Tonbridge Angels 0 Merstham 1

Match 97/18/1690 - Saturday, 23rd February 2019 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Merstham (1) 1 Figuera 39
Attendance: 552

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/5,696

It was the first day of the season, the sun shone brightly, Merstham’s pitch looked a green baize and Tonbridge Angels brushed aside their hosts with consummate ease. As I happily departed the Moastside the only doubt nagging in my mind was “have I just watched the worst team we are going to meet this season”. Fast forward to mid-December, Merstham were not disproving my thoughts sitting four off the bottom of the table.

But, here we are late February, a sensational run of form has seen Merstham surge into fourth position with their hosts sitting third.

A quiet opening 15 minutes was only punctuated with Merstham picking up a couple of yellow cards and Amadou Tangara making a good save from a Tom Beere free kick.

On the half-hour, Tom Derry forced Tangara into another fine save at his near post turning the shot aside for a corner.

A couple of minutes later, Tangara was yellow-carded bizarrely for time wasting with an hour left on the clock.

A good move between Joe Turner and Derry brought yet another fine save from Tangara but, with their first attack of any conviction, Merstham snatched the lead when a cross from Gus Sow found Walter Figueira who stretched out a leg to volley past Jonny Henly.

Turner brought a save from Tangara before the break. The goalkeeper, whose kicking had been the butt of the hosts fans’ humour early in the half had had the last laugh as his series of saves had taken Merstham to the break with their lead.

It was Merstham that picked up the momentum in the early stages of the second period with Henly needing to advance to the feet of Roman Michael-Percil who had been sent clear following shortly after by Jack Parter clearing from the line.

Tonbridge huffed and puffed their way through the half without creating anything of any significance until nine minutes from time when Sonny Miles’ header was cleared from the line.

Merstham saw the game out with Henly asked to make a couple of saves as Tonbridge slipped to their first defeat of 2019.