Tonbridge Angels 5 Walton and Hersham 1

Match 19/26/2446 - Monday, 31st August 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (3) 5
Walton and Hersham (1) 1
Attendance: 1,218
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/964

EASY DOES IT!

Even the hard hearted would have had a certain amount of sympathy for the 20 or so disconsolate Walton and Hersham supporters stood behind the goal as their team was torn apart. But the wider picture is that their club has far bigger problems than heavy defeats on the pitch.

Those supporters, and probably a lot more of them, should have arrived at the Yeomans on a wave of optimism following four promotions in the last five years and a place in National League South for the first time.

But a dispute with their landlords the local council, Elmbridge Borough Council and their stadium operators over the revenue that is generated at the Xcel Sports Hub where none of the match day secondary spend benefits the club leaves them without the resources to compete at step two and the consequence has been a nightmare start to the season with six straight defeats and an already mountainous negative goal difference.

Manager Kevin James, who bore fairly light hearted criticism from those 20 hardy souls, paid the price with his job after this latest defeat.

All of this shouldn’t detract from a scintillating performance from Tonbridge Angels who shredded their hapless opponents with football that was a delight on the eye for the most part.

On a warm Bank Holiday Monday, Alan Dunne gave his skipper, Sam Corne, a first start and for an hour until his substitution he ran the show.

The passage of the game was set in the opening ten minutes when the home side could have been four goals to the good as the Walton defence cleared efforts away from the line and Frankie Baker struck a post after rounding the goalkeeper.

The breakthrough finally came on 19 minutes as Ricky Korboa threaded an exquisite pass to send Jepthe Tanga clear to drive his shot past a despairing Tommy Reid.

The floodgates were opening three minutes later when Lex Beeden, recycling a corner, crossed for Baker to score from close range with a neat touch.

The Angels were swarming all over their visitors at this point and looked like scoring with every attack but had to wait until the 39th minute when Bailey Akehurst’s inswinging corner travelled all the way into the far corner.

Into the second period and the Swans woes continued as a cross from Akehurst was horribly spilt by Reid to allow Lamar Reynolds an easy finish.

The scoreline allowed Corne to take his leave of proceedings, an hour’s work greatly admired and as Dunne rang the changes the momentum slipped away to the point that Walton managed a consolation with a good hit from Matas Skarna.

Tonbridge rounded off proceedings eight minutes from time with a goal that spoke volumes of Walton’s catastrophic defending all afternoon as substitute Alfie Pavey was allowed to stroll unchallenged to head home a corner.

When I visited the Excel Sports Hub back in 2018, the business model wasn’t sustainable for Walton and Hersham then and it certainly isn’t now in the rarified air of the National League, I wish them well but fear for them in equal measure.

Photos: Dave Couldridge

Billericay Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 18/26/2445 - Saturday, 29th August 2026 - National League South

Billericay Town (2) 2 Benton 1 Long 40
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Brown 27 Tanga 65
Attendance: 1,065
Admission: £10
Mileage: 120/926

A DAY OF TWO HALVES!

That’ll be the day that started badly, seemed to get worse but came good in the end with an entertaining game and a decent point.

It just has to be a Bank Holiday weekend when the downstairs loo springs a leak and, after much mopping, the drive into Essex is brought to a crawl at the Dartford Tunnel. Experience built half-an-hour into the estimated journey time, so the 40 minute delay was irritating rather than desperate. Just 52 seconds into the game, calamitous goalkeeping saw Tonbridge behind, is this day going to get any better?

Thankfully, yes.

A lot has changed at Billericay Town since those heady, madcap days of the Glenn Tamplin era, three hedonistic years from 2016, that brought the relatively humble Essex club to the front pages of national newspapers, mostly, for all the wrong reasons.

The chaotic multi-million wage bill with high profile ex-Premier League players has been replaced by a local consortium of businessman who have steadily returned the club to a stable structure and, this season, find themselves back in National League South following their promotion via the Isthmian League Premier play-offs.

The legacy of Tamplin, however it was funded, remains with the ground improvements in which he invested including the 3G surface and modern clubhouse and, even the blessed mural remains but now, somewhat more tasteful, with the self-indulgent elements painted over and replaced with club-themed depictions.

Tamplin remains a fugitive, having failed to appear for court proceedings on drugs charges in 2023 but the stand with the mural on the rear still bears his name.

The drought has been brought to end with some decent rainfall that had eased to a drizzle by the time we reached Billericay. Alan Dunne had Sam Corne back at his disposal and he took a place on the bench alongside the returning Bunmi Babajide and Lamar Reynolds.

