Hungerford Town 0 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 49/22/2056 - Saturday, 3rd December 2022 - National League South

Hungerford Town (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Aransibia 38
Attendance: 330

Admission: Pass
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 234/3,736

It was cold, it wasn’t pretty and it was a long way from home but winning ugly at a place like Hungerford hasn’t always been in the Angels DNA.

The first real cold snap of the winter has arrived. The heaviest coat was in the boot of the car and gloves were donned for the first time this season.

Hungerford are always welcoming, but with them languishing at the foot of the table, the place was even more soulless than usual. It’s perhaps a trifle sanctimonious to decry the pitch but it was hardly conducive to any sort of quality and the pronounced slope dictated the pattern play of each half.

Jay Saunders made three changes with Lewis Gard returning after injury; Dajon Golding and Jack Wood coming in for Joe Turner (following his hernia operation); Louis Collins (concussion protocol) and Jamie Fielding on the bench.

Tonbridge, kicking down the slope, just about edged the early stages without too much threat but the best early effort was a shot from Hungerford's George Smith from distance that cleared the bar and after 18 minutes, Jonny Henly was brought into serious action making a smart save from Ryan Jones.

Having survived those scares, Tonbridge regained the momentum with Golding sending in a cross that just eluded Jordan Greenidge, who, after 26 minutes, saw a header saved by Jed Ward.

The traffic had turned one-way, downhill, with Wood and Greenidge seeing efforts bravely blocked as the home side for forced to defend their area in numbers.

The pressure finally told on 38 minutes. Initially, a free kick saw a shot from Sonny Miles deflected for a corner from which Gard floated to the far post to Devonte Aransibia who rose highest to head home.

The second half at least felt marginally warmer under the cover of the stand behind the goal. Hungerford obviously prefer to play down the slope in the second period and consequently searched hard for an equaliser. Henly turned a Jake Evans chip over the bar just past the hour and Jones shot narrowly wide.

The Angels had to dig really deep in the last 20 minutes to retain their lead but, despite the ball seemingly being permanently in their half, they saw out those minutes without any great alarm although the Angels supporters behind the goal at the other end held their breath on several occasions.

It wasn’t a classic, it was never going to be, but a couple of weeks ago a similar match at Concord Rangers was lost. Winning ugly can be a beautiful thing.

Tonbridge Angels 1 Havant & Waterlooville 1

Match 48/22/2055 - Saturday, 26th November 2022 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Greenidge 9
Havant & Waterloovile (0) 1 Faal 83
Attendance: 964

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/3,502

The loudspeakers belted out The Proclaimers and the crowd sang along. This was captain Sonny Miles’ day, a 500th appearance for the club that he has graced for not far short of two dozen years.

After representing the club as an Under-10; he made his debut in 2008 against Merstham and here we are 14 years later, and barring one season when he was lured to the dark side by now Angels’ manager, Jay Saunders, he continues to be the rock at the centre of our defence with his no-nonsense defending and, friend or foe, a constant stream of chatter.

The team on the other side of the pitch were another of the high-spending, full-time clubs that sit healthily in the top three with their goals scored column the best in the league. So Sonny’s task to celebrate the occasion would be a daunting one and one that threatened to go horribly wrong after 11 minutes in an incident that I’ve only ever seen before on television!

After the presentation of a framed “500 Miles” shirt, Sonny lined up in an Angels XI that showed Craig Braham-Bennett returning to the side with Dajon Golding retiring to the bench.

Havant showed their attacking capabilities right from the outset and Muhammadu Faal put a shot only narrowly wide of the right hand post. But it was Tonbridge that took a ninth minute lead when Jordan Greenidge, winning the ball on the left touchline, surged inside to strike into the far corner.

The lead was apparently not too last too long as one of the strangest incidents I’ve seen in a long while transpired. Initially a cross from the left from Joe Newton was handled by Miles as the ball was about to drop onto the head of Jason Prior. We held our breath, surely not today of all days, was Sonny about to see a red card? Referee Matthew Norton rightly deemed that a cross is not a goal scoring attempt and the yellow was brandished but a penalty given. What happened next was, at first baffling, and something that is going to witnessed very few times in a lifetime. James Roberts stepped up to take the penalty and sent Jonny Henly the wrong way, but as he struck the ball, he slipped and both feet made contact, thus disallowing the goal. It was a great spot from the referee, and I would hasten to add, the young lad stood alongside me!

