Tonbridge (2) 3 Blewden 16, Parkinson 25, Wheeler 85
Needham Market (1) 3 Fenn 10, Newson 53, Izzet (pen) 76
Attendance: 405
Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/656
Match Report
A seemingly endless stream of crosses from Nick Wheeler found the head of Nathan Elder, but it wasn’t the big striker’s day as chance after chance went begging with the inevitable conclusion that their profligacy would be punished at the other end.
Suffolk-based Needham Market, who were making their first-ever visit to Longmead, having won promotion as champions of Ryman North, came with the vastly experienced duo of Karl Duguid and Kemal Izzet in their ranks. Duguid clocked up very nearly 600 league appearances in his 19-year Football League career, over 450 of them for Colchester United and alongside him for 13 years was Izzet, who can point to 422 appearances for the Essex League One club.
Although Tonbridge started brightly, it was Needham Market that took the lead after 10 minutes in controversial circumstances. Duguid delivered a free kick towards the penalty spot for Oliver Fenn to direct a shot goalwards. Anthony Di Barnado, in the Tonbridge goal, made a plunging save to his right, clawing the ball back from the line. Or so we thought, until the linesman’s flag indicated that the ball had indeed crossed the line. It was a big call from the official because his view must have been somewhat obscured by the goalkeeper’s body if nothing else. In fairness, the travelling support behind the goal were immediately claiming the goal.
Tonbridge reacted well to the set back and within 15 minutes were in front. After 16 minutes a cross from Charlie Webster was headed back across goal from the far post by Elder to Luke Blewden, whose looping header evaded the Needham goalkeeper.
After 25 minutes, Needham Market’s weakness under the high ball into the box was exposed once more as a Wheeler corner was headed in by Tom Parkinson for his third goal in successive matches.
As the chances were frittered away into the second half, Tonbridge paid the price with another decision that had a hint of controversy about it, but one that should have been avoided. Di Barnado played the ball out to Jerrome Sobers, who initially got the ball caught under his feet and whilst he steadied, Duguid made a challenge from behind that appeared to be a push in the back. Waved on by the referee, he played in Sam Newson who clinically finished into the bottom corner to draw the visitors level.
The home side found themselves behind with a quarter-hour remaining when Needham Market were awarded a penalty for hand ball against Sobers. A ball hit directly at the central defender from close range struck a hand and the referee pointed to the spot. It appeared a harsh decision but, perhaps, the position of both arms outstretched was enough to convince the referee. Izzet send Di Barnado the wrong way with his spot kick to put his side in front.
Five minutes remained when the persistence of Jack Parter paid dividends for the Angels. Having appeared to have lost the ball a couple of times in a run that took him across the pitch and down the right side, his cross found Wheeler, who cut inside a defender to curl a shot into the far corner for a goal his performance richly deserved.
In the last five days, and two really entertaining games, Tonbridge have scored five goals and could have expected a better return than a single point but having conceded six in the process, that expectancy total might well have been zero.
No comments:
Post a Comment