Torquay United 0 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 39/24/2278 - Saturday, 9th November 2024 - National League South

Torquay United (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 3,250
Admission: Media Pass
Mileage: 550/3,014

Tonbridge Angels bounced back from the disappointment of their FA Cup exit with a performance of resilience, concentration and stubbornness to return from Torquay United with a hard-earned, well-deserved point.

A delighted Jay Saunders reflected: “We asked the boys for a response and we ran hard today. It’s never an easy place to come, they are doing really well in the league, good management team and a good squad of players that are full time and obviously we’ve had an early start this morning, so you know that you are up against it. But I’m really pleased with the performance … a clean sheet away from home at Torquay, you’ll take a point.”

Arrival on the English Riviera was greeted with as leaden skies as those left behind in the Garden of Eden.

Three changes were made from last Saturday’s starting XI with Trevan Robinson, Scott Wagstaff and Mo Dabre coming in for Noel Leighton, Taylor Maloney and the recalled Jason Adigun.

The playing of the Last Post and a minute’s silence was respected by the crowd of 3,250 which included an official total of 44 hardy Tonbridge Angels fans that had made the 250-odd mile journey down to the Devon coast.

Naturally enough, buoyed by their body of support, Torquay made much of the early running, but in all honesty, they created very little of concern in the opening half-hour whilst a raking cross to the far post from Liam Vincent that just evaded Crossley Lema and a Jamie Fielding from a corner that was steered wide of the post were concerning moments for the home defence.

At the half-time whistle, Matt Rowley returned to the dressing room having not had a save to make.

No doubt with a few harsh words in their ears, the home side once again started the second half with momentum and there were celebrations from areas in the stadium when a left wing cross from Matt Carson was swept into the side netting by Omar Mussa and when Carson went down in the box under a challenge from Ryan Hanson, there was a collective holding of breath from the Angels faithful.

But the Angels continued to defend with a degree of comfort until, with memories of the time added heartbreak at Truro flooding back, a free kick from Jordan Young found the diving head of Rekealan Jeffers to bury the ball into the far corner. Despair turned to relief with the sight of a raised linesman’s flag and the moment had passed and a goalless draw had probably not been so rapturously celebrated in a long time.

And mention must be given, and acknowledged by Jay Saunders of the support given by those Angels fans, who led by the incessant drumming of Harry Lewis, put in a shift in the same manner as their purple clad team had on the pitch. “I thought the support was outstanding today, we fully appreciate it’s a long way to come, cost a lot of money and I’m just glad we have given them something to go home with. But from first to last minute, again fantastic and as much as we let people down last week, we fully appreciate them coming in their numbers and making the noise they did.”

Maidstone United U18 3 Tonbridge Angels U18 3

Match 38/24/2277 - Tuesday, 5th November 2024 - Isthmian Youth League

Maidstone United U18 (2) 3
Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 3 Manwait 50 Penman 66 Larkin 68 (pen)
Attendance: 55
Admission: £3
Mileage: 20/2,464

As the 5th November fireworks exploded into the night sky behind the Genco stand, a cracker of a game unfolded.

Last time out, manager Dom Walsh had some harsh words following their home defeat against Sutton Common Rovers, but coming back from 2-0 and 3-1 down and to be denied a win by a missed penalty, this time he was fulsome in his praise: “That was a credit to both sides, an absolutely top game of football. From 2-0 and 3-1 down, the boys battled well, playing some fantastic football in the second half.”

The first half seemed to carry a hangover from the last game as whilst Maidstone were good, the Angels were not really at the races. From the outset the home side were on the front foot and completely dominating proceedings with both wingers posing problems for a harassed Angels defence. After a quarter hour, #19 should really have scored, putting the ball wide and from a corner, River Ballach was needed to clear from the line.

Tonbridge had a good chance on 19 minutes when a quickly taken free kick by Callum Fincham put Finachra Pritchard through but the Maidstone goalkeeper was quick off his line to smother the ball at his feet.

But, it was no surprise when Maidstone went ahead on 27 minutes when the #9 pounced on an error to put them one-up and when a couple of passes ripped open the Angels defence for #9 to score again, it looked like the evening might be a long one.

The Angels lads responded well towards the back end of the half with the goalkeeper saving well from Jack Gallacher and, just before the break he was brought into action again to deny Robert Penman.

Dom Welsh introduced Alfie Gilder as a second half and the formation change quickly had an impact after the goalkeeper had saved well at his near post from Penman, the resultant corner led to a loose ball in the penalty area that was seized upon and driven home by Ashvir Banwait.

The route back into the game was seemingly abruptly halted a minute later when the Stones #11 drove the ball into the top corner that left Josh Hanson helpless.

But that never-say-die spirit returned to the team, driven on by skipper Adam Larkin.

On 66 minutes, Penman robbed the dallying goalkeeper to place the ball into an unguarded net and two minutes later, the Angels were on level terms when Penman was brought down by #5, who saw a red card for the offence, for Larkin to thump home the spot kick.

