Tonbridge Angels 1 Maidstone United 1

Match 52/25/2394 - Saturday, 31st January 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Korboa 67
Maidstone United (1) 1 Moore 5
Attendance: 2,509
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/3,186

The circus that is the A26 derby came to town and for another year Maidstone United returned to the county town unbeaten as they have been since Teniola Time in August 2014, but at least this season has seen the Angels take four points from their biggest rivals following their historic win at the Gallagher in November.

How I wanted a win today, having sat out that Gallagher success on the end of a hospital bed awaiting my wife’s discharge who had spent eight days in hospital following a fall. When the winning goal went in, I asked her if anybody would notice if I ran down the corridor waving my shirt, she said that seeing we hadn’t seen a soul for hours, nobody would notice!

It was not to be, there was no Teniola or Shields Time but Tonbridge gave it their best shot, recovering from going a goal down with less than five minutes on the clock, they hit the woodwork three times before crafting an equaliser that sent a packed Yeomans into rapture.

Alan Dunne’s side is a long way from the finished article, he better than anybody knows that, and just when you think they are on the road to consistency they can throw in a performance that doesn’t meet the standards that he is striving to achieve. But, I as a supporter and I hope many of the people around me, can see where we are heading and that is not back to the Isthmian Premier.

Week after week it seems they are coming up against teams that Dunne labels as “heavyweights” and he bemoans the disparity between his side and full time teams, but, whilst not winning every game, they rise to the challenge. But, strangely and something that certainly needs addressing, it is the odd occasion when they meet a side on a level playing field that they fall short and to ensure our National League South status, the visits of Chippenham, Hampton, Bath City and Salisbury need to supply the vast majority of the 15 points required to get to the magic 50.

The attendance of 2,509 was only a hundred or so short of the number at the reverse fixture and the large number of travelling support in the segregated north end were in jubilant mood when the Angels fell behind to a scrappy, set piece goal bundled home by Deon Moore after Taylor Foran’s initial effort had been parried by goalkeeper Laurie Shala.

This is perhaps the biased bit! I have to say that given the early goal this should have been the catalyst for a promotion-seeking, a club of substantial means, such as Maidstone United to go on and win the game comfortably, that they didn’t is a credit to Tonbridge, but also an indictment that they simply do not have the credentials to achieve to what they supposedly aspire, or could it be that the behind-the-scenes rumours that they don’t aspire to that are actually true?

Tonbridge regained their composure and were unlucky not to go into the break on level terms, with an effort from Tom Leahy that brushed the post and an, albeit mishit cross from Ricky Korboa, that sailed over the head of the Maidstone goalkeeper, Nathan Harness, who had a shaky afternoon, only to strike the inside of the post and rebound to safety.

Dunne made half-time substitutions, something that he does to good effect. Sometimes I don’t agree or even understand them, but more often than not he is right and I’m not, and that’s why he is a football manager!

But Scott Wagstaff brought a different tempo, a quality that eventually brought the equalising goal but not before Korboa had struck the post a third time with the ball gratefully falling back into the arms of Harness.

The equaliser came on 67 minutes, begun and finished by Korboa, who released the livewire substitute Bunmi Babajide who drove at the Maidstone back line before releasing Wagstaff, who driven wide by Harness was still able to put in a cross to the far post from where Korboa was left with a tap in.

A melee in front of the dug-outs saw Wagstaff ending with a dislocated shoulder and leaving the pitch from a situation that an incompetent official in Tom Ellsmore saw pretty much nothing. Biased opinion again maybe, but had Wagstaff stayed on the pitch, Tonbridge were winning this game.

I walked away from a mostly happy Longmead Stadium actually gutted that we hadn’t won the match and whilst it will be Maidstone that, in terms of their league position, will be most disappointed with the point, it was as much as they deserved.

Photos: Dave Couldridge

Chelmsford City 1 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 51/25/2393 - Monday, 26th January 2026 - National League South

Chelmsford City (1) 1 Taylor 13
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 1,357
Admission: £9.36
Mileage: 132/3,148

If the powers that be at the National League could see their way clear to give Chelmsford City automatic promotion out of the South then there won’t be a Tonbridge Angels supporter that will not be eternally grateful. For them, this is the ultimate graveyard.

