Tonbridge Angels (2) 3 Read 10 Turner 27 McKenzie 71
Kingstonian (2) 2 Inman 45 McAuley 45
Attendance: 369
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/4,816
It is typical that a god awful run was brought to an end by beating one of the form teams in the division and a team with money to burn in their quest for promotion.
It is fair to say that the sight of Elliott Buchanan named on the bench, but with no chance of taking to the field, cut the attacking threat of Kingstonian as Louie Theophanous ploughed a lone furrow without his partner.
Kingstonian, borne of a confidence that had only seen them beaten by league leaders Haringey since early November, were first to offer a shot on goal with Tyler Brown shooting wide, but it was the hosts that took the lead on 10 minutes. A cross from Joe Turner was only flapped to partial safety by Rob Tolfrey to the right hand corner of the six yard box to Chinedu McKenzie who directed a pass towards the near post that was smartly turned in by Alex Read.
Tonbridge had a huge let off after 20 minutes when a free kick was headed on from the edge of the box to the waiting Theophanous who with time and space inexplicably directed his shot wide of the left hand post.
Steve McKimm employed a more direct style with his two strikers and, after 27 minutes this bore fruit. A long kick from goalkeeper Jonny Henly found Read picking up a loose ball, passing left to Joe Turner, whose shot across the face of Tolfrey nestled into the far corner. It was a sweet moment for Turner, who had taken merciless stick from his erstwhile supporters. No doubt it brought a wry grin from McKimm who had taken similar abuse.
To get through to the break with the two goal lead intact was all-important but, unfortunately focus was lost from a 45 minute corner that was played short and the cross from the right hand angle of the 18 yard box found the unmarked Dean Inman who headed home.
Unbelievably worse was to follow, as within the couple of minutes of time added, Kingstonian levelled the score. Alfie Doughty chased a ball down, his cross from the by-line was headed clear by Sonny Miles but only to the edge of the box from where Shaun McAuley buried a shot into the top corner. To go into the dressing rooms after controlling the game only level was a crushing blow to the Angels, now it was all about getting a positive reaction to the setback.
And the hosts certainly started the second period positively with McKenzie testing Tolfrey and Read firing wide before, after 50 minutes, a ball well won in midfield by a combination of Tom Parkinson and D’Sean Theobalds ended with the former putting McKenzie clear with a ball over the top. McKenzie failed to lift the ball over the advancing Tolfrey and when the ball was retrieved and crossed by Jack Parter, Read headed wide, in what proved his last action as he was substituted due to illness.
Theophanous, whose shooting boots had clearly been left back at Kingston, managed to find the target forcing Henly into a good, low save but it was largely the home side that were forcing the pace with Tolfrey saving from Jared Small and Turner heading over.
On 71 minutes a foul on McKenzie led to a booking for Kingstonian’s experienced Jay Gasson. Turner floated the free kick towards the six yard box from where Miles directed a downward header that was parried by Tolfrey into the path of McKenzie to touch home to cue a celebratory dance the likes of which we haven’t seen in a while.
Five minutes later, was it a clever lob or a misplaced cross, whatever, Tom Murphy’s effort came back off the inside of a post.
Needing to press on, Kingstonian created chances that were fired over by Theophanous and Doughty but largely Tonbridge managed the game well into its closing moments. McKenzie raced clear only to be stopped in his tracks by a superb saving tackle by Gasson and as the clocked clicked past the added time, Murphy had the ball in the net only to be chalked off for offside.
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