Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Leahy 88
Ebbsfleet United (2) 2 Chapman 5 Appiah 15
Attendance: 1,597
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/4,435
EASTER EGGSPECTATIONS
Easter is widely considered the make or break at the business end (cliche on cliche), two games in three days that can define their season.
But for a group of just four teams marooned in the middle of the National League South, the pressure is off. All four of those clubs are probably where they hoped to be come the final table with only Tonbridge Angels celebrating climbing away from a precarious position.
For the Angels' visitors on Good Friday, Ebbsfleet United, there is perhaps an element of disappointment that they are hovering around the lower end of the play-off places and not challenging at the very top, but such is the congestion that a good Easter might still see them snapping at Dorking Wanderers heels.
Ebbsfleet supporters obviously feel there is still a lot more to play for than the play-offs, turning out in big numbers for this Kent derby that, thankfully, takes place without segregation and with absolutely nothing but mutual respect for each other.
A recurring theme of this blog is when the heavy coat is going to be finally ditched and despite having two alternatives in the boot of the car, it continued to be a heavy coat day, such are the vagaries of Easter weather.
If Ebbsfleet’s need for the points was the greater it showed from the outset with two goals in the opening quarter hour and a dominant first half seeing them take a control of the game that was always going to be difficult to wrestle from them.
A misplaced pass saw the ball land at the feet of Ben Chapman, who curled his shot into the far corner past a helpless Matt Rowley for a fifth minute lead.
These early stages exposed the gulf between the teams with the Angels mostly chasing shadows before the lead was doubled in the easiest of fashions. A right-sided corner was sent beyond the far post from where it was headed back into the centre of the six yard box by Toby Edser for Kwasi Appiah to finish, unchallenged, with a header.
Credit to the Angels, having been given the runaround in the opening 20 minutes, they could have folded but were only denied halving the deficit by a fine save from the Ebbsfleet goalkeeper, Matt Hall, who turned over a 20 yard strike from Sean Shields.
In his post-match interview, Angels manager Alan Dunne admitted he had got his team selection wrong and, on 37 minutes, Marcus Sablier was substituted for the more robust frame of Alfie Pavey.
Pavey’s first contribution was a goal line clearance from a header from former Angel Ronnie Nelson.
Ebbsfleet might have put the game out of reach early in the second half when a shot from Coley struck the post with the rebound falling to Appiah who stumbled over the ball before poking it wide from no distance.
A raft of substitutions saw the Angels gain a new momentum and had a 79th minute goal from Tom Leahy had counted perhaps an unlikely point might have within reach, but after a shot from Bunmi Babajide had only been parried by Hall into the path of Leahy, who tucked home only for the celebrations to be immediately curtailed by the linesman’s flag.
With two minutes for regular time remaining, Tonbridge gave themselves hope with a well constructed goal involving substitute Francis Mampolo, Babajide and finished by Leahy, but with a paltry three minutes of added time, Ebbsfleet professionally kept the ball in the corner before the referee became bored enough to call it a day.
Certainly, opinion was that, at least for 45 minutes, Ebbsfleet were the best side seen this season and consideration has to be taken that they were able to leave leading scorer Dominic Samuel on the bench for 70-odd minutes, such is their depth.
But with their resources comes expectation and, however it comes, nothing less than National League football next season is acceptable, but at that top end there are eight or nine clubs with the same expectations.
And Easter might just see some of those hopes disappear like a chocolate egg in the hands of a child.
Picture: Ebbsfleet X
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