As every National League manager reminds us, “there are no easy games in this league”, but some are historically more difficult than others and Chelmsford, for a variety of reasons from the Dartford Tunnel closures through to abject refereeing have contributed to the ultimate Theatre of Screams. In fairness, there have been many occasions when we have been beaten fair and square, but back through the years, something always happens at the Melbourne Stadium and rarely in our favour.

We have won there, once, five years ago, when Tom Parkinson and Tom Beere’s goals gave us a 2-0 win in a game that, bar around 15 officials, was seen by nobody due to Covid restrictions. That, as they say, is sod’s law.

Just managing to complete the journey to this soulless place is an achievement. Last season it was my turn, along with my passengers, to fail to make it through the Dartford Tunnel as a vehicle fire led to a situation whereby, at kick-off time, we were still on the Kent side. This season was no different as an earlier accident meant an hour’s delay, that thankfully we had allowed for, but others had to make the decision to turn around.

Of the places we visit in National League South, this is the least appealing. The athletics track means that to sit in the main stand you might as well be in a different county and the maze of barriers that supposedly lead to the terraces behind the goals can take you into dead ends. The pitch looks like it has been used in training for the athletics club hammer throwers and, if all this sounds like an excuse for the result, then it’s not. On the night, Tonbridge’s lightweight attack foundered on the brick outhouses that makes up the Chelmsford back line.

The necessity, due to the athletics club priority status, means that midweek fixtures have to be played on a Monday night, and we never seem to get a Saturday fixture. Consequently, the Tonbridge Angels manager, Alan Dunne, needed to rotate from Saturday’s starting line-up that produced a heartening 4-1 win over AFC Totton, and my guess would be, that if the game had been played, even 24 hours later, he would have chosen a different side.

There wasn’t much in the game, for all their resources which this season, for the first time, means that Chelmsford are a full time club, it took one moment of quality from Lyle Taylor, once of Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic, and reported to be earning anything between £1,500 and £2,500 a week, depending on who you a listening to, to seal the points with a cracking effort from 20 yards.

A case could be made that the Angels deserved something out of the game. Three minutes after Taylor’s goal, Matty Warren’s driven shot from a similar distance came back off the crossbar and in a second half scramble in front of goal, the Chelmsford back line threw their considerable bodies on the line to deny Bunmi Babajide, Alfie Pavey and Ansu Janneh within less seconds than shots.

Despite the admirable effort, there was a sense of inevitability that another miserable evening in Chelmsford was going to go unrewarded, only leaving the prospect of doing battle with the M25 as the motorway fairies were despatching their lane closure cones. Thankfully, this was a contest that was won with a trouble-free drive home. Happy endings, now that is clutching at straws.

Slough Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 50/25/2392 - Saturday, 24th January 2026 - National League South

Slough Town (1) 2 Makowski 1 Oshilaja 37
Tonbridge Angels (0) 3 McCann 8 Leahy 34 Babajide 80
Attendance: 784
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 156/3,016

Tonbridge Angels recovered from going a goal down within the opening minute to record back-to-back wins for the first time under Alan Dunne with a deserved 3-2 success at Slough Town.

A delighted Alan Dunne commented in his post-match interview: “It wasn’t great start, we got caught cold but the reaction was really good. After going ahead it was disappointing to concede again, Slough are one of the in-form teams, but in the second half the boys really stepped up with those coming off the bench all helping to change the game. This time of the year, it is all about results and back-to-back wins, I’m buzzing!”

Arbour Park was a windy place with that wind carrying a real chill as the manager named the same side that beat AFC Totton at the Yeomans Community Stadium last Saturday. Ansu Janneh, who has returned to the club, took a place on the bench.

The Angels could not have got off to a worse start with a ball lofted forward towards the Slough leading goalscorer, Wiktor Makowski, who it appeared had pushed Ethan Sutcliffe, but the referee adjudged that he had won the challenge fairly and clinically finished into the far corner.

Tonbridge responded to the setback positively and, after five minutes, Ricky Korboa lofted his goalbound lob over the walkabout goalkeeper Adam Desbois, only for the Slough player-manager, Scott Davies to clear from his line.

Three minutes later the Angels were level when, following a left-sided corner from Marcus Sablier, Noah McCann powered in a header from the edge of a crowded six yard box that found the net despite a desperate attempt to clear from the line.

