Tonbridge 3 Harrow Borough 2

Match 59/09/811 - Thursday, 15th April 2010 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (1) 3 Cade 38, 72 Kinch 49
Harrow Borough (2) 1 Baptiste 17, Watts 35
Att. 397

Entrance: £10
Programme: £2
Mileage: 26/6,981

Match Report

Tonbridge came from behind to stretch their unbeaten record in the Ryman Premier to 12 games and keep themselves within striking distance of a play-off place with games in hand on those above them. But an arduous schedule that would spark outrage in the Premier League against clubs similarly contesting those top five positions is about to unfold.

First up at Longmead on Saturday, in the host’s last home game, are Borehamwood, presently placed one place above Tonbridge in sixth position. On Tuesday, there is a visit to bogey team, AFC Hornchurch, who are ninth, five points shy of the dotted line. Thursday sees a visit to Wealdstone, in eighth and three points adrift of the Angels and on the last day of the regular season, next Saturday, Tonbridge visit the form side of the Division, Aveley.

Such is the congestion at the top of the table, Tonbridge could afford no slip-ups against a Harrow Borough side with little to play for and a nothing to lose attitude. Minus Lee Minshull serving the last of his three match suspension and Adam Burchill at the beginning of his two week ban, Tonbridge found themselves under pressure early in the game and conceded the first goal after 17 minutes. Scott Kinch failed to clear under pressure and Rocky Baptiste poked it home from close range.

Baptiste will be remembered for his heroics with Havant and Waterlooville in their cup run of 2008 when he scored at Anfield, but his Miss of the Century that brought millions of YouTube hits brought him fame of a more dubious nature.

Tonbridge were quite unsettled and they give themselves a steep hill to climb in the 35 minute, a superb pass from a Japanese lad, Kenta Nakashima, picked out Ryan Watts who finished well, firing across Lee Worgan into the far corner. The Harrow support of about 10 were gathered behind the goal into which they had scored and despite going 2-0 down it was somewhat amusing to hear their songs being sung by a group of blokes dressed in shirts and ties and giving their rendition in rather posh voices!

The home side needed the lift of a goal before half time and in the 38th minute Jamie Cade supplied it. An Anthony Storey free kick was flicked on by Kinch and Cade finished from close range.

Kinch was wearing a heavy strapping to his thigh from the outset and looked to be struggling badly but reappeared for the second half and within eight minutes had equalised for the home side. A free kick from Liam Harwood took the faintest of touches off Kinch’s head to the delight of the majority of the 397 crowd.

This proved to be just about the last act for Scott Kinch, whose valiant effort on one leg had now rendered him virtually immobilised and his substitution was almost an act of mercy.

Tonbridge’s comeback was completed in the 72nd minute when Cade was played in by the persistence of Jay May and finished well from 12 yards. The game, that had been scrappy for the most part anyway, became nervy for the last 20 minutes as Harrow desperately searched for an equaliser and Worgan was called upon to make a couple of decent saves.

It was a lovely touch that tonight's programme cover was dedicated to Brian Cheal. I knew Brian as a young man, he was five years older than me but I knew most of his group of friends of that time, but lost touch when Tonbridge left the Angel Ground. RIP Brian.