA Trophy, is the destination for a league game.
It’s freezing, the temperature dial doesn’t shift from zero all the way to Tonbridge but at least the coach is warm.
The “ultras” serve up their full repertoire of songs, naughty and nice, as we head west with a welcome stop at Leigh Delamere before finally arriving at Plainmoor at 12:55 pm.
On arrival we are greeted with the news that the gates don’t open until 14:00 and away supporters are barred from the club house. This is an ex-League club, full time, absolutely ridiculous to leave people hanging around for an hour without so much as a toilet.
That be said, Plainmoor is a nice ground but, like Yeovil before, the facilities afforded to away supporters is sparse to be kind.
And so to the match. The difference between the teams was the cutting edge up front. Overall, Tonbridge went toe-to-toe with one of the league’s big hitters and, whilst coming away empty-handed, the visiting supporters departed with a feeling of injustice at the result.
I’ve heard rather patronising comments from BBC Radio Devon calling us “a good, little side”. So, we are obviously still the unknown minnows of the National League.
After a good start the Angels went behind on 10 minutes when a sweeping counter attack of just three passes that covered almost the entire length of the field ended with Dillon De Silva free at the right hand post to finish.
The Angels continued to have plenty of the play. There were half-hearted claims for a penalty as Jordan Greenidge went down under a dive at his feet from goalkeeper, Mark Halstead and a 25 yard effort from Jordan Higgs on 26 minutes clipped the top of the crossbar.
On the stroke of half-time following a corner Halstead made successive reaction saves to deny Higgs and Jamie Fielding.
Tonbridge picked up where they left off after the first period, on the front foot, and when Francis Mampolo equalised on 59 minutes nobody could deny that they were well worth their equaliser. And what a goal, picking the ball up on the left hand side, 35 yards from goal, he weaved his way through a series of defenders that failed to make a challenge before letting fly from the edge of the box with a shot that picked out the top corner.
Unfortunately, the parity was only to last two minutes when a cross from the right saw Bradley Ash peel away from his marker to bury a shot past Henly. It was a great finish from one of the best in the division, a striker that has destroyed the Angels in the past.
Still being backed to the hilt from the noisy Angels support, Tonbridge pressed hard right to the final whistle for an equaliser but it wasn’t to be.
The journey home stretched the day out to a total of 17 hours, a long day but one with a strange sense of satisfaction despite the defeat. The coach ran successfully with a promise that it would run again and, on the field, another day in which Jay Saunders’ team has proved competitive against the best in the division.
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