Laurie Shala was called into action, just three minutes later, as he reacted brilliantly to a wicked deflection following a Slough corner.

Desbois was having an erratic first half as he, once more, travelled out of his penalty area only to collide with his own defender and then dropped a resultant corner under little pressure.

On 33 minutes, the Angels supporters were breathing a sigh of relief as a left wing cross from Basil Tuma narrowly evaded Johnny Goddard, but that anxious intake of breath was replaced with cheers moments later when Frankie Baker got the better of Kiki Oshilaja to cross to an unmarked Tom Leahy who picked his spot from 10 yards to give the visitors the lead.

Sadly the lead was only to last three minutes as Slough worked a good move down the right before Makowski was released to cross for Oshilaja to head into the net, off the left hand post.

The chances kept coming as Baker charged down a clearance from Desbois and just before the break nearly squeezed the ball under the body of the goalkeeper at the near post.

The half-time break almost certainly gave both managers an opportunity to get into their defenders and ask for some discipline at the back and the second half saw a far less goalmouth action.

Alan Dunne rang the changes early in the second period introducing Scott Wagstaff and Bunmi Babajide for Bradley Williams and Sablier, and the lively Babajide was quickly unsettling the Slough backline, but on 66 minutes, it was the home side that spurned a golden opportunity to get their noses in front when Harvey Walker’s cross was met with a Makowski header, but the normally clinical striker’s header cleared the bar.

Slough were made to pay for that profligacy 10 minutes from time, when Kyle Smith laid a pass into the path of Babajide, who from the tightest of angles, rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net between Desbois and his post to spark wild celebrations behind the goal.

The Angels saw a valid appeal for handball waved aside as the game entered its closing stages and negotiated six added minutes relatively comfortably aside from an effort from Tyrique Clarke that was steered wide.

Alan Dunne concluded: “Today, we wasn’t at our best, some of our players were not at their best, but we still managed to grind out a win, I think that shows the sign of a good side, today we were a bit scrappy but we got the job done.”

Tonbridge Angels U18 4 Broadbridge Heath U18 0

Match 49/25/2391 - Monday, 19th January 2026 - Isthmian Youth League

Tonbridge Angels U18 (1) 4 OG, Barton, Fincham, Edwards
Broadbridge Heath U18 (0) 0
Attendance: 40
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/2,858

The Under-18’s returned to winning ways, after last week’s disappointing defeat at Cobham with a comfortable 4-0 win against Broadbridge Heath at the Yeomans Community Stadium.

The Angels youngsters maintain their position in third place in the Isthmian Football League U18 East Division, two points adrift of leaders AFC Whyteleafe, with both home and away fixtures remaining to be played. Cobham, who have played a game more, are sandwiched between the two.

Tonbridge were somewhat eased into a position of comfort much by the visitors’ own doing. Firstly, they conceded an own goal with only 20 seconds on the clock and then, after 26 minutes, were reduced to 10 men when they had a player sent off after being deemed the last man when committing a foul.

Dom Welsh introduced three Under-16’s to the squad, Joel Letsa, Arthur Edwards and Lewis Egbewumni and Edwards got his name on the score sheet with a towering header in the final throes of the game.

A great link-up down the right in the opening attack ended with River Ballach crossing for a Broadbridge defender to turn the ball into his own net at the near post for a perfect start for the Angels.

It gave the Angels the confidence to showcase their passing and movement to which Broadbridge found difficult to counter. After 12 minutes a free kick from Mackenzie Richardson came back off the crossbar and, four minutes later, the goalkeeper produced an absolute world class save to deny River Ballach.

When Robert Penman was dragged back for the referee to brandish a red card, hotly disputed, both on the sidelines and by the offender, the task was an uphill one for Broadbridge Heath.

After Bingham had hit the bar on 32 minutes, Tonbridge doubled their advantage three minutes later with a well worked goal, created by Bingham and Richardson, and finished by Kyler Barton, the Angels were well in control and went into the break three goals up when Callum Fincham intercepted a wayward pass to run clear and finish well into the bottom corner.

All credit to Broadbridge Heath who made it hard for the Angels to add to the tally in the second half and it was almost on the stroke of the 90th minute when Edwards header wrapped up the points.

