Hampton & Richmond Borough 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 63/24/2302 - Saturday, 18th January 2025 - National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough (1) 2 Wiltshire 38 Vilhete 78
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 694
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 122/4,506

A goal in each half was enough for a threadbare Tonbridge Angels to lose on the road at Hampton and Richmond Borough and in the process the squad became further depleted with the sending off of Ryan Hanson and an injury to Ronny Nelson.

The win saw the home side stretch their unbeaten record to seven games and move to within a place of the Angels who remain in ninth.

A good contingent of Angels supporters made the journey with rail travellers hampered by the weekend closure of Waterloo East. They arrived at the Beveree on a cold afternoon to the news that Charlie Pegrum had been recalled by Leyton Orient with Harry Ottaway taking his place in the starting XI. Only four substitutes could be named including assistant manager Tommy Parkinson.

Jay Saunders reflected after the game: “I thought we looked leggy after Tuesday. I’m disappointed at the goals we conceded, they were avoidable, and I thought we lost the midfield today.”

Tonbridge were on the back foot from the outset and might have gone behind after four minutes when a through ball from Mauro Vilhete sent Ibrahim Jalloh clear only to be denied by a smothering save from the advancing Matt Rowley. After the ball looped into the air and was recycled, Jalloh put it into the net only to be given offside.

The visitors came close to opening the scoring on eight minutes when Gianluca Botti’s effort from the bye-line rolled along the goal line before being turned away for a corner, from which Crossley Lema headed over.

Hampton took control of the game and Rowley was kept busy before they were awarded a penalty on 20 minutes as Lema hung out a leg to upend Bunmi Babajide. Fortunately for the Angels, Archie Taylor’s spot kick struck the crossbar and was shepherded to safety.

The momentum, nonetheless, stayed with the home side and they eventually broke through on 38 minutes when a corner fell kindly to Jerry Wiltshire who lashed the ball home off the underside of the bar.

Jeremy Santos put a shot wide as Hampton entered the break deserving of their lead.

An injury sustained by Nelson necessitated his half-time substitution with Hanson taking his place.

The Angels started the second period positively with Bailey Akehurst bringing a save out of Max Merrick and just past the hour the Chelsea loanee goalkeeper made a really good stop to deny Sean Shields.

On 77 minutes, Rowley did brilliantly to claw a shot from Jalloh out of the top corner but was helpless a minute later when a cross from the right found Vilhete, unmarked, to bury a header.

Botti brought another save from Merrick but the red card for Hanson for a challenge on Hampton substitute George Hunt killed any hope of a comeback despite the added time board showing 10 minutes.

Trevan Robinson saw an effort cleared from the line and a Shields shot cleared the bar as the Angels valiantly sought a consolation goal.

After what can only be described as a difficult week for the Angels, Jay added: “The boys put in a hell of a shift on Tuesday night and the squad is very thin and it is hard for us to make changes because we’ve ended up today with four on the bench including Parky. We are very thin on the ground. In an ideal world, if you had everyone available, you make changes from the other night but we are not in a position to do that. I’m not going to be too harsh on the boys, I’m a big believer that it evens itself out, but certainly at the moment, we are getting a bad run of luck.”

Hampton & Richmond Borough 0 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 98/23/2221 - Friday, 29th March 2024 - National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 2,031
Admission: £15 Senior
Mileage: 104/6,956

This stage of the season for a club marooned in mid-table has the feel of the last couple of games of pre-season, just want them done and onto the real thing.

Make no mistake, another time and this would have been deemed a great result against a team, fourth in the table and with a place in the playoffs within their grasp. Tonbridge were the better side and had the better chances but despite the contrasting styles, ultimately the two teams cancelled each other out.

It was a strange day at Hampton and Richmond Borough’s Beveree Stadium. Previous visits have seen Tuesday night attendances of 400-odd and an atmosphere as dull as dishwater. But a Good Friday Easter egg hunt brought out the kids and their parents resulting in an unbelievable attendance of over 2,000 but an atmosphere, Angels supporters excepted, still as dull as dishwater.

Jay Saunders welcomed back Nathan Odokonyero, Sean Shields and Jernade Meade with Matty Macarthur and Lewis Gard dropping to the bench with Scott Wagstaff also unfit.

Neither team made much impression in the opening quarter hour until Shields floated an exquisite ball from the left to the right side of the box where Tariq Hinds didn’t quite make a full connection allowing his volley to be pushed to safety by the Hampton goalkeeper, Adam Desbois.

The stalemate in terms of real chances continued until the 38th minute when Shields effort was touch over the bar.

Jonny Henly, on his 300th appearance, made his first real save, and a very good one, diving low to his left to save a Tope Fadahunsi header.

For a large part of the second half, the game looked to have a goalless draw written all over it. Hampton’s style is not easy on the eye with long balls launched into the south-west London sky, many of which were overhit by the proverbial mile. All of which required the concentration of the Tonbridge back line to which they dealt with competently leaving Henly without a save to make in the entire half.

The Angels best chance came in the 81st minute when Odokonyero was denied as Desbois saved.

