Dover Athletic (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Tanga 52
Attendance: 1,005
Admission: £17
Mileage: 88/766
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN!
Scaling and descending the mountainous path to the away end at the Crabble gives plenty of time to reflect. On the upslope the reflection is more of self-preservation, heavy breathing and legs that are turning to jelly whilst the return journey, thankfully in August not having the worry of your feet sliding from underneath you, opinions can be formed on a good result or otherwise.
On this occasion, we were reflecting on a Tonbridge Angels win, but strangely, I carried an admiration of the resilience of Dover Athletic, who had gone down to 10 men following a first half dismissal of ex-Angel Naz Bakrin, but posed the visitors more problems a man light than they had with a full complement.
Whimsical asides with stewards at different points in the climb regarding Sherpa Tenzing and the need for oxygen were met with deadpan faces as the warm hospitality of Dover Athletic was as evident as ever.
Alan Dunne made a couple of changes from Saturday’s home defeat against Torquay United with Jordon Thompson returning from injury and Bunmi Babajide from unavailability.
An opening 20 minutes saw little action on either set of posts before Fabio Roque, with his first appointment at step two level, made his first intervention of the evening with a justifiable yellow card shown to Bakrin as Frankie Baker sought to get clear of the Dover defender on the half-way line.
A minute later Jepthe Tanga went close before, on the half-hour, Tonbridge had their first nervous moment as a header from Sheriff hit his own man to bounce into the grateful hands of the Nathan Harness.
A second ex-Angel Sonny Fish was subject to an unfortunate injury on 45 minutes when following a aerial challenge with Bailey Akehurst, the Tonbridge man’s boot landed on the head of Fish leaving him with a badly gashed head.
Dover were reduced on 10 men in first half added time in curious circumstances. Fair warning had been given by the referee about grappling in the box between Bakrin and Ethan Sutcliffe and when the shirt was virtually ripped from Sutcliffe’s back, Roque brandished yellow cards to both, before being reminded that he had already earlier booked Bakrin.
Tonbridge took the lead after 52 minutes when Tanga took advantage of a mistake from Faud Sesay to race clear and bury his low, angled shot into the far bottom corner for his third goal in three games from the start of the season.
Dover responded positively, but the Angels defence dealt with the majority of their attacks with ease before, after 73 minutes, Harry Gardner let fly with a vicious shot from 25 yards that goalkeeper Mitch Walker could only punch straight into the air above him to collect at the second attempt.
Tonbridge had to survive one final scare in added time when Harness clawed away a corner before the referee blew for time to spark another melee that even involved the Dover chairman marching onto the pitch to confront Mr Roque.
Two away games, two of the most inhospitable visits done and six points on the board, that’ll do nicely.
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