Tonbridge Angels U18 1 Rusthall U18 5

Match 85/23/2208 - Sunday, 25th February 2024 - Kent FA Merit U18 Cup QF

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 1 McLeod 90+1
Rusthall U18 (3) 5 Marshall 17 Lyons 37 (pen),42 Massood 86 Rabbaj 90+3
Est. attendance: 120
Admission: Free
Mileage: 38/6,152

Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s said their farewells to cup football for this season when they suffered a comprehensive defeat to an outstanding Rusthall side in the Quarter Finals of the Kent FA Merit Under-18 Youth Cup.

Nobody would have doubted the pedigree of this talented Rusthall side who progressed to the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup earlier this season before exiting at the hands of Kingstonian.

The nature of the 5-1 defeat left Under-18’s manager Dom Welsh speechless. “I am without words. There can be zero excuses from us today, second best in all departments with a really poor performance. Best of luck to Rusthall in the semi-final. There is no time to dwell as a quick response is needed for Monday’s Isthmian Youth League game against Sheppey United at Longmead.”

The visitors started on the front foot and the momentum never left them, taking the lead on 17 minutes when Hayden Marshall surged into space from midfield before shooting into the bottom corner from around 20 yards.

The Angels were restricted to a Felix Waring shot before Rusthall doubled their advantage from the penalty spot. The foul was less contentious than whether it was made inside the box. Nonetheless, Jack Lyons converted from the spot.

A third goal before the break left Tonbridge with an uphill battle in the second half. On 42 minutes, Lyons scored with a cleverly taken free kick, squeezing the ball directly into the net at the near post as the throng awaited a cross to the far post.

The second half saw the Angels more competitive but being mostly kept at arm’s length by a disciplined defence whilst Rusthall continued to maintain a threat.

Defender Ben Martin-Coward was sent forward and he had the Angels best chance when sent clear but goalkeeper, Jack Glasborow, smothered at his feet.

The Angels crossbar was rattled before Rusthall added a fourth in the 86th minute when Zead Massood cut in from the left to finish into the bottom corner from a tight angle.

Tonbridge earned a consolation goal into added time when Cameron Honarvar combined with Fin McLeod to finish from close range but there was enough time remaining for Rusthall to add a fifth when a clever back heel on the edge of the box found Yusuf Rabbaj who curled his shot into the top corner.

It was a disappointing Sunday morning for the Under-18’s, who return to league action with a top three place still very much to play for.

Tonbridge Angels 1 Slough Town 2

Match 84/23/2207 - Saturday, 24th February 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Odokonyero 22
Slough Town (1) 2 Lench 1 Ogbonna 90+1
Attendance: 1,070
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/6,114

Both Tonbridge Angels and Slough Town have flirted with the play-off places in National League South so the importance of the game was apparent. A hard fought encounter ensued, but it was the visitors that enhanced their chances with an added time winner of some controversy.

Jay Saunders, perhaps sensing from Slough’s score a lot, concede a lot season, opted to go with two up top, pairing Jordan Greenidge and Nathan Odokonyero with Mo Dabre making way; the other change being a straight swap of Lewis Gard returning for Ryan Hanson.

Slough Town, coming into the game on the better run of form, flew out of the traps and, after just 35 seconds, David Ogbonna laid the ball back into the path of Matt Lench, whose strike from 30 yards found the top corner.

Slough, with Ogbonna giving the Angels a real problem down the left created further chances for Lench and Slavi Spasov before the Angels gained a foothold in the game.

Sean Shields put in a great cross from the left which Odokonyero headed narrowly wide before, after 22 minutes, a quick throw saw Greenidge pass to Odokonyero who drove the ball under Dan Lincoln.

The Angels finished the first half the stronger with Odokonyero having efforts saved and Jordan Higgs driving a free kick narrowly wide.

The second half was far more of a dogged affair with little in the way of clear cut chances for either side until late on when Shields saw his effort saved before, in the 91st minute, after conceding possession, a cross into the Tonbridge box from the left found its way to Nathan Minhas who saw his shot hit the post with the rebound falling to Ogbonna whose shot was cleared but a linesman’s flag deemed that the ball had crossed the line.

Jay Saunders said following the game: “With regards to the goal, whether it was or it wasn’t, that’s papering over a few cracks, I don’t think we were good today, perhaps the worst we’ve been in a while. The goal is a tough one to take, we’ve seen it back and it wasn’t a goal. The linesman has said that he gave it for the first effort but that has hit the post and come back out. I’m not blaming the officials for the defeat, I’m going to say that we were not good enough in all aspects.”

