Margate 2 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 1/25/2344 - Saturday, 5th July 2025 - Pre-Season Friendly

Margate (1) 2 Derry 27 Atkins 75
Tonbridge Angels (0) 3 Trialist12 51 Trialist14 66 Richardson 78
Attendance: 608
Admission: £3
Mileage: 110/110

Craig Nelson’s tenure as Tonbridge Angels’ manager got off to a winning start at Margate with an exciting second half performance that brought three goals as a right-sided trialist caught the eye with a stunning strike and an assist as the visitors rallied from a 1-0 half-time deficit courtesy of a goal from ex-Angels 2019 play-off hero Tom Derry.

Nelson reflected on the performance: “We controlled the game in both halves really well. In the first half, a little bit too slow but the boys are learning something new; they don’t know each other too well either, so they are learning about each other whilst playing a game of football which is not the easiest thing to do. In the second half the guys did really well, they upped the tempo and there were some great finishes, all three goals were well worked and seeing the boys gel with some of the signed players was good.”

On a warm, but thankfully cooler than of late, afternoon, a decent attendance with a healthy following from Tonbridge watched on as Pete Doherty of the Libertines set the game in motion, in his hat and to be almost immediately substituted.

First chance of the afternoon fell to the hosts after nine minutes when a ball into the box from Harrison Hatfull found the head of Sam Blackman, whose effort rebounded from the crossbar.

Tonbridge responded well and, after 15 minutes, they too hit the crossbar with a shot from Nazir Bakrin. This was quickly followed by a good save from Tom Wray as a shot from 20 yards from Jordan Higgs was goal bound.

The Angels fell behind on 27 minutes when a quickly taken free kick sent Derry clear to slot past the advancing Jacob Adams. The Tonbridge goalkeeper was brought into action once more within a couple of minutes denying Derry a second goal.

Another Higgs effort from distance was saved and Bunmi Babajide also tested Wray as the Angels ended the half strongly.

The second half brought a complete change in the Angels line-up and brought to the fore trialist number 12 who made an instant impression that was further enhanced with a stunning strike on 51 minutes into the top corner after he had jinked his way from the right touchline into the box.

The visitors hit the front after 66 minutes when good work down the right from Matty Warren saw the ball met inside the six yard box by trialist number 14 whose crisp half-volley finish gave Wray no chance.

Tonbridge were in full flow as Warren fired over and the trialist 14 forced Wray into a good save and it came as a surprise when, after 75 minutes, a long cross from the left found its way to Louie Atkins who scored at the far post.

The home side’s joy was short-lived as, three minutes later, a drive down the right from trialist 14 followed by a low cross into the box that was finished neatly by Academy player Mackenzie Richardson.

Richardson saw a header turned over the bar and Wray saved well from trialist 17 as the Angels saw out the game well on top.

Nelson added: “We were pleased, all in all, things need to be tweaked, which is absolutely fine, that’s what pre-season is for, but it’s good to get minutes into the legs and also to win the game.”

Margate 1 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 6/22/2013 - Saturday, 23rd July 2022 - Pre-Season Friendly

Margate (0) 1 Bessey-Saldanha 76
Tonbridge Angels (1) 3 Trialist (TQ) 45 Parkinson 63 Miles 81
Attendance: 298

Admission: Pass
Programme: None
Mileage: 110/894

Thankfully it is nearly over! One final friendly at Wingate and Finchley next Saturday which I'm not attending and we can get down the serious business of winning points. It has been an odd pre-season. Off the pitch I've deliberately restricted myself to Tonbridge games in light of the price of fuel but, more importantly, on the pitch, Jay Saunders has been been denied the opportunity of pitching his side against superior opposition and even putting out what he would consider his strongest team with a series of absences and minor knocks. Sadly, even the 6th August opening day is clouded with disappointment for myself as with a delay to the new FIFA approved surface at Longmead, the home game with Weymouth has been switched and, annoyingly, I'm unable to be away for a whole day on this occasion. Weymouth appears to be a ground that will forever elude me. The last time they were in the same division as Tonbridge, the away game was cancelled as Covid brought a premature end to the season, watch them win promotion this season.

Margate 1 Tonbridge Angels 4

Match 14/20/1817 - Saturday, 12th September 2020 - Pre-Season Friendly

Margate (0) 1 Ufuah 61
Tonbridge Angels (1) 4 Greenhalgh 42 Parkinson 49 Campbell 65,85
Attendance: 174

Admission: Pass
Programme: None
Mileage: 106/724


Match Report

Margate 0 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 26/18/1619 - Saturday, 25th August 2018 - Bostik Premier

Margate (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Beere 28 Read 48
Attendance: 648

Admission: £8 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 106/1,321

Lies, damn lies and statistics is a well worn phrase, supposedly popularised by Mark Twain, but one statistic that is not a lie is worth a mention here. In the top 10 divisions of English football, only two teams have yet to concede a goal, Liverpool and little'ol Tonbridge Angels, those scousers keep good company.