We hadn’t completed the process of changing ends to the goal we were attacking before Billericay opened the scoring. A ball headed forward should have been dealt with easily, but Alfie Pavey, taking a call from Nathan Harness, ducked under the ball, only for the keeper to drop the ball at the feet of a grateful, probably astounded, Jon Benton who had the simplest of chances to tuck it home.

The helter-skelter nature of the early stages continued, in fact didn’t really change all game, with Ricky Korboa testing Joe Wright and a cross, after six minutes, frustratingly begged any touch which didn’t happen.

Billericay’s Taylor Clark spurned a great chance before the game started to settle down and, once a little structure was added, the visitors became the better side and finally equalised on 27 minutes when a ball forward was headed backwards by Pavey to Jepthe Tanga who laid the ball into the path of Jayden Brown to pick out the top corner from the edge of the box with a curling shot.

Billericay employed an unusual kick-off to restart the game with a ball hoisted so high into the sky that it endangered homecoming aircraft into Stansted, it was novel and certainly caused a bit of confusion.

The home side retook the lead on 40 minutes when a long ball forward found Elliott Long, who brushed off a challenge before burying his shot into the bottom corner.

The Angels were offered the chance to go into the break on level terms on 44 minutes after Tanga was brought down in the box but Bailey Akehurst’s spot kick was well saved, down to his left, by Wright.

Alan Dunne chose to replace his goalscorer with Corne at the break and the dividend was almost instant as his first touch in a competitive Angels shirt rattled the bar.

It set the tone for the second period with Tonbridge dominating before they equalised on 65 minutes when substitute Babajide weaved his way into the box before his shot was palmed by Wright into the path of Tanga at the far post leaving him with a tap-in.

Corne stood up an exquisite cross for fellow substitute Reynolds to steer a header inches wide.

Tonbridge survived a late penalty appeal, later pictures appear to show that it would have been another soft one given, leaving the Billericay faithful to voice their displeasure of the newly-promoted match referee, Henry Harvey, who had a good game that he allowed to flow into the entertaining affair it was.

As if to prove my point, that days can get better, a trouble-free sail over the bridge was a welcome end.

Staplehurst Monarchs U23 1 Maidstone United U23 4

Match 17/26/2444 - Tuesday, 25th August 2026 - SCEFL Development East

Staplehurst Monarchs U23 (1) 1
Maidstone United U23 (2) 4 Gravenell-James (2), Lovejoy, Kuale
Attendance: 75
Admission: £2.50
Mileage: 2/806

Tonbridge Angels 0 Truro City 2

Match 16/26/2443 - Saturday, 22nd August 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Truro City (0) 2 Harvey 51 (pen),74
Attendance: 964
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/804

WIN ONE, LOSE ONE

Win one, lose one would bring an end of season yield of a respectable 69 points and would probably give a top half finish. Financially, one would guess, winning all your away games and losing every one at home would be a disaster.

It’s early days, none of the above is going to happen but as much as two away victories already on the board is fantastic, losing both the home fixtures is a little concerning but, and guessing, both the visiting clubs, Torquay United and Truro City are likely to be challenging at the top end.

Truro made the longest journey of any team visiting the Yeomans this season but, following their overnight stay, showed no sign of travel weariness.

Fresh from their relegation from the National League, Truro showed all the qualities needed to get out of this division a second time. Robust in defence, they have yet to concede a goal this season and up front, Tyler Harvey looks just as sharp as he did in their championship season.

Tonbridge can point to a soft penalty and one that wasn’t given in their favour but, ultimately their opponents were more street-wise and fully deserving of their win.

Hydration breaks seem a thing of the past as the heat has subsided into pleasantly warm days and manager Alan Dunne made a couple of changes with Jepthe Tanga suspended and Bunmi Babajide injured allowing Paul Osew and Harry Gardner starting places.

The first half was one of very few chances with neither side particularly laying a glove on the other and when the gloves were called into action, Truro’s goalkeeper, Aidan Stone turned over a good effort from Ricky Korboa after just four minutes and, midway through the half, Nathan Harness did likewise following a header from Harvey.

Two tempting crosses from Angels’ Bailey Akehurst and Korboa begged a finish that didn’t come leaving the opening 45 goalless.

Truro opened the scoring from the spot after 51 minutes from the penalty spot after Harvey was adjudged to have been brought down by Jordon Thompson with the striker dusting himself down to convert into the bottom corner.

The Cornish side took control of the game following their opener and, on 74 minutes, Harvey made a smart turn in the box after receiving a right sided cross from Luke Jephcott to nestle his shot into the bottom left corner.

