Tonbridge 2 AFC Wimbledon 2

Match 30/07/647 - Tuesday, 13th November 2007 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (0) 2 Main 58 Harris 66
AFC Wimbledon (2) 2 Beales (o.g.) 27 De Bolla 33
Att. 985

Entrance: £8
Programme: £2
Mileage: 26/2,554

Match Report

If you don’t update these blogs at the earliest opportunity how events overtake you, but firstly to the match in hand.

If is quite amazing the contrasts that football can throw up. Saturday at Barnet had to be the low point of this season with a lack of commitment that left me both exasperated and angry, last night showed the opposite with a Tonbridge side showing determination to haul themselves back from a 2-0 half-time deficit and a first half in which they had been thoroughly outplayed. Also at Old Trafford last Wednesday in front of 75,000 I was lamenting the lack of atmosphere and last night 985 created a special night.

This was the best game I’ve seen this season, great entertainment with a couple of good goals, a classic own goal and as said, the wonderful fight back that didn’t quite end with the ultimate result, but a draw was a fair result. Wimbledon had stormed into a two goal lead that their superiority had deserved. John Beales scored the classic own goal with a diving header and a left wing free kick evaded everybody to find the bottom corner. Even the most biaised of Angels could not deny AFC their worthy lead.

Whatever new manager Tommy Warrilow (rather hazy picture left), said Tonbridge came out and took the game to their high-flying opponents. Jon Main scored his 20th goal of the season and after Wimbledon lost their goalkeeper to injury Richard Harris who had been thrown forward scored their equaliser. Doubtless any Wimbledon fan reading this will point to the fact that their keeper had been injured by a Scott Kinch challenge for which he was booked and subsequently substituted by a non-goalkeeping substitute.

For all this Tonbridge more than deserved their point and I went home not only happy with the result but with a little faith restored after the last week’s disappointments.

As I said in the first paragraph events overtake the writing of a blog and today it has been announced that Jon Main has signed for last night’s opponents. Jon is going to be a big miss a Longmead, hopefully the substantial, but undisclosed fee will go a long way to finding a suitable replacement, but that is going to be very difficult to achieve.

Picture: kentishman