Tonbridge Angels 0 Bath City 0

Match 17/24/2256 - Saturday, 24th August 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Bath City (0) 0
Attendance: 791
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/682

Manager Jay Saunders drew the positive of a season’s first clean sheet from a frustrating afternoon in which neither side could find the one piece of quality that would unlock two resolute defences. “There are always positives in every game, our first clean sheet is good. First half there was some sloppy mistakes defensively but in general we were solid and Toby’s now really had a save to make in the second half. I was disappointed with us in possession, normally we can move the ball quite well but I thought today we were a little bit sloppy and need to improve on that.”

On a wet afternoon, that until the closing stages of the game, got progressively heavier, Saunders made one change from the side that took a hard-earned point from Monday’s visit to Chelmsford with skipper Scott Wagstaff returning for Taylor Maloney, who retired to the bench.

A sterile first half saw neither goalkeeper tested with anything other than routine saves. Bath’s Jordan Alves flashed a ball across the face of the goal that was turned to safety by a Tonbridge defender and an opportunity for Mo Dabre to cross when the visitors was outnumbered were the only chances of the stalemate being broken.

The second half produced better fare for an attendance of 791, but the chances for both sides remained few and far between.

Saunders rang the changes early in the second period with Jeremy Santos replacing Dabre after 56 minutes and Maloney coming on for Wagstaff on 63 minutes.

Bath’s best chance of the game came on 65 minutes when Toby Steward, racing from his goal to close down Reuben Davies made an uncertain clearance under pressure with the ball falling Davies, but his attempt at the unguarded goal was well wide.

Tonbridge had the better of the chances in the final 20 minutes with substitute Rayan Clarke’s shot saved by Harvey Wiles-Richards and a superb tackle from Kieran Parselle stopped Jeremy Santos in his tracks.

Three minutes before the end an Angels’ corner saw Nazir Bakrin’s goalbound header cleared away but ultimately neither side was destined to find the net and a point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the game.