Metropolitan Police 2 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 129/18/1722 - Saturday, 11th May 2019 - FA Super Play-off Final

Metropolitan Police (1) 2 Chislett 18 Robinson 57
Tonbridge Angels (0) 3 Lee 52 Theobalds 85 Derry 97
After extra time, score at 90 minutes: 2-2
Attendance: 1,268

Admission: £5 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 120/7,582

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The last three weeks have been stressful, each game has had its challenges and one-by-one they have been ticked off. Nobody wanted the Super Play-off format that could have been so easily avoided and whilst celebrating Tonbridge Angels’ success it is at the same time commiserating with Metropolitan Police who over the course of a season had finished third in their League, won through a difficult Play-off process but remain an Evo-Stick Premier South club next season. The process was unfair from the outset and remained so, whether as the winner or otherwise.

Tonbridge Angels supporters turned Imber Court into a home game with an estimate that they made up two-thirds of the 1,268 attendance and the scenes at the end of a game that had gone into extra time will not be forgotten by any of them for a very long time.

Sonny Miles’ appeal against his sending-off in the Isthmian Play-off Final was turned down and his place in the centre of the back four went to Michael Kamara, who has been on dual registration with Woking.

The visitors started the game strongly with Joe Turner being brought down on the edge of the box after five minutes Turner’s free kick evaded the wall but was met with a De Gea-type save from Berti Schotteri’s leading foot.

Two minutes later, Turner left-sided free kick was headed away for a corner from which Kamara saw his header cleared from the line. Turner then saw his shot turned away for a corner by Schotteri at his near post before the Police went in front after 18 minutes with their first real attack of the game.

John Gilbert pulled the ball back from the left to Ethan Chislett who, from 20 yards, curled a shot into the top corner giving Jonny Henly no chance.

The Met, now with their tails up, gained momentum and Henly saved well, low to his left, to turn aside a shot from outside of the box by Max Blackmore and, after 25 minutes, from a corner Ollie Robinson headed over.

Tonbridge should have drawn level three minutes later when Craig Stone pulled the ball across the face of goal to an unmarked McKenzie who, inexplicably, ballooned the ball over from six yards.

Half-time arrived with Tonbridge a goal behind in 45 minutes that they had largely dominated.

But within five minutes of the restart they were back on level terms. A free-kick needlessly given away for hand ball by Gilbert. Arthur Lee stood over the ball and the expectant group of defenders and attackers assembled at the far post for the cross, but Lee whipped in a shot to the near post catching Schotteri unawares and only able to help the ball on its way into the corner.

The delight of the massed Tonbridge ranks lasted barely two minutes and it came after a series of saves from Schotteri that denied the visitors taking the lead. He first palmed away a 25 yard shot from Turner; recovered to turn away the rebound from Jack Parter before two efforts from Adem Ramadan were blocked by desperate defending.

From the clearance, the Metropolitan Police counter attacked and forced a corner that was cleared to Gilbert who fired a low cross that was met by Robinson whose touch rebounded off the legs Henly back to him to run the ball home.

It felt like a shattering blow but Tonbridge continued to take the game to their hosts but were finding a goalkeeper at the peak of his form. Stone saw his 70th minute shot tipped over the bar by Schotteri followed by a header from the midfielder.

There were five minutes left on the clock when Theobalds picked up the ball in the centre circle, he left two defenders in his wake before committing another on the edge of the box and as a fourth stood off from making a challenge he rifled a shot under Schotteri for a magnificent equaliser.

Tonbridge should have avoided extra time when a cross from Turner found Derry at the far post whose header across the face of goal seemingly bounced off the shin of McKenzie with the ball agonisingly drifting wide.

Into extra-time and Henly was needed to tip over the bar an effort from Jack Mazzone, the Met’s leading goalscorer who had been well marshalled all afternoon but Tonbridge maintained the momentum as substitute Jared Small started making an impact down the right. Firstly his cross was deflected away for a corner and then, in the seventh minute of extra time, he produced an inch perfect cross to the far post and the head of Derry who nodded it home with ease.

The Met had to respond and Chislett tested Henly twice before Blackmore drove a shot marginally wide.

Three minutes of the second period of extra time remained when Turner fired over after being set up by Theobalds and Tonbridge needed to survive one more corner that was successfully hacked to safety before the final whistle that brought the now obligatory crowd invasion and a wild celebrations that included the chairman body surfed by supporters.

It was the game that nobody wanted, but what a game was produced. This has been a season of epic peaks and troughs, I don’t think there was a supporter out there who would have predicted this outcome after the defeat at Carshalton, but the turnaround is complete and National South awaits.