My own record of never having seen more than one goal in a game at the Beveree remains and never seemed threatened.

Hampton & Richmond Borough 0 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 81/22/2088 - Tuesday, 28th February 2023 - National South

Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Aransibia 74
Attendance: 338

Admission: Pass
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 124/5,727

I wonder, I just wonder! Every season, whether it's ending in a promotion or relegation situation or perhaps, the later stages of a cup competition, has a moment that is remembered as significant. Who can ever forget 5th January 2019, two goals down at home to Brightlingsea Regent with just a quarter of an hour remaining and goals from Tommy Parkinson and Alex Read salvaged a point and, from that moment, the tide turned for Steve McKimm and the rest is history.

It was the 90th minute, with Tonbridge Angels leading by a single goal, that referee Aaron Farmer (not the most popular official with Angels supporters) pointed to the penalty spot for a second time. Adrian Clifton stepped up, drove his shot straight down the middle but the trailing legs of Jonny Henly was enough to divert the ball to safety to save from the spot for a second time in the game.

Was it the moment? It was certainly enough for me to start to dream of that cold Tuesday night in Gateshead in the National League, suddenly it became to feel real, a little scary but real.

It’s been a long week on the road, the best part of 600 miles travelled; three games of not great quality that has taken us from despair at Chelmsford, via Bath, to belief at Hampton.

A midweek, rush hour trip around the M25 to the well-heeled corner of south-west London is not to be relished but, apart from a stop-start last six miles and the annual double circumnavigation of the Scilly Isles roundabout, arrival at the leafy Beveree was made in reasonable time.

The pitch, waterlogged to postponement last season, frozen to postponement on 21st January of this one, looked difficult and proved to be, as any hopes of a game of meaningful quality were never raised.

Henly returned to the starting XI following his absence at Bath along with Tommie Fagg who replaced Lewis Gard.

The best that can be said of the first half-hour was that there was only 15 minutes to walk to the other end where the bitter wind was not in our faces. Joe Turner had a first minute run that ended with a comfortable save for Alan Julian and, on 13 minutes, a Fagg effort from range had a similar outcome.

After a solid start from the Angels, the home side started to impose themselves and this culminated, six minutes from the break, when they were awarded a penalty after a foul by Fagg. Hampton’s record from the spot is horrendous, anything from six to 12 misses depending on who you talked to! On this occasion, Dan Wishart stepped up, his run up was straight and the ball barely deviated which allowed Henly a relatively comfortable save.

The second half started much as the first had ended with Hampton having the best of the possession without really troubling the Angels back line that dealt admirably with an aerial assault of crosses into the box.

On 66 minutes, Tommy Wood, recently of the Borough, was introduced for Jordan Greenidge and had an assist in the opening goal on 74 minutes. A free kick from Turner was lofted into the box, Wood headed down for Devonte Aransibia to drive a shot from the edge of the six yard box past a helpless Julian.

The aerial assault continued making for an uncomfortable last 15 minutes for the 60 or so Angels supporters behind the far goal but their hopes were seemingly dashed as Fagg made an innocuous challenge, but the jeers turned to cheers with Henly’s trailing leg and, despite yet another penalty call, the final whistle brought celebrations with Henly’s customary forward roll in front of the fans.

There’s a long, long way to go but there is a sense of belief that something special is fermenting nicely and, in May, supporters might well recall the 90th minute at the Beveree.

Hampton & Richmond Borough 0 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 120/21/1984 - Tuesday, 5th April 2022 - National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 391
Admission: £10
Programme: £2
Mileage: 120/6,971

One more win, home to Slough and that should be enough; Welling are not going to get four results in their horrible run-in. Idle speculation is all it is, and as football fans, we all do it.

I have an acquaintance, a huge Gateshead fan, who went into a complete tailspin last weekend as his beloved Heed lost a vital game at Brackley Town. It was all over; automatic promotion had been lost and they would fail in the playoffs. There are seven games to go, I reminded him, anything can happen and then went back to the Tonbridge Angels fixture list to torture myself with ifs, buts and maybes.

Of which one thing can be assured, that is that relegation threatened teams rarely get involved in classic examples of the beautiful game; they are scraps, riddled with tension and generally low on quality.

And such was this trip to Hampton and Richmond Borough, a game rescheduled following a postponement in February. In truth, it was a terrible watch, one that the Angels’ support ironically celebrated wildly when they forced their first corner after 89 minutes. But, all those supporters, who amounted to a good following on a Tuesday evening, knew the value of that precious point.

It is barely worth wasting time with a blow by blow account of a game in which neither side really laid a glove on the other. There were a few, second half, worrying moments in front of the Angels’ goal and the visitors themselves were denied what looked a stonewall penalty as Tommy Parkinson was felled in the box, but referee Kirsty Dowle, who had a decent game waved the appeals away.