Louis Collins had a great chance to double the Angels advantage on 24 minutes when Joe Turner headed the ball forward and Collins got in behind the Havant back line but his attempt to lob Brad House was a tame one and the goalkeeper collected with ease.

Havant continued to create chances, Danny Wright flicked a header wide and Faal was denied by Henly with a save at his near post and, five minutes before the break, Faal should have done a lot better than shoot straight at Henly when sent clear.

Henly continued his heroics early into the second period saving with his legs again, this time from Charlie Ruff, whilst just past the hour, Faal shot wastefully over. It was not quite one-way traffic and Greenidge won the ball just inside Havant’s half before sending Devote Aransibia clear but his shot was taken too early and drifted wide.

Henly saved a long shot from Roberts and then produced a remarkable stop to deny Faal and with Paul Rooney blazing the rebound over, as the game entered its final 10 minutes, perhaps another great win was on the cards.

But, in football it is the hope that kills you and with seven minutes remaining those hopes were dashed. Tommy Parkinson, on as a substitute, attempted to shepherd a ball out of play for a goal kick, but Newton hooked the ball back to Faal whose initial shot was parried by Henly but it rebounded back off Faal and into the net.

A point would have been most acceptable before the kick-off but this was heartbreaking. But, this was Captain Fantastic, Sonny Miles’ day, duly awarded Man of the Match (and not without merit) and it was fitting that a superb defensive display had brought reward from the game.

Tonbridge Angels 2 Bracknell Town 4

Match 47/22/2054 - Saturday, 19th November 2022 - FA Trophy 2R

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Greenidge 45,56
Bracknell Town (2) 4 Sanders 3 Miles (o.g.) 23 Esprit 49 Grant 73
Attendance: 669

Admission: £12 Senior
Programme: £3 purchased
Mileage: 38/3,464

It’s mid-November so it’s time to bid farewell to the Wembley dream for another year.

In years to come, Angels aficionados and historians will have a favourite quiz question regarding one management team that inflicted two first entry round exits with different clubs in the same season. The answer is Jamie McClurg and Carl Withers and this time there can be no excuses of hopes being kicked into the long grass.

Bracknell Town’s joint management team left Binfield almost immediately after their FA Cup success for their step three neighbours and came to Longmead after an admirable FA Cup First Round performance against Ipswich Town. They replicated their previous employers four goals with a display in which they were the better of their hosts in every department.

The seemingly never-ending procession of new players to Longmead continued with the arrival of a towering striker in the shape of Jordan Greenidge from Hemel Hempstead.

The inconsistency that has become the watchword of this Tonbridge squad is borne of their inability to play the same team in successive games, through unavailability, all season and the consequence is that either side of that magnificent performance at Ebbsfleet there have been shockers at Concord and this Trophy exit.

On the day this was a defensive nightmare but that’s not where the problems have been this season, mostly that’s been okay.

In midfield, how we craved to see Taylor, Gard, Santos and Wagstaff together. Never happened and now never will.

Up front is well chronicled and, despite his two goals, the jury is already out on Greenidge.

A case has to be made that five or six weeks of stability of selection with what we have would, at least, give some clarity and, personally, I’m confident we would continue to accumulate points as players return from long periods of injury.

Bracknell started the game in a positive manner; scored after just three minutes and pretty much stayed on the front foot for rest of the game.

For the opening goal, Jonny Henly saved low from a shot by Joe Grant but his parry only fell at the feet of Darryl Sanders who tucked it home from close range.

Dajon Golding put a diving header well wide before the visitors doubled their lead on 22 minutes when a free kick from the right was floated in to the far post where Sonny Miles turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Grant.

Tonbridge produced a couple of half-chances, headers from Louis Collins and Ben Swift that cleared the bar before they give themselves a lifeline just prior to the break with a goal from Greenidge who converted a Joe Turner cross with a good finish from around eight yards.

