Ashford Town (Middlesex) (0) 1 Webb 48
Tonbridge (2) 4 Allen 2 Blewden 32,90 Sobers 84
Attendance: 227
Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 152/3,859
It was eight years to the day (so my Facebook - You have a Memory tells me) that my first visit to Shorts Lane saw Tonbridge triumph emphatically 7-1. Little has changed at the little stadium with the rumblings of Heathrow Airport as its backdrop excepting the Government's announcement that the airport has won the bidding for the south-east's third runway. Louder rumblings, the air heavier with aviation fuel is their prospect.
On entry, the white board listing the teams, showed a Tonbridge side that looked plainly odd, so odd it was difficult to pinpoint exactly who would be playing where. Added to the wounded for recent weeks was Nathan Elder, sadly having to return to the Caribbean for a family funeral. George Beaven returned, but with question marks regarding his full fitness whilst James Folkes, also with fitness doubts, employed on the right side of midfield. Up front, Luke Blewden would be asked to plough a lone furrow.
After the shock of Saturday, Tonbridge's makeshift looking side enjoyed the perfect start with a goal after 70 seconds; Luke Allen's shot from the edge of the box taking a wicked deflection leaving the goalkeeper no chance.
Ashford came right back into the game with a couple of half chances before Damian Scannell brought a good low save from Kavanagh Keedall.
After a bright start the game settled into a stalemate until, just past the half-hour mark, a cross from the left was met with a deft header from Blewden, who steered it into the bottom corner.
The start of the second period brought more reshuffling for Steve McKimm with Wheeler being withdrawn through injury and replaced by Parter, surprisingly named on the bench. Before the visitors could get truly organised, Ashford had pulled a goal back, bundled home by Max Webb, following a cross from the right.
With their tail up, Ashford poured forward in search of an equaliser leaving Tonbridge to defend in numbers. There were near misses, last ditch punts to safety, but Anthony Di Bernardo was not seriously tested.
Tonbridge were forced into another change after 77 minutes when Beaven left the field injured having gone much further into the game than expected. This time the reshuffle worked in their favour. Cameron Milham came on and immediately took hold of the centre of the field with the added bonus of Parter moving to his more natural left back position.
With eight minutes to go, the tie was effectively sealed when a cross into the box was met by the head of Jerrome Sobers, steering the ball into the bottom corner.
In the third minute of time added, with Ashford desperately throwing bodies forward, the ball was played to Blewden who ran from 15 yards inside his own half, unopposed, before burying a good finish past Keedall.
The £2,700 prize money is far more rewarding than an away tie at Kingstonian in the next round, but hopefully by that time, some of the those square pegs might be in square holes.