The introduction of the three Under-16’s means that nine from that age group have played up a year this season, a great testament to the coaching of Adam Barden and Roy Massey with the Kent Youth League U16’s.

Tonbridge Angels 4 AFC Totton 1

Match 48/25/2390 - Saturday, 17th January 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 4 Sablier 27 Baker 50 Babajide 68 Korboa 71
AFC Totton (1) 1 Osborne 30
Attendance: 1,656
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/2,820

A huge crowd, boosted by Tonbridge Angels’ Schools Partners Day, left the Yeomans Community Stadium in a celebratory mood as they saw home success in National League South for the first time since October and for only the second time this season.

A delighted Alan Dunne said in his post-match interview: “It’s been coming (a home win) and the scoreline was about right, if anything we deserved a couple more goals. The first half was tough, they are a big team and I thought we might struggle physically but we got to half-time, staying strong. We got a lot right today, I’m really pleased with that.“

On a mild day, with many happy, young faces ready for their afternoon’s entertainment, the manager made three changes from the side that brought a point back from Enfield Town with Bradley Williams, Frankie Baker and Marcus Sablier starting for Bunmi Babajide, Alfie Pavey who took places on the bench alongside Scott Wagstaff, who featured despite dislocating a shoulder last Saturday.

There was little evidence of the second half that would unfold with three goals for the hosts after an opening 45 minutes in which AFC Totton were marginally the better side with their direct style placing pressure on the Angels back line.

After an opening quarter-hour when the half-chances had fallen to the visitors, Tonbridge took the lead on 27 minutes with a fine team goal that ended with Marcus Sablier scoring with a close range finish at the far post after an slick interchange between Tom Leahy and Frankie Baker.

The lead was only to last three minutes when Charlie Osborne released Ash Clarke to squeeze a shot between Laurie Shala and his near post from the edge of the box and, subsequently, the Hampshire side enjoyed the better of the possession for the remainder of the half but without seriously threatening Shala’s goal.

The Angels regained their lead five minutes into the second half when Baker executed a cool finish for his first senior goal after being sent clear to go one-on-one with Totton’s goalkeeper, Jacob Knightbridge.

Totton responded with an effort from Ralph Vigrass but the introduction of Babajide, adding direct pace, on 57 minutes, wrested the initiative back in favour of the Angels.

Tonbridge thought they had doubled their advantage on 66 minutes when Ricky Korboa saw his effort disallowed for offside, but the disappointment was only to last a couple of minutes when Korboa laid in Babajide to lash the ball home from 12 yards and Korboa went from provider to scorer just three minutes later when a defence splitting pass from Sablier allowed Korboa to angle a shot into the far corner to put the game beyond Totton.

Despite being rampant in the closing minutes, it took a superb save by Shala, acrobatically turning over a shot from Osborne to retain their three goal advantage and see the game out as comfortable winners.

Alan Dunne concluded: “It was good to give something back to the fans, it has been a while coming and they deserve that. We stood up today, as men despite being a young group, against possibly the biggest, most physical side in the league and it showed how far we have come as a group.”

Enfield Town 1 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 47/25/2389 - Saturday, 10th January 2026 - National League South

Enfield Town (0) 1 Thompson 90+2
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Leahy 11
Attendance: 682
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 136/2,782

The Angels came away from Donkey Lane with a hard-earned point in a game of two polar opposite halves. The first half, in which Tonbridge dominated to go into the break a goal ahead was countered with a second period in which the hosts, Enfield Town, pressed hard for an equaliser that finally came, and not undeservedly, in the second minute of added time.

Larry McAvoy, taking the post-match interview: “It feels like two points dropped. The boys are disappointed with the result from the position we were in, leading going into added time, but when they have scored, it could quite easily have gone the other way.”

The fixture survived a 10am pitch inspection, which although obviously heavy, was perfectly playable given the downpours of the past couple of days.

Manager Alan Dunne made four changes from last Saturday’s starting XI against Dorking Wanderers. Into the side came Matty Warren, Noah McCann, Alfie Pavey alongside Jordon Thompson, whose signing from Hemel Hempstead Town was announced during the morning. Arthur Penney and Naz Bakrin joined those on the injured list with Frankie Baker and Bailey Akehurst taking places on the bench

The game started quietly with both sides literally finding their feet on the surface with the home side having a couple of efforts that gave no real concern before the Angels went ahead on 11 minutes when a corner from the right was headed on by Bunmi Babajide into a crowded six yard box from where Tom Leahy got the final touch to stab the ball home.