The Angels threw bodies forward in search of a consolation but their efforts foundered on the muscular central defensive partnership of Tom Harrison and Shaun Donnellan, who took home a third consecutive clean sheet from the start of the season, limiting the home side to a couple of late efforts from Harry Gardner and Akehurst.

In the closing moments the ball fell towards Alan Dunne who met it on the volley to balloon it away for the referee to issue a yellow card. It was pure frustration, if bookings are taken for frustration then Mr Willmore might as well have booked every Tonbridge supporter in the stadium.

Dover Athletic 0 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 15/26/2442 - Tuesday, 18th August 2026 - National League South

Dover Athletic (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Tanga 52
Attendance: 1,005
Admission: £17
Mileage: 88/766

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN!

Scaling and descending the mountainous path to the away end at the Crabble gives plenty of time to reflect. On the upslope the reflection is more of self-preservation, heavy breathing and legs that are turning to jelly whilst the return journey, thankfully in August not having the worry of your feet sliding from underneath you, opinions can be formed on a good result or otherwise.

On this occasion, we were reflecting on a Tonbridge Angels win, but strangely, I carried an admiration of the resilience of Dover Athletic, who had gone down to 10 men following a first half dismissal of ex-Angel Naz Bakrin, but posed the visitors more problems a man light than they had with a full complement.

Whimsical asides with stewards at different points in the climb regarding Sherpa Tenzing and the need for oxygen were met with deadpan faces as the warm hospitality of Dover Athletic was as evident as ever.

Alan Dunne made a couple of changes from Saturday’s home defeat against Torquay United with Jordon Thompson returning from injury and Bunmi Babajide from unavailability.

An opening 20 minutes saw little action on either set of posts before Fabio Roque, with his first appointment at step two level, made his first intervention of the evening with a justifiable yellow card shown to Bakrin as Frankie Baker sought to get clear of the Dover defender on the half-way line.

A minute later Jepthe Tanga went close before, on the half-hour, Tonbridge had their first nervous moment as a header from Sheriff hit his own man to bounce into the grateful hands of the Nathan Harness.

A second ex-Angel Sonny Fish was subject to an unfortunate injury on 45 minutes when following a aerial challenge with Bailey Akehurst, the Tonbridge man’s boot landed on the head of Fish leaving him with a badly gashed head.

Dover were reduced on 10 men in first half added time in curious circumstances. Fair warning had been given by the referee about grappling in the box between Bakrin and Ethan Sutcliffe and when the shirt was virtually ripped from Sutcliffe’s back, Roque brandished yellow cards to both, before being reminded that he had already earlier booked Bakrin.

Tonbridge took the lead after 52 minutes when Tanga took advantage of a mistake from Faud Sesay to race clear and bury his low, angled shot into the far bottom corner for his third goal in three games from the start of the season.

Dover responded positively, but the Angels defence dealt with the majority of their attacks with ease before, after 73 minutes, Harry Gardner let fly with a vicious shot from 25 yards that goalkeeper Mitch Walker could only punch straight into the air above him to collect at the second attempt.

Tonbridge had to survive one final scare in added time when Harness clawed away a corner before the referee blew for time to spark another melee that even involved the Dover chairman marching onto the pitch to confront Mr Roque.

Two away games, two of the most inhospitable visits done and six points on the board, that’ll do nicely.

Tonbridge Angels U18 4 Horsham U18 4

Match 14/26/2441 - Monday, 17th August 2026 - Isthmian Youth League East

Tonbridge Angels U18 (1) 4 Bingham 30,55 (pens) Ejje 48 Byatt 90+4
Horsham U18 (1) 4 Harrington 36 Burrows 70 Theodore 74 Semark 83 (pen)
Headcount: 75
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/678

WHAT A MATCH!

Make a note in the diary, 30th November might only be midway through the Isthmian Youth League East season, but I’m willing to bet my pocket money that Horsham v Tonbridge Angels will be the title decider.

No disrespect to any of the other teams in the division, but if I see a better U18’s side than Horsham, I’ll be amazed and it is great credit to Roy Massey’s Angels that they fought their way to a share of the points.

This was a great watch, full of twists and turns with a 94th minute equaliser to conclude the entertainment.

Horsham, who have moved from the Southern Division where, last season, they surprisingly trailed some way behind a very good Burgess Hill team, picked up the momentum after an opening 20 minutes when neither side wanted to lay a glove on the other and, in quick succession, Semark was narrowly off target with shots that cleared the bar.

Against the run of play, Tonbridge went in front from the penalty spot when Jayden Taylor was brought down following a clumsy challenge leaving Harry Bingham to convert from the spot.

