Staplehurst Monarchs 1 Rochester United 0

Match 111/23/2234 - Wednesday, 1st April 2024 - SCEFL One Play-off SF

Staplehurst Monarchs (1) 1 Smith 40
Rochester United (0) 0
Attendance: 342
Admission: £4
Mileage: 1/7,732

Staplehurst’s “biggest game in their history” ended as just a prelude to the biggest game in their history as they emerged from a tense, hard fought Playoff Semi-Final, desperately clinging on to their one goal lead earned on the half-hour.

They will now visit Larkfield on Saturday for a place in the SCEFL Premier Division.

Home advantage for the semi-final was sealed on the last day as a point for Staplehurst at K Sports proved enough whilst Rochester United lost at Thamesmead and thus an impressive 342 were drawn to the Jubilee on an evening that turned a little cold after the warmest day of the year.

A tight game was always on the cards as both teams have won the away fixture in the regular season by an odd goal and from the outset it was obvious that this game would be no different. Staplehurst had the early half-chances with Caine Smith’s seven minute effort clearing the bar and a header that drifted wide.

A long throw hoisted into the Rochester box saw Danny Ashton head wide before the visitors created chances with Fjord Rogers shooting over and Steve Lawrence was the first goalkeeper seriously tested when he turned over a header from Freeman Rogers after 26th minute.

Five minutes before the break, the hosts broke the deadlock. A quickly taken throw-in allowed Grant McIlheron to deliver a cross that was headed home by Smith.

As the second half progressed and Rochester searched hard for an equaliser, Staplehurst’s back line was put under serious pressure with central defenders, McIlheron and Jack Bray being asked time again to deal with the aerial onslaught being imposed.

Lawrence was only asked to make routine saves and in their sporadic attacks, Smith tested Rochester’s goalkeeper, Luke Watkins, who with seven minutes remaining made a fantastic double save from Stanley Oldfield and the follow-up from Toby Sargeant to keep Rochester in the game.

Seven minutes seemed an eternity for the home support but only a shot that drifted well wide from a good position from Ben Wyness was the only real scare.

The visitors ended with 10 men after a show of dissent from Tony Whittaker saw him sin binned.

Regular season results suggest that Saturday’s final will be a similarly closely fought affair.

Sittingbourne 1 Three Bridges 2

Match 110/23/2233 - Tuesday, 30th April 2024 - Isthmian League SE Play-off SF

Sittingbourne (1) 1 Harris 22
Three Bridges (0) 2 Jalloh 71 (pen) Leighton 87
Attendance: 809
Admission: £5
Mileage: 32/7,731

Match Report

Gillingham 2 Doncaster Rovers 2

Match 109/23/2232 - Saturday, 27th April 2024 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 Dieng 57 Anderson (o.g.) 62
Doncaster Rovers (2) 2 Ironside 30 Molyneux 37
Attendance: 8,723
Admission: £19
Mileage: 38/7,699

A 55th minute sending off of Doncaster’s goalkeeper Timothee Lo-Tutala eased Gillingham into a recovery that looked unlikely after a first half in which they were outplayed by their playoff seeking opponents.

Gillingham own playoff hopes finally disappeared last weekend, although it has been in the pending tray for some while.

An impressive crowd of over 8,700, boosted with a sell out away allocation of 1,700 who were in the best of spirits as their side dominated the first half and scoring twice. The first came after the half hour when Owen Bailey’s right-sided cross was met with a diving header at the far post from Joe Ironside. Seven minutes later, a short corner routine allowed Luke Molyneux too much time to pick his spot in the top corner.

Gillingham’s were literally handed their way back into the game when a long punt forward from goalkeeper Jake Turner saw Jamie Sterry misplace a header that was going past the advancing Lo-Tutala until the goalkeeper’s instinctive hand ball that saw him shown a red card.

