Tonbridge (3) 5 Sollis 6,31,45+2 Frimpong 62 L Smith 88
Maidstone United (2) 5 D Smith 2,55 Dorling 45+1, Richards 70 Burtonshaw 75
After extra time. Maidstone won 6-5 on penalties.
Attendance: 256
Entrance: £1 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 38/3,387
How different to the previous evening when two League One sides set each other the task of sending their paying public to sleep.
An attendance of 256 would have been the envy of most in Ryman League South and quite a few of the senior side’s Premier League counterparts.
Jay Stubberfield, the Tonbridge manager, said before the game that it would be a close encounter as the two sides knew each so well; in fact several actually go to school together. There was also a familiar face in the Maidstone dug-out, Tonbridge’s very own Tom Parkinson!
The game set out as it meant to go on with Maidstone taking an early lead after just two minutes. Jack Richards, a thorn in Tonbridge’s side all evening, took advantage of a lapse from Liam Smith to shoot across the face of goal. Lewis Mitchell parried the ball only into the path of Dave Smith who had the easiest of tap-ins.
Tonbridge were only momentarily rocked back on their heels though and after six minutes, a bad back pass from Joe Ford saw Sid Sollis capitalise with a fine finish past the advancing Tommy Taylor in the Stone’s goal.
The game ebbed and flowed at a rare old pace with Richards at the sharp end of every Maidstone attack and letting go a shot whether he was four or 40 yards from goal.
Just past the half-hour mark Tonbridge took the lead when Tommy Chapman stood up the perfect cross for Sollis to head home from close range.
Tonbridge had their tails up now and Richard Frimpong was next to try his luck but his effort went narrowly wide and when Sollis was brought down there were loud appeals for a penalty that were turned away by the referee, Daniel Proctor, who had a very good evening.
In the first minute of first half added time, Maidstone equalised when Mitchell flapped at a cross and paid the price when Josh Dorling fired in the loose ball.
Nonetheless, first half goals were not finished, as Tonbridge retook the lead at 45+2 minutes. A pass over the top from Connor Watson was misjudged by Ford and Sollis strode on to shoot past Taylor for his first half hat-trick.
After 55 minutes a magnificent, dipping shot over the diving body of Mitchell from Richards brought the Stones back level at 3-3.
It was certainly raining goals as just past the hour, Sollis set up Frimpong for a strike from around the penalty spot to make it 4-3 and ten minutes later, a speculative shot from Richards went under the body of Mitchell to make it 4-4.
The focal point of each attack, Sollis and Richards, both had strikes on goal before, after 75 minutes, another thunderbolt from 25 yards by Jon Burtenshaw put the Stones in front at 5-4.
With just two minutes remaining on the clock, a free kick on the right was sent into the box by Chapman to the head of Smith who steered it into the net for 5-5. In the act of challenging for the cross, Jack Fenton took a knock to the head and after a long delay had to be helped from the field. Having used all their substitutes, Tonbridge now had the prospect of 30 minutes extra time with 10 men.
Despite the goalscoring fiesta of the regular 90 minutes and Tonbridge’s personnel disadvantage, through extra time the score line remained the same. Liam Smith managed to clear a bundled shot from the line, a Sollis run was ended with a foul on the edge of the box from which the free kick was fired over before the game was brought to an end with a penalty shoot-out to decide who went through and, sadly, we all know what happens when any Tonbridge side are involved in these tie breakers. Each side missed one during the regulation five and at 6-5 it was the beautiful left foot of Tommy Chapman that stroked his spot kick against the bar to allow Maidstone the celebrations.
This was a wonderful evening’s entertainment. You won’t hear this very often from me, hopefully never again, but good luck to Maidstone, they hugely contributed to a great game played in the right manner.
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