Gillingham 1 Sunderland 4

Match 25/18/1618 - Wednesday, 22nd August 2018 - League One

Gillingham (1) 3 Eaves 3
Sunderland (3) 4 Maguire 4, Honeyman 17, Power 19, Maja 59
Attendance: 8,438

Admission: £17 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/1,215

My first trip back to Gillingham since disposing of my season ticket left me excited at the prospect but not knowing what to expect either of the team, who had made a solid start to the season, or myself. Would I be thinking that I’ve missed this, even at this early stage, or not?

The first thing that I didn’t miss was the inability to park anywhere close to the ground. One-up for the Longmead car park! The road down which I normally turn was closed for roadworks and this led to a meander around a dozen and one streets looking for a space. Admittedly there were 8,500 people in the ground, but this was just about the worst trouble I’ve encountered in about 30 years parking the car.

Eventually, my bum touched my seat just as the referee blew his whistle to start the game. I needed that perfect timing as within three minutes Gillingham were ahead when a Luke O’Neill cross was met with a towering header from Tom Eaves to give them a perfect start.

My reaction was everything I would have wanted, 44 years of loving the club doesn’t disappear overnight. Out of my seat and punching the air with all the delight of a kid at Christmas.

But, just as quickly, that turned to the head in hands that has been endured the majority of those 44 years.

Some sloppy defending allowed a header to travel to the far post from where Chris Maguire was able to convert with a close range, unchallenged header.

The despair quickly doubled and trebled as the impressive George Honeymoon was proffered the freedom of Priestfield to plant a right footed shot, albeit with a deflection, into the top corner after 18 minutes and, two minutes later, woeful defending from Bradley Garmston allowed Lyndon Gooch to set up Max Power.

Gillingham, to their credit, fought hard to recover and created chances but against a side like Sunderland, who should only have a one season sojourn in League One, you have to take them.

Another poor piece of defending, this time from O’Neill, robbed in the middle of the field saw the ball tapped home by Josh Maja to place a particularly unfair reflection on the scoreline.

In essence, I already know that I have made the right decision to switch my primary allegiance to Tonbridge. I have revelled in my involvement with the club. That is not to say that Gillingham won’t be the first club for whom their result I seek and I will be in attendance at every available game but, no, I’m not missing them.

Tonbridge Angels 3 Sittingbourne 2

Match 24/18/1617 - Tuesday, 21st August 2018 - Kent Senior Cup

Tonbridge Angels (1) 3 Read 3 (pen), 49, 58 (pen)
Sittingbourne (0) 2 Adebayu 49 Caney-Bryan 65
Attendance: 218

Admission: £7 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 38/1,159

The County Cup is a relic of a previous being in football, but one that the relevant County Football Association’s strive to maintain its importance. In Kent, presumably in other counties, league games can be postponed as a County Cup game takes precedence. A quick goggle shows that the major powers in Liverpool and Manchester still enter a side, however strong that might be, but in London, none of the Premier or Football League clubs take part. In Birmingham, Wolves, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham have all competed in the Final in the last four years.

Personally, with the reduction in League fixtures this season, I think there is a case for the Kent Senior Cup. Even if the crowd, on this occasion a respectable 218, is small a few will drink or buy a burger in addition to their entrance fee, which was set at full price.

Steve McKimm seemed to be thinking along my line as he fielded a surprisingly strong eleven whilst experimenting with a different shape.

The game was an entertaining affair with visitors Sittingbourne probably going home slightly aggrieved to have exited the competition.

In the Sittingbourne ranks were five ex-Angels including Nathan Elder, who takes the blame for me missing the opening goal after just three minutes. The amiable striker was doing the rounds of shaking hands with his old friends (myself included) when the Angels were awarded and scored a penalty through Alex Read, all of which passed me by!

Some good link play between Read and Tom Beere ended with Liam Smith being brought down by the goalkeeper, Harry Brooks, but the spot kick from Read was saved.

