Tonbridge Angels U18 1 Maidstone United U18 2

Match 77/23/2200 - Monday, 29th January 2024 - Isthmian Youth League

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 1 Millis 65
Maidstone United U18 (2) 2 Edoru 25 Daffell 38
Attendance: 58
Admission: £3 Senior
Mileage: 38/5,675

Tonbridge Angels U18’s paid the price of a poor first half to see their unbeaten home run, stretching to eight games, come to an end at the hands of neighbours Maidstone United.

Taking nothing away from the visitors, the first period was completely out of character from the Angels youngsters who were second best in all departments and lacking any sort of intensity.

Even manager Dom Welsh, not normally lost for words, was bemused by their first half. When asked: “I’ve idea, couldn’t tell you, just didn’t see it coming at all.”

In the early stages, the game itself lacked any sort of passion associated with a local derby. Sam Firman had the opening opportunity after 13 minutes when his effort found the side netting but it was another half-hour before the Maidstone goalkeeper, Chris Swift, was asked to make any sort of save, denying Reuben Etherington.

In between, the Stones dominated the game. Tyler Ware put a header wide after 20 minutes; Jecu Edoru fired over before, after 25 minutes, Edoru shrugged off a challenge to score into the far bottom corner after cutting in from the right.

Toby Edwards, in the Angels goal, picked up a yellow card when he brought down a Maidstone forward just outside his box, such was the disarray that the home side were in at that point and it was no surprise when the lead was doubled on 38 minutes when Will Daffell found the top corner, giving Edwards no chance, with a shot from just outside of the box.

The half-time introduction of Tolu Fabimafobee gave the Angels an instant injection of energy and pace down the left as the home side poured forward to salvage something from the game.

Etherington set up Cameron Honarvar with a header on 50 minutes that was narrowly wide and Swift was kept busy making saves from Felix Waring and Fabimafobee.

A second substitution, Logan Wallace, brought different dynamic that stretched the Stones defence further. But while the chances were coming, they were also being wasted until, on 65 minutes, a cross-cum-shot from Noah Millis sailed over the head of Swift to nestle in the far corner of the net and the Angels were right back in the game.

For 25 minutes, Tonbridge hammered on the Maidstone door but they could not break down the resolute defence. Wallace and Fabimafobee tested the goalkeeper, skipper Will Puffette, thrown forward, saw headers clear the bar or held by Swift, but it was just not to be.

Dom Welsh, said after the match: “The end of a great unbeaten run. We lost the game in the first half with a poor all round performance. A game of two halves as we pushed hard in the second half but to no avail. Well done to Maidstone on a deserved three points.”

Weston-super-Mare 3 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 76/23/2199 - Saturday, 27th January 2024 - National League South

Weston-super-Mare (1) 3 Willmott 11,59 Humphries 50
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Odokonyero 30
Attendance: 981
Admission: £10 Senior
Mileage: 388/5,637
New Ground: 383

The Angels first visit to the Optima Stadium, home of Weston-super-Mare, for 10 years brought the same outcome with a disappointing defeat.

Two second half goals in a frustrating second period sealed the Angels fate after a first half in which they just about edged a well contested game.

Jay Saunders had Sean Shields and Jamie Fielding back at his disposal and they went straight back into the starting XI with Francis Mampolo and Mo Dabre rested to the bench from the side that won at Dover on Tuesday.

A sizeable following travelled to north Somerset on a dry, but chilly afternoon and they were in good voice as Nathan Odokonyero had the opening opportunity in the third minute with a shot that was narrowly wide.

But the Angels were on the back foot in the opening minutes and this ended with the home side taking the lead on 11 minutes when a misplaced pass from midfield was intercepted by Dayle Grubb who drove forward before releasing a pass to Robbie Willmott who buried his shot into the far corner.

Tonbridge settled down well after the goal and with Tariq Hinds getting plenty of joy down the right, the half chances began to fall but shots from Paris Lock, Jordan Higgs and Hinds were blocked or saved by the goalkeeper, Max Harris.

The visitors deservedly were level on the half-hour when Liam Vincent’s surging run to the left byeline saw him pull the ball back across the face of goal to Odokonyero who scored with a cheeky backheel.

The Angels went on to have the better of the remaining minutes with a Kodi Lyons-Foster effort that was blocked following a corner being the best of the chances.

