Tonbridge Angels (2) 2 Churchill 13 Herbert-Smith 36
Maidstone United (2) 3 Culpitt 25 Kelsi Wilkinson 45+6 Madamombe 50
Attendnance: 428
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/4,893
CRUEL END TO TITLE CHASE
Second place is a particularly cruel position in which to finish a season in the seventh tier of women’s football and second place is where, almost certainly, Tonbridge Angels Women will finish for a second consecutive season.
It is a hobby horse of mine that the structure of women’s football in the lower tiers needs addressing. This season, Maidstone United and Tonbridge Angels have been far too strong for their division. Maidstone haven’t lost a game and Tonbridge have only lost to Maidstone, the rest are trailing miles behind. What benefit is it to the competition to stunt the growth of a progressive club leaving them in a division in which next season they will continue to be too strong unless they lose their players who have ambitions for a greater standard.
Last season, a vacancy arose and one club with the correct criteria got promoted and that might happen again this season, but that is a lottery. Surely, 12 team divisions have the scope to expand?
Already this post sounds sour grapes. None of it, on the day Maidstone were the more composed side and well deserving of their win that leaves them needing to win at Hollands and Blair to confirm the title, whilst Tonbridge play host to Long Lane hoping for a miracle.
Tonbridge had done all they could to promote the game and were rewarded with an impressive 428 filing through the gates on a warm, sunny day.
The game started nervously with neither side settling into their natural rhythm but it was the Angels women that hit the front on 13 minutes with a well worked goal. A cross from the right from Charlotte Cresswell was headed on by Phoebe Farnham to an unmarked Aimee Churchill who took her opportunity to fire past a helpless Cara Davies.
Both goalkeepers were tested before the Stones equalised on 25 minutes when a driven shot from Georgia Culpitt found the bottom corner from 20 yards.
On the half-hour a nasty collision between Culpitt and Angels goalkeeper, Lois Bartlett, saw the keeper take a blow to the head that forced her substitution by outfield player Beth Kemp, who in the absence of a regular keeper took her place between the sticks.
Perhaps knowing this, Maidstone took a shoot on sight policy and, from distance, Neve Platt rattled the crossbar.
On 36 minutes, the Angels retook the lead when a clearance fell at the feet of Mollyanne Herbert-Smith, who lobbed a stranded Davies from the edge of the box.
In the much extended added time, due to Bartlett’s injury, Maidstone equalised when Kelsi Wilkinson was sent to clear to finish past Kemp.
The rolling substitutions rule allowed Bartlett to return at the start of the second half but after conceding Maidstone’s third goal when Chi Madamombe ran from deep to finish into the bottom corner, she was forced from the field again still feeling the effects of the blow to the head with Kemp returning for a second spell with the gloves.
Maidstone dominated the second period with the Angels struggling to get a meaningful spell in the half. Resolute defending, wayward finishing kept Tonbridge in the game and, into another long period of added time, their chance came when Herbert-Smith fed Grace Mayhead, but her shot was saved by Davies and soon after the celebrations began for Maidstone United.
If two-season justice prevails local rivalry will be resumed next season in the London and South East Regional League.
Pictures: Tonbridge Angels Women
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