Tonbridge 0 Crawley Town 4

Match 02/12/955 - Wednesday, 11 July 2012 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge (0) 0
Crawley Town (3) 4 Akpo 18, Clarke 20,44, Akinde 78
Att. 323

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: 50p
Mileage: 26/62

Match Report

A wait before leaving home as a pitch inspection is planned and leaden skies that had thrown down torrential rain for a couple of hours. Arrival at the ground with thunder rumbling in the background and the flash of lightening to be seen in the distance, we are not talking about a League game in the depths of winter, but a pre-season friendly in the early part of July. Oh, the joys of a British summer.

This was the backdrop to Tonbridge’s opening pre-season friendly against Crawley Town. The League One newcomers paid the home club the huge compliment of fielding a full strength side, albeit that two completely different teams played in each half. Tonbridge for their part paraded their close season signings in striker George Purcell and central midfielder Tom Davis, plus several triallists who chose the most difficult of evenings in which to impress.

As the game began, with the storm still threatening, it was apparent that the pitch, which looked an absolute picture, had weathered the downpour remarkably well. Opening the game with three of the triallists and their two new players it was understandable that Tonbridge came under early pressure from their Football League visitors. Of the two defensive triallists, John Scarborough, late of Maidenhead, looked the more composed while Dollard Mvimvi at right back was given a difficult time by the livewire Nicky Adams. It came as no surprise that Crawley eventually took the lead on 18 minutes when Gary Alexander crossed from the right for Hope Akpo to convert from close range. Less than two minutes elapsed before the visitors doubled their advantage, Billy Clarke scoring off a post after a cross from the left. Memories of last season’s ten goal drubbing at the hands of Brentford came flooding (literally, as the heavens were beginning to open) back.

As the worst of the rain held off, but with the thunder rumbling heavier and the lightening seemingly getting closer, Crawley spurned chances to see the game completely safe in the first half. Alexander was sent through following an incisive pass from Sergio Torres, but struck the post before, on the stroke of half-time, Clarke fastened onto a similar pass from Torres and calmly fired home.

The half-time break became a light show as the storm rattled around Longmead accompanied by torrential rain. It looked like an abandonment of the game was inevitable as the referee emerged from the dressing room to assess the conditions, but as the rain was slightly easing he decided that the match could continue. Crawley changed their entire team, whilst Tonbridge introduced another four triallists, one reserve team player and a couple of last year’s squad, Rory Hill and Lee Browning.

The substitutions, or perhaps the conditions, took the effectiveness out of Crawley’s game and the home side had a decent percentage of the possession and chances during the second period. Mark Lovell, late of Ramsgate, had three stabs at goal following a free kick, but from the clearance, John Akinde ended up rounding Lee Worgan, only to delayed his shot enabling the keeper to smother his eventual effort. Worgan was substituted by young keeper, Callum Keswick, unfortunately his first touch of the ball was to retrieve it from the net following Akinde’s conversion after beating the offside trap.

Tommy Warrilow was hopeful that he could build a relationship with his old club and that pre-season matches in future years could be arranged, hopefully they will be played in more July-like conditions.