Tim Dieng fired home the resultant free kick past the substitute goalkeeper and when Conor Masterson headed a left sided corner back across the face of goal from the far post, Tom Anderson turned the ball into his own net to set up a big finish for the home side that produced a goal line clearance but it was the Rovers’ fans that we’re celebrating with their point being enough.

Update: On Monday, Stephen Clemence was sacked as Head Coach of Gillingham.

Glebe U18 1 Tonbridge Angels U18 3

Match 108/23/2231 - Wednesday, 24th April 2024 - Isthmian Youth League

Glebe U18 (0) 1
Tonbridge Angels U18 (1) 3 Waring 5 Etherington 50,69
Attendance: 39
Admission: £2
Mileage: 64/7,661

The Under-18’s ended their season with a comfortable win at Glebe whilst saying farewell to several of their second years that are no longer eligible for the competition.

With the result having no bearing on league positions for either side, Dom Welsh and his players indulged in a little bit of fun, choosing their positions from a hat. Amazingly, eight of the outfield players picked their own positions with Will Puffette (goodbye) playing as the central striker and Cameron Honarvar (goodbye) filling the centre back position.

Dom said: “We had a bit of fun with it tonight and even then looked comfortable.”

Free from any real worries, the Under-18’s played with a relaxed freedom that was actually quite eye-catching and they went ahead after five minutes when Sam Firman (goodbye) and Felix Waring (goodbye) before the latter drove the ball into the bottom corner.

Puffette was enjoying his role as striker but found both the target and the goalkeeper hard to beat as he had chances to increase the lead.

Glebe steadied the ship and tested Toby Edwards (goodbye) with a save, low to his left after 21 minutes.

The Angels dominated the half and the only surprise was that their lead was not added too and Edwards was needed to perform some of the heroics that he has produced this season to deny the home side with three close range saves in a matter of seconds prior to the break.

Five minutes into the second half, Waring set up Reuben Etherington (goodbye) to double the lead before Glebe pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after the referee deemed a hand ball in the box.

Tolu Fabimafobee, with his tricky feet, opened up the Glebe back line for Etherington to add a third and final goal of the season after 69 minutes.

Dom Welsh, upon whom the responsibility now falls to replace apart from those already mentioned, Sam Gerrard (goodbye) and Ben Martin-Coward (goodbye), said afterwards: “A group I will truly miss working with, been an absolute pleasure, on and off the pitch.”

There is a sense of frustration, finishing third only two points off the champions Cray Valley and, if we indulge in “if only”, no we are not going there.

On a personal basis, thank-you to all of the parents that thanked me

for reporting but in return you have been a great set of parents, ever-present, always supportive and never demanding. You’ve been fantastic.

Margate Women 1 Tonbridge Angels Women 2

Match 107/23/2230 - Sunday, 21st April 2024 - South East Counties Women's League Cup Final

Margate (1) 1 Speller 11
Tonbridge Angels (0) 2 Sullivan (pen) 64 Beeput 96
After extra time
Played at Maidstone United
Est. Attendance: 350
Admission: £3
Mileage: 20/7,597

Tonbridge Angels Women have a trophy to put in the cabinet in their first season since reformation with a 2-1 extra-time win over Margate in the South East Counties Women's Football League Cup Final.

Goals from JJ Sullivan from the penalty spot and an extra time winner from Amanda Beeput won the day with Freya Jones being awarded the Player of the Match award.

Joe Rowe said in his after match interview with Matt Davison, “It was a stressful game, a very tight game, but overall I think we had the edge in terms of quality. I’m really pleased for the girls, the whole squad have worked really hard and deserved this.”

The Angels dominated the game for long periods, made countless chances but could not find the finishes that might have seen the game won before the need for extra-time.

From the very outset the Angels were on the front foot with a left sided corner headed onto the top of the crossbar by Beth Kemp after three minutes and two minutes later Grace Mayhead struck a post.

Margate settled into the game and Ashleigh Rhodes needed to make a good low save when Paige Godden met a cross with a header.

