Cray Wanderers 0 Tonbridge Angels1

Match 31/24/2270 - Saturday, 12th October 2024 - FA Cup Fourth Quaifying Round

Cray Wanderers (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Fielding 64
Attendance: 1,222
Admission: £6
Mileage: 85/1,486
New Ground: 386

The scenes at Flamingo Park at the final whistle were reminiscent of the Play-off win of 2019 when supporters celebrated on the Imber Court pitch with their heroes of the day; this time roles were reversed as player after player leapt the perimeter fence to join in with the supporters wild celebrations.

Four years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, Tonbridge Angels disposed comfortably of Taunton Town to make the FA Cup First Round Proper, to many, denied the right of admission, it didn’t count and then the records need to be trawled back to 1972 for the last appearance. Realistically, if you are less than 60 years of age, you’ve waited for this moment all of your life!

This certainly was not a game for the purist. It was a horribly scrappy game that on another occasion would not last five minutes in the memory, but this wasn’t just another game but one with one objective as Jay Saunders commented: “It was a proper FA Cup game, credit to Cray, they took it right to the end. I don’t think we were at our best, but at this point it is about getting through and we’ve managed to do that. I’m delighted to be through, you’ve seen the scenes at the end with the supporters and I’m delighted for everyone associated with the club.”

An afternoon, punctuated with showers, some heavy with no cover for those not seated, saw Saunders make two changes from the side beaten at Slough. Jamie Fielding returning from his enforced concussion protocol in place of the suspended Crossley Lema and Jeremy Santos in for the injured Scott Wagstaff.

Whilst the Angels commanded the better of the possession and created the two real chances of the first half, neither team could lay claim to have control of the match.

Fifteen minutes of sparring with neither goalkeeper being troubled was brought to an end with a Ryan Hanson shot that was deflected for a corner that resulted in Hanson heading wide at the far post.

On the half-hour came the best chance of the half when a cross from Liam Vincent was initially spilt by the Cray Wanderers goalkeeper, Shaun Rowley, who recovered brilliantly to save at the feet of Mo Dabre.

The hosts best chance of the half came on 35 minutes when a cross from Lateef Adaja to Nyren Clunis saw Fielding clear to safety.

The opening of the second period saw a cross-cum-shot from Ronny Nelson strike the crossbar before the game being brought to a halt for the best part of 10 minutes while an assistant referee needed to be treated and then replaced after suffering a hamstring strain. Oh, how those 10 minutes led to a stressed Angels contingent about half-an-hour later!

With 64 minutes on the clock, Tonbridge found the all-important goal. An expected long throw from Vincent was instead played short to Fielding on the left side of the box who hooked it on towards Sean Shields, followed by a header from Ronny Nelson that found Fielding back at the right side of the box to turn the ball home.

Tonbridge were now largely controlling the game and substitute Trevan Robinson brought a good save out of Rowley as he retrieved the ball from the byline to cut in and test the Cray stopper at his near post.

On 81 minutes Hanson produced a tackle that was worth as good as a goal as Adaja was about to shoot having broken into the box.

With the board showing 10 added minutes, Cray had little choice to throw all they had left at the Angels and fingernails were being bitten to the quick as in the first of these, Toby Steward brilliantly turned over the bar an effort from Anthony Cook.

The clock had ticked past the 10 minute mark as Tom Bonner’s header from a corner was cleared from in front of the line by Naz Bakrin.

There was still time for Shields to break clear only to be denied by Rowley and when one final corner ended with a Cray shot disappearing into the south London sky, the Angels fans could start the celebrations and this they did as the weary players stayed out on the pitch for half-an-hour to celebrate with them.

Slough Town 3 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 30/24/2269 - Saturday, 5th October 2024 - National League South

Slough Town (1) 3 Bayliss 44,68 Evans 90+5
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Vincent 67
Attendance: 1,202
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 161/1,401

Somewhere, sometime, the unbeaten start to the season had to end and so it was that the Angels’ run of 11 games foundered at Slough Town’s Arbour Park.

