Corinthian U18 1 Tunbridge Wells U18 0

Match 89/17/1539 - Tuesday, 6th February 2018 - Bostik Youth

Corinthian U18 (1) 1 Mabb 7
Tunbridge Wells U18 (0) 0
Attendance: 26

Entrance: £1.50
Programme: Free
Mileage: 50/6,427

On an absolutely freezing evening, the referee took the decision to start the game 15 minutes early. I arrived in reasonable time for the original kick-off time but eight minutes after the new start time. The only goal of the match was scored after seven, sometimes you almost have to question whether you are of sound mind?

I understand that the goal was a far post header from Leo Mabb.

Tunbridge Wells made a full contribution to the game, which on a temperature-friendly evening would have been a decent watch. Pip Preston (if the team sheet was to be believed) was a constant threat fired straight at Corinthian goalkeeper, Harry Earls, following a loose clearance and then picked up a booking as the referee started to make stranger decisions than his kick off time choice. Added to my indignation of the referee, I've never seen one that needed to pull up his socks every couple of minutes, borrow a tie-up ref!

Into the second half and Earls made a fine save clawing the ball out of the top corner. Preston took on several defenders but screwed his shot wide.

Corinthian successfully saw the game out under heavy pressure from the Wells who would have seen the defeat as an injustice whilst the real injustice in my eyes was my missing eight minutes and the single goal.

Needham Market 4 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 88/17/1538 - Saturday, 3rd February 2018 - Bostik Premier

Needham Market (2) 4 Ingram 8, Sands 23, Mills 75,78
Tonbridge Angels (0) 2 Bantick 85, Turner 87
Attendance: 233

Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 220/6,377

If I was based in Suffolk, I would be a Needham Market supporter as I rate it as the friendliest place in the Isthmian Premier. From the man on the gate through to the bubbly tea ladies to supporters in the bar there is a warmth that is the ethos of non league football. Sadly the charitable side on the pitch came only from the visitors as individual mistakes consigned them to a fourth defeat in five games.

Needham Market opened the scoring after eight minutes when Luke Ingram met a corner from the right with an unchallenged header that crept past Jonny Henly at his near post. Tonbridge responded and in a five minute spell directly after the goal they created, but failed to convert, five chances. Craig Stone planted a header at Market goalkeeper, Danny Gay who then saved low to his left to deny Joe Turner within a minute. Gay then made a brilliant save to push a heavily deflected shot from Sam Bantick over the bar. From the resultant corner, Sonny Miles saw his header cleared from the line by Callum Sturgess and, seconds later, Bantick had another effort cleared from the line. It was quite unbelievable that in such a short space of time, Tonbridge had failed to equalise.

Gay saved from Alex Akrofi before a catastrophic error from Stone saw a misplaced pass find Adam Mills who sent John Sands through to convert past Henly.

Once again Tonbridge responded positively but without the ruthlessness required in front of goal. Tashi-Jay Kwayie heading over on a couple of occasions.

After five minutes of the second half, Turner had a shot from the edge of the box brilliantly pushed onto the right hand post by Gay and following a corner headed on Miles, Bantick lobbed a shot onto the top of the bar. Kwayie fired narrowly over with his final contribution before being replaced by Nathan Elder just past the hour mark.

The game was all but put beyond the Angels’ reach with 15 minutes remaining when a breakdown in communication between Henly and Stone allowed Mills to walk the ball into an empty goal.

Three minutes later it was four. An overhit free kick beyond the far post found Mills whose side-footed volley went back across the face to nestle in the far corner. Was it an intended cross? Only the goalscorer knows and he is not going to care.

Still Tonbridge made chances, Bantick managed to find the woodwork again and Gay denied him with his feet once more. Consolation came with five minutes remaining when substitute Dan Thompson headed on for Bantick to volley home and the scoreline gained some semblance of respectability when Turner’s shot from the edge of the box went through Gay, for the Market goalkeeper’s only mistake of the game.

