Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Shields 11 Maloney 76
Chelmsford City (1) 1 Valentine 16
Attendance: 1,028
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,993
Tonbridge Angels gained maximum points from this mid-table encounter with a second half goal from Taylor Maloney to further their chances of a top half finish to the season.
Warm, spring sunshine attracted an attendance of 1,028 on Non League Day that saw Jay Saunders introduce new signing Luke Cook for the injured Gianluca Botti with Nazir Bakrin and Sean Shields coming in for the suspended Ethan Sutcliffe and Mo Dabre. Harry Ottaway and Mikey Berry returned to the bench after injury.
For, what might have been considered an end of season affair, a competitive, entertaining game ensued that produced chances from the outset with the visiting goalkeeper, Ted Collins, acrobatically turning over a close range header from Ronny Nelson in the fourth minute.
The home side made much of the early running and deservedly went ahead on 11 minutes when Brody Peart set up Sean Shields to bury his shot into the bottom corner.
The lead was only to last five minutes with Chelmsford’s livewire Nico Valentine capitalising on a defensive error to equalise with a good finish.
Buoyed by their equaliser, the visitors ended the half on the front foot with the Angels goalkeeper, Matt Rowley saving from Saleem Akanbi and Ryan Blackman.
The second half saw Tonbridge regain the momentum and might have regained their lead just past the hour when a well worked move between Cook and Jamie Fielding set up a close range header from Ottaway that was brilliantly denied by Collins.
Shields hit the bar on 73 minutes with Nelson having his shot on the rebound blocked following a scramble in the Chelmsford six yard box before the Angels scored what was ultimately to be the winner through Maloney who drove home a rebound off the chest of Collins following a fierce shot from Berry.
Chelmsford attempted to retrieve a point from the game with a big chance at the death but Taylor Legg’s header cleared the bar.
Jay Saunders said after the game: “It was a very open game, we started excellently and for the first 15 minutes we were brilliant, causing them a lot of problems but not taking our chances and then they change shape and it was disappointing to concede from what was their first attack. Overall, it was two teams that were going for it, we looked a bit fatigued from Tuesday night, but I’m pleased with the win and cannot fault the boys for their efforts.”
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