Tonbridge Angels 0 Truro City 1

Match 74/24/2313 - Tuesday, 15th February 2025 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Truro City (1) 1 Dean 15
Attendance: 1,085
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,237

On an emotional day, Tonbridge Angels fell to a single goal defeat to visitors Truro City, who maintained their position in the play-off places, moving up a place to sixth.

The pre-match tribute to Devonte Aransibia began with the laying of a wreath on the centre circle, performed by Devonte’s parents, who were accompanied by his partner along with Tonbridge Angels’ chair, Sophie Purves and club chaplain, Neil Durling, who led the prayers. This was followed by a perfectly observed minute’s silence.

A cold, grey afternoon that matched the solemnity of the moment, Jay Saunders had a further depleted squad from which to make his selection. Jack Wood (ankle), Liam Vincent (achilles), Brody Peart (back) added to those of longer term absence with Sean Shields and Harry Ottaway returning, who, along with a couple of others, were “probably not 100% and maybe you could see that at times.”

After a good opening period in which Ottaway’s effort cleared the bar after two minutes and Trevan Robinson’s cross flashed across the face of goal after nine, it was the well-travelled Cornish side that opened the scoring after 15 minutes when a clearance from a long throw into the box, fell to Will Dean on the edge of the penalty area from where a well struck shot into the bottom corner found its way through a crowded area.

A Shields cross that saw Robinson struggling to get the ball out from under his feet on the edge of the six yard box was the best chance in the remainder of the half whilst Truro, who had the better of the half, had opportunities through Tom Harrison, who shot wide and a cross from Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain that landed on the top of the bar.

The Angels in the second half, encouraged by their supporters in the North Stand, who had raised a banner for Devonte and had a new song in his honour, had the vast majority of the possession, and forward momentum, but stumbled on a stubborn visiting defence that didn’t allow the goalkeeper, Dan Lavercombe, to be tested on too many occasions.

A corner, after 51 minutes, saw a header from Jamie Fielding go over and when, on the hour, Shields cut in from the left and set for his shot, hopes rose of the net rippling, but it was straight at Lavercombe, who comfortably collected.

Truro went straight to the other end and when Jaze Kabia was sent clear it took the legs of the advancing Matt Rowley to save.

Following substitutions of Ottaway and Taylor Maloney by Nazir Bakrin and Crossley Lema, Fielding was pushed forward as the central forward. Lema had a header that drifted wide; Shields a shot that was over and Robinson a header that went wide after a corner head been headed on as the Angels desperately searched for a goal that would give them at least a point that could, arguably, have been deserved.

But Truro managed the game to its conclusion and took the three points back to Cornwall.

Jay said after the game: “The game wasn’t, I would imagine, great to watch. Truro are very good at what they do, they man mark all over the pitch. Long throws and set pieces and, unfortunately, we’ve lost it on a long throw which is the biggest disappointment. It was a patched-up side but we’re just disappointed with the goal conceded.”