Sadly, the first half promise faded away and the home side enjoyed much the better of the second period and were back in front in the 50th minute when the ball was laid back to Lloyd Humphries whose sublime strike from 20 yards found the top corner giving Jonny Henly no chance,

On the hour, Weston moved two goals clear when Reuben Reid found Willmott on the right, who cut in to bury his shot into the far corner.

Despite mounting a decent effort to retrieve the game, the Weston defence largely were in control of the game with only a shot from substitute Jordan Greenidge bringing a save from Harris at his near post.

A disappointed Jay Saunders bemoaned his side start to the second half: “First twenty minutes of the second half we’ve not turned up again. They’ve killed us off in 15 minutes and it’s poor.”

The Optima Stadium was standard National League South with a modern terraced stand behind one goal that would house a sizeable proportion of the 3,500 capacity. Behind the other goal is another covered terrace, but this one only a couple of steps high. On the clubhouse side is a seated stand that seats 350 with flat terracing either side of it. Opposite there is just a high fence separating the ground from other pitches etc and flat standing area. The grass pitch was heavy and has been subject to some postponements but overall played fine.

Charlton Athletic Trust Kent 0 Tonbridge Angels 13

Match 75/23/2198 - Wednesday, 24th January 2024 - National League U19 Alliance

Charlton Athletic Trust Kent (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels Academy (4) 13 Robbins 5 Velvick 12 Vowles 22,57 (pen),67,83 F.Dudley 45 C.Dudley 50,74 Shave 59,77 McArthur 62 Clark 81
Attendance: 20
Admission: Free
Mileage: 39/5,249

Dover Athletic 1 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 74/23/2197 - Tuesday, 23rd January 2024 - National League South

Dover Athletic (1) 1 Mensah 45
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Higgs 16 Mampolo 52
Attendance: 455
Admission: £15 Senior
Mileage: 78/5,210

Tonbridge Angels emerged from a wind swept, rain sodden Crabble with all three points following a game where any sort of quality was largely negated by the effect of Storm Jocelyn, that grew stronger as the game progressed.

Jay Saunders was forced into another reshuffle recalling Francis Mampolo from his dual registration at Margate with Jamie Fielding and Ansu Janneh both missing through illness.

Such was the swirling nature of the wind it was difficult to ascertain whether either side had any advantage from it in the first period that the Angels completely dominated. Such was their overwhelming superiority the travelling support were bewildered that half-time arrived with the scores level. It was a mystery that the combined talents of Miss Marple and Vera would not be able to unravel. At one point, an exasperated voice of a Dover supporter pleaded: “Can we have our ball back”, but the name of the game is putting the ball in the net and despite countless chances only one was converted and Dover scrambled a late first half equaliser.

In contrast to the rest of the half, Dover fashioned two decent chances in the opening 10 minutes with Iffy Allen blasting high and wide after two minutes when well placed on the right side of the goal and on 10 minutes the Angels bar was rattled by George Wilkinson from 20 yards.

From that scare, Tonbridge started to control the game with some slick passing and movement that belied the conditions with Paris Lock and Mampolo leading the Dover rearguard a merry dance.

After 16 minutes the goal finally came with a move that started with Mampolo and ended with Jordan Higgs turning and shooting to score against his old club.

It was a mixture of dogged defending, some good goalkeeping from Daniel Jinadu and, in truth some poor finishing that allowed the half to progress without any further addition until the last minute. Jinadu saved well to deny Nathan Odokonyero, Tariq Hinds and Mo Dabre as the traffic became ridiculously one way.

On the stroke of half-time a free kick sent into the Angels box was only partially cleared and the ensuing scramble saw Jacob Mensah stab the ball home.

Even in the time added, another Angels chance came and went with Jinadu saving with his feet from Odokonyero.

The effect of the wind on the kicking of Dover goalkeeper, Jinadu probably said that the wind had now veered in the Angels favour although the rain swirling said otherwise.

Tonbridge continued to dominate the game in the second period, perhaps with not quite the same authority but the lead was regained on 52 minutes when a cross into the box wasn’t dealt with by the keeper under pressure from Odokonyero and when the ball fell at the feet of Mampolo he swept it home.

Chances continued to be made to put the game to bed but were not taken which gave the home side the impetus to set up a last 10 minutes in which the peppered the goal with crosses and numerous corners. At times the defending was desperate but the storm was weathered in more ways than one.

