Salisbury 1 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 20/25/2363 - Saturday, 6th September 2025 - National League South

Salisbury (0) 1 Coppin 85 (pen)
Tonbridge Angels (1) 3 Unwin 16 Peart 72 Babajide 80
Attendance: 857
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 260/1,467
New Ground: 393

It’s been a while in coming, but Saturday was the day that the plan came together and, for the first time this season, the Angels faithful were able to enjoy the sweet taste of victory.

Craig Nelson’s team were asked to soak up a lot of pressure from a Salisbury side, also searching for their first win of the season, but with the defence standing firm, swift counter attacks brought three superb goals to bring home the points.

A delighted Craig said in his post-match interview: “The credit is with the boys because they have applied themselves all over the pitch today, so they will definitely be in there enjoying that one. Salisbury are a good side with the way they want to play and get the ball to their wingers quickly but we suffocated them, or when they did get the ball to them we were on them. We knew they would be susceptible to the counter attack and all three of our goals came from that, three really good goals.”

On a pleasantly warm afternoon in Wiltshire, Craig made four changes from the side, disappointingly beaten by Enfield Town on Tuesday. Returning to the starting XI were Scott Wagstaff, Arthur Penney, Brandon Pierrick and Martell Taylor-Crossdale with Eddie Simon, precautionary following the head injury sustained on Tuesday, Alfie Allen, Jack Matton and Brody Peart taking places on the bench.

Pivotal moments can arrive in games at any time and one such moment arrived after only six minutes when Jacob Adams made a superb one-handed save to claw away a close range effort from Matty Taylor.

The Angels settled into the game and after Bobby Unwin had tested the Salisbury goalkeeper, Will Buse, for the first time it was the Tonbridge winger who put his side in front after 16 minutes converting with a far post header following a long cross from the left into the box from Bailey Akehurst.

The two sides largely cancelled each other out in the first half until five minutes before the break when Taylor had a golden chance to bring the hosts level but steered his shot well wide.

Salisbury’s manager Brian Dutton sent his team back out after barely 10 minutes in the dressing room, one would imagine with something more than a flea in the ear and they responded to a degree as the pressure on the Angels goal was intense but the Angels rearguard snuffed out the threat to the point that Adams was not asked to make a single save of note.

Craig rang the changes after the hour mark introducing Allen for Wagstaff, Peart for Unwin and Bunmi Babajide for Pierrick and the added pace up front stretched an already over-committed Salisbury.

On 72 minutes, a short corner was laid back from Marcus Sablier to Akehurst and on to Peart who took a stride before curling a splendid shot into the top corner to allow him to celebrate with his family and the travelling supporters positioned behind the goal.

The game, and the valuable points, were seemingly sealed with 10 minutes remaining when a lightning counter attack scythed apart the Salisbury back line. A surging run out of midfield and pass to the right from Allen sent Taylor-Crossdale clear on the right and his inch-perfect low cross into the box was met by Babajide who swept the ball home from around the penalty spot.

A Salisbury penalty with five minutes remaining, converted by Noah Coppin, appeared nothing more than a consolation but when the fourth official held up the board indicating 12 added minutes there was a flutter of concern among the Angels support. But they had nothing to worry about, in fact, Taylor-Crossdale brought a good, low save from Buse and Jordan Higgs had the final effort of the game, comfortably saved as the time was seen out with ease.

Craig summed up: “We would have liked to have had more possession in the game that’s what we are here to do but that’s not always going to happen, especially away from home. We defended our box exceptionally well and, today, we’ve brought it all together, we’ve proved that we can score goals because we’ve done that. It would have been nice to have had a clean sheet because the boys at the back were exceptional in the way they have defended. Turning it around after Tuesday was a big deal, some people could have folded but they didn’t and I hope that the fans that travelled were proud of the performance.”