Tonbridge totally dominated the opening half-hour and, in truth, should have put the game beyond the reach of Sittingbourne, but having spurned the chances, just before the break, the visitors equalised. Jonny Henly’s punched clearance from a long throw to the edge of the penalty area was met by Izzy Adebayu who returned with a shot that went through the mass of bodies an into the net.

Tonbridge went back in front within five minutes of the restart when a a shot from Read appeared to have been cleared from the line but a follow-up header from Joe Turner was also clawed away by Brooks, this time seemingly from behind the line. A goal was given, but it was not until later that it was confirmed that it had been Read’s effort that had counted.

The referee awarded the Angels a third penalty when Reiss Crimmen who clumsily brought down Read. The striker dusted himself down to complete his hat-trick, a rather curious one in as much it contained three penalty attempts and a goal which nobody, at the time, was sure was his!

With nothing to lose, Sittingbourne threw bodies forward and were quickly rewarded when substitute Ira Jackson, for whom I had my card marked by a Sittingbourne supporter prior to the game, produced a dazzling run before setting up Johan Caney-Brian with a close range finish.

Sittingbourne tried to desperately to retrieve the tie with Jackson continually catching the eye, but Tonbridge saw the game out. The visitors can certainly take heart and expect to have a good season in Bostik South.

Tonbridge Angels 1 Burgess Hill Town 0

Match 23/18/1616 - Saturday, 18th August 2018 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Turner 26
Burgess Hill Town (0) 0
Attendance: 409

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/1,121

Before Sky invented football in 1992, I don’t remember people using the word momentum in the context of football matches, now it is used in the jibber-jabber of punditry as often as goal.

There is something about the act of momentum though in as much as you can lose it as fast as you acquired it and such was the case with Tonbridge in this game against last year’s relegation Houdini act Burgess Hill.

For 38 minutes, Tonbridge played some sparkling stuff, went a deserved goal to the good and were looking a safe bet to go on and win the game with plenty to spare. But Tommy Parkinson went down with a head injury and a 10 minute delay ensued following which, despite the midfielder returning to the action, that momentum was lost and never recovered.

Tonbridge were still good value for their win but a comfortable three points turned into a bit of a slog.

The home side opened well with Tom Beere and Jack Parter combining well before the ball was deflected away for a corner and Craig Stone firing at shot at the Josh James in the Burgess Hill goal.

After seven minutes a free kick from Joe Turner was met with a header from Arthur Lee that struck the bar with the rebound being cleared from the line.

Tonbridge finally broke through after 26 minutes when a superb through ball from James Folkes allowed Turner to cut in from the left and bury his shot past the advancing James.

After 31 minutes, Parkinson challenged for a header from a corner and was left prostrate on the ground. After a long break, the skipper was back on his feet, head bandaged Terry Butcher fashion and able to continue.

But with that delay the momentum seemed to drain away. The game continued to be largely one-way traffic but the sparkling stuff of the opening period had somewhat disappeared.

Burgess Hill created their one real chance of the game after 51 minutes when a clever free kick by Connor Tighe opened up an opportunity for Ben Pope but he shot wide.

With a slim squad at Steve McKimm’s disposal it was worrying to see Turner limp out of the game with a dead leg with 20 minutes to go.

Eight minutes remained when a corner from the left was headed back across the face of goal by Sonny Miles for substitute Liam King to plant a header onto the top of the crossbar.

Three games in, seven points on the board and no goals conceded whilst sitting fourth in the embryonic table is a very good start with or without momentum.

Picture: Wes Filtness

Tonbridge Angels 0 Lewes 0

Match 22/18/1615 - Tuesday, 14th August 2018 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Lewes (0) 0
Attendance: 552

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/1,083

Glass half-full? Unbeaten, no goals conceded. Half-empty? Points dropped at home, momentum from Saturday’s opener stalled.