From the opening goal, the visitors controlled the first half and had two great chances to extend their lead when, on 34 minutes, a long ball forward saw Leahy challenged by Enfield’s goalkeeper, Joe Wright a long way from his penalty area with the ball breaking to Ricky Korboa, whose shot was deflected for a corner. On 40 minutes, a superb cross from Leahy found the diving head of Pavey, but his effort was directed at a thankful Wright.

The second half began with the Angels remaining on the front foot with a chance for Korboa that cleared the bar before Enfield began an extended period of pressure and when skipper Scott Wagstaff was helped from the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder, the home side seized control.

The chances began to fall to Enfield with Lamar Reynolds poorly heading at Laurie Shala when found unmarked eight yards from goal and Tom Youngs saw his effort narrowly clear the bar but as the game entered 10 minutes of added time when a through ball from Oliver Knight was taken down by Adam Thompson who fired past Shala into the roof of the net.

Tonbridge survived a number of corners in the remainder of added time to take a valuable point back over the bridge.

McAvoy concluded: “The boys stood up to the physical challenge really well, for a young group to defend the amount of corners, long balls and throw-ins, showed real character. We nearly saw it out, but at the moment we are not getting the points our performances deserve.”

Tonbridge Angels 2 Dorking Wanderers 2

Match 46/25/2388 - Saturday, 3rd January 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Akehurst (pen) 44 Leahy 73
Dorking Wanderers (2) 2 Carter 11 McShane 68
Attendance: 1,361
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/2,646

Tonbridge Angels will be rueing a missed opportunity to put an elusive home win on the board after dominating a depleted Dorking Wanderers side on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Yeomans Community Stadium.

Manager Alan Dunne reflected in his post-match interview: “We have dominated the game, if we could have put our chances away, in the last four or five games, we would probably be in the top six, and that is the difference. Tactically we got it right, but if you don’t put the ball in the net you leave yourselves open and, at the moment, we can’t put the ball in the net enough.”

Three changes were made from the side beaten on Tuesday evening by Eastbourne Borough with club captain Scott Wagstaff and Bailey Akehurst being recalled with new loan signing from Millwall, Frankie Baker introduced into the starting XI with Matty Warren and Brody Peart taking places on the bench.

The game entered the break all-square courtesy of a 44th minute penalty converted by Bailey Akehurst after good work from Frankie Baker that saw him upended in the box by Tony Craig. Tonbridge had totally dominated the opening half but had fallen behind on 11 minutes when an error from Ethan Sutcliffe saw Charlie Carter sprint clear before laying the ball across the area to give Patrick Casey an unmissable opportunity.

From the outset it was the Angels that were on the front foot with Ricky Korboa shooting into the side netting after four minutes before going behind.

The home responded positively with Baker’s pace giving the Dorking defenders plenty to think about. Kyle Smith brought a save out of the visiting goalkeeper, Harrison Foulkes and, on 22 minutes, from an Akehurst corner, Arthur Penney climbed highest but his header drifted narrowly wide.

Foulkes made a terrific save at his near post to deny Baker and just past the half-hour a heavy touch from Tom Leahy denied him a chance in front of goal.

In the meantime, Laurie Shala was brought into action, saving well from Dennon Lewis.

Dorking opened the second period with a great chance falling to Jake Lawrence that brought a fine stop from Shala with the rebound going over. The visitors restored their lead on 68 minutes, against the run of play, when an effort from Casey was cleared from the line by Naz Bakrin, but the ball span backwards for James McShane to bundle home.

The lead was only to last five minutes before the Angels were level when a corner led to an almighty scramble within the six yard box that saw efforts from Bakrin and substitute Alfie Pavey blocked before Leahy seized upon the loose ball to side-foot into the net from close range.

The Angels pressed hard for a winner and as the game entered its final seconds of six added minutes, appeals for a penalty was denied by the referee as the ball struck the hand, at full stretch above his head, of Dorking defender, Dan Gallagher.

Alan Dunne concluded: “I’m disappointed because I feel it is two points dropped and disappointed with the goals conceded, but before the game, with Dorking, one of the top sides, I would have taken a point.”