Tonbridge Angels U18 2 Metropolitan Police 0

Match 73/23/2196 - Monday, 22nd January 2024 - Isthmian Youth League Cup QF

Tonbridge Angels U18 (2) 2 Etherington (pen) 8 Firman 31
Metropolitan Police (0) 0
Attendance: 48
Admission: £3 Senior
Mileage: 38/5,132

It wasn’t quite 2019, and all that, but for the Angels youngsters it means much the same as a 2-0 win over Metropolitan Police sees them march on and into the Isthmian League Cup Semi-Final.

If 2019 doesn’t ring too many bells for Logan Wallace and Fiachra Pritchard, it’s because they hadn’t even started secondary school on that May day!

The Angels were not to be overawed by the occasion of the Quarter Final producing a first half performance in which they took the game to their opponents and were rewarded with a two goal half-time lead and a second half in which they contained the Met with goalkeeper, Toby Edwards, asked only to make one serious save.

Within two minutes of the opening whistle, Felix Waring brought a good, low save out of the Police goalkeeper, Joseph Hill and were ahead in the eighth minute when a superb interchange between Sam Firman and Cameron Honarvar saw the latter brought down in the box for the award of a penalty. Reuben Etherington, calmness personified, found the bottom corner to give the Angels the early advantage.

While Tonbridge dominated, the Met Police were not without their moments and the Angels were forced to defend well from a series of corners with Edwards making one save of note from Daghan Basaranufare.

A driving run from Ben Martin-Coward saw his shot deflected into the goalkeeper’s arms and Firman shot over, before on 31 minutes, Firman, who had an electric first half, ran from deep without much in the way of challenge before reaching the box from where he blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

Two goals down at the break, the visitors needed to throw a certain amount of caution to the wind and they posed many questions of the Angels defence but, on the break, it looked more likely that the home side would add to their advantage.

One such counter-attack, on 63 minutes, saw Martin-Coward and Honarvar set up a chance for Waring in front of goal but his shot was high.

Golden chances to get back into the game were spurned by the Police as Basaranufare headed over from a corner and Edwards had his one real save to make to deny Igor Souza.

In the final 10 minutes, as the visitors became stretched, chances fell to substitutes Wallace and Fin McLeod but Police keeper, Hill, denied them.

A delighted Dom Welsh said said after the game: “It was a big win against a talented side. We had the moments of quality in the final third in the first half and then showed our ability to close games out.”

At the time of reporting we know that the semi-final opponents will come from the winners of the Cray Valley v Kingstonian tie, but we don’t know where it will be played.

Tonbridge Angels 0 Worthing 1

Match 72/23/2195 - Saturday, 20th January 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Worthing (0) 1 Pearce 62
Attendance: 1,337
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,094

A first unsuccessful penalty of the season from Lewis Gard ultimately signalled the end of Tonbridge’s 10 game unbeaten run at Longmead.

In a really good game, Worthing showed all the credentials of a promotion winning side including the must have, a prolific striker in Ollie Pearce, whose goal took his total to 21 for the season.

That be said, in my opinion, Tonbridge deserved something out of the game and with the sharper finishing that their visitors possessed, they would have got what they deserved.

After the freezing temperatures of the last few days, the mercury rose a little but it was still pretty chilly as another bumper crowd, boosted by a strong following from West Sussex, of 1,337 was in attendance.

Tonbridge paraded two new loan signings, Nathan Odonkonyero, a striker from Ebbsfleet United and Liam Vincent, a left back from Portsmouth. Jordan Greenidge, Sean Shields and Jernade Meade were absent through injury.

Worthing showed their attacking intent from the outset and had a futile penalty appeal waved away followed by Jonny Henly making a save to thwart Jake Robinson, but the best chance of the opening minutes fell to Paris Lock who was fed a pass on the left side of the area from Mo Dabre, but his shot was well saved at the near post by Josh Jeffries.

A weaving run from the left from Lock ended with a Dabre shot that was comfortably collected by Jeffries and Odonkonyero pulled a shot wide as the Angels were enjoying the better of the play.

On 38 minutes, Worthing’s Danny Cashman was sent clear but blazed wastefully over whilst a minute later, Jeffries was the hero of the hour as he brilliantly clawed a Lock effort out of the top corner.

As the curtain came down on the first period, feeling was there was little between the teams with perhaps the Angels shading it.

In the 62nd minute, Worthing opened the scoring with some patient play down the left that retained possession before a long cross to the far post was headed back across the face of goal by Michael Klass for a typical poacher’s goal from Pearce, knocking in from close range whilst under pressure.

