Tonbridge Angels 1 Carshalton Athletic 0

Match 121/18/1714 - Monday, 22nd April 2019 - Bostik Premier

Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Stone 79
Carshalton Athletic (0) 0
Attendance: 861

Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/7,040

It was tense and tension will never produce a great game of football, especially as at least one of the sides top priority was not to lose the game and as the game progressed in deadlock the other became just as nervous of a negative result.

Ultimately, a goal from an unexpected source saw Tonbridge over the line with a guaranteed place in the playoffs, whether that be as the home club will for the final weekend’s results to decide.

What the game desperately needed was an early goal from the home side that would have drawn Carshalton out of their shell. This might have come after nine minutes when firstly a long throw from Arthur Lee found the head of Sonny Miles whose effort was deflected wide. The resultant corner once more fell to this time the feet of Miles whose shot was blocked.

With that chance passed the game became ultra cagey with neither side threatening to break the deadlock.

The early part of the second period continued in much the same vein. Both sides had set piece opportunities but crosses into the box foundered on two strong defences.

After 79 minutes the breakthrough came following a Carshalton attack that saw James Folkes lay a pass, that was a little short, back to his goalkeeper, Jonny Henly, who under pressure launched a huge clearance that ended with the opposing central defender misheading the ball for a corner at the other end. Turner’s corner from the right, found the head of Miles who directed back across to the face to Craig Stone whose leap and strain of the neck was just enough to direct the ball into the corner of the net.

Now, we were set for a grandstand finish, but in truth it never came and when Tom Derry was sent clear with four minutes remaining he just never had enough gas left in the tank to get himself clear of the retreating Ricky Korboa and sent his shot well wide.

One final hold of the breath saw a free kick cleared and the returned shot ballooned over by Harry Ottaway to spark the celebrations of the clinching of that play-off position.