Chances throughout this game were at a premium and the choice of Jonny Henly in the Tonbridge goal as man of the match illustrates that the best of the clear cut chances fell to Lewes.

The first half had almost passed by when Ronnie Conlon was sent through but Henly saved well with the ball rebounding from his face.

In first half time added, ex-Angel’s goalkeeper, Lewis Carey made his first save when he pushed aside an effort from Tom Beere.

After losing Jared Small in the first half to injury, Tonbridge were forced into a second substitution during the break with Arthur Lee, who had taken a knock to the heel, being replaced by Tommy Whitnell.

The half began with a bit more promise with Craig Stone firing narrowly wide and Small’s replacement, Adem Ramadan seeing a shot comfortably saved.

Leon Redwood, who wore Lewes’ number three shirt but caused problems throughout coming from deep positions, brought Henly into action and might have tested the goalkeeper again immediately if not for a saving tackle from Sonny Miles.

Chance of the evening fell to Conlon who was sent clear after 58 minutes but fired wide with only Henly to beat.

Tonbridge had a good period from the hour mark with Alex Read seeing a header deflected over; Tommy Parkinson steering a header wide and a fine move after 78 minutes saw substitute Liam King set up Beere whose shot was blocked with the rebound falling to Ramadan who fired over.

Henly made sure he would be the man taking home the champagne with a fine save to deny Omarr Lawson in the final significant action.

Rusthall 3 Wick 0

Match 21/18/1614 - Sunday, 12th August 2018 - FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Rusthall (1) 3 Cameron 14 Carey 52 Strachan 90
Wick (0) 0
Attendance: 185
Played at Tunbridge Wells

Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 36/1,045

Rusthall comfortably eased their way into the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup and in so doing earned themselves the enhanced prize money of £2,250. A further £960 will be won even if they were to lose at Bostik South Cray Wanderers in the next round. Proof indeed on how important financially even a short cup run can be to non-league clubs. Visitors Wick banked £750 for not making it past the Extra Preliminary Round!

This tie had to be moved to neighbouring Tunbridge Wells because of ongoing drainage work on the pitch at Jockey Farm. But, on the positive side, the Sunday afternoon fixture attracted 185 people, a good turn out.

After an early scare in which Rusthall’s goalkeeper, Callum Christie saved well from Wick’s David Crouch, Rusthall took the lead after 13 minutes. Tom Cameron was superbly put through on goal by Alex Carey to clinically finish with the aplomb of a proven striker rather than a wing back.

Rusthall should have put the game to bed in the first half as they created, and wasted, a bevy of chances with Carey at centre of everything. They ended the half with a 30 yard drive from Cameron that came back from the bar.

Six minutes into the second half, Rusthall finally converted one of their chances to double their advantage. Jordan Anderson retrieved a cross on the left, cut the ball back to Carey who found the top corner from the edge of the box.

Wick offered very little and the only surprise was that it took until the last minute for Rusthall to add a third. Regan Corke, who had put in a string of crosses from the right, finally found a man on the end of one giving substitute Callum Strachan a tap in.

Merstham 0 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 20/18/1613 - Saturday, 11th August 2018 - Bostik Premier

Merstham (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (2) 3 Small 15 Jones (o.g.) 37 Reid 49
Attendance: 209

Admission: £6 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 84/1,009

New season, fresh optimism and a revised set of priorities. With my Gillingham season ticket no more (they seem to have adjusted well to my defection with maximum points from their opening two games) I’m ready to immerse myself into Tonbridge Angels.

I wouldn’t like to say that the summer brought a wave of optimism from the Tonbridge support but with each signing that was made, people started to raise their expectations as the makings of a good squad were realised.

Unfortunately the dreaded B-word (budget) has limited Steve McKimm to a 16 man squad and we wait until the darker days of November onwards when the odd suspension or injury kicks in to see if this is going to be a telling factor in the long-term. Perhaps some more money might find its way into the pot before this comes to pass.

