Tonbridge Angels 0 Slough Town 3

Match 15/17/1465 - Saturday, 5th August 2017 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Slough Town (1) 3 Flood 33 Williams 41 Dobson 90
Attendance: 167

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 19/954

Having fallen a bit behind, this is a cheat's post copying and pasting Jim Rowe's report on a match that I left with 20 minutes to go to get to Tunbridge Wells' FA Cup tie.

It was a disappointing and somewhat luck lustre final pre-season friendly as far as the Angels were concerned as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat against Slough Town who completely deserved their win. If Hendon, Angels first league opponent , had any spies at the game they may not have been too concerned at what they saw.

In fairness, Tonbridge did have some first team members missing and with Joe Turner and trialist Michael O perhaps lacking match time this was not an Angels side necessarily able to fire on all cylinders

Despite a relatively even first half with chances falling to both sides it was the visitors who found themselves two goals in front at the break.

The Angels defence had to be alert in the 4th minute when a fine Slough cross from the right was expertly headed away by Sonny Miles. From the resultant corner it needed a block clearance to keep the home goal intact.

Four minutes later Alex Akrofi pulled a cross back for the advancing Nathan Elder but it was the Rebels' Nathan Smart who put in a great defensive tackle to keep the game goalless.

Chances fell to Chris Kinnear in the 12th minute and Akrofi on 25 minutes while at the other end Slough's Alan Inns who had stayed up after a set piece and with the Angels defence unable to clear their lines properly saw his snap shot go straight to home keeper Anthony di Bernardo.

The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute when the Angels appealing in vain for foul on Akrofi lost concentration and with the defence nowhere Chris Flood was able to run through and took his chance excellently. Slough doubled their lead on 42 minutes with the Angels defence unable to clear and Manny Williams shooting home from close in.

On resumption the home side did start to move the ball around with more accuracy and had some decent possession in the final third but too often there was no end product.

On 53 minutes there was a chance for Turner after he was put in by a Nathan Elder knock down but Jack Turner in the Slough goal dealt with the effort. Joe Turner turned provider on 69 minutes after good progress down the left wing, the cross was hit into the right area but no Tonbridge forward could take advantage.

As the game entered its final stages Andre McCollin had two great chances the first ended by a superb save from Jack Turner , the second he was muscled off the ball perhaps illegally by a Slough defender.

Slough with their two goal advantage were largely comfortable through the half but always looked as if they might have another goal in their locker. It duly arrived in the 90th minute through James Dobson who outwitted a tiring Angels defence.

Afterwards Angels boss Steve McKimm seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief that pre-season was finally over. "Is it too long? Perhaps, but you have to do it as preparation. Obviously supporters will be disappointed with the results at Chipstead and today against Slough but these results mean nothing in terms of competition and we can now start the business of playing for points. The players have fitness and training this week will concentrate on things like set pieces and the systems we will employ."