Tonbridge Angels 1 Bognor Regis Town 2

Match 43/18/1636 - Saturday, 13th October 2018 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Read 67
Bognor Regis Town (0) 2 Lethbridge 51 Walsh 90
Attendance: 814

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/2,845

Non-League Day at Tonbridge probably exceeded expectations with an impressive 814 through the gate. The bumper attendance was rewarded with a high quality game that anyone who had ventured into this level for the first time in the absence of the Premier League’s glitterati would surely have thought their £5 was well spent.

The home fans would have perhaps felt a sense of injustice that a reckless challenge that took their goalkeeper from the field leaving them with a substitute custodian with a history that was duly repeated.

Whilst that was the defining moment in the game, the majority of the home support would have recognised that Bognor were excellent and probably deserved the points whilst appreciating that their own favourites had worked tirelessly to fight their way back into the game.

Tonbridge roared out of the traps and good wing back play from James Folkes ended with Adem Ramadan firing over with just 30 seconds on the clock.

Jared Small fired wide before Bognor found their feet with their short passing game opening up the Angels defence. Joe Tomlinson and Doug Tuck combined well, creating chances for Mason Walsh whilst Bradley Lethbridge curled a shot wide of the far past followed by Jimmy Muitt and Harvey Whyte firing over.

Tonbridge struggled to regain their opening momentum but slowly the game evened out with a determined run from Alex Read ending with a shot over and two fine passes from Small to Turner and on to Read carved Bognor open but the striker fired wide.

A rush of madness from Bognor ‘keeper Dan Lincoln allowed Small a distant shot into an empty net as chances fell one after the other to both sides who were similarly afflicted with wayward shooting.

After 51 minutes a defensive mix-up saw Sonny Miles allow Lethbridge cut in from the left to bury his unexpected opportunity to give the visitors the lead.

Bognor further grew in confidence with Lethbridge guilty of dragging a couple of chances wide and it appeared a tall order for the Angels to find a way back into the game. But Ramadan, who had a sparkling game, cut in from the right with his shot-cum-cross rebounding to Read who made no mistake from around 12 yards.

A point apiece would probably have been seen as a good result from both sides point of view but the game turned on 78 minutes when the challenge from Whyte caught Henly earning him a yellow card that many from a closer vantage point thought deserved greater punishment. After a long delay, Henly was unable to continue and needed to be stretchered from the pitch.

Tonbridge supporters misgivings about their substitute goalkeeper, unfortunately proved well founded when in the 90th minute a 25 yard shot from Walsh, hardly carrying much venom, found its way past him to the delight of the large travelling contingent and the exasperation of the rest of Longmead.

In the eight minutes of added time, Tonbridge substitute Liam King saw an effort blocked and Read fired tamely at the keeper.

This was a great advert for the Bostik Premier and worth £5 of anybody’s money (as long as they entered the ground before 2.15pm), but Tonbridge’s supporters will only feel frustration whatever price they paid.