Tonbridge Angels U18/19 (2) 3 Bingham 18,63 Denton 20
Gillingham U16 (0) 0
Attendance: 110
Admission: Free
Mileage: 38/336
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
It came as no surprise that the youngsters of Tonbridge Angels and Gillingham served up the best preseason game I’ve seen this season.
Entertaining, competitive with even a slight edge to it and with no shortage of quality, the extra year or two, saw a mix of Tonbridge U18’s and Academy (U19’s) take what spoils there are from a friendly with a 3-0 win over a Gillingham side largely made up from their Under-16 group.
This season is another big one in terms of transition for the youth programme at Tonbridge Angels. Last season brought the very successful reintroduction of the Kent Youth League teams under the Angels badge and this has been followed by the Academy being brought in-house this season.
Men’s first team manager, Alan Dunne, has bought into the project and in a recent interview, he pledged that he would be using players from the Academy this year, there are opportunities for them and has signed three on National League South forms.
Adding that he would have Academy players training with the senior team as his blueprint would be to bed them into the environment and use them as and when appropriate. This would, in turn, attract better academy players with the knowledge that there is a clear pathway through to senior football.
On a pleasantly warm evening, with the heat of the day receding, both teams showed their attacking intentions from the outset with the Angels’ Harry Bingham forcing a save from the Gills goalkeeper after just two minutes and the visitors replying with efforts that required saving by Alfie McGuire.
Tonbridge went ahead after 18 minutes when a 20 yard shot from Bingham found the bottom corner and they doubled their advantage two minutes later when a run and pass from Harry Ejje set up a shooting opportunity for Jack Denton to find the bottom corner.
Gillingham passed up several opportunities to reduce the deficit with a header that drifted narrowly wide and a shot into the side netting before McGuire made an excellent save as the Gills centre forward went through one-on-one.
Tonbridge certainly had the better of the second period with Amnol Bhandari bringing a good, low save out of the keeper before, on 63 minutes, Bingham wrapped up the game when the ball fell to him in the area following a corner and he clinically drove it home from around 12 yards.
All very satisfying, and Dom Welsh said afterwards, that his team had applied themselves really well and were very comfortable.
Both the Angels sides have history to continue, with the Under-18’s Isthmian divisional champions for the last two seasons and the Academy will be looking to return to being a force in the National Youth Alliance after a season that didn’t quite meet the success of their recent past.
On this evidence, I’ve little doubt, that it will be entertaining.
Picture: Jim Case
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