Sittingbourne 2 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 2/19/1726 - Saturday, 6th July 2019 - Pre-Season Friendly

Sittingbourne (2) 2
Tonbridge Angels (2) 3 Miles 12 Brewer 26 Read 86
Attendance: 260

Admission: £3 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 34/140

A few less trialists, three players playing a full 90 minutes contributed to a less muddled second outing and on a warm afternoon, Tonbridge Angels were tested as they were asked to come from two goals down within the first nine minutes.

Woodstock Park is a rural backwater, so much so that in my serious ground hopping days it was a reluctant venue on a dark Tuesday evening but on a bright Saturday the narrow lanes can be negotiated with relative ease and there is a warm welcome on arrival. Credit goes to Sittingbourne for producing a programme, and a reasonable one at that for a quid and a turnout of 260, with a very decent Tonbridge following was admirable.

As with Friday’s game at Sutton Common Rovers, Tonbridge fielded virtually different teams each half although Sonny Miles, Liam Smith and Tommy Brewer saw 90 minutes service.

The visitors quickly found themselves behind when, two minutes in, a cross from the right to the far post saw a header parried away by Academy goalkeeper Joe Roberts but only into the path of another unnamed Sittingbourne striker who tucked it home from close range.

Roberts tipped over a well hit shot after eight minutes but from the resultant corner the ball as inadvertently directed into his own net by James Folkes to give the Isthmian South side a two goal advantage.

Certainly a response was needed and that came four minutes later when a free kick floated to the far post by trialist Tommie Hession-Harris was met with a Miles header to reduce the deficit.

Tonbridge now had the momentum and after Tom Derry brought a save low to his left from the Sittingbourne goalkeeper, another free kick from Hession-Harris which was half-cleared to the edge of the box from where Brewer drove home.

The Angels carved out chances for trialist Ellis Brown, who headed over and Smith whose shot was well saved, but parity was preserved until the break.

The second half brought the multiple changes, one of which introduced Harry Main, nephew of Tonbridge legend Jon, who was an interested spectator.

Both sides had good second half chances probably the best of them falling to Sittingbourne with the left winger proving to be the most wasteful although he did bring one decent save from trialist goalkeeper, Ted McDonnell.

Tonbridge finally wrapped up the win with four minutes remaining when a cross was headed back across the face of goal by Miles for Alex Read to bundle the ball home at the far post.

There were differing opinions from Tonbridge supporters as to whether any of the trialists deserved another match to prove their worth, personally I thought Hession-Harris and Ellis Brown might get third games, but whether there is a National League place for them is less likely.

Action shots: Dave Couldridge