For those not there, this is just another defeat and at 4-0 nobody was going to convince those supporters of anything different. But from my notes, 17 attempts on goal have been made; the woodwork struck three times and a goalkeeper has been found at the top of his game. Just sometimes, the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story.

Glum and Glummer. Picture by Chris Coolbear

South Park 1 Hastings United 1

Match 87/17/1537 - Tuesday, 30th January 2018 - Bostik South

South Park (0) 1 Jackson 59
Hastings United (1) 1 Davies 40
Attendance: 92
New Ground: 324

Entrance: £5
Programme: £2
Mileage: 90/6,157

A second trip this week into the Surrey’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this time to King George’s Field, the home of South Park. Sadly, I can’t say that it fits within the title, perhaps it needs to be seen in daytime sunshine.

However, it fits very nicely into the functional category with a very nice changing room complex that also houses the tea bar. It is a shame for those that enjoy a half-time pint that the clubhouse is situated outside of the stadium. Two Atcost stands provide seating and cover behind a goal and the brick built complex’s roof has an overhang that provides some shelter from the rain.

I wouldn’t go as far to say that the opening 20 minutes were thrilling but they were absorbing enough to distract from the rain that was getting harder eventually forcing a retreat to the larger of the Atcosts.

Hastings’ goalkeeper, Charlie Horlock, was as vocal as any I’ve heard in a while and it was not always encouraging, giving a rocket to a fellow defender after being forced to touch over an effort from Jerry O’Sullivan.

After the initial 20 minute period it was the visitors that took up the attacking mantle for the rest of the half with their centre forward, Calum Davies, proving a handful.

South Park’s goalkeeper, Callum Thomas, did well to save at Davies’ feet and the forward was inches away from converting a cross from the right. But when Park’s Josh Gallagher lost possession in midfield, Davies was sent away to bury his opportunity into the bottom corner.

The opening minutes of the second half saw the Sussex side remaining in the ascendancy with Davies perhaps needing to be a bit more selfish when offered a chance from the right and Thomas made a terrific stop to claw Davide Rodari’s effort out of the top corner.

However, the hosts got back on terms just shy of the hour when Dan Moody set up Joe Jackson to score from just inside the box.

Chris Smith, who interested Tonbridge a while back, was surprisingly on the bench given his 15 goals this season was summoned for the last 20 minutes and he immediately gave the South Park attack some movement and momentum.

The final 15 minutes saw South Park finishing much the stronger and Horlock was needed on four separate occasions to preserve the hard-earned point.

Walton & Hersham Reserves 0 Tonbridge Angels U21 2

Match 86/17/1536 - Monday, 29th January 2018 - Suburban League

Walton & Hersham Reserves (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels U21 (1) 2 Thompson 12, 55
Headcount: 25
New Ground: 323

Entrance: £4
Programme: None
Mileage: 128/6,067

Tonbridge Angels Under-21s came away from Walton & Hersham’s spanking new Xcel Sports Hub stadium with a win far more convincing than the 2-0 scoreline suggests.

Chris Wye’s side, who were boosted by the inclusion of first team squad members Dominic Welsh, Liam Smith, Dan Thompson, Tashi-Jay Kwayie and Jack Fenton, dominated the game from the first whistle to the last and only a combination of some wayward finishing and a superb goalkeeping performance from the Walton custodian kept the scoreline as respectable as it was.

The Angels had to survive the embarrassment of a wardrobe malfunction as our very own man of many hats, Charlie Cole, inadvertently picked up the wrong bag en-route to Surrey and, to his horror, found that the Under-21's kit had been left behind and he had brought the Under-13s kit! The Under-13's shorts and socks were used and Walton kindly lent their visitors a set of training tops that were evidently used by their ladies' side with vastly differing levels of fit. Poor Josh Olafemi, looked as if he had to be stitched into his kit and on his substitution at the hour mark nobody was too sure whether it was for tactical reasons or chafing! Meanwhile, for the diminutive skipper Welsh, the shirts fitted a treat!

