Tonbridge Angels 2 Sittingbourne 2

Match 5/26/2433 - Tuesday, 21st July 2026 - Pre-Season Friendly

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Graham 14 Tanga 74
Sittingbourne (1) 2 Smith 39 Trialist 69
Estimated Attendance: 200
Admission: £5
Mileage: 38/226

PRESEASON BEGINNING TO DRAG

We’ve reached the halfway point in preseason, about the time when it becomes a bit tiresome. The new season fixtures are out, the preliminary round draws of the FA Cup, Vase and Trophy have been made, giving something to look forward too but also the wish to get the next three weeks out of the way and on to competitive games.

As football supporters we know what preseason is about from the outset. We pitch up, pay our fiver and stare at our team not knowing who half of them are, whether that be a new signing or one of many trialists who have the thankless task of trying to fit into a team’s pattern of play whilst also, on a personal level, needing to impress the manager sufficiently to earn a contract. It is what it is, but it rarely makes for a good watch.

With due respect to Sittingbourne, a couple of steps below Tonbridge Angels, they came to the Yeomans and played a bit of football, found themselves 2-1 up before conceding in a relatively entertaining game. There was some old faces in their line-up with 2019 play-off final goalscorer D’Sean Theobalds, Joe Boachie and, the unmistakeable figure of Jordan Greenidge.

Some of the trialists are now on their fourth game and some have looked technically quite good players, but as with any preseason, most will fall by the wayside in the search for the gem that the bigger fish have missed.

On an evening cool enough to warrant a jumper, the trialist goalkeeper that has had time in each game, got a full 90 minutes. Who he is, perhaps we will never know. There was a first appearance on home territory for Lamar Reynolds that only lasted 45 minutes whilst the giant Lexus Beeden had his first start at the back.

The visitors made a bright start but it was Tonbridge who took the lead with a great strike from 20 yards by Harry Graham into the top corner. Graham has been, by far, my stand-out in preseason and looks a great acquisition from Hampton and Richmond with his box-to-box energy and, hopefully, this strike shows there is also a goal in him.

Tonbridge dominated for a period, but towards the back end of the half, Sittingbourne came back into the game and equalised on 39 minutes when a cross from the left found Harvey Smith at the far post to bury a header.

Into the second period, Tonbridge had a goal disallowed before Sittingbourne took the lead when a throw-in was poorly defended with the ball falling at the feet of a Sittingbourne trialist to poke home.

Stung a little, the Angels mustered a fightback and after Bunmi Babajide fed a short pass into Jephte Tanga, the midfielder turned outside of a defender before scoring from around 10 yards.

So other step towards opening day at Braintree Town is completed, I’m sure manager Alan Dunne is learning a lot, I’m not sure I am!