Tonbridge 6 Merstham 1

Match 28/09/780 - Saturday, 31st October 2009 - FA Trophy 2QR

Tonbridge (3) 6 Booth 2, 55 Rook 14 (pen),
Cumberbatch 20, Minshull 50, Sigere 85
Merstham (1) 1 McGlash 9
Att. 382

Entrance: £10
Programme: £2
Mileage: 26/3,671

Merstham arrived at Longmead Stadium for a FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying game as something of a mystery side. They are near the top of the Ryman League South and appeared in this round by virtue of an astonishing 6-1 victory against Premier League Hastings United.

After 25 minutes of the first half one of the mysteries had been uncovered. Bright and inventive up front it was easy to see how they managed to score six goals at the Pilot Field, what was less easy to understand was how they didn’t let in six!

Four goals, two penalties (one missed by Merstham), two sendings off, five bookings that was the sum total of 25 minutes of open, too open, football.

Tonbridge were in front within two minutes. A Kirk Watts free kick was headed across the face of the goal by stand-in skipper Lee Minshull and Paul Booth was on hand to net at the far post. After some defensive sloppiness Merstham equalised only for Tonbridge to go back in front from a Carl Rook penalty and extended the lead when Mark Cumberbatch met a cross that Rook had headed on.

When Merstham were given a spot kick, the attacks were so on top of the defenders that any scoreline you wish could have been envisaged. Sadly for Merstham the spot kick was missed.

As the 25 minutes of madness was reached Lewis Hamilton and the chunky Merstham central defender, Craig Vernon were involved in a bit of handbags and as both had already received yellow cards, the reds were brandished to both.

The rest of the first half passed by relatively quietly with the exception of a shocking Rook miss.

Five minutes into the second half and normal service was resumed with Minshull finding the net from 20 yards and when a brilliant run from Steve Ferguson was finished by Booth, the odds were on a cricket score being run up by the home side.

Merstham were still willing to play with an open style (and get punished for it) with their lively forwards causing problems for the Tonbridge back line. But with a couple of minutes remaining Jean-Michal Sigere, substituting Rook, scored a excellent individual goal to equal Merstham’s beating of Hastings in the last round.

Three grand in the kitty and a place in the last qualifying round is due reward for a highly entertaining afternoon.