Tonbridge started on the front foot with chances falling to Thompson and Fenton, who went on to have a private battle with the Walton keeper, who saved shot after shot from the midfielder.

The Walton rearguard was broken after 12 minutes when, following a corner, a shot from outside of the box was deflected into the path of Thompson who was able to stab home from close range.

Fenton’s battle continued with the keeper making two flying saves whilst the midfielder set up an opportunity for Kwayie who ballooned wastefully over.

Steve McKimm was in attendance to watch over his first team charges but would surely have also been impressed with a livewire display from Luciano Osbourne that was full of direct running coupled with some very clever footwork.

Tonbridge’s goalkeeper, Peter Ruggles, was only really called into action once in the first period saving comfortably a headed attempt.

Early in the second half, Thompson was denied by the goalkeeper’s feet at the near post and when Fenton rounded the keeper and pulled the ball back for Osbourne there was a defender on the line to clear.

A second goal finally arrived after 55 minutes when a great retrieval on the left bye-line from Fenton allowed a pull back to Thompson who rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Steven Panayi had the ball in the net a couple of minutes later but this was disallowed for a high boot on the goalkeeper in the challenge that led to the ball falling at Panayi’s feet.

The second half took on exactly the same format as the first with the Angels completely dominating.

It would be nice to give the Walton & Hersham goalkeeper some credit by name, but the lack of a team sheet sadly doesn’t allow this, but he alone was the saviour of his side.

Ruggles was asked to make one save and there was a clearance from the line in the second period but Chris Wye will be more than satisfied with his side’s dominant performance.

The Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub is an impressive facility with the main grandstand looking out from one side onto the 3G surface that is shared between Walton & Hersham and Walton Casuals. The reverse side looks out onto an athletics facility. From the bar area both sides can be viewed. Inside the bar area, I think that there will be a few Combined Counties sides supporters who will take a pretty dim view of being charged £1.40 for a tea. But I understand this is beyond the control of the football clubs as Elmbridge Borough Council are the 100% recipients of all bar takings.

Gillingham 2 Fleetwood Town 1

Match 85/17/1535 - Saturday, 27th January 2018 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 Eves 53,90 (pen)
Fleetwood Town (1) 1 Madden 13
Attendance: 6,332

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/5,939

Match Report

I don’t consider myself as a pessimist but I cannot buy into the surge into the play-offs excitement of some on social media. In the end, the lack of quality that was evident in the first half in particular of this match will be Gillingham’s undoing. But what cannot be denied is the attitude and determination that Steve Lovell has instilled into his side. This team has a will-to-win coupled with a level of fitness that drives them through to the final whistle.

At half-time I was bemoaning the fact that fantastic away performances were not being translated into the same at home, but come the finish there was nothing but admiration for their efforts.

Lovell added a couple of players to his squad during the week and the loanee from Bury, Callum Reilly, was brought down to earn the penalty that ultimately won the game, but the players at his disposal are the same that performed so dismally for Justin Edinburgh and Adrian Pennock. I have a couple of for instances, players that have changed my opinion of them. Mark Byrne was a player that Edinburgh was desperate to bring to the club. Whilst he did sustain an injury that probably set him back, I could not see what Edinburgh had seen in his time at Newport County. I can now. The other was the outstanding player of the match, Luke O’Neill. He also suffered a stop-start opening to the season and didn’t convince but now he looks a really good signing by Pennock.

O’Neill’s saving block led to the corner from which Fleetwood opening the scoring after 13 minutes. Tomas Holy made a great stop to deny Paddy Madden but when the ball was recycled it ended back with Madden to fire into the far corner.

Holy made another good stop to save the Gordon Road boo-boys having their taunts at Ashley Hunter thrust straight back down their throats.