Margate took the lead on 11 minutes when a shot from Jessica-Joy Speller took a wicked deflection off Kemp to wrong foot Rhodes.

Tonbridge responded well but the game was end-to-end with efforts from Aimee Churchill and Charlotte Cresswell stretching the Margate goalkeeper, Abbey Duff whilst a shot from Speller brought a great save from Rhodes.

Kemp was causing all sorts of problems in the air from numerous corners for the Angels with one such header drifting narrowly wide after 24 minutes.

At the break, Margate held their slender lead despite the Angels having had the lion’s share of possession and the better chances.

The second half took on much the same pattern with Tonbridge making most of the forward play but Margate looking dangerous on the break. On 50 minutes, Duff made a point blank save as the ball dropped in the area following a corner but two minutes later, Margate had a golden opportunity when a cross from Rebecca Niblett found Godden but Rhodes denied her from close range.

Tonbridge’s pressure finally brought a reward on 64 minutes when following a good combination between Churchill and Faith Gilson, saw the latter tripped in the box with the referee immediately pointing to the spot. JJ Sullivan kept her nerve to convert from the spot.

The last 20 minutes was one-way traffic in the Angels favour, the chances continued to be created and not taken as the game edged its way towards extra time.

Extra time was punishing for both teams with players from both sides suffering from cramp. Early chances fell to Freya Jones and Gilson with shots that cleared the bar before in the sixth minute, Mandy Beeput dispossessed a Margate defender to run clear and fire into the bottom corner.

“I didn’t know which way to run,” said Mandy. “I was under pressure, I can’t lie, I’ve just got to kick this!”

Churchill brought a save from Duff and Gilson fired wide as the Angels looked to wrap the game up and there were nervous moments as Margate forced successive corners but the Angels saw the game out mostly in the opposition half.

Joe Rowe added: “We gave it everything right to the end, we showed that this week and we showed it at Cray Wanderers last week.”

When asked about playing higher league opposition, he commented: “This group alone, without adding players, have shown they can compete. It is a young team, there is no ceiling to what they can achieve.”

Tonbridge Angels 2 St Albans City 2

Match 106/23/2229 - Saturday, 20th April 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 2 Velvick 61 Higgs 80
St Albans City (1) 2 Hutchinson 12 Jeffers 70
Attendance: 1,431
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/7,577

Tonbridge Angels and St Albans City served up an entertaining four goal draw on an emotional day in which the club bade farewell to the legend that is Jonny Henly.

Henly was named as captain for his 304th and final appearance in an Angels side that welcomed back Scott Wagstaff and Mo Dabre to the starting XI with Matty Macarthur and Josh Popoola dropping to the bench.

The nature of the game as a “dead rubber” was not reflected in the impressive attendance of 1,431 gathered in some spring sunshine.

Wagstaff entered the book of referee Lisa Benn within the first two minutes following a challenge that saw the visitors’ Gio Rasulo substituted.

Dabre brought the first save out of either goalkeeper with Michael Johnson saving at the expense of a corner but it was St Albans that opened the scoring after 12 minutes when Shaun Jeffers and Dominic Hutchinson combined on the left side of the box before the latter drove a fierce shot into the roof of the net from around 12 yards.

Johnson got himself into a spot of bother on the edge of the box before the ball was scrambled to safety and Henly saved well from Romeo Akinola and Jeffers in the space of a couple of minutes prior to the break.

Jay Saunders made an early second half substitution replacing Wagstaff with Hayden Velvick and the teenager had an early opportunity but his touch was slightly heavy and Johnson smothered and within a minute Johnson once again denied Velvick this time saving with his feet.

But Velvick’s first senior goal for the club was only minutes away as, just past the hour, Jamie Fielding met a Shields corner with a firm header that could only be parried at his near post by Johnson to the striker who poked the ball home.

