Tonbridge Angels 3 Weymouth 2

Match 13/24/2252 - Saturday, 10th August 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (2) 3 Vincent 17 Robinson 21 Shields 72
Weymouth (1) 2 Linton 18 York 88
Attendance: 945
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/498

Finally, preseason takes its leave of us for another year and Saturday mornings have a meaning with a few butterflies whilst clock watching for the right time to make your departure. Everyone starts from scratch with hope in their heart but the voice in your head is warning that another season of misery could well beckon. But as the curtain comes down on the Paris Olympics, let the games begin.

Tonbridge Angels enjoyed an opening day success over visitors Weymouth with a performance that should have been more comfortable than the 3-2 scoreline suggests.

Jay Saunders reflected after the game: “We scored three really good goals, well worked goals. So it's three points but really disappointed with the goals we conceded because I felt that we let them into a game that maybe they shouldn’t have been but it's a good three points. We allowed them back into the game with a couple of mistakes but they are things we can work on and put right.”

On a traditionally hot opening day, the manager had to shuffle his squad following a training ground injury to Tariq Hinds which opened the door for Crossley Lema to step in for his Angels’ competitive debut. Debuts were also given to Toby Steward, Ronny Nelson and Trevan Robinson in the starting line-up.

Both sides took a while to settle into the game with the only chance in the first quarter hour falling to Weymouth’s central defender Jordan Thompson who steered a header from a corner wide.

But the game exploded into life with three goals in four minutes. On 17 minutes, a Sean Shields cross from the right found its way through a lot of bodies for Liam Vincent to squeeze home from beyond the far post. The lead was to last barely a minute as a long ball forward from Brooklyn Genesini split the Angels defence for Malachy Linton to slot past an advancing Steward. The home side regained the lead on 23 minutes when a low cross from Sean Shields was met by Trevan Robinson sliding in at the near post to convert.

The closest either side came to adding to the scoreline in the opening half came on 35 minutes when a well struck shot from 30 yards from the Angels’ Ryan Hanson was narrowly wide.

The second half saw defences become tighter limiting chances with the home side relieved as Thompson’s 54 minute header came back off a post.

Tonbridge gave themselves some breathing space with 18 minutes remaining as Scott Wagstaff won the ball in midfield, passed to Shields who cut in from the left before curling a right foot shot beyond Billy Terrell. We’ve seen it before and we will see it again!

Vincent’s persistence down the left side opened up another opportunity for Shields but his on target effort was turned to safety by Terrell at his near post.

Two minutes remained when Ezio Touray latched onto a ball forward from Evan Pollock, who had won a midfield challenge, to convert and give the home fans a few closing moment jitters, but the Angels held on comfortably during seven minutes of added time.

Picture: Wes Filtness