Dulwich Hamlet (2) 3 Ferguson 35 Green 44 Akinyemi 87
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Miles 53
Attendance: 569
Played at Tooting & Mitcham FC
Admission: £5 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 110/2,088
It seems a fait acompli that every season the Gods turn against Tonbridge as this competition unfolds.
National South Dulwich Hamlet, even at their adopted home, was always a poor draw but for large periods of the game, the visitors were the better side.
The game turned in the favour of Dulwich in a two minute period just prior to half-time when not only did the home double their advantage with a disputed goal but Tonbridge Angels were reduced to 10 men when the referee decided that the aggrieved James Folkes had offered a comment too far.
The Angels’ 10 men strove every sinew to rescue the game in the second period and can walk away from the game with a great amount of pride.
Tonbridge started the game with the confidence borne from their league form and were inches away from a seventh minute lead when Adem Ramadan’s pass across the face of the goal eluded Joe Turner by the said inches.
Preston Edwards in the Dulwich goal was tested by Tommy Whitnell and Turner before ex-Angel Nathan Green forced Jonny Henly into his first save, low to his left.
On the half-hour a good interchange between Alex Read and Whitnell ended with Preston deflecting the ball for a corner with his feet. From the resultant corner, Tommy Parkinson’s headed effort only found the hands of Edwards.
After 34 minutes, Dulwich carved out their best chance with Henly making a fine stop at his near post to deny another ex-Angel Jay May. But the resultant corner found Nathan Ferguson making a late, unchallenged run into the box and his powerful header gave Henly no chance.
Tonbridge nearly benefited from May inadvertently directing the ball towards his own net but Edwards reacted well to palm the ball to safety.
The controversial, and defining, moment of the game came with a minute of the half remaining when a ball into the box was about to be cleared by Folkes when May slid in, felling the Tonbridge full back with the ball running loose to Green who had a relatively easy finish.
The visitors were naturally aggrieved with the decision not to award a free kick and, in the confusion, a red card was shown to Folkes for foul language.
Manager Steve McKimm reacted during the break by withdrawing Ramadan in favour of defender Liam Smith.
Tonbridge were not about to roll over and bow out of the FA Cup with a whimper despite their adversity and were quickly back in the game after 53 minutes when a corner from Turner fell at the feet of Sonny Miles who finished sharply into the bottom corner with the deftness of a proven striker.
With their tails up, and with little to lose, McKimm introduced Jared Small for Craig Stone for more forward momentum.
Tonbridge created chances and the Dulwich defence looked nervy as a ricochet off Turner saw the ball looping towards the goal for Edwards to save and headed chances for Smith and Parkinson were wide of the target.
Hearts went into mouths as Ifeanyi Allen went to ground in the area but as the referee appeared to point towards the spot he actually booked the Dulwich substitute for simulation.
Tonbridge continued to search for the goal to take the tie back to Longmed but were always in danger of getting caught on the break and Miles needed to be at his defensive best to clear after Henly had parried a Nyren Clunis effort.
But the inevitable was about to happen and from a Tonbridge attack the ball was swept downfield and a cross from the right was met with a tap-in for Dipo Akinyemi for seal the game for Dulwich Hamlet.
Henly made saves in added time from Gavin Tomlin and Akinyemi to prevent the scoreline from becoming even more flattering that it already was.
A sense of injustice doesn’t see Tonbridge’s name in the hat for the next round, time to file it away and return to the task of maintaining their position at the head of Bostik Premier.
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