Tonbridge 0 Brentford 10

Match 02/11/889 - Saturday, 16 July 2011 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge (0) 0
Brentford (4) 10 McDonald 20, 29, 31, 44, Alexander 52 55, 80 (pen), Hacker 81, 90, Spillane 88
Att. 420

Entrance: Senior Citizen £5
Programme: £0.50
Mileage: 26/82

Match Report

Continuing our summer catch-up we move on to Tonbridge where the main news of the summer was the Main news, that of the return of Jon Main to the club. There had been whispers that it might happen but personally I thought this was no more than wishful thinking by a few fantasists. But on Thursday, 9th June, a daily visit to the Tonbridge Forum left me open-mouthed . . . a post indicating that a trip to the official site might be worthwhile, the Legend had returned.

Two further ex-Angels have returned to the club for their debutant season in Conference South, Anthony Storey and Tim Olorunda with Ben Andrews also arriving from Horsham.

The visit of Brentford for the first of Tonbridge’s pre-season friendlies became greatly anticipated, but ended with sheer bewilderment as the home side was crushed by a virtual cricket score.

Brentford were quality, even though they were playing a side three divisions lower than themselves, I will be surprised if they are not in the shake-up for promotion from League One in the coming season. They had strikers clinical in the execution of their trade in Charlie McDonald and Gary Alexander and they had a new signing, Clayton Donaldson, who scored 28 goals for Crewe last term, who failed to get onto the score sheet. Mind you, he was instrumental in just about everything else.

Tonbridge just about held their own for the opening 20 minutes before McDonald tucked home the first from close range and then with goals in the 29th, 31st and 44th minute added to his total to leave the half time score at Tonbridge 0 McDonald 4. Thankfully, new Brentford manager Uwe Rosler had seen enough of the ex-Ebbsfleet striker and withdrew him at half time.

Not that it gave the Angels any respite. On came Gary Alexander and he helped himself to a hat trick with goals five, six and seven. Brentford showed no mercy and the goals continued to flow and even when they had reached double figures they were still looking for more.

Sadly for Tonbridge it was a friendly that had came far too early. Their visitors had been away for a training camp in Norway and were three weeks into pre-season training. It was at least a compliment to the club that Brentford brought their full-strength squad to Longmead.

So a rude awakening for Tonbridge and their supporters who might have thought that all they needed was the Main news.