Horsham responded with an effort from Harrington, but he was not to be denied on 39 minutes when persistence from Theodore saw him pull the ball back from the byeline for the former to strike from close range.

Tonbridge’s goalkeeper, Tyler Pett, picked up a yellow as he raced from his goal to thwart a Horsham attack and, from the resultant free kick, made a good save.

Massey’s half-time team talk had the desired effect and Tonbridge roared out of the blocks in the second period and were back in front after three minutes when the impressive Harry Ejje collected a pass from the right to fire into the bottom corner. Ejje is certainly one to watch in the coming weeks.

Tonbridge increased their lead after 55 minutes when they were awarded a second penalty after Ejje was brought down and, once more, Bingham stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way.

Pett took a kick in the face as he bravely dived at the feet of Essam and the long delay almost served as a hydration break as Horsham rallied strongly following a touchline huddle.

After 70 minutes they reduced the deficit to one when a left-sided cross from Semark was headed back across the face of goal to be finished at close range by Burrows and, within four minutes, they were level when a pass inside of the defender from Whiteman found Theodore, who drove an unstoppable shot past Pett.

There seemed an inevitability that the visitors would find a winner and with three minutes remaining they were offered the opportunity from the penalty spot following a handball with Semark converting.

To the Angels credit, they strove for an equaliser in seven minutes of added time, but were frustrated in the 94th minute when Furber made a good save from Taylor, but from the resultant corner, Byatt headed home to bring a fair result to a wonderfully entertaining evening.

Roll on November, when these two teams go head-to-head again.

Pictures: Alfie Thomas

Tonbridge Angels 1 Torquay United 2

Match 13/26/2440 - Saturday, 15th August 2026 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Sutcliffe 67
Torquay United (1) 2 Jenkins 17, Jay 83
Attendance: 1,453
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/640

TAKE THE POSITIVES!

Ultimately, a defeat is a defeat however you dress it up, one team goes home with the points leaving the other empty-handed, whether it’s 5-0 or 1-0.

But there are occasions when you can take the positives and a 2-1 loss for Tonbridge Angels against the National League South pre-season favourites Torquay United offered plenty of encouragement, if a little disappointment at the goals conceded.

The visit of the Devon side is highly anticipated, always a good attendance with a healthy, friendly away following. I spent a little while in conversation with a Gulls fan, who actually lived in Borough Green, just a mere eight miles from Tonbridge. His expectations were not unreasonably high, but also very aware that each season has started with the same outlook but now Torquay enter their fifth season at this level and they find themselves in that situation for a myriad of reasons, that he hoped had finally been resolved.

There was a level of expectation from the home support as well, borne of last Saturday’s impressive opening day win at Braintree Town.

Alan Dunne lost two of his squad from last week with strikers Lamar Reynolds and Bunmi Babajide unavailable. Frankie Baker came into the starting XI and two of the pre-season trialists were added to the squad.

The visitors edged a competitive first half with a goal after 17 minutes from Kian Jenkins, who saw his right-sided corner evade everybody at the near post to inswing straight into the net.

Two hefty challenges, first from the Angels’ Bailey Akehurst and a second from Torquay’s Munashe Sundire brought an already hot afternoon to boiling point with referee Daniel Baines brandishing yellow cards to both offenders.

After the hydration break, the home side came back into the game and a great chance was spurned on 35 minutes when Ethan Sutcliffe rose to meet Akehurst’s corner but his header cleared the bar.

A superb save from Nathan Harness, who touched a shot from Callum Morton onto the post, stopped the Gulls from doubling their advantage soon after the break, but from that point it was the Angels who were taking the game to their opponents with Baker being denied by a saving block and, on 55 minutes, Akehurst rattled the post.

The Angels endeavours were rewarded on 67 minutes, when from a corner, substitute Alfie Pavey had an instant impact as he headed on a Kai Martin cross to be finished by Sutcliffe.

With seven minutes remaining, Torquay broke away after a Tonbridge attack ending with Sean Robertson rolling the ball across the box for Matt Jay to finish from close range.

Tonbridge's task was made harder with five minutes remaining as Jepthe Tanga received a second yellow card and, therefore, his marching orders.

In the fourth minute of added time, Torquay’s points were preserved with a magnificent save from Toby Savin to deny Pavey. I think we are going to be hard pushed to see a better save this season.

So, taking the positives, using one of Dunne’s favourite sayings, we have gone toe-to-toe with one of the division’s heavyweight and come away with plenty of plaudits, if not any points.

My passing words with the Angels chair on the way out might be fatalistic, but I’ll stand by them. If we play like that all season, we will win more than we lose.

Picture: David Couldridge