On 71 minutes a chance on the edge of the box fell to Gard, but his shot was high and wide. With 10 minutes remaining Lock’s persistence and quick feet saw him drive into the box where he went down under pressure from Finlay Chadwick.

Six successful conversions previously this season, Gard was probably due to miss one, and this was that time with a spot kick that comfortably cleared the bar.

The home side pressed hard for an equaliser, Tariq Hinds went down in the box in added time but this time the referee was unmoved.

Worthing proved their worth, no pun intended, and the Angels can only reflect that the difference between the sides has been the clinical striker, that Pearce is. That sort of quality doesn’t come chief and is beyond the means of most National League South clubs.

Tonbridge Angels Academy 3 Welling United Academy 5

Match 71/23/2194 - Wednesday, 18th January 2024 - National League U19 Alliance

Tonbridge Angels Academy (3) 3 F. Dudley 25 Velvick 42 Vowles (pen) 45+2
Welling United Academy (2) 5
Headcount: 15
Admission: Free
Mileage: 38/5,056

Tonbridge Angels Academy fell to defeat in a highly entertaining, goal-laden game against a very good, title chasing Welling United at Longmead on Wednesday lunchtime.

Both teams held games in hand on present leaders Ebbsfleet United, but it is the south London side that moved to within three points of the top with three games in hand.

The visitors started the game and enjoyed the early possession also creating the best of the chances with the Angels’ goalkeeper, Jay Blake, being the busier of the two. After eight minutes he was rounded but the angle became too tight for the Welling #8 who also brought a save from Blake. In response, after 16 minutes, Hayden Velvick outpaced the Wings defence down the left and his pull back from the bye line brought a save at the near post from Ollie Thomson.

Blake was also in the action after 24 minutes turning over a good effort from the edge of the box.

But, it was the Angels that went in front within a minute when the Welling goalkeeper strayed from his area to clear but was beaten to the ball by Josh McArthur whose pass allowed Felix Dudley to score.

The lead was only to last three minutes as a ball over the top of the Angels defence saw #22 run on to lob Blake, the ball came back off the post but the forward followed up to tap home.

Welling moved in front after 32 minutes when #8 lobbed the ball past the advancing Blake to score despite the desperate attempts to clear by Toby Allen.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued with a Thomson header and a Leo Vowles shot before the Welling goalkeeper was robbed on the edge of his box, dallying over a clearance, by McArthur with the ball falling to Velvick to score.

Confusion reigned, two minutes into first half added time when a handball first appeared to have brought a penalty decision that then turned into a free kick on the edge only for the assistant referee to confirm that a penalty should be the award. There was no confusion though as Vowles blasted his spot kick into the roof of the net to give the Angels a half-time 3-2 lead.

After both goalkeepers had made early second half saves, Welling equalised on 56 minutes with a shot that struck the inside of a post before crossing the line, once again at the behest of the eagle-eyed assistant referee.

Encouraged by the goal, Welling pressed forward and Ashton Thomas was needed to clear from the line before, after 65 minutes, a cross from the left was met with a towering header from #4 to give the visitors the lead.

Tonbridge worked hard in response with efforts from Tom Scott-Smith firing over; a header from Thomas going wide but with the last kick of the match, Welling’s #14 broke clear to seal the points.

Tonbridge Angels U18 2 Sutton Common Rovers 0

Match 70/23/2193 - Monday, 15th January 2024 - Isthmian Youth League

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 2 Etherington (pen) 61 Wallace 90+2
Sutton Common Rovers U18 (0) 0
Attendance: 32
Admission: £3 Senior
Mileage: 38/5,018

While their followers shivered on the sidelines in sub-zero temperatures, the Under-18’s warmed the cockles with two second half goals to beat perennial title chasers Sutton Common Rovers at Longmead.

There was also a great sense of satisfaction from the coaching team having seen their charges, in inclement weather of a different sort, take a 5-1 battering at Whyteleafe back in November.

In truth, there was very little to distract supporters from the numbing of their extremities in a first half of very few chances as the two teams sparred like championship boxers weighing each other up. Toby Edwards was the first goalkeeper to warm his hands, comfortably saving an effort from Noah Africa whilst on 23 minutes Cameron Honarvar narrowly dragged a shot wide.

The game opened up in the closing minutes of the half with SCR’s Harry Horben steering a header from a free kick straight at Edwards and a surging run from defence that ended with a shot that was deflected for a corner.

