Tonbridge U18 3 Dover Athletic U18 0

Match 34/16/1342 - Monday, 4th October 2016 - FA Youth Cup 2QR

Tonbridge (0) 3 Sollis 47, Smith 73, Pateman 83
Dover Athletic (0) 0
Attendance: 161

Entrance: £1 Senior
Programme: £1.00
Mileage: 38/3,039

Match Report

It was very disappointing that tensions that had been simmering away throughout the match boiled over a the final whistle, overshadowing what had been another very fine performance from Tonbridge Angels Under-18 side. Both managers expressed their disappointment with their lads behaviour both during the match and in the scuffle that followed at the end.

The referee was dismally poor, inasmuch that his decisions always seemed to take an age, but regarding dissent he followed the letter of the law and, subsequently, booked anyone that made any remark of any sort. Once they knew that was the case, it should have been time to keep it zipped.

Dover fielded their academy side which was a first year intake, so supposedly weakened them. Personally, I thought the FA Youth Cup was sufficiently a prestige competition for you to put out a team as strong as possible.

Tonbridge started strongly and could have been in front within the first minute, Sid Sollis shooting narrowly wide of the right hand upright.

After 13 minutes, Tonbridge's goalkeeper, Lewis Mitchell, took a knock at the feet of Dover's Marshall Wratten, who received the game's first yellow card, and required treatment for around five minutes before he was able to continue.

After 20 minutes, Dover's Ollie Roberts found his way into the referee's book after a poor challenge on Sollis. The resultant free kick was headed marginally wide by Sollis.

The referee's love of his yellow card continued as Dover's Ben Cardwell found his way into the book after 25 minutes.

Just on the half-hour, Tonbridge had a set back as the impressive Oliver Baker was forced from the field following a knock.

In truth, the game was pretty much one-way traffic, Jack Fenton had a shot blocked and Richard Frempong saw his shot saved. In time added Fenton and Sollis had chances saved and the referee completed his first half writing with the booking of Fenton.

Tonbridge got the lead their first half performance deserved after just a minute of the second half. A great run from Frempong set up Sollis to finish from close range.

The barrage of the Dover goal continued but Tonbridge had to wait until the 73 minute for a second goal. A free kick on the left was delivered to the far post by Tommy Chapman to iam Smith whose header looped over the stranded goalkeeper.

The yellow card continued to mount before, with eight minutes remaining, Tonbridge sealed their place in the next round. Once again the delivery of Chapman allowed the substitute Louis Pateman to poke in from close range.

With six yellow a side, it was inevitable that somebody would see red before the final whistle and that fate befell Dover's Cardwell. In the melee that followed the final whistle, red cards were also brandished to Tonbridge's Frempong and Dover's goalkeeper, Stan Waller and Roberts.