Steyning Town Community (0) 2 Heath 83 Jarvis 89
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Sablier 17,75
Attendance: 367
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 140/1,607
New Ground: 395
The Angels avoided a potential FA Cup banana skin, for now, as they were held to a 2-2 draw in the Second Qualifying Round at The Shooting Ground, home to Steyning Town Community to return the tie to the Yeomans Community Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The game pivoted on the sending-off of skipper Scott Wagstaff in the third minute of first half added time after receiving a second yellow card for a tackle.
Until that point the Angels had controlled the game, sucked out the enthusiasm of a home crowd high on the scent of a National League scalp and taken a 17th minute lead through Marcus Sablier.
Craig Nelson reflected on the game’s decisive moment: “Scott has hit a tackle that he was a little bit late for the first yellow and for the second it’s a collision in which his foot is too high. Waggy’s all action, so you are going to get that but, in those moments, he could manage it a little bit better. He will be saying exactly the same thing because 11 v 11 they don’t get anywhere near us.”
Craig selected the same side that gained their first National League South win of the season, last Saturday, at Salisbury.
Tonbridge dominated the early stages with Bobby Unwin bringing saves from the Steyning goalkeeper, Mitch Bromage before they opened the scoring when Bailey Akehurst crossed from the left to Sablier, who side-footed home from around 10 yards.
Jordan Higgs smacked a shot against the post and Martell Taylor-Crossdale shot over as the Angels looked to put the game beyond their hosts while enjoying their dominance.
Seven minutes before the break the game was brought to an abrupt halt for a long period which saw Harry Docherty stretchered off. The break in play saw the Angels lose their momentum, something they never quite regained.
Harry Heath’s long throws into the box were beginning to cause problems and when Hayden Skerry blasted over the alarm bells were ringing.
Nine added minutes saw Wagstaff’s dismissal and two more scares on the Angels goal as the hosts finished the half on top.
Two half-time substitutions were made, with Craig introducing Alfie Allen and Ben Mundele for Unwin and Bailey Akehurst as the reshuffle sought to adjust to going down to 10 men and, for the first 20 minutes of the half, Tonbridge looked comfortable despite their disadvantage.
After 52 minutes, the Angels’ faithful behind the goal could barely believe their side hadn’t increased the lead when a shot from Bradley Williams was bundled from the line but, at the other end, the long throws of Heath were causing much anxiety.
Fifteen minutes remained when Sablier converted from close range after a break down the right from substitute Bumni Babajide giving the Angels breathing space.
But the prospect of a comfortable closing 10 minutes evaporated as a cross from the right was met at the far post by Heath to score from close range.
As the clocked ticked into the 90th minute, Steyning found an equaliser when a cross looped off the head of Jack Matton leaving Dion Jarvis to fire into the bottom corner. For the Angels supporters, big in number, it was despair, for the home supporters it was the magic of the Cup.
It was a nervy seven minutes of added time, Steyning pressed hard but it was Angels substitute Brody Peart who had the best chance, breaking clear and cutting in down the left before firing in a powerful shot that Bromage brilliantly pushed to safety.
Craig Nelson looked forward to Tuesday’s replay: “We are still in it and we have Tuesday to put right what we didn’t do today. If we show the same intensity as we did in the first 20 minutes, we are capable of sustaining it, being more patient on the ball, we can carve them open.”
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