After the sports bar had turned a good trade in hot chocolate, the second half offered considerably more in terms of entertainment with the Angels much more to the fore.

A free kick from Reuben Etherington caused some chaos in the SCR penalty area that ended with Will Puffette scooping the ball over the bar and a loud cheer turned to groans as it was thought that a rasping shot from Etherington had found the top corner only to find that the ball had rippled the side netting.

It was the Angels though that opened the scoring, just past the hour, when following a free kick, a high boot to the head of Adam Larkin caught the attention of the assistant referee and after consultation the penalty spot was pointed too. Etherington confidently sent Derek Humphries the wrong way to edge the Angels in front.

Good teams like Sutton Common don’t lie down though and they pressed hard for an equaliser with Edwards saving well at his near post to deny Yuto Ouen and a free kick from Horben that was only inches over the crossbar.

Unfortunately, Horben’s frustration boiled over when he received a second caution and in time added, a free kick from Etherington saw Larkin nip in front of a defender to lay the ball across for Logan Wallace to convert from close range.

Dom Welsh said after the match: “Not many would have seen the turnaround in our season following the 5-1 at Sutton Common, who showed tonight they are still a good side. That was an outstanding performance from our boys tonight. We had a game plan that was executed outstandingly to prevent a quality side from creating clear cut chances whilst at the other end we took our chances in key moments.”

Next Monday evening (kick-off 19:45), the Angels U18’s take on Metropolitan Police in their postponed League Cup Quarter Final, your support would be most welcome.

Hemel Hempstead Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 69/23/2192 - Saturday, 13th January 2024 - National League South

Hemel Hempstead Town (0) 2 Hill 46 Folivi 57
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 609
Admission: £10 Senior
Mileage: 192/4,980

Two early second half goals consigned Tonbridge Angels to defeat at Hemel Hempstead Town’s Vauxhall Road, where fortune rarely favours the Angels. But, in all honesty, fortune had very little to do with an indifferent performance from Jay Saunders’ team.

A very chilly Hertfordshire greeted the Angels support alongside the team news that new signing Devonte Aransibia had gone straight into the starting XI. Jamie Fielding for Ethan Sutcliffe and Paris Lock for Ansu Janneh, who dropped to the bench were the changes from the home win against Weymouth with Jernade Meade also absent through injury. On the bench were Hayden Velvick who has been recalled from his dual registration at Rusthall and there was a surprise inclusion for Sonny Fish.

The first half was a dull affair with neither side gaining the upper hand. Mo Dabre was playing in the unaccustomed position of left back and doing a very competent job.

The first goalkeeper to be tested was Hemel’s Craig King, who comfortably held Aransibia’s free kick from the edge of the box. Hemel began to apply the greater of the pressure without particularly testing Jonny Henly.

On the cusp of the break, a nicely worked Angels move involving Lock and Jordan Greenidge ended with the former seeing his effort saved by the feet of King.

A poor start to the second period saw Tonbridge quickly fall two goals behind from set pieces. Within a minute of the restart, a corner from George Williams sent to beyond the far post was headed back across the face of goal from where Josh Hill buried a close range header past Henly.

A cross saw two Hemel forwards attempting a overhead kick but they did little more than put each other off before the Tudors doubled their advantage on 56 minutes when Myles Judd stood up a great cross that found Michael Folivi in space to head home an easy finish.

Sean Shields brought a good save out of King as the Angels mounted a decent response that also saw a Jordan Higgs header go wide.

Twenty-five minutes remained as Jay Saunders reshaped his attack, bringing on Velvick for Aransibia, who was tiring after very little game time of late, followed by the return of Fish as Greenidge made way. This brought a different focus to the front line with extra movement but, despite this, they continued to be well marshalled by Hemel’s strong central defensive partnership.

Henly kept the Angels hopes alive on 77 minutes with a fine save from Judd but the game slipped away from them with King only troubled by a late effort from Dabre.

Jay Saunders was disappointed with his side’s beginning to the second half: “We started the second half poorly. We allowed them to put entries into our box and they are a threat from set pieces. We had a wobble for 10 minutes and it is frustrating. The changes we had to make to the back four did not help.”

Tonbridge Angels 2 Weymouth 1

Match 68/23/2191 - Saturday, 6th January 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Greenidge 35 Lyons-Foster 71
Weymouth (1) 1 Bearwish 43
Attendance: 1,130
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/4,788

Tonbridge Angels returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Weymouth, who might return to home to Dorset a little disappointed such was the evenly contested nature of the game.