After a couple of second half corners that had come to nothing, skipper Lee Martin who had taken them, ushered O’Neill across to take the next one. The corner found Tom Eaves at the near post; whether it was his or a defender’s final touch that took it into the net, the striker will claim it.

The oohs and aarhs came in very quick succession after 70 minutes when a trio of efforts were desperately saved by the Fleetwood goalkeeper, Chris Neal.

As the game entered its final throes, Holy produced a magnificent save to claw away an effort from Wes Burns after initially taking a step in the wrong direction.

It proved a match-winning save as Gillingham went straight to the other end for Reilly to take a pass in the area only to be brought down by Burns for an undisputed penalty which Eaves fired in high to Neal’s left.

Gillingham rise to tenth and within seven points of the magic play-off line giving the excitable social media posters free rein for their optimism. I might not concur, but Lovell’s troops are giving plenty of reasons to prove me wrong.

Metropolitan Police 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 84/17/1534 - Tuesday, 23rd January 2018 - Bostik Premier

Metropolitan Police (2) 2 Mummery 27 Wright 30
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 126

Entrance: £5
Programme: £2
Mileage: 112/5,893

A better blog than mine

Even though the reality has been evident for some while, there comes a watershed moment when you know this season is dead in the water. Marooned in mid-table the season is destined to drift to its conclusion with little other than pride to play for.

Tonbridge produced their worst half of the season at Metropolitan Police’s Imber Court going into the break 2-0 down when a fair reflection on the game would have been nearer 6-0. Steve McKimm rightly lambasted his lacklustre troops after the game reflecting that it was the type of performance that gets managers the sack. Steve can possibly take comfort from the fact that Tonbridge have not sacked a manager since Terry Naylor left his post in September 1988. I should clarify this statistic with the conjecture that Tony Dolby was sacked in October 2007 after a FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round defeat at Ware, but this was recorded as “amicably parting company,”.

Sam Bantick flashed a shot wide of the right hand post after just two minutes but to all intents and purposes that was as close as the Angels were to get, failing to stretch Tom Williams into a single save all evening.

The Plod are enjoying a decent season, they are on the edge of the play-off places, and for the most part, they looked a good side. How much the woeful Tonbridge performance contributed to that appearance is open to question.

The warning signs were there before the Met took a 27th minute lead. A cross from the impressive Tom Bird found the head of Jay Gasson and it took a combination of Jonny Henly and his right hand post to keep the ball out.

Lessons were not learnt and the home side gained the lead when a cross from Jonny Wright was delivered to an unmarked Bayley Mummery to head home from inside the six yard box.

Three minutes later, I guess it was the precise time of that watershed moment, it was 2-0. This time a soft free kick awarded against Liam Smith, was floated to beyond the far post from where Wright planted a header that somehow got between Henly and the post.

Tonbridge simply had no idea how to defend the cross into the box and the half could have taken on embarrassing proportions as headed efforts from Mummery brought a save from Henly and another that hit the top of the bar.

A half-time rant from a well-known Tonbridge supporter, actually defending the first half performance, took up the entire break and provided the only memorable entertainment of the evening.

The Tonbridge bar was struck again by Gasson as the aerial battle continued to be won by the hosts. McKimm made a series of substitutions, including the return of Ryan Worrall for a second spell from Eastbourne Borough, to inject some life into his side.

But, in boxing parlance, the Angels failed dismally to lay a glove on their hosts despite enjoying (if that is the right word) more of the ball in the second period.

Here we are, not quite out of January, and there are many of us that are wishing this season away for a fresh start in August.

Leiston P Tonbridge Angels P

Saturday, 20th January 2018 - Bostik Premier

Leiston P
Tonbridge Angels P
Wasted Mileage: 240/5,781

Match postponed by the match officials at around 2 p.m. when we were within 10 miles of Leiston. Persistent heavy rain that was forecast to continue for the rest of the afternoon.