Two set piece goals and a added time third that gave the gave the scoreline a flattering look for the robust home side undid Tonbridge Angels.

Manager Jay Saunders was disappointed with the manner of the defeat with regards to the set piece goals conceded. “The two set pieces were disappointing. I don’t think we did enough to win the game, there wasn’t bundles in the game but they took their opportunities when they got them … we’ve got to do better with the two free kicks and deal with them.”

.Warm autumn sunshine greeted the Angels faithful in Berkshire and they would have been disappointed to hear the team news that both Ethan Sutcliffe and Jason Adigun had suffered training ground injuries back at their parent clubs, although the latter was able to take a place on the bench. Additional changes saw Noel Leighton gain his first National League South start and Tariq Hinds returning to the starting XI. The first half looked to be meandering its way to a goalless conclusion when a corner hoisted to the far post found the towering head of Dan Bayliss to put the Rebels in front as the clock ticked into added time.

Chances for both sides had been at a premium in a dour first half. Tonbridge carved out a good chance on seven minutes when Sean Shields and Liam Vincent linked well before the wing back delivered a cross towards Hinds, who could not get enough purchase on his header to unduly trouble the Slough goalkeeper, Charlie Horlock.

A minute later, Bayliss gave a foretaste of what was to come when he won a header in the box that needed to be cleared from in front of his line by Scott Wagstaff.

Slough’s style was big crosses into the box and from another of these, John Gilbert’s header cleared the bar.

On 25 minutes, a teasing Shields cross evaded Leighton and just past the half-hour Horlock saved low to his left from the Tonbridge striker and with the Angels enjoying a period of dominance, Ryan Hanson was denied by the feet of home custodian.

The closing minute of the half, saw skipper Wagstaff needing to be substituted after making a challenge and from the resultant corner Bayliss put the home side in front at the break.

Slough opened the half with a couple of chances that saw Toby Steward save from Francis Amartey before a controversial incident on the edge of the box might well have seen the Slough player-manager Scott Davies red carded as Leighton was about to go clear before being unceremoniously dumped to the floor. Davies received a yellow card but some kind of justice was served as Vincent powered the free kick low through the wall to give the Angels an equaliser.

Parity was to last barely a minute as the Angels found themselves vulnerable again to the high cross into the box that found its way to Bayliss to volley into the net.

The five minutes of added time rather summed up the Angels afternoon. The second of which saw a clear handball in the Slough penalty area but the referee waved away the appeals and a minute later Crossley Lema was shown a red card after reacting to a foul from Gilbert. Slough then added a third with virtually the last kick of the match after Sam Evans had robbed Ronnie Nelson of possession.

Jay added: “We’ve been on a good run, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we just have to pick ourselves up and prepare for next week.”




Gillingham 0 Grimsby Town 1

Match 29/24/2268 - Tuesday, 1st October 2024 - League Two

Gillingham (0) 0
Grimsby Town (1) 1 Green 21
Attendance: 5,652
Admission: £20
Mileage: 38/1,239

I don't particularly consider myself as a jinx, but it is particularly disappointing that my first visit to Gillingham this season brought their first home defeat after an unblemished five game start to the season.

Former chairman Scally has, as good as, left the building and visits now are, undoubtledly, a lot more comfortable. Sitting back in the seat that I held as a season ticket, many of the faces are the same, many of the voices are the same, the loudest of which continue, as they have done for years, to harangue offcials whilst seemingly failed to identify their own team's shortcomings.

Such as it was against a Grimsby side that scored with their only shot on target but defended resolutely whilst the Gills lacked the nous to break them down.

One really worked counter attack that ended with a superb ball from Denver Hume finding Kieran Green (best player on the pitch) to fire in from the edge of the box.

The Gills made very little of their 65% possession, with only a low cross from Jayden Clarke that just evaded Elliott Nevitt really threatening the visitor's goal.

A surprise hammering for Walsall, who lost a 2-1 half-time lead to lose 6-2 at home, kept Gillingham at the top of the table, so not quite all was lost on the evening.