Yeovil Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 21/23/2144 - Saturday, 26th August 2023 - National League South

Yeovil Town (1) 2 Young 13 Nouble 90+6
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 2,896

Admission: £14 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 355/1,142
Weather: 18degC., heavy showers

That’ll Be The Day that I’ll like to forget in a hurry.

That I didn’t exercise of little bit of commonsense to go alongside what a satnav was telling me was a source of frustration as an expected journey of a little over three hours became five and left us hurrying from the car park with ten minutes to spare and placing our backsides down as the referee blew his whistle to start the game.

Not enough attention was taken to bank holiday traffic and consequently the eternally slow haul round the M25 saw the best part of an hour of the time in hand disappear. Further stoppages on the M3 and the notorious drag past Stonehenge saw the rest of that time evaporate.

Although not a new ground, having twice previously been and seen defeat with Gillingham, this was a much anticipated match for Tonbridge Angels fans. A chance to visit a club that graced the Championship nine years ago entertaining the likes of Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and, in the FA Cup, Manchester United.

Huish Park, with a near 10,000 capacity, opened in 1990 and for my first visit in 2006, it was still a relatively new stadium of good standard in League One. Sadly, their drift downwards from the heady days of the Championship to National League South has also seen the ground become tired, a bit outdated and, to be frank, lacking some of the amenities that we enjoy at Longmead.

The home club decided not to open the uncovered away terrace and instead housed the 66 Tonbridge supporters in a block of seats for which they were thankful as the weather also failed to play ball with very heavy showers punctuating the first half.

The journey home was marginally better but another four hours equated to nine hours driving and although the Angels put in a spirited performance and stayed in the game until the final minute of time added, their lack of any sort of cutting edge in the final third failed to produce a shot on target, not what you want from a punishing day.

Yeovil got their noses in front on 13 minutes when Jordan Young finished between Jonny Henly and his near post from the right hand edge of the box. Henly kept the Angels in the game in the first period with several good saves.

Tonbridge offered encouragement to their hardy support in the early stages with shots from Joe Turner and Ibby Akanbi that were not too far wide but, after 64 minutes, the home side were awarded a disputed penalty when Rhys Murphy was brought down, but there had clearly been an offside in the build up. Justice was served as Henly added to his heroics with a save.

Frank Nouble, whose brother Joel was a Tonbridge signing for all of about 20 minutes under Steve McKimm, wrapped the game up in added time to end this forgettable trip to Somerset.

Yeovil Town 2 Gillingham 1

Match 32/07/649 - Sunday, 18th November 2007 - League One

Yeovil Town (0) 2 Owusu 66 Walker 88
Gillingham (0) 1 Dickson 76
Att. 4,408

Entrance: £17
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 352/2,932

Match Report

An absolute pits of a day was made all the worse by yet another away day defeat, this time probably undeserved.

The weather forecast had been spot on and half way down the M3 the rain started to fall and none too lightly, and by the time the car was parked at Huish Park it was dropping out of the sky in torrents. An open terrace beckoned and we knew our fate was to be a good soaking. But salvation was at hand. At the ticket office we were informed that although we were buying terrace tickets we were to be allowed under cover in one of the stands. What a wonderful gesture by the kind Somerset folk. Even the short walk along the terrace behind the goal was enough to dampen us sufficiently as we headed towards our dry haven. But the devil moves in mysterious ways and the section reserved for the travelling support was full and despite there being 500 empty seats just one yard away the jobsworth stewards decided that there was no more room at the inn and we were turned back into the elements. What is it with a yellow coat and a lack of common sense, it is obviously not part of the job description.

There is something about getting soaked to the skin that affects the concentration and the interest, then a lenthy delay whilst one of your own team receives attention only focuses the mind further on the fact that your underpants are now being to feel damp. Efe Sodje, himself on as as substitute, thankfully despite sustaining a badly cut eye and concussion was said to be OK later after an ambulance ride to the local hospital. I cannot remember seeing 13 minutes held up on the first half added time board before and as the half time whistle blew the rain had relented and the stand was emptying as the travelling support returned to their position behind the goal. "Where was you when we were wet?" I felt like singing.

Of course this is a Gillingham away day so there is no fairy tale ending, a 2-1 defeat, the skies opening again to a further deluge and atrocious driving conditions all the way home. But it was nice of think that those stewards went home happy with their days work having had a nice dry seat in the stands. Muppets.