Tonbridge’s start to the season has been surprising if only that there was nothing out of the ordinary in preseason to suggest the solidity that they have found. It is always said preseason form counts for nothing and the first four games bare testament to that.

The Bank Holiday fixture list has been particularly unkind to the Angels sending them on a double-header on the east Kent coast, that is not a traditionally happy hunting ground. To come out of the weekend with a couple of points would have been welcomed but having emerged from the opening game against Margate with a win leaves the Angels already in credit on my count.

Both sides produced half chances in the opening 10 minutes with Tom Parkinson heading over and Margate’s Liam Friend doing likewise.

After a good move between ex-Angel Joe Taylor and Chris Barnard ended with Tom Wynter heading over it was Tonbridge who took the lead on 28 minutes courtesy of a 30 yard strike from Tom Beere that goalkeeper Henry Newcombe got a hand too, but failed to stop it rifling into the far corner.

A riposte from Margate was expected and Jonny Henly needed to be at his best to turn a shot from Aristide Bassele onto his post. It turned out to be his only real employment of the afternoon.

Wynter put another header wide but Tonbridge largely saw the half out comfortably.

Ex-Tonbridge favourite Frannie Collin took every corner and free kick from wherever they were positioned but he spent the majority of his time deep-lying and carrying little threat.

Tonbridge effectively killed off the game three minutes into the second half when a ball sent forward was headed into the path of Alex Reid who produced a sublime finish.

Margate offered surprisingly little henceforth and it was Tonbridge who might have added to their tally with many of the 648 in attendance making an early, rather disgruntled exit.

Margate 0 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 18/17/1468 - Tuesday, 15th August 2017 - Bostik Premier

Margate (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 632

Entrance: £8 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 106/1,211

Match Report

A visit to Margate Football Club is always taken when they are in the midst of one of two cycles, Boom or Bust. There is no centre ground with the Thanet club, their pot is either overflowing in riches or there isn't one to piss in.

We are now in Boom. A bright, new 3G pitch looks resplendent surrounded as it is by decaying infrastructure and temporary portacabins that have long since taken root by virtue of previous unfulfilled promises of hotels, casinos and a stadium to grace their aspirations of the Football League.

It remains to be see whether this era has any more substance than the previous booms, we only have history to draw our own conclusions.

The money is here now, and as usual, is being spent on the pitch, that being the playing staff, not the 3G that obviously cost a pretty penny.

The welcome is warm at Hartsdown Park and there is none of the garish boastfulness of their partners on the Bostik Rich List at Billericay. In fact, their supporters were downright nice, wishing us a good season at the final whistle and us to them.

Steve Watt has obviously decided the route to National League South is not only copying the model at Maidstone, but by employing about three-quarters of his team-mates from the Gallagher. Add in Sonny Miles, Craig Stone and Tommy Parkinson and the bar afterwards must have been like a school reunion.

Such is the reported investment, arrival on the east coast was much in hope rather than expectation. Still shorn of five recognised first team choices, admittedly Margate were short of a couple themselves, Steve McKimm’s selection virtually picked itself, with no changes made from Saturday’s opening day victory against Hendon.

Tonbridge had the ball in the net after seven minutes but this was ruled out, contentiously, with the referee deciding that Dan Thompson was interfering with play as Stone put the ball into the net.

It was the one moment of respite in a first half that was largely dominated by the hosts. Dave Martin, a championship player with Millwall and Derby County in a previous lifetime, was a constant threat and Liam Smith, at 17-years-old, was given a testing time but stood up to the examination.

The principle scare of the first half for the visitors came after 14 minutes when following a corner, Tom Wynter crashed a header against the crossbar. Angels’ goalkeeper, Jonny Henly was called into action soon after, palming away to relative safety a shot from Martin.

A lot of the pressure that was brought on Tonbridge was almost self-inflicted as their ball retention was considerably less than satisfactory.

The second half was a different story altogether. Tonbridge kept possession better and gained momentum although in the opening 20 minutes of the half very few chances were created by either side with Martin pulling a shot wide the only threat to the goal.

After 73 minutes of absorbing, but goal-less action, Sidney Sollis (as the stadium announcer formally introduced him) was introduced into the fray and that horrible feeling of fate was upon us.

But it was the Angels that upped the tempo and the chances fell to them with Nathan Elder having a shot blocked and Chris Kinnear blasting over.