Despite their man disadvantage, Maidstone were still dangerous but now on the break and #9 hit a post before the Angels were awarded a second penalty, six minutes from time, this time after Pritchard had been brought down. Larkin’s penalty cleared the bar and despite an added time effort from Noah Millis that was saved, the spoils were deservedly shared.

Dom Welsh added: “The second half change brought out the best in us. I thought that was the best we’ve played in a long while, even before they went down to 10 men.”

Tonbridge Angels 1 Harborough Town 4

Match 37/24/2276 - Saturday, 2nd November 2024 - FA Cup First Round

Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Shields 90+4
Harborough Town (1) 4 Walsh 41 Stephens 61,71 Forbes 86
Attendance: 3,132
Admission: £14
Mileage: 38/2,444

I guess, in life not just in football, we've all had the big day, that's long been looked forwarded to, that goes horribly wrong. This one went horribly wrong.

It’s FA Cup First Round day to the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium and, arguably, the biggest game since Tonbridge Football Club’s liquidation in 1976 and the subsequent relocation in 1980. The First Round Proper was reached by the Angels four years ago, but the occasion was somewhat diminished by Covid, an empty stadium and, to be fair, the 7-0 defeat to Bradford City didn’t help!

This time the gates are open, ticket sales indicate the top end of the ground’s capacity could be reached and everyone at the club is eagerly anticipating the big day.

Our visitors are Harborough Town, of the Southern Premier League Central, and whilst the side from Leicestershire occupy a league position in the bottom half of the table, nobody should be fooled into taking them lightly.

Harborough’s route to this stage has seen them dispose of National League North Leamington in the Third Qualifying Round and the reformed Bury Football Club, who were unbeaten in the North West Counties League prior to the cup tie and arrive well supported having sold around 350 tickets.

That was the preview and the warnings signs were posted.

Tonbridge Angels exited the FA Cup in disappointing fashion as they fell to a 4-1 home defeat to their Southern Premier League Central visitors Harborough Town.

A nightmare second half in which they conceded three times whilst seeking to retrieve a single goal deficit at the break, left the vast majority of a record attendance of 3,132 stunned.

A downcast Jay Saunders said after the game: “I’m gutted, absolutely gutted, it’s a tough one to take and it will take a little while to get over that.”

An hour before kick-off the car park was full to closure, a high percentage of the crowd were already staking their claim on their favourite position and the anticipation and excitement which makes the early rounds of the FA Cup the magical competition it is was in the air.

Saunders made just the one change from the starting XI that lost to a last minute goal at Truro with Ryan Hanson being restored and Mo Dabre dropping down to the bench.

For half-an-hour, the occasion appeared to get the better of both sides as neither could gain any sort of control of the game leaving both goalkeepers untroubled.

The first effort of note came from Sean Shields, on 32 minutes, cutting in from the left, took aim from 30 yards and his shot was destined for the top corner had it not been for the acrobatic intervention of the Harborough goalkeeper, Elliott Taylor, who turned the ball over the crossbar.

Tonbridge then had two chances in quick succession as they looked the most likely to break the deadlock. Liam Vincent’s cross to the far post was turned away for a corner and, on 38 minutes, a shot-cum-cross from Noel Leighton both missed the far post and the sliding in Jason Adigun by the barest of millimetres.

Harborough’s giant defenders, that were getting forward for long throws and set pieces were always going to cause a problem and, with four minutes of the half remaining, a corner from Josh Walsh was met with a towering header from Paul Malone that Matthew Rowley could only help on its way into the roof of the net.

Jay Saunders make two changes at the break introducing Tariq Hinds and Trevan Robinson for Crossley Lema and Jason Adigun and the Angels gained the early impetus in the half with a free kick from Vincent that led to a shot from Taylor Maloney going wide and from successive corners Naz Bakrin and Noel Leighton had headers that were saved.

Against the run of play, Harborough doubled their advantage just past the hour when a through ball into the left channel from Ben Starkie sent Ben Stephens into a one-on-one with the advancing Rowley and the visitor’s top scorer put the ball into the bottom corner with an unerring finish.

With the Angels now having to chase the game from two down, Maloney was sacrificed for Scott Wagstaff and, once again found themselves punished by with a break from Harborough. An attack broke down and the ball was hacked clear to the feet of Jamie Fielding, who found himself quickly under pressure from the excellent Riley O’Sullivan, who won the tussle and played the ball into Stephens to finish again into the bottom corner.

It was game over, Mo Dabre was introduced at the expense of defender Bakrin, only for the Angels to succumb to another break away with four minutes remaining when O’Sullivan drove forward from the right before releasing substitute Dan Forbes to add a fourth.

If anything was to sum up the Angels day it was an incredible save from Taylor in added time to deny Vincent and although the visitor’s custodian was to be beaten by a shot from the edge of the box by Shields for a consolation goal it was too little, far too late.

Saunders added after the game: “I congratulate Harborough, first of all, they had a game plan and executed it well and defended well and, at the other end, they were a threat at set pieces. I take nothing away from Harborough, they have come here today and done a job, but we’ve got to be better in both boxes.”