The first 15 minutes of the new season passed uneventfully with neither goalkeeper seeing action.

Merstham’s goalkeeper, Chris Haigh, would have hoped that situation had lasted longer as he got hopelessly underneath a long cross from Joe Turner for Jared Small to loop a header into the net for his first goal for the club following his transfer from Harlow Town.

Jack Parter, who enjoyed an impressive afternoon, surging forward on countless occasions, sent a cross fizzing across the face of the goal begging a touch that was not forthcoming after 24 minutes.

The second goal that the first half performance from the Angels justly merited came after 37 minutes when a ball pulled back by Small was inadvertently bundled into his own net by Merstham’s Jelan Jones.

Tonbridge ended a total dominant first period with a shot from Turner that was narrowly over the bar.

It only took five minutes of second half play for the Angels to effectively put the game beyond their hosts with a finely crafted third goal. James Folkes, getting forward from full back, linked well with Tom Beere who found Alex Read to curl an outside of the foot shot into the far corner for his first competitive goal for the club.

Unfortunately for Merstham, the situation went from bad to worse when, having made a treble substitution, Calum Davies suffered a blow to the head and suffering from concussion was unable to continue leaving the Moatsiders a man short for the remainder of the game that was delayed 10 minutes by the injury.

If one was to be hyper-critical of the Tonbridge performance it might be that they didn’t put their hosts to the sword given their dominance and man advantage. Sonny Miles planted a header against the crossbar as did Folkes but no further additions were made to the score sheet.

But nobody should be churlish about a result and a team performance that saw goalkeeper Jonny Henly not asked to make a single save in the entire game.

Tonbridge Angels Academy 4 Ebbsfleet United Academy 1

Match 19/18/1612 - Wednesday, 8th August 2018 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge Angels Academy (3) 4 Stirman 23 (pen),44 Lambert 34 Babayele 52
Ebbsfleet United Academy (0) 1 No. 8 85
Headcount: 44

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 38/925

Academy manager Tommy Parkinson said on his after match interview that he didn’t know what to expect as his side played their first game against Ebbsfleet’s academy. But what he saw delighted him as his talented youngsters took apart a far more established set-up.

In the opening stages it took a while for the Angels’ lads to find their rhythm and Ebbsfleet dominated including an effort that hit a post and another that forced Angels goalkeeper, Joe Roberts into a save low to his right.

Tonbridge’s first attempt came on 13 minutes when Jacob Lambert brought a good save out of the visiting goalkeeper.

Ebbsfleet continued to dominate so it was against the run of play that the Angels went ahead after 23 minutes when Josh Stirman was brought down in the box. The Angels skipper dusted himself down to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot. Josh admitted after the game that he hadn’t taken a penalty for about two years and didn’t particularly enjoy the experience!

The goal bred confidence into the Tonbridge side and they were good value when they doubled their advantage after 34 minutes. A cross from the right was spilt by the goalkeeper under pressure from the Harrison Mayhew leaving Lambert with a tap in.

Tonbridge went into the break three goals to the good when a ball pumped forward was head on by Tom Hylton into the path of Stirman who ran on to finish clinically.

There remained time for Roberts to excel denying an Ebbsfleet effort with a fine save at his near post.

Tonbridge showed no signs of taking their foot off the pedal as they added a fourth early into the second period when Sam Babayele hooked the ball into the far corner after being set up by Stirman.

Ebbsfleet worked hard to salvage some consolation and thought they had one when their centre lobbed Roberts but were denied by a fantastic saving clearance from the line by Harry Hudson.

However, the Angels were denied their clean sheet when the visitors scored with a shot into the bottom corner with five minutes remaining.

Tommy Parkinson paid testament to his player’s work ethic and attitude not only during this match but also in training since their induction into the Academy.

On this performance, individually and collectively, the future is bright for this talented team.