Braintree Town 1 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 83/23/2206 - Tuesday, 20th February 2024 - National League South

Braintree Town (0) 1 Davies 85
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 703
Admission: £10 Senior
Mileage: 170/6,076

Tonbridge Angels succumbed to an 85th goal at Cressing Road, giving the National League South’s in form team, Braintree Town, their fifth straight win.

It was a tough one to take for the supporters who had made their way through the tunnel as their side had been the equal of their hosts for much of the game, creating several good chances of their own in the second half.

Jay Saunders said after the match: “I though we were worth a point to be fair, in the second half we had some really good chances. We defended well for large parts but it was a poor goal to concede … a bit of a sucker punch.”

Jamie Fielding’s injury from Saturday kept him out of the starting lineup and with Liam Vincent’s loan extension not meeting the deadline, Mo Dabre was asked to fill in at left back. Ryan Hanson replaced Lewis Gard, who dropped to the bench.

On a breezy night that later turned damp, the first half can be best described as dour with neither side particularly imposing themselves on the game.

Tonbridge opened well with Sean Shields having an effort blocked inside the first couple of minutes but the half progressed with misplaced passes and very little for either side’s supporters to enjoy.

The best chance of the half fell to the Angels, four minutes from the break, when Shields released Dabre down the left whose cross found the head of Francis Mampolo, but his effort cleared the bar.

There was an early talking point into the second half when Mampolo passed into the box to Shields who was brought down with strong claims for a penalty but referee Daniel Baines (the referee from the 2019 Super Play-off Final) waved them away.

Jonny Henly, who hadn’t be overly employed, saved at his near post from Tom Blackwell and just past the hour, the same two were involved again with once more the Angels stopper coming out on top.

A really good move from the Angels almost unlocked on the deadlock on 67 minutes when Nathan Odokonyero and Tariq Hinds combined but the latter’s cross was only inches away from Shields in front of goal.

Shields tested Braintree goalkeeper, Jack Sims, who parried the ball to safety before in the last 10 minutes, the home side mounted a big effort to find a winner.

Henly did brilliantly to smother an effort from Jayden Davies at his feet but a minute later, Mampolo lost possession on the right and Alfie Payne crossed low into the box for Davies to convert at the far post.

In the last minute of six added, Lewis Gard crossed for Kodi Lyons-Foster but his header was saved by Sims and that brought the curtain down on another night at Cressing Road, where fortune rarely favours the Angels.

Braintree are a dogged team, I thought earlier in the season, they looked like they had added a little more style, but here they were masters of the art of winning ugly and their last three wins, all 1-0, suggest a consistency that will take them into the playoffs.

The last couple of results, but indeed form since Christmas, has left the Angels marooned in mid-table needing an exceptional run to put themselves back into the mix. Mid-table is not the end of the world, but not where some supporters, management or board aspire to. Truth is, as said last night, Tonbridge are better than half the teams in the division, but have ground to make on the teams above. One hopes that the proposed Welling United groundshare will supplement the playing budget to begin to bridge that gap.

Tonbridge Angels U18 1 Cray Valley PM 2

Match 82/23/2205 - Monday, 19th February 2024 - Isthmian Youth League Cup SF

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 1 McLeod 90+7
Cray Valley PM (1) 2 Turner 23 Damyonov 75
Attendance: 83
Admission: £3 Senior
Mileage: 38/5,906

Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s Isthmian Youth League semi-final ended in disappointment as they were beaten by a strong Cray Valley PM side.

Cray Valley are a side with a great pedigree; the reigning Isthmian Youth League champions and well placed to retain their title this season. Two clinical finishes proved to be the difference between the sides as Fin McLeod’s time added goal was no more than a consolation.

With skipper Will Puffette out through injury, Casey Dudley played in an unaccustomed role in central defence but acquitted himself well against a potent Valley attack.

There was very little to choose between the teams in the opening 20 minutes with the better of the chances falling to Cray with Toby Edwards saving from a Victor Damyonov header and a speculative effort from 35 yards that the Angels goalkeeper turned over the bar.

The visitors took the lead after 23 minutes when a corner was played short to Oliver Knight whose pin point cross was met with a powerful header from Malachy Turner that whistled past a helpless Edwards.

The Angels tried hard to mount a response and, on 34 minutes, a through ball from Felix Waring sent Sam Firman clear but his effort was smothered by the advancing goalkeeper, Oliver Devile.