Parity was only to last nine minutes as Jake Burger got behind the Tonbridge back line on the left and his cross to the far post was met with a close range touch home for Jeffers for his 27th goal of an ever-productive season.

The Angels were back on level terms on 80 minutes when Fielding’s cross was met with a powerful header from Jordan Higgs that brought about a final 10 minutes in which the Angels threw everything at the visitors with efforts from Velvick, Shields and Lewis Gard but St Albans clung on to return to Hertfordshire with a point which on the balance of play was fair.

Jay Saunders reflected following the game: "It was a decent point but definitely disappointed with the goals conceded, Jonny hasn't had a lot to do other than that. Recent weeks have been tough to get through without a centre forward, but you can't fault the players effort. We showed great character at 2-1, last game of the season, we could have given up, we didn't and even when we got the equaliser we still had a go for a winner, so credit to them for that."

Welling United U18 1 Tonbridge Angels U18 2

Match 105/23/2228 - Tuesday, 16th April 2024 - Isthmian Youth League

Welling United U18 (0) 1 Breece 68
Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 2 Fabimafobee 88 Mgbeze 90+4
Headcount: 60
Admission: Free
Mileage: 78/7,539

Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s gatecrashed the party on a wet night at Holmesdale with two late goals to deny Welling United the league title on the night, leaving them sitting helplessly whilst Cray Valley complete their final two games with victory in both enough to snatch the title.

Manager Dom Welsh was justly proud of his team that had shown resilience, spirit and no small amount of skill in terms of the finishes that dampened the celebrations. “What a game to be involved in, 1-0 down with two minutes to play, to earn all three points epitomises the desire and determination this group showed tonight.”

The game was always going to be an uphill struggle for the Angels U18’s. Shorn of their commanding central defensive partnership of skipper Will Puffette and Ben Martin-Coward and the influential Sam Firman on a dreadful pitch that was not going to suit either side.

The storm clouds were gathering but at kick-off time the pitch was dry, the grass was long and the surface bumpy as the Angels fashioned the opening chance after two minutes when the ball fell to Cameron Honarvar in front of goal but there was too many bodies around him and his effort was blocked and eventually cleared to safety.

The game ebbed and flowed with both sides having spells in which the chances fell to them. After eight minutes a left-sided corner flashed across the face of the Angels goal with nobody to add the finishing touch and after 15 minutes a shot drifted narrowly wide.

The Angels, playing down the discernible hill, had their period from 20 minutes in when an Adam Larkin shot brought a save from the goalkeeper and successive shots from Felix Waring were not too far wide or high.

On 42 minutes, Welling were awarded a penalty when an attack saw a player brought down on the far right side of the box. But, Toby Edwards was equal to his penalty taker, diving low to his left to save.

The storm clouds had turned to heavy rain as the second half began and the bumpy surface now had an added slippery element. Tonbridge had to repel an almighty scramble in front of their own goal after 10 minutes and whilst Tolu Fabimafobee stretched the Welling goalkeeper, a goal had been coming when Welling took the lead on 68 minutes when Breece found himself as the man over on the left to drive home and spark ridiculously over-the-top celebrations, considering there were 20 minutes (that actually turned in 30 minutes) remaining.

Tonbridge dug deep as emotions ran high and weathered the storm, literally, and with just two minutes remaining Fabimafobee ran from deep through a stretched Welling defence before despatching his shot into the bottom corner.

With the title now out of their hands, Welling threw bodies forward in search of the winner but the Angels stood firm and when Honarvar cleared from defence, Ethan Mgbeze strode clear before striking his shot cleanly into the bottom corner.

The Angels had to survive a final free kick that eventually came back off the bar to preserve a memorable win.

There’s a famous old saying; “It ain’t over 'til the fat lady sings” and with 20 minutes to go she wasn’t even clearing her throat.

With one game remaining, at Glebe next Wednesday, a top three finish is secure for Dom Welsh’s lads and of that they can rightly celebrate.