Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Sutcliffe 67
Torquay United (1) 2 Jenkins 17, Jay 83
Attendance: 1,453
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/640
TAKE THE POSITIVES!
Ultimately, a defeat is a defeat however you dress it up, one team goes home with the points leaving the other empty-handed, whether it’s 5-0 or 1-0.
But there are occasions when you can take the positives and a 2-1 loss for Tonbridge Angels against the National League South pre-season favourites Torquay United offered plenty of encouragement, if a little disappointment at the goals conceded.
The visit of the Devon side is highly anticipated, always a good attendance with a healthy, friendly away following. I spent a little while in conversation with a Gulls fan, who actually lived in Borough Green, just a mere eight miles from Tonbridge. His expectations were not unreasonably high, but also very aware that each season has started with the same outlook but now Torquay enter their fifth season at this level and they find themselves in that situation for a myriad of reasons, that he hoped had finally been resolved.
There was a level of expectation from the home support as well, borne of last Saturday’s impressive opening day win at Braintree Town.
Alan Dunne lost two of his squad from last week with strikers Lamar Reynolds and Bunmi Babajide unavailable. Frankie Baker came into the starting XI and two of the pre-season trialists were added to the squad.
The visitors edged a competitive first half with a goal after 17 minutes from Kian Jenkins, who saw his right-sided corner evade everybody at the near post to inswing straight into the net.
Two hefty challenges, first from the Angels’ Bailey Akehurst and a second from Torquay’s Munashe Sundire brought an already hot afternoon to boiling point with referee Daniel Baines brandishing yellow cards to both offenders.
After the hydration break, the home side came back into the game and a great chance was spurned on 35 minutes when Ethan Sutcliffe rose to meet Akehurst’s corner but his header cleared the bar.
A superb save from Nathan Harness, who touched a shot from Callum Morton onto the post, stopped the Gulls from doubling their advantage soon after the break, but from that point it was the Angels who were taking the game to their opponents with Baker being denied by a saving block and, on 55 minutes, Akehurst rattled the post.
The Angels endeavours were rewarded on 67 minutes, when from a corner, substitute Alfie Pavey had an instant impact as he headed on a Kai Martin cross to be finished by Sutcliffe.
With seven minutes remaining, Torquay broke away after a Tonbridge attack ending with Sean Robertson rolling the ball across the box for Matt Jay to finish from close range.
Tonbridge's task was made harder with five minutes remaining as Jepthe Tanga received a second yellow card and, therefore, his marching orders.
In the fourth minute of added time, Torquay’s points were preserved with a magnificent save from Toby Savin to deny Pavey. I think we are going to be hard pushed to see a better save this season.
So, taking the positives, using one of Dunne’s favourite sayings, we have gone toe-to-toe with one of the division’s heavyweight and come away with plenty of plaudits, if not any points.
My passing words with the Angels chair on the way out might be fatalistic, but I’ll stand by them. If we play like that all season, we will win more than we lose.
Picture: David Couldridge
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