Cray Valley had a great chance to double their lead before the break when Alexander Jones headed over.

Second half substitute Nijae Aberdeen tested Devile early in the half whilst Edwards was also stretched making a good low save to thwart Jones.

A rapid counter attack saw Cray add their second goal on 75 minutes when Kaion Lisbie broke down the right before crossing into the box for Damyonov to finish from six yards.

Nothing to lose in a cup semifinal, the Angels threw everything forward and the chances came but that clinical finishing exhibited by their opposition just wasn’t there.

Waring despatched a free kick from the edge of the box that struck a post; Fin McLeod brought a save from Devile and scrambles in the Cray box were numerous until with almost the last kick, McLeod poked home for a consolation goal.

Dom Welsh commented after the game: "Wasn’t to be tonight as Cray showed more composure inside the box to take their chances, we showed some attacking threat in the second half but couldn’t convert chances."

Good luck to Cray Valley PM, representing our division, in the Final in April where they will meet the winner of tonight’s second semifinal between Worthing and Woking.

Welling United 2 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 81/23/2204 - Saturday, 17th February 2024 - National League South

Welling United (0) 2 Adigun 68 Fish 90+2
Tonbridge Angels (2) 2 Odokonyero 27,45
Attendance: 570
Admission: £10 Senior
Mileage: 72/5,867

The Park View Road hoodoo continues and lost is the best chance we might ever have of breaking it.

A month ago, Dover’s first half performance was possibly the worst I’ve seen in the National League South but, somehow, Tonbridge put on a second half performance that almost allowed Dover to retrieve the game. Welling, in the first half of this turgid encounter, did their level best to surpass Dover’s ineptitude but a second period of complacency from the Angels saw them earn a point and even make a case that they were unlucky not to win.

Jay Saunders has long bemoaned the Angels slow starts to second half and when Welling halved the deficit with a great strike it was only a matter of time, albeit into added time, before they struck again. I don’t think there was an Angels’ fan present that didn’t see it coming and that it came from ex-Angel Sonny Fish rubbed salt into the wound.

This is likely to be the last visit to Park View Road for a couple of seasons as the decaying stadium is bulldozed for a development that will include over 100 flats. Certainly the present Health Hazard Stadium won’t be missed.

On a day as grey as its environment, Jay Saunders had new signing from Torquay Ryan Hanson on the bench whilst Paris Lock and Jernade Meade missed out through injury with Lewis Gard and Liam Vincent returning.

The first 25 minutes were a poor advert for National League South as both sides seemingly sought to negate the cow patch of a pitch by ensuring that the ball was never on it. Endless bouts of head tennis ensued.

Jamie Fielding, who has endured a stop-start season through injury, succumbed to an early knock to be substituted by Francis Mampolo who had an early opportunity but his shot was wide.

Tonbridge, deservedly at least on the passage of play, took the lead on 27 minutes when Welling lost the ball in the middle of the pitch to a Scott Wagstaff challenge and a single pass forward saw Nathan Odokonyero get between the two central defenders to plant a shot from the edge of the box past Reice Charles-Cook.

On the half-hour a cross in from the right from Sean Shields found Mampolo, albeit stretching, but in front of goal and he couldn’t control his volley and the ball sailed over.

Tonbridge had their first scary moment of the half when, on 40 minutes, a Welling corner found the head of the veteran Joe Ellul but his goal bound effort was cleared from the line by Gard.

On the stroke of half-time, Tonbridge doubled their advantage and seemingly took control of the game. A cross from the right from Mampolo to the far post saw Jordan Higgs cushion a header into the path of Shields whose snap shot was parried by Charles-Cook but Odokonyero following up tucked home from close range.

Two-nil up against a woeful Welling side, a first ever win at Park View Road almost looked assured but whatever was said in the respective dressing rooms during the break a completely different game unfolded in the second half.

As Tonbridge back-pedalled, Welling were winning all the mini battles and although it took a brilliant strike from Jason Adigun on 68 minutes to reduce the deficit, it was one that had been a long time coming.

The goal failed to wake the Angels from their slumbers and although Kodi Lyons-Foster steered a header wide from a good position with three minutes remaining there was a sense of inevitability when a cross from the right was turned in at the near post by Fish.

One final chance saw Shields hit the bar but in the final moments it was Tonbridge that was hanging on desperately for the final whistle.

I’ve walked away from grounds disappointed with results, Hemel immediately springs to mind, but not since the Haringey FA Cup debacle have I actually been angry, on this occasion I was bloody livid. Supporters forgive poor performances, they happen, but when it is complacency at the root of it, then it is much harder to stomach.

