Tonbridge Angels Women 2 Maidstone United Women 3

Match 78/25/2420 - Sunday, 19th April 2026 - South East Counties Women's Football League

Tonbridge Angels (2) 2 Churchill 13 Herbert-Smith 36
Maidstone United (2) 3 Culpitt 25 Kelsi Wilkinson 45+6 Madamombe 50
Attendnance: 428
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/4,893

CRUEL END TO TITLE CHASE

Second place is a particularly cruel position in which to finish a season in the seventh tier of women’s football and second place is where, almost certainly, Tonbridge Angels Women will finish for a second consecutive season.

It is a hobby horse of mine that the structure of women’s football in the lower tiers needs addressing. This season, Maidstone United and Tonbridge Angels have been far too strong for their division. Maidstone haven’t lost a game and Tonbridge have only lost to Maidstone, the rest are trailing miles behind. What benefit is it to the competition to stunt the growth of a progressive club leaving them in a division in which next season they will continue to be too strong unless they lose their players who have ambitions for a greater standard.

Last season, a vacancy arose and one club with the correct criteria got promoted and that might happen again this season, but that is a lottery. Surely, 12 team divisions have the scope to expand?

Already this post sounds sour grapes. None of it, on the day Maidstone were the more composed side and well deserving of their win that leaves them needing to win at Hollands and Blair to confirm the title, whilst Tonbridge play host to Long Lane hoping for a miracle.

Tonbridge had done all they could to promote the game and were rewarded with an impressive 428 filing through the gates on a warm, sunny day.

The game started nervously with neither side settling into their natural rhythm but it was the Angels women that hit the front on 13 minutes with a well worked goal. A cross from the right from Charlotte Cresswell was headed on by Phoebe Farnham to an unmarked Aimee Churchill who took her opportunity to fire past a helpless Cara Davies.

Both goalkeepers were tested before the Stones equalised on 25 minutes when a driven shot from Georgia Culpitt found the bottom corner from 20 yards.

On the half-hour a nasty collision between Culpitt and Angels goalkeeper, Lois Bartlett, saw the keeper take a blow to the head that forced her substitution by outfield player Beth Kemp, who in the absence of a regular keeper took her place between the sticks.

Perhaps knowing this, Maidstone took a shoot on sight policy and, from distance, Neve Platt rattled the crossbar.

On 36 minutes, the Angels retook the lead when a clearance fell at the feet of Mollyanne Herbert-Smith, who lobbed a stranded Davies from the edge of the box.

In the much extended added time, due to Bartlett’s injury, Maidstone equalised when Kelsi Wilkinson was sent to clear to finish past Kemp.

The rolling substitutions rule allowed Bartlett to return at the start of the second half but after conceding Maidstone’s third goal when Chi Madamombe ran from deep to finish into the bottom corner, she was forced from the field again still feeling the effects of the blow to the head with Kemp returning for a second spell with the gloves.

Maidstone dominated the second period with the Angels struggling to get a meaningful spell in the half. Resolute defending, wayward finishing kept Tonbridge in the game and, into another long period of added time, their chance came when Herbert-Smith fed Grace Mayhead, but her shot was saved by Davies and soon after the celebrations began for Maidstone United.

If two-season justice prevails local rivalry will be resumed next season in the London and South East Regional League.

Pictures: Tonbridge Angels Women

Tonbridge Angels Women 0 South London Women 4

Match 19/24/2258 - Sunday, 1st September 2024 - Women's FA Cup 1QR

Tonbridge Angels Women (0) 0
South London Women (2) 4 Shields 11,65
Attendance: 107
Admission: £5
Mileage: 38/874

Tonbridge Angels Women’s first flirtation with the WFA Cup sadly ended with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of an accomplished South London Women.

Both teams, having achieved similar promotions last season, were making their debuts in the prestigious competition.

On a hot afternoon that necessitated water breaks in each half, a crowd of 107 assembled including a noisy contingent following the visitors.

