Tonbridge Angels U18 (1) 1 Unknown (o.g.) 17
Sutton Common Rovers U18 (0) 2
Attendance: 53
Admission: £5
Mileage: 38/2,406
Nobody would turn up to watch a football match if the end result was already known, the game’s unpredictability is its charm.
So, more often that not, you come away at the final whistle either pleasantly surprised or disappointed. Sadly, and not because of a defeat for the home side, this was a game that promised much and disappointed.
Two unbeaten sides, both with recent history of high (in the case of Sutton Common Rovers, champions) finishes in the Isthmian Youth League should have produced a spectacle but instead produced a scrappy affair that was won by a goal, out of context with the game, sweetly struck into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Tonbridge Angels U18’s have a team with an identity, always a footballing side, pass and move but, on the night, the ball was the enemy, nobody was willing to take care of it and as SCR were little better, it didn’t make for a particularly enjoyable watch, whatever the result.
Dom Welsh, the U18’s manager, agreed with that assessment saying after the game: “Really disappointing evening at home, after showing hunger and desire to claim a good victory last week, a lack of the same attributes saw us come unstuck tonight. A game of very few chances sees us fall to our first defeat in the league this season.”
With the clocks having gone back, the evening’s weather had that miserable feel of dampness, autumn drifting towards winter.
After 17 minutes in which Tonbridge’s Callum Fincham brought a save from the SCR goalkeeper, Thibault Hardy, an inventive free kick routine between Fincham and Robert Penman saw the latter’s delivery into the box deflected into his own net by a defender.
A couple of corners sent in to the far post saw Adam Larkin ghosting in but not quite getting the necessary touch.
After 36 minutes, Sutton Common equalised when a shot from outside of the box was parried by Josh Hanson but only into the path of Kodai Fujita who scored from close range.
A goal line clearance preserved the Angels parity before a good move ended with Tolu Fabimafobee putting his shot wide.
Tonbridge’s corner routine to the far post brought another header for Larkin whilst Hanson needed to produce a smart save to turn over a free kick.
After 70 minutes, SCR took the lead when a clearance found George Bond, 25 yards from goal to drive the ball into the bottom corner.
Four minutes remained when substitute Harry Barton’s effort was scrambled to safety but the Angels produced very little for a lot of huff and puff in the last 20 minutes.
Those that watch the U18’s regularly know that this was a performance out of character, unexpected but, hey, that’s football.
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