Gillingham 2 Swindon Town 2

Match 80/23/2203 - Tuesday, 13th February 2024 - League Two

Gillingham (0) 2 Hawkins 69 Mahoney 76 (pen)
Swindon Town (1) 2 McGurk 24 McKirdy 90+5
Attendance: 6,090
Admission: £19 Senior
Mileage: 44/5,795

The intense rivalry between Gillingham and Swindon Town of 1979 is now in the past. It is only in the minds of silly old farts such as myself that actually believes there was such a thing, and to be honest, I no longer believe it either.

Those of us of that vintage will remember the tales of Danny Westwood’s unjust red card and the subsequent “assault” on the referee from an old boy with a walking stick; of the tunnel fracas that landed Ken Price and Dean White in Swindon Magistrates Court and the song that said it was “because of Ray McHale”.

Swindon brought 264 supporters, no mean feat on a wet Tuesday evening, but, back in 1979, hundreds would disembark from Gillingham Railway Station to be escorted by the local constabulary to Priestfield with the same for Gillingham supporters at the reverse fixture.

For an hour this game had all the hallmarks of a run-of-the-mill League Two fixture matching the dismal weather as the rain swirled in the floodlights but it exploded into an exciting last half-hour.

Swindon, starting the game in the lower reaches of the division, were efficient and more threatening than their hosts and, despite Gillingham having the ball in the net for a disallowed goal from Conor Masterson, it was no surprise when they went ahead on 24 minutes through Sean McGurk. The ball was lost on the halfway line as Ethan Coleman turned into trouble and a single through ball saw McGurk make his space as the Gills defenders back pedalled to drive his shot past Jake Turner.

Swindon could have feasibly tied the game up in the first half as it took a heroic, last ditch tackle from Shad Ogie, who was injured and unable to continue in the second half, to deny Paul Glatzel, who had rounded Turner.

Gillingham needed an injection of something in the second period and it came in the shape of Watford loanee, Colombian Jorge Hurtado, whose direct running had the fans off their seats and gave the visitors a new problem, to which they had no answer.

Both sides missed huge chances around the hour with Masterson putting a free header against the underside bar from close range, provoking discussion as to whether it had crossed the line and, at the other end, Glatzel was denied by a goal line clearance from Remeao Hutton.

Gillingham were on level terms on 69 minutes when Oliver Hawkins headed against a post, but as the rebound drifted along the byeline, it was retrieved by Max Clark who stood up a cross to which Hawkins dare not miss.

15 minutes remained when Gillingham once again needed a goal line intervention, this time from Max Ehmer, before Hurtado surged from midfield, riding tackles of questionable quality, before being unceremoniously dumped by Frazer Blake-Tracey in the box allowing Connor Mahoney to cooly convert from the spot.

Masterson once more had the ball in the net to be denied by an offside flag but, in the fifth of six added minutes, Swindon’s Harry McKirdy cut in from the left to bury a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Wiltshire side, on the basis of the whole 90 minutes, a deserved point.

Tonbridge Angels 2 Yeovil Town 4

Match 79/23/2202 - Saturday, 10th February 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Odokonyero 18 Lyons-Foster 89
Yeovil Town (2) 4 Young 10 Wannell 17,65 Worthington 90+5
Attendance: 1,356
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,751

The Green Army came to town and departed with the points and their runaway lead at the head of the table intact but not before they had been given an excellent work out from the hosts, Tonbridge Angels.

The home side will rue defensive errors that contributed to three of Yeovil Town’s goals and an added time header from Jordan Greenidge that was directed straight at the goalkeeper from a couple of yards.

Ethan Sutcliffe returned to the Angels starting XI following his time back with his parent club, slotting in for the suspended Tariq Hinds and Mo Dabre came in for Lewis Gard who dropped to the bench.

A mild afternoon with light rain developing greeted an attendance of 1,356 with a healthy following from Somerset.

There was an early effort from Paris Lock that was deflected for a corner but it was the visitors that took a 10th minute lead when a tackle won in midfield by Sam Pearson who surged forward before releasing a pass to Jordan Young who finished clinically.

On 17 minutes Tonbridge found themselves two down when a corner from Young was met with an unchallenged header from Jake Wannell that took a wicked deflection to wrong foot Jonny Henly.

There was the proverbial mountain to climb but the Angels at least set up a base camp within a minute when Nathan Odokonyero seized on a misplaced header from Michael Smith to finish well past Joe Day.

