Concord Rangers 1 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 107/21/1971 - Tuesday, 15th March 2022 - National League South

Concord Rangers (0) 1 Simper 75
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Wood 85
Attendance: 252
Admission: £8
Programme: £2
Mileage: 124/6,267

Cliche time! We are, at least, approaching the business end of the season. Draws are analysed, point won or two lost and smart phones are rapidly becoming a distraction as up-to-the-minute information is sought from matches elsewhere. My own cliche that I trot out time and again is that this would have been a point that I would have accepted on the way in, so I have to be satisfied on the way out.

But, and there is always a but, this did feel like a game in which two points were lost.

Canvey Island doesn’t represent the more glamorous of destinations in National South and Concord Rangers’ Thames Road stadium has few redeeming features, although I’m told the very cheesy chips were good value, but they looked like a heart attack on a plate to me!

Relegation battles are by their very definition tight, usually scrappy affairs and, on a pitch that didn’t help, this was no different.

Adam Lovatt had been recalled by Sutton United and went straight into their team for their League Two fixture at Swindon Town. His place in the starting line-up was taken by Doug Loft.

An overhead kick from Joe Turner after 10 minutes that cleared the bar by not too much and a shot from Concord’s Nana Kyei that was turned away for a corner provided the best of the early action.

It was past the half-hour mark when Turner was sent clear but Concord’s ex-Angels loanee goalkeeper Myles Roberts narrowed his angle and was able to push the ball away for a corner.

Both goalkeepers made comfortable saves in the remaining time before the break but with the dearth of real chances it was no surprise that the first 45 minutes had ended goalless.

Into the second half and, sadly for the meagre attendance, goalmouth action remained in short supply with both sides having an effort that was comfortably saved.

Tommy Wood entered the fray after 73 minutes to beef up the attack but within two minutes it was the home side that took the lead. A cross from the right by Lewis Simper brought hesitancy from the Tonbridge defence and the ball found the net off the far post.

Forwards, Aaron Smith-Joseph and Jake Embery, were sent on as the Angels sought at least an equaliser that their evening deserved and a succession of corners were won but without reward.

But, on 85 minutes, reward finally came with a goal from the marksman of the moment, Wood. Smith-Joseph saw a free kick turned away for a corner from which James Taylor swept a pass in to Wood, who fired home.

We are some way away from squeaky bum time, but those nervy times ahead seem just around the corner.

Concord Rangers 3 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 81/19/1803 - Saturday, 14th March 2020 - National South

Concord Rangers (3) 3 Babalola 17 Sheriff 21 Blanchfield 45+1
Tonbridge Angels (2) 3 Greenhalgh 14 Wood 44 Bray 90+4
Attendance: 702

Admission: Free
Programme: £3
Mileage: 108/6,303

If this is to be the season's end, then it's a good way to go out. The Coronavirus outbreak had already suspended the Premier League season and it was a frankly baffling decision from the National League to continue for, perhaps, one last Saturday.

A goal with virtually the last touch of the match ensured Tonbridge took a point home from Canvey Island and on whatever method the National League decide to formulate the table to end the season, outside of playing again, it is enough to ensure their safety.

Tonbridge took the lead after 14 minutes when the Concord Rangers defence failed to clear a cross to safety. The ball fell to Ben Greenhalgh who from the left hand angle of the box drove into the bottom corner.

Celebration was short-lived, however, as the visitors found themselves 2-1 down within seven minutes. First, a cross from the left found the unchallenged head of Temi Babalola to equalise. On 21 minutes, a mistake in the middle of the pitch by James Folkes allowed Decarrey Sheriff a run on goal. After rounding Jonny Henly, he appeared to have closed down his angle but finished well into the open goal.

The Angels pressed on, and after half-an-hour, Alex Bentley struck the woodwork.

Tommy Wood equalised for the Angels with a minute left on the clock when Khale Da Costa's effort rebounded off a defender into the path of the on-loan striker who cooly finished despite the strong protests of the home defenders for an offside decision.

But the visitors were not to enter the dressing room on level terms as a cross into the box led to scrambled attempts to clear the ball to safety but ended with back heel from close range by James Blanchfield.

Tonbridge started the second half on the front foot but chances for both sides were now at a premium rather than the profligate first period with the best effort from Da Costa going narrowly wide.

But the game drifted towards its conclusion with neither side particularly holding the momentum going into the closing minutes.

As we entered the last of four minutes added time, Tonbridge won a free kick which ended with the ball at substitute Jared Small's feet. His cross to the far post was headed back across the face of goal by Sonny Miles to the towering head of fellow central defender Rian Bray whose header was greeted with delirium by the Tonbridge support behind the goal.

Rather unsavoury incidents followed as neither side covered themselves with much glory in the aftermath of the goal and the final whistle but the game which had been largely exciting and well fought and shouldn't be remembered for those moments of lost heads.

The afternoon had a surreal feel and until we meet again, don't know where, don't know when, stay healthy.

Lifetime match total: 3,055
Number of grounds: 342

Concord Rangers 1 Gillingham 2

Match 06/16/1314 - Tuesday, 19th July 2016 - Pre-Season Friendly

Concord Rangers (1) 1 King 18
Gillingham (0) 2 Norris 52, Knott 90 (pen)
Attendance guess: 200-ish

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 106/1,099
New Ground: 290

Match Report

The joke went along the lines of, when Gillingham conceded the opening goal, that's us relegated then; the equaliser took us to mid-table obscurity whilst the last minute winner spelt promotion! It was a jolly jape, we were all seasoned Gillingham supporters that have seen pre-season's without a win end with a promotion and, once, a ten-game unbeaten pre-season that finished with relegation. There is no rhyme or reason to results at this time of the year.

That be said, the first half of this hastily arranged match, due to Braintree Town's pitch not being ready, was a long way short of impressive.

Gillingham's pre-season has been blighted by injuries with Aaron Morris a likely long-term casualty. Deji Oshilaja and Bradley Garmston are also on the treatment table for the forseeable future. Everyone a defender, this obviously leaves Justin Edinburgh short at the back. Emmanuel Osadebe filled in alongside Max Ehmer in the centre of defence, but this surely cannot be considered an option going into the league season.

There were several trialists on view. In the first half, Rhys Murrell-Williamson, last season at Dulwich Hamlet played on the left flank with Marcus Williams (ex-Scunthorpe) at left back. In the second period, Tom Wraight, who played against Tonbridge in the play-off semi-final for East Thurrock played left back with Josh Lelan (ex-Northampton) filled in at right back.

The hosts went in front after 18 minutes when a cross into the box found the unchallenged head of Steve King who planted a firm header past Stuart Nelson. The defending was bad enough for the relegation joke to seem all too real.

Murrell-Williamson put in a teasing cross that just failed to find the feet of Bradley Dack in Gillingham's only purposeful attack of the first half.

The second half at least saw an increase in tempo from the League One side and they found an equaliser seven minutes into the half when Wraight crossed for Luke Norris to score from close range.

In fairness, Gillingham pressed hard in the second period without having too much of a cutting edge. They finally got a probably undeserved winner in the last minute when Rory Donnelly was brought down in the area leaving Bily Knott to convert from the spot.

Personally, I didn't find Concord's Thames Road ground the eyesore that some people have portrayed it. The playing surface was good and there is a decent sized covered seating enclosure along one side. Two small seating stands are either side of the dug-outs with a bit of covered terracing behind one goal. The point so often told about Canvey Island are the mosquitoes, fact is I didn't get bitten once.