Using a well-worn football phrase of “small margins” the game probably had its defining moment just two minutes into the second half when Golding, put through, crashed his shot against the bar and Bracknell broke upfield and almost immediately restored their two goal advantage through Jordan Esprit, who cut in from the left to bury a low shot between Henly and his right hand post.

The Angels gave themselves plenty of time to retrieve the situation when, after 56 minutes, A free kick from Turner found the head of Greenidge and his looping header sailed into the far corner.

After 65 minutes, Henly breathed a sigh of relief as a shot came back off the post straight into his hands but that relief was short-lived as a cross found Grant peeling off the back of a defender to volley home Bracknell’s fourth.

Tonbridge had their half-chances to drag the game into penalties with Collins twice heading over and Greenidge pulling a shot wide, but, in truth, there could be no complaints as to the merit of their visitors success.

Last season’s run to the Quarter Finals of the FA Trophy heightened belief that one day, a Wembley visit might happen but season 2022/23 hopes end, as always, in frustration.

Tonbridge Angels Academy 6 Ebbsfleet United Academy 2

Match 46/22/2053 - Wednesday, 16th November 2022 - National League U19 Alliance

Tonbridge Angels Academy (1) 6 Davies 25 Velvick 47 Tyrie 49 Vowles 52 Hermitage 75 Mdyadora 79
Ebbsfleet United Academy (1) 2
Headcount: 20

Admission: Free
Programme: None purchased
Mileage: 38/3,426

The Academy maintained their unblemished start to the League season whilst inflicting a first defeat on their visitors, Ebbsfleet United, with a comprehensive win at Longmead on Wednesday lunchtime.

Three goals in the opening seven minutes of the second half put the game out of reach of Ebbsfleet after a first half in which the Angels were wasteful in front of goal, despite going into the break a goal to the good.

That lead barely reflected a half of Tonbridge dominance from the outset in which the visiting goalkeeper, Connor Cooper, was not only kept busy but excelled in the process. Two chances went astray in the opening two minutes with Jezreel Davies going close following a corner and, moments later, Hayden Velvick shot across the face of goal.

Will Saunders tested Cooper before the goalkeeper made a double save to deny both Saunders and Ben Hermitage.

Saunders needed to be substituted in the 18th minute by Billy Robbins as the chances continued to be made and wasted, or denied, as Cooper continued to save the day.

On 23 minutes, an extraordinary piece of skill from Davies, deserved a better outcome than a disallowed goal as he beat three players but unfortunately as he lobbed the ball over the head of one defender, the ball struck his hand before he dispatched his shot into the bottom corner.

But Davies was not to be denied two minutes later, when from all of 25 yards, he picked up a loose ball in midfield and struck a shot into the top corner that Cooper could only watch and admire.

The right hand post came to the goalkeeper’s rescue when a cross-cum-shot from Hermitage bounced off the woodwork, who also pulled a shot wide on the stroke of half-time.

Two minutes after the restart, Velvick was sent clear by a long pass forward; the pacy forward took on his marker, turning inside, before firing home a shot past Cooper.

A third goal came on 49 minutes when, following a right-sided corner from Leo Vowles, Tom Green knocked the ball goalwards from the far post for skipper Joe Tyrie to touch it over the line.

In this five minute spell, Robbins did well to pull the ball back inside the area for Vowles to power an unstoppable shot from 12 yards to almost put the game to bed and, perhaps, a little complacency set in as Ebbsfleet pulled two goals back.

Angels’ goalkeeper, Nat Gibb dwelt on the ball and was robbed allowing a tap in for 4-1 and on 72 minutes the visitors might have sensed they were back in the game when a ball out of defence saw Hadez Karim race clear to finish past Gibb.

But tha Angels regained their ascendancy with Josh McArthur setting up Hermitage for 5-2 and substitute Joseph Mdyadora produced a composed finish after cutting in from the right.

Tyrie headed over twice in the closing stages as the Angels finished the game strongly.

Academy Manager Tommy Parkinson commented after the game: “A solid performance from the squad against a good Ebbsfleet side. Some good goals scored but lacked quality in the final third at times.”

