Tonbridge 2 Grays Athletic 3

Match 12/15/1217 - Tuesday, 11th August 2015 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (1) 2 Parkinson 4, Blewden 62
Grays Athletic (1) 3 Dumaka 25,56 Carlos 86
Attendance: 439

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/618

Match Report

It is early season and as any manager worth his salt would say, let’s not put our heads in the clouds with a first day victory or sink into despair with an opening home defeat. A good Tuesday evening attendance of 439 had obviously been encouraged by Tonbridge’s opening day win at Enfield Town but left disappointed as a really decent Grays Athletic returned to Essex with the spoils after a thoroughly entertaining game.

Dumebi GB-Dumaka must love playing against Tonbridge, two goals on the evening brought his total to five in the last three games between the clubs, but the home side must reflect on individual mistakes that cost them at least a share of the points.

Tonbridge could not have wished for a better start, going ahead after just four minutes. A free kick from the left was delivered by Nicky Wheeler to the far post. Grays’ goalkeeper Lamar Joseph-Johnson spilt the ball at the feet of Tom Parkinson who had the easiest of finishes from close range.

A feature of Grays play throughout the evening was the pace on the flanks of Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson and Joao Carlos. After 25 minutes, a long cross beyond the far post was retrieved by Fortnam-Tomlinson and his pass across the face of goal presented Dumaka with the type of chance strikers of his quality are not going to miss.

Early in the second Joseph-Johnson made a good save from a Parkinson header, arriving late in the box. Parkinson appears to be blossoming in his midfield pairing with Tom Phipp. They already have a great understanding and Parkinson is able to make these late runs with the security of Phipp behind him.

The game quickly turned on 56 minutes. Sonny Miles had a goal disallowed after burying a powerful header but the referee decided that he had climbed on the back of a defender. Grays immediately broke down the right hand side and when Jack Parter missed his tackle, Fortnam-Tomlinson was sprinting clear, his cross to the near post found the clinical Dumaka and in the blink of an eye the visitors were in front.

It was to Tonbridge’s credit that they hit straight back. Just beyond the hour, Phipp sent Luke Blewden on his way through the middle and as Nathan Elder peeled away from two defenders, Blewden ran through the gap and powered home a shot from the edge of the box.

At this point, the home side looked favourites to go on and take the points. Charlie Webster steered a header well wide from close range before with four minutes remaining another individual mistake cost them dear. A long cross into the box from Luke Ifill was partially punched to safety by Anthony Di Barnado to James Folkes whose misplaced pass found the feet of Carlos. The impressive winger cut in from the left and curled an absolute beauty into the far top corner to delight the 20 or so travelling supporters behind the goal.

Tonbridge might still have retrieved something from the game when, in time-added, another Parkinson header was smothered by Joseph-Johnson at the feet of the onrushing Blewden in the nick of time to preserve the Essex side’s lead.

If any reminder was needed, the Ryman Premier is a league where there is quality that will capitalise on mistakes and Grays had that quality in the last third of the pitch. Tonbridge need to eradicate these errors but at the same time they can draw positives from their own performance.

A new home for the video man, Trevor Spielberg