It is a case of home, sweet home for the Angels, who are now nine unbeaten at the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium, a run that stretches back to early September.

Jay Saunders was able to welcome back Sean Shields from the starting XI against Maidstone United and there was a return to the bench for Jamie Fielding after his head injury sustained against Dartford prior to Christmas, but the manager would have been disappointed to lose his captain Scott Wagstaff to injury. New signing Paris Lock dropped down to the bench with Ansu Janneh starting.

Tonbridge started well against a Weymouth side, who had a good Christmas with four points from their back-to-back games with Weston-super-Mare, but the best chance of the opening 20 minutes fell to Brandon Goodship, who spurned a golden opportunity at the far post after the ball had been delivered across the face of goal from the right and a couple of minutes later Dorking Wanderers loanee Alfie Rutherford brought a save out of Jonny Henly.

Tonbridge edged their way back into the game and good work from Mo Dabre opened up a shooting opportunity for Ansu Janneh that Weymouth goalkeeper, Gerrard Benfield was equal to.

A meandering run from midfield from Tariq Hinds saw him progress to the edge of the box before his shot took a deflection for a corner.

The Angels finally got their noses in front after 35 minutes when Lewis Gard danced his way along the left byeline before sliding a pass into Jordan Greenidge who had a tap-in from about a yard out against one of his former clubs.

The goal prompted the visitors into a positive response with a header from Harry Parsons saved by Henly before, two minutes before the break, a well worked move down the left saw Rutherford slip the ball inside to Tom Bearwish, who finished well from a tight angle to even things up at the break.

Saunders, not best pleased with his side’s first half performance, made a half-time substitution with Paris Lock replacing Ansu Janneh.

Lock immediately brought some pace and directness to the Angels attack and was only denied by the feet of the advancing Benfield after 56 minutes and 10 minutes later he was narrowly wide of the far post after being sent clear by Hinds.

The Angels regained the lead on 71 minutes when a Shields corner was met with a stooping near post header from Kodi Lyons-Foster from edge of the six yard box into the bottom corner.

The result remained in doubt throughout the last 20 minutes as Weymouth pushed hard for an equaliser but were reasonably contained by the Angels back line that had been reinforced with the introduction of Fielding for Dabre.

In time added, Benfield was robbed a long way from his goal on the left touchline by Lock whose audacious effort sadly only found the side netting.

The win elevates the Angels to ninth position in National League South ahead of next Saturday’s visit to Hemel Hempstead Town.

Maidstone United 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 67/23/2190 - Monday, 1st January 2024 - National League South

Maidstone United (2) 2 Henly (o.g.) 35 Corne (pen) 41
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 3,021
Admission: £14 Senior
Mileage: 20/4,750

Rusthall 0 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 66/23/2189 - Saturday, 30th December 2023 - SCEFL Premier

Rusthall (0) 0
Tunbridge Wells (0) 2 Kamara 80 Austin 88
Attendance: 1,110
Admission: £5 Senior
Mileage: 38/4,730

Gillingham 1 Sutton United 0

Match 65/23/2188 - Friday, 29th December 2023 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 Malone 72
Sutton United (0) 0
Attendance: 6,344
Admission: £19 Senior
Mileage: 38/4,692

It seems a strange time to be a Gillingham supporter. Gone is the toxic atmosphere of the end of the Scally era but is the honeymoon bliss of the Galinson era drawing to a close?

Since my last visit to Priestfield, Neil Harris has been sacked and, in his place, is Stephen Clemence. Among the reasons given for the departure of Harris was the style, or lack of it, of football. It wasn’t a great watch but it is any better now? Well, Clemence needs far more time but, on this showing, my thoughts and some of the discontent around me in the Gordon Road Stand appeared to be of the same, no it is not, quite frankly it was certainly worse than the last time I viewed.

This should have been a stroll for the Gills. Their visitors, Sutton United, languished in 23rd place in League and after 25 minutes were reduced to 10 men following a reckless challenge from Harry Smith.

The first half was as dull as dish water and while Gillingham amassed 24 efforts on goal, only four were on target and it took a terrific strike from Scott Malone to seal the points with 72 minutes on the clock.

I personally took issue with Clemence’s assertion that his team was fantastic. Yes, the superlative can be used in terms of the result, but in terms of the performance it is not a word I would have chosen.

But Gillingham remain on the edge of the play-off places and Clemence can take his time to implement the style that he wants all the while he is getting results.