On Saturday, we go to Chelmsford, similarly relegation haunted, while Gateshead entertain Chester in what undoubtedly will be billed as must win games and come the 5th May they may have been well be worthy of that billing but, until then, nobody really knows. Now where’s that pen, if we beat Ebbsfleet; Dorking beat Welling and Billericay only get a point at Hampton …

Hampton & Richmond Borough P-P Tonbridge Angels

Saturday, 19th February 2022 - National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough P
Tonbridge Angels P
Wasted Mileage: 120/5,285

Storm Eunice battered the United Kingdom on Friday, leaving the rail network in disarray. I had chosen to travel to Hampton by train because of the lack of parking at the Beveree and the surrounding residential area. The train from Staplehurst to Waterloo suffered a 20 minute delay which, as it turned out, was a minor irritation. Once arrived in London, we were met with fellow Angels supporters who informed us of no service to Hampton and were going to make their way to Charlton instead. Luckily, my travelling companion is a public transport guru and he quickly established that via an open line down to Kingston, we could catch the bus to Hampton, which we did and the plan worked perfectly arriving at the ground at 1:45 pm. The very first voices we heard on entrance were those of excited Hampton management pronouncing to their players that the referee had deemed the pitch playable and that it was game on!

Whilst queueing for a cup of tea, rain started to fall and with cuppa in hand we sought sanctuary in the bar, more for warmth than for reasons of the rain. As we looked out of the window, the players were going through their warm-up routines, so presumably all was well. Then, at 2:35, message came to the bar, that on further inspection, the referee had decided that the pitch had deteriorated and that the game should be postponed as blues skies took their place overhead.

In fairness, my pictures evidently don’t give a fair reflection and an area in the centre circle was underwater. Writing this whilst watching Leeds v Manchester United where the Premier League show ponies were splashing their way across an Elland Road pitch, I couldn’t help but think back 24 hours and question whether the Hampton pitch was any worse.

My problems for the day had not ended as by now all trains from Kingston back into Waterloo were now cancelled. Thankfully, my day took a turn for the better as the Club Secretary offered me a lift back to Tonbridge.

My issue is not with Hampton & Richmond Borough as such, this isn’t the first time I’ve travelled to a match that has been postponed and it won’t be the last. But I fail to understand the referee’s point of view that the pitch deteriorated that much in the space of probably less than half-hour. I find it hard to believe that it was playable at the time of the first inspection. Gary McCann, the Hampton manager, also said in his after match interview, that the game should have been called off earlier which probably would not have stopped me getting as far as Waterloo but would have saved the onward journey.

To round off my day, by the time I got home I had developed a cold! Update: the cold turned into Covid!

Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 29/19/1752 - Saturday, 28th September 2019 - National South

Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 1 Deadfield 90+4
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 708

Admission: Pass
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 120/2,132

When the dust has settled in late April, whatever the outcome of the season, thoughts will return to perceived pivotal moments that have affected that outcome.

If, and despite the six point billing of a match that is played in September, it remains an if, Tonbridge might look back on the 17th minute of this game as one of those pivotal moments.

Steve McKimm had made the bold choice of leaving Joe Turner on the bench and with James Folkes injured, Alex Bentley was restored to full back.

The opening quarter-hour had been nothing more than a gentle feeling out of the opposition on both sides when, out of an innocuous area in midfield, Tommy Brewer recklessly clattered a challenge into Hampton’s Jake Gray leaving the referee to flourish the red card in an instant. It later proved to be his last act for the club.

There was no panic reshuffling and the game largely followed the pattern of the first quarter-hour. Indeed, after 30 minutes, Jared Small had the ball in the net but this was ruled out for offside, a hairline decision if it was right.

The better chances had fallen to the visitors as half-time approached but with a couple of minutes left on the clock they survived as a shot from Danilo Orsi-Dadomo struck the right hand post.

Turner was introduced a the start of the second period for Small, which left a few scratching their heads but the onslaught from Hampton was about to begin and an inspirational half of goalkeeping from Jonny Henly was underway.

Within a minute, Sam Deadfield had struck a shot into the side-netting when he should have done better and in a 10 minute spell, Henly denied Hampton at least seven times. A free kick from Deadfield found the head of Dean Inman, but Henly diving backwards clung on to the ball and, two minutes later, Inman thought he scored as his header was clawed away from the line by the Tonbridge goalkeeper.

Orsi-Dadomo struck a post with the rebound blocked by Henly and the chances created and wasted by the home side mounted.

But, having miraculously emerging unscathed from those frantic minutes, Tonbridge started to find chances of their own on the counter. Khale Da Costa put in a right wing cross that just evaded the head of Tom Derry and after a powerful run from Turner, Derry struck a post.

Four minutes of time added firstly brought a free kick in a dangerous position and a sigh of relief was audible as it was wastefully floated into no man’s land but the cruelest of blows was still to be inflicted on the Angels as Derry, who could (should) have run the ball into the corner lost possession, the ball was switched to the right from where Louie Soares produced a match-winning cross that left Deadfield only needing to put his head on the ball to win the game.

Hampton supporters could rightly claim they deserved the points with the chances they had, but it was the cruellest of outcomes for a brave Tonbridge rearguard action. How pivotal that 17th minute was, only time will tell.