Tonbridge (2) 4 Allen 2, Wheeler 9, Dundas 62, Blewden 69
Hereford (0) 2 Mills 65, Edge 87
Attendance: 1,112
Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/3,001
The greatest problem with the draw that brought Hereford to Longmead was that nobody really knew how good they might be. Since reforming out of the ashes of those FA Cup giant killers of old Hereford United, the Bulls have won successive promotions, had a Wembley visit in the FA Vase and now sit atop the Southern League South and West with an unbeaten record. But that is a step below Tonbridge, and given the home advantage, there were some that thought that Tonbridge would be too strong. My nervousness was testament that I wasn't one of them. There was also the factor that the Angels came into the game on the back of two defeats and their worst performance of the season at Merstham on Tuesday.
The other great unknown was just how many supporters were going to make the 350-mile round trip. Estimates varied between a couple of hundred to a thousand with nobody expecting all 26,000 that followed them to Wembley turning up! As it was, I would estimate their following at around 350.
Steve McKimm was able to call on the services of Tom Parkinson and made the choice to pair him with Sonny Miles at the heart of the defence and Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson was preferred to Damian Scannell.
If there was any nerves on the field, it wasn't with the Angels who roared out of the traps and into a two-goal lead within the first ten minutes.
After just 75 seconds, Jamie Willetts gave away a cheap free kick on the edge of the box for a foul on Nathan Elder. Luke Allen curled a delightful free kick over the wall and past a statuesque goalkeeper, Alex Harris.
In in the ninth minute, Elder and Craig Dundas combined to send Nick Wheeler away down the left hand side with space opening up in front of him. He raced clear of his marker and from just inside the box he sent a low shot into the far corner, just inside the upright. All nerves dispelled (except mine!).
For 20 minutes the gulf in class was quite staggering as the Ryman Premier side carved open their opponents almost at will. Elder put a header over the top and, after 19 minutes, a superb through pass from Tom Phipp saw Fortnam-Tomlinson brought down but appeals for a penalty were waved away by the referee.
Phipp powered a shot over his shoulder, but also over the bar and then drove a free kick in the same direction as the visitors failed to gain any foothold in the game. But the half-hour mark brought some encouragement for the Bulls when Tristan Plummer dragged their first shot wide and for a 10 minute period they enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure.
Peter Beadle, ex of Gillingham, made a change at the beginning of the second half with the introduction of Pablo Haysham, who provided a little more invention from the left hand side.
The third goal was, as in any game, critical and Tonbridge thought they were going to have the opportunity from the penalty spot when Wheeler was brought down after 54 minutes. The referee once again waved away the appeals and booked the winger in the process. It might have been a big decision but, eight minutes later, the home side were indeed three goals ahead. A cross from the left from Jack Parter found a loosely marked Dundas who powered home a header from close range.
Now, even I could relax, but for only a couple minutes when the visitors brought the score back to 3-1. Plummer set up John Mills and the free-scoring striker swept the ball home to offer their support some hope.
Four minutes later, Tonbridge restored their three goal advantage when a poor pass from Jamie Edge was intercepted by Wheeler, who sent Luke Blewden, on as a substitute for Elder, through to smash his shot past Harris.
Blewden had a goal chalked off, somewhat mysteriously, before Edge converted a Haysham cross for a late consolation.
If I shook a little in the build-up to this game, I'm dreading the last qualifying round and praying for a very kind draw on Monday.
The Bulls will go home and lick their wounds but with their support base they will surely make swift progress through the leagues, but they will have to be a whole lot better than they were at Longmead. But that is taking a little away from a superb Tonbridge performance.
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