Three minutes from time the ball fell nicely for Sollis to inflict the worst possible pain but he tamely shot over the bar.

As we entered time-added, the possible disappointment of losing a well-deserved but unexpected point made the heart race faster and when Matt Bodkin drove a shot marginally wide the old ticker nearly stopped completely.

Money is not everything, let’s hope for the sake of the Isthmian League in general, that those words apply also to Billericay, and perhaps a good old fashioned team spirit might just be enough to gatecrash the party.

Margate 2 Tonbridge 2

Match 82/14/1191 - Monday 6th April 2015 - Ryman Premier

Margate (1) 2 Taylor 45, Moss 50
Tonbridge (1) 2 Elder 5, Pinnock 57
Att. 747

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 108/6,024

Match Report

Margate on a Bank Holiday, a ride on the Big Dipper, fish and chips, an ice cream and a paddle, none of which readily apply to this Easter Monday fixture, although it could be said that Tonbridge’s season to date has a resonance with the Dipper.

Saturday’s win for Tonbridge over AFC Hornchurch had, at least in my mind, taken away any pressure for the trip to Margate. In the equation that is the number of points required to avoid relegation and the whereabouts of those points, Margate was not on many people’s radar for any reward.

But should we have known better? Already this season, Tonbridge have taken four points from the other big spenders, Maidstone United and victory in the reverse fixture at Longmead against Margate was only denied by a goal at the death from goalkeeper, Nikki Bull. Hendon, who at present divide M&M, took a point at Longmead and won at Earlsmead, courtesy of a goalkeeping error, when Tonbridge fully deserved something out of the game. So was it such a lost cause?

After seemingly months of cold weather, it was a toss-up whether to take the heavy coat out of the boot of the car or a lighter version. In the end, caution won and the heavy coat was donned; when the sun shone it was too hot, but when the sun disappeared behind the clouds it was the correct choice. It was also strange to see a very firm pitch that must dry very quickly with the sea breezes.

The rumoured amount of money that Bob Laslett has sunk into Margate Football Club varies wildly, but, it has to be said, that at present very little of this investment has been sunk into facilities at Hartsdown Park. It seems the club has been stuck in a time warp for the last 15 years when plans for a new stadium coupled with a hotel complex were first presented. In 2003, with Margate having left the site to groundshare, Hartsdown Park was demolished, before returning in 2005 with the Portakabins that occupy one side of the pitch gracing it ever since. With the uncovered temporary seating at the Tivoli Park end and the pair of stands straddling the half-way line, there is more than enough seating to satisfy the regulations, but as a stadium fit for purpose in Conference South it barely fits that status.

Investment though has been made in the team and Laslett must surely be disappointed that Terry Brown hasn’t been able to steer Margate into a position closer to Maidstone than they currently occupy.

Tonbridge started the game on the front foot and were rewarded with an early goal. A shot from Charlie Webster was only parried by Bull into the path of Nathan Elder who scored with a stooping header. The visitors went on to dominate the opening half-hour with the Angels’ keeper, Billy Bishop untested. Mitchell Pinnock fired narrowly wide and a Dee Okojie shot was deflected wide of the post with Bull a helpless bystander.

Having failed to increase their advantage, Tonbridge needed to get to the break with their lead intact but, with a couple of minutes remaining, Tom Parkinson conceded a disputed free kick 20 yards from goal. Sam Rents fired in the kick that Bishop fumbled and former Tonbridge favourite, Lewis Taylor was on hand to tap the ball home from close range.

The old flea in the ear trick from Brown fired up the hosts early in the second half. Freddie Ladapo struck the inside of a post from distance before a cross from the bye-line by Tambeson Eyong was converted at the far post by Ryan Moss after 52 minutes.

Any thoughts that Tonbridge were going fold were quickly dispelled when Pinnock let fly with a shot from 25 yards that flew into the top corner with Bull grasping fresh air. It was a goal to grace a weekend that had seen stunners in the Premiership from Charlie Adam, Wayne Rooney and Bobby Zamora.

With their tails up, the visitors might well have gone on to win the game. Elder was thwarted twice in quick succession by Bull and Tommy Whitnell volleyed over. But the chance of the match came with five minutes remaining, Marvin Williams crossed from the right to an unmarked Elder but the big striker’s effort was smothered by Bull, who was duly made Margate’s man of the match.

Tonbridge had to settle for an, albeit unexpected, point when all three might not have been undeserved in their quest to avoid the drop. Meanwhile at the other end of the table, Hendon are ominously eyeing the top spot which would mean that one, or both, of Kent’s big spenders are going to fall foul of the play-offs.