Haringey Borough (1) 4 Richards 22 Rowe 59,84 Aresti 90+2
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 260
New Ground: 331
Admission: £6 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 124/3,774
A statistician among the Angels’ following cited that Tonbridge had 28 attempts on goal and no less than 10 corners, all of which amounted to nothing as the hosts, Haringey Borough netted from four of their five shots on target.
The Dartford Tunnel, and possibly even worse, the North Circular didn’t make for an appealing prospect on a Monday evening but, if anything went well on the night, travel to White Hart Lane was trouble free.
Haringey Borough came into the game off a magnificent FA Cup run that took them to a televised First Round tie against AFC Wimbledon and although they lost to a heartbreaking 90th minute goal from ex-Angel Mitchell Pinnock, they had the compensation of £120,000-plus to ease the pain. One would hope that a fair proportion of this windfall will be spent on the infrastructure because Coles Park certainly needs some upgrading.
The main stand is a lovely old-fashioned structure but as far as cover and seating goes that is it, unless you count an area of standing, laid back from the pitch perimeter that would not offer much of a view with people on the fence in front, as there would have been when 2,700 packed the ground for the FA Cup tie.
Tonbridge are in the midst of a grand tour of the Isthmian’s 3G surfaces and, so far, it is not going well. Manager Steve McKimm preferred Tommy Whitnell to Craig Stone and, with Liam King’s ankle feeling the strain of Saturday’s plastic surface, Alex Read was recalled. James Folkes, also carrying an injury, made way for Liam Smith.
Tonbridge dominated possession from the outset and a flap at a cross by goalkeeper, Valery Pajetat was far from a sign of things to come.
The goalkeeper made a good save, low to his left, from Joe Turner after 19 minutes and, a minute later, the same man crashed a shot against the bar.
Thoughts of, it has to come, were quickly dispelled as Haringey took the lead after 22 minutes. A headed clearance found Rakim Richards on the edge of the box and his shot took a deflection to carry it past Jonny Henly.
The momentum of the game did not change as Tonbridge pressed forward from the restart. Jared Small had an effort that Pajetat gathered at the second attempt and a fine low stop to deny Tom Beere.
After 32 minutes, an inviting cross to the far post brought a head-in-hands moment for Read as he managed to turn the cross wide from a matter of a yard. On the stroke of half-time, a recycled corner from Turner was met with a strong, goal bound header from Sonny Miles that was acrobatically turned over bye Pajetat. On these two moments, I’m convinced the game hinged. Had one been converted and the teams went into the break on level terms, I’ve no doubt in my mind that the scoreline would have read a lot different.
The adulation that the Cameroonian goalkeeper took from supporters and fellow players suggests that their thoughts were not a lot different to mine.
And so the story went on, same old same old. Small shot narrowly wide, Pajetat saved well from Tom Parkinson before, apart from picking the ball out of his net, Henly made his first serious save of the game at his near post to turn away for a corner an effort from Michael Ademiluyi. But, from the resultant corner driven to the far post, Coby Rowe converted with a downward header to double the hosts advantage.
In an instant, the dynamics of the game changed and as Tonbridge gambled, gaps appeared that Haringey were able to exploit but the chances continued to fall the visitor's way with Turner heading over and substitute Adem Ramadan seeing his effort cleared from the line by David Olufemi.
The game was settled after 84 minutes when Joel Nouble laid the ball back from the edge of the box into the path of Rowe who let go an absolute exocet of a shot from 30 yards that no goalkeeper in the world was keeping out.
As the game ticked into five minutes of time-added, which at least brought some gallows humour following Saturday’s time piece debacle, insult was added to injury as a near post cross was converted by substitute Georgios Aresti.
No UEFA coaching badge is needed to know that goals win games and, if from the volume of chances had, no goals are scored, games are not going to be won.
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