Ebbsfleet United 1 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 45/22/2052 - Saturday, 12th November 2022 - National League South

Ebbsfleet United (0) 1 Monlouis 47
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Swift 10 Miles 62
Attendance: 1,507

Admission: Pass
Programme: None purchased
Mileage: 54/3,388

About 200 Angels fans travelled to Ebbsfleet more in hope than any expectation, after all the hosts were top of the league, unbeaten in all competitions, the only club in the pyramid that could make that claim. But, every one of those fans, went home on a high of elation as their team upset the form books to win 2-1.

Captain Fantastic Sonny Miles’ 62nd minute goal (what was he even doing there!) led to a 35 minute assault on the Angels goal but heroic defending, countless blocks as bodies were thrown in front of the ball and superb goalkeeping from Jonny Henly saw Jay Saunders’ team through to a famous victory.

In the relative calm of pre-match, Saunders chose to go with three centre backs, Jamie Fielding alongside Ben Swift and Miles with Tom Parkinson dropping to the bench in favour of Tariq Hinds.

In his Friday Briefing, Saunders said “We are not going to just sit back” and in the opening quarter-hour his team were true to his word as they took the game to their hosts. Dajon Golding was proving a handful leading the line and Tonbridge forced early corners before taking the lead in the 10th minute when a cross from the right was laid back into the path of Swift by Golding and his shot from the edge of the box rocketed into the roof of the net past a helpless Mark Cousins.

Joe Turner was stopped in his tracks by a cynical foul from Ben Chapman and Turner’s effort on 23 minutes needed a good block.

On the half-hour, Ben Swift needed treatment for a cut head that saw him return minutes later, Terry Butcher-like, head swathed in bandages and, no less heroic.

A close range header from Luke O’Neill brought a great save from Henly and whilst Swift was off the field, the Angels goalkeeper made another superb stop to deny Rakish Bingham.

Just prior to the break, Louis Collins was sent clear but his shot was wide of the post.

The league leaders came out for the second half, with probably words from Dennis Kutrieb stinging their ears and they were level within two minutes of the restart when a corner saw Kieran Monlouis rise the highest to head home from a right-sided corner.

The home side should have gone in front when Bingham shot over from right in front of goal but the Angels got their noses back in front on 62 minutes when brilliant persistence from Hinds saw his cross knocked on to the far post by Scott Wagstaff where Miles was positioned to turn the ball in from close range.

The Angels fans were in dreamland but the reality was there was over half-an-hour to play and to defend and to a man, bodies were thrown on the line. Henly saved brilliantly from Dominic Poleon and turned a shot from Shaq Coulthirst away for a corner with a fine low save.

As the clock ticked into an eternally long six minutes of added time, Henly once more came out on top in his contest with Coulthirst and in the third minute substitute Dylan Gavin might have given the Tonbridge supporters a comfortable last couple of minutes when he raced clear only to be denied by a last ditch tackle.

As Henly fell on the ball after yet another corner, referee Callum Walchester brought the curtain down on not only Ebbsfleet’s unbeaten record but a Angels victory that will live long in the memory.

Captain Miles said after the game: “To a man everyone was superb, last ditch tackles, clearances off the line, we took our chances when they came. They are a very, very good team, we did very, very well.” And there is not an Angels supporter tonight that is not echoing those sentiments!

Concord Rangers 1 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 44/22/2051 - Tuesday, 8th November 2022 - National League South

Concord Rangers (0) 1 Williamson 49
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 309

Admission: Pass
Programme: None purchased
Mileage: 128/3,334

Tonbridge Angels were left to rue a night, and a first half in particular, of missed chances before falling to a disappointing defeat on a wet, thoroughly miserable evening on Canvey Island.

It was a hugely frustrating evening for the vast majority of the Angels faithful, many of whom were hurrying to get through the turnstile as the first whistle was being blown following an accident on Remembrance Way, the main route on and off the island and then saw their return home lengthily delayed by a road closure on the A21. It truly was a night to forget.

Tariq Hinds was one of those delayed and his place in the starting XI needed to be changed as Jamie Fielding returned. Jeremy Santos' hamstring injury saw the return of Tommy Parkinson whilst Ruben Soares-Junior and TQ Addy were on the bench for Dajon Golding and Joe Turner, who will play on despite needing a hernia operation at the end of the month.