When half-time came it was unwelcome to the hosts as they had Yeovil hanging on by their fingertips. A effort from Lock was narrowly wide whilst Day saved from Sean Shields and Odokonyero.

A relatively quiet start to the second half ended on 65 minutes with a third goal that I’m sure would’ve infuriated Jay Saunders as much as it did me. A corner from the right was met with the easiest of unchallenged headers from Wannell.

Tonbridge supporters should take great pride that their team didn’t roll over at this point but took the game to their illustrious opponents.

Greenidge entered the fray for the last 20 minutes and Tonbridge buzzed around the Yeovil box like the proverbial flies but couldn’t find a finish until the ball was scrambled away for a Jordan Higgs mishit shot to find its way invitingly to Kodi Lyons-Foster who squeezed a shot between the goalkeeper and his post with a minute left on the clock. Too little, too late we guessed, but …

A minute later, Shields put in the most delicious of crosses from the left that cleared the Yeovil defender for Greenidge to dive in, but his header was only directed at Day, who made a good, instinctive save, any deflection would have made it hard for the keeper. Day’s parry looked to be falling at the feet of Gard, who was brought down, but Steven Hughes, the best referee in the league who had another fine game, saw no reason to point to the spot.

A last gasp corner saw Henly go forward and Shields corner was met by the Angels’ goalkeeper but his header drifted wide and with the final play of the match an Angels attack broke down with everyone bar Henly in the opposition half which allowed Matt Worthington to stride forward and with Henly 30 yards from his line slot into the unguarded goal.

This was a great watch, a great advert for National League South and, even in defeat, a great advert for Tonbridge Angels. Yeovil Town will not be around next season, they have never played a league match at Longmead before and perhaps never will again.

Stunning photograph from Kathryn Bell

Tonbridge Angels 2 Chippenham Town 0

Match 78/23/2201 - Saturday, 3rd February 2024 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Lyons-Foster Shields
Chippenham Town (0) 0
Attendance: 1,005
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,713

We did enough without having to do too much. Tonbridge Angels eased themselves back into winning ways with a relatively comfortable win against a Chippenham Town side that have never won at Longmead Stadium.

It was comfortable rather than easy as the visitors played some pretty stuff but lacked any sort of firepower to trouble Angels’ goalkeeper, Jonny Henly, throughout the afternoon.

Unfortunately, referee Eugene Robinson decided to take centre stage and issue a second caution to Tariq Hinds which somewhat took the shine off a satisfying afternoon.

Jay Saunders had the luxury of an almost complete squad to pick from and decided to go unchanged from the side beaten at Weston-super-Mare last week.

Great defending from Jamie Fielding blocking an attempt from Matt McClure prevented early work for Henly but from that point Tonbridge were dominant.

A poor clearance from Chippenham goalkeeper, Will Henry, fell at the feet of Paris Lock, who began a dribble from around 30 yards out, that saw him forced out towards the right of the goal and when he momentarily lost possession on the touchline you thought it was the end of the move but he won it back immediately, and brought the ball back towards the edge of the box before letting go a shot that Henry brilliantly turned over to atone for his initial mistake.

Sadly, it was to be his last contribution to the game, as after 10 minutes he was brought down by Freddie Grant, who received a caution and although he returned to the field of play, he needed to be substituted after 16 minutes with the introduction of Mo Dabre.

After 21 minutes, a free kicked floated into the box by Sean Shields saw Liam Vincent’s volley strike the post but two minutes later the Angels were in front.

Shields curled a shot from the left hand corner of the 18 yard box that Henry tipped onto the crossbar but the rebound fell invitingly to Kodi Lyons-Foster to finish from close range.

Early in the second half an effort from Nathan Odokonyero only found the outside of the roof of the net before in the 56th minute, the ball was worked out well from the right side into the centre from where a superb pass from Lyons-Foster found Shields, who had plenty to do as he cut in from the left to find the space to get his shot away and into the top corner.

With 12 minutes to go, Shields back to his best and deservedly taking home the man of the match award, got to the byeline crossed for a partial clearance under pressure from Dabre that only found Lewis Gard, but his shot spun off the outside of the boot and wide.

On 84 minutes Hinds failed to keep a ball in play, picked the ball up and walked a couple of paces before rolling it back to where the throw should be taken and for that received his second yellow and consequent dismissal. It was petty, quite bizarre refereeing.

Despite their man disadvantage, Tonbridge saw the game out comfortably with Chippenham’s disappointment only heightened by a late disallowed goal.