South London opened the game with intent and the Angels goalkeeper, Ashleigh Rhodes was called into action twice in the first eight minutes before conceding a goal when a clearance came back off Virginia Somers to loop over the stranded goalkeeper’s head.

The goal rattled the Angels and another poor clearance gave Johanna Andersson the opportunity to strike but her shot hit a post.

Slowly the home side found a footing in the game with Hope Mumford sending a shot wide and a free kick over and, on 21 minutes, a free kick from Lucy Harrington dipped onto the roof of the net.

But, the best chance of the half for the Angels, came when Amelia Cooper was sent clear, but her shot not carrying enough power, was cleared from the line.

The first water break perhaps came at the wrong time for the Angels as following the break, it was South London that regained the momentum.

This eventually brought a reward for the visitors as, six minutes before the break, Rhodes saved at the feet of Somers but the rebound fell invitingly at the feet of Andersson who calmly stroked the ball into the unguarded goal.

Any hopes of a second half comeback from the Angels virtually disappeared three minutes into the half when the ball fell to Robyn Blanchard who volleyed into the top corner from 20 yards.

Six minutes later, another sumptuous effort from distance, this time from Rachel Todd gave Rhodes no chance.

Credit should be given to the Angels who never gave up the fight and deserved a consolation goal but efforts from Hermione Dorset and Aimee Churchill were denied by goalkeeper Nailah Cave.

Angels’ manager Joe Rowe reflected after the match: “Credit to South London, on balance they deserved their victory, maybe the scoreline doesn’t reflect the quality of the two teams. The quality is a lot closer, I think the difference today was that they were switched on throughout the game, they brought their A game whereas in key moments we switched off.”

Tonbridge Angels Women 2 Tunbridge Wells Foresters Women 4

Match 97/23/2220 - Sunday, 24th March 2024 - KCFA Women's Plate SF

Tonbridge Angels Women (1) 2 Mayhead 16 Kemp 79
Tunbridge Wells Foresters Women (1) 4 Stokes 9,73,90+3 Wignall 58
Attendance: 136
Admission: £5
Mileage: 38/6,852

Tonbridge Angels Women departed the KCFA Women’s Plate at the semi-final stage with their heads held high having stretched their Kent Premier Division opponents, Tunbridge Wells Foresters, all the way until an added time goal made the game safe for the visitors.

Whilst congratulating and wishing his opponents good luck in the final, manager Joe Rowe was proud of his team’s performance: “I think all of us come away from today disappointed in the result but proud of our efforts and to get to the semi final. The team gave everything and on another day we may have got the result we wanted but today Foresters were the deserved winners. Our challenge now is to use this feeling as a catalyst to ensure we finish the season strong and have something to show for what has been a very positive opening season for the team.”

An impressive attendance of 136 that had assembled in bright late afternoon sunshine to see these local rivals go head-to-head and they would have left Longmead Stadium having seen a competitive match of great quality.

The Angels enjoyed the better of the opening moments with a Charlotte Cresswell effort clearing the bar before Foresters went ahead after nine minutes when a cross from Adi Stapleton-Berry found its way to the far post from where Annabel Stokes swept the ball home.

Tonbridge responded positively and were level on 16 minutes when a cross from Jade Folkard was fired home by Grace Mayhead.

As the half unfolded, Tonbridge were the equals of their opponents with chances for Cresswell and Mayhead, although the Angels goalkeeper, Ashleigh Rhodes needed to be at her best saving well following a Foresters corner and earlier Stapleton-Berry had an opportunity cleared from the line.

Tunbridge Wells Foresters dominated the opening quarter-hour of the second half and eventually got their reward on 58 minutes when Rona Wignall was sent clear to finish well past Rhodes.

When Stokes added a third on 73 minutes the tie looked all but done but the Angels staged a spirited recovery that saw a free kick from Amanda Beeput recycled from the right into the box for Beth Kemp to volley past the Wells goalkeeper.

The goal set up a grandstand finish that saw chances fall to Aimee Churchill before in the third of five added minutes, a fortunate rebound saw Stokes stride clear to finish clinically and complete her hat trick.