Concord Rangers fielded two old Angels favourites in their line-up with Ricky Modeste starting and D’Sean Theobalds on the bench.

The first half was, well you can choose the adjective, but I’ll go for dumbfounding. Virtual total domination for Tonbridge, corner after corner; miss after miss; block after block and a night in which the Concord goalkeeper, Mitchell Beeney will be able to look back with pride.

It left the Angels supporters with a sense of foreboding at the break that with so many chances that should have seen the game done and dusted, this would come back to bite your arse and they were right.

The list of chances could go on forever. In the sixth minute, Turner brought the first of many fine saves from Beeney, who saved the follow-up from Louis Collins and from the resultant corner, Ben Swift headed over.

And this was the recurring theme, Lewis Gard corner, various headers that were turned over the bar or turned away by Beeney.

It was half-hour into the game before Concord ventured out of their half, let alone force Jonny Henly into a save, but save he did, low to his left, from Mo Bettemer, in what was a minor warning shot across the bows for the Angels.

Right up to the whistle for the break, chances continued to be made; chances continued to be wasted, or to be fair, denied by Beeney who saved from Parkinson and Collins.

The second half was a chalk and cheese performance from the first. An early cross from Gard just eluded Collins at the near post and as the visitors began to huff and puff, their hosts grew in confidence and started to carry a threat of their own and four minutes into the half, a corner for Concord was allowed to drop in the six yard box and Ben Williamson was afforded time and space to poke home.

As the half progressed, Tonbridge continued to press but with the Concord back line standing firm, Beeney was far less employed as it seemed Tonbridge simply ran out of ideas as to how to break down this resilient opponent.

It was hugely frustrating, none more so than for manager Jay Saunders who said after the game: “The team that was out there today was good enough to win that game and if we take our chances we do win the game but we haven’t done that today.”

Tonbridge Angels U18 1 Three Bridges U18 2

Match 43/22/2050 - Monday, 7th November 2022 - Isthmian Youth League Cup 3R

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 1 Lambert 67
Three Bridges U18 (2) 2 Kaye 31 Jeffrey 42
Attendance: 30

Admission: £4
Programme: None
Mileage: 38/3,206

Despite a spirited second half from the Angels Under-18’s, they slipped out of the Isthmian Youth League Cup following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of an excellent Three Bridges side that have a 100% league record and made it through the qualifying rounds to earn a FA Youth Cup First Round visit to Portsmouth.

On a blustery night at Longmead Stadium, Three Bridges were much the better side in the first half and the Angels were thankful to goalkeeper, Matt Larkin, that they were still in the game at the break. But, as the coaching staff of Dom Welsh and Joe Roberts made half-time changes to their formation, they made a real fist of the second period and came oh so close to taking the tie to penalties.

From the outset, the East Sussex club were dominant with striker Alex Kaye proving a real handful with successive efforts on 25 minutes seeing a shot deflected wide and Larkin excelling to deny him moments later.

So it came as no surprise, just past the half-hour, when Kaye surged from deep to break clear and shoot past Larkin.

The visitors lead was doubled three minutes before the break when fine work down the left from McKenzie Mortimer ended with his cross being turned in from close range by Reegan Jeffrey.

Dom Welsh said of the first half “They played their shape so well, and we had to adapt ours to combat it, but took us a little too long to do that.”

Finlay McLeod came on for Max Cormack early in the second period and immediately the Angels front line carried a bit more threat and after 67 minutes, a superb through ball from McLeod sent Max Lambert through to score with a clinical finish.

The need to search for the equaliser did leave the Angels exposed at times and Larkin was needed to be at his brilliant best to keep the dream of the quarter finals alive.

But the defining moment of the game came in the last minute of the game when a dream of a pass from Zak Garcia send Lambert clear but, on the edge of the box, the Three Bridges’ Jellen Bedar cynically hacked him down to earn himself a red card but also, as the free kick from Garcia sailed over, win the game in regulation time for his team.

Welsh said after the game: “Undoubtedly our toughest game of the season. Came up against a very good Three Bridges team. A real game of two halves, which in the end we come away thinking we may have done enough to force penalties, but the better team on the night prevailed. Best of luck to them in the quarter finals.”

Photos: Kathryn Bell