Taunton Town 4 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 39/22/2046 - Saturday, 29th October 2022 - National League South

Taunton Town (2) 4 Braham-Barrett (o.g.) 2, Jarvis 45, Smith 75, Chamberlain 88
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Gavin 28

Attendance: 872
New Ground: 352
Admission: Pass
Programme: None purchased
Mileage: 382/3,042

If on Tuesday, I was scrapping myself off the ceiling; four days later I’m picking myself off the floor, such is football.

The longest trip of the season had begun with a 6 o’clock alarm call and a notification that my booked rail journey from Paddington to Taunton had been cancelled. Perhaps the story of the day was already being written.

The cancellation had little effect, an earlier train out of Staplehurst allowed me to catch the 10:04 from Paddington that thankfully had spare seats.

With plenty of time to spare, the 1.5 miles from station to the Cygnet Stadium was walked through a town that, it has to be said, had very few redeeming features.

The Cygnet Stadium is a pleasant ground that in places shows its age, opened in 1953, but has all the necessary attributes and I will admit to a little terrace envy.

Behind both goals there is full width terracing with covered accommodation directly behind the goals. There is a main covered seating stand which holds the best part of 300 seats housing also an area of terracing whilst opposite there is a smaller seating stand. Brand new terracing, installed for their FA Cup tie against Yeovil (which Taunton won) is alongside, this the reason for my terrace envy! The grass pitch was in great shape, well cut and no need for Binfield moans!

News had filtered through on the train down that neither Jonny Henly (illness) or Lewis Gard (injury) had travelled, so the team showed two changes, Kevin Manuel in goal and TQ Addy for the influential Gard.

Tonbridge fell behind in the second minute when a cross from the left by Zak Smith travelled a long way to the far post from where Craig Braham-Barrett in attempting to head the ball away for a corner inexplicably turned it into his own net.

During the opening 15 minutes the Angels defence were asked a lot of questions and were struggling to contain their hosts but having survived this period they started to take control of the game and after 19 minutes a tempting cross from TQ Addy was deflected over his own bar by Dan Ball. The subsequent corner was met by a towering header from Joe Tyrie that only narrowly cleared the bar.

Set piece deliveries into the box were continuing to cause problems and one such in the 26th minute required Addy to clear from his line.

But, two minutes later, the Angels were on level terms as Dylan Gavin, who lost his footing while taking his shot from 25 yards, found the net with goalkeeper Jack Bycroft surely disappointed to be beaten from that range and a shot that didn’t particularly carry too much venom.

Bycroft had another scare just past the half-hour when a low cross from Ruben Soares-Junior went straight under his body before being hoofed to safety.

Certainly at this point, Tonbridge were enjoying the better of the game forcing several corners but, as the half entered its added time, a right sided corner was met with a powerful header from Nat Jarvis to give the hosts the lead at the break.

Into the second half, which frankly was a disarrrster as Craig on Strictly would say!

An early shot from Soares-Junior was spilt by Bycroft and hacked to safety and that was about as good as it got.

On 75 minutes, Taunton as good as put the game to bed when a cross from Ollie Chamberlain from the right found Smith unmarked around the penalty spot with time and space to bury a shot past Manuel.

The icing was most certainly put on Taunton’s cake with two minutes remaining when from the right side of the box, Chamberlain drove an angled shot into the roof of the net past Manuel positioned at his near post.

The good people of Taunton were certainly hospitable and none more so than the group that stood and applauded the Tonbridge players from the pitch. It was such an act of sportsmanship that I felt the need to ask one of them if they were just being sarcastic. He assured me they were not!

As with all these long journeys that end in defeat, it was a long ride home even if the train was taking the strain and running to time. But, if you want evenings like Tuesday, you have to take Saturdays like this one.

K Sports Academy 3 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 38/22/2045 - Wednesday, 26th October 2022 - National Youth Alliance League Cup Second Round

K Sports (1) 3 18, 75, 79
Tonbridge Angels Academy (1) 1 Velvick 31

Headcount: 20
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Mileage: 26/2,660

The Academy produced a disappointing performance at K Sports and paid the price with a second round exit from the National Youth Alliance League Cup.

Shorn of several key players, Tonbridge struggled to find any real momentum on a difficult pitch outside of the stadium at Cobdown, where the 3G was unavailable.

Hayden Velvick, with 12 goals to his name already this season, had the Angels’ first chance of the game after seven minutes with the K Sports goalkeeper saving at his feet and his strike partner, Ben Hermitage pulled a shot wide before the home side took the lead after 18 minutes.

A K Sports free kick from wide on the right was allowed to travel all the way to the far post from where the K’s number 11 was positioned to score from close range.

Stung into action by the goal, the Angels summoned a bit more energy with a Hermitage free kick palmed away by the keeper, who then saved well from Josh Tobin.

But, in the 31st minute, Hermitage managed to wriggle his way to the right byeline before pulling the ball back to Velvick who scored from the edge of the six yard box.

Both sides had a chance to go into the break in front with Hermitage testing the goalkeeper late on, but the pitch certainly wasn’t helping the game in terms of quality.

Into the second half and with the Angels coming out on the front foot, firstly a shot from Kian Austin cleared the bar before Ben Hermitage was denied a goal having been victim of a very poor offside decision from the linesman.

But K Sports, now kicking down the slope, built momentum and, following a free kick into the box that had proved a frailty for the Angels back line, a scramble in the box ended with the right hand post being struck.

So it was no great surprise when K Sports took the lead with 15 minutes remaining when a cross from the right was not dealt with properly leaving a close range strike to put them 2-1 up.

Sadly, no lessons were learned and four minutes later another cross into the box once again led to a scramble and a shot stabbed home.

Tonbridge put together a spirited last 10 minutes but created very little in terms of real opportunities as the home side managed the game well to book their place in the third round.

Tonbridge Angels 1 Chelmsford City 0

Match 37/22/2044 - Tuesday, 25th October 2022 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Santos 14
Chelmsford City (0) 0

Attendance: 930
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 38/2,634

No need for drugs when football can give you such a high.

A thrilling game in which Tonbridge had a first half of attractive football and a second in which they had to dig deep and defend as if their lives depended on it. Both aspects of the game were loudly appreciated by a fully engaged attendance of 930, which we think is a record League attendance for a Tuesday night at Longmead.

Chelmsford arrived sitting fourth in the table, 10 games unbeaten including five wins on the spin which includes progress to the First Round of the FA Cup.

Jaydon Crowhurst’s loan spell from Southend has ended and into his position came Tariq Hinds, a new signing whose last club was Billericay, having spent time as a youngster at Tottenham. Up front Dylan Gavin was preferred to Louis Collins, who dropped to the bench.

The first half was very open with chances for both sides before Jeremy Santos opened the scoring after 14 minutes which left me to muse that there was no way this game was ending 1-0 (wrong!).

A cross from the right from Ruben Soares-Junior found Joe Turner at the far post, diving in low to connect with a header that struck the post and, at the other end, Simeon Jackson was denied when one-on-one with Jonny Henly.

The Angels took the lead after Santos won the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and surged beyond the centre circle before releasing Soares-Junior down the right who made it to the byline before pulling the ball back to the penalty area to where Santos had continued his run to crash the ball home.

Santos was at this point revelling in the atmosphere and his shot on 23 minutes was only marginally wide.

Chelmsford came right back into the game and had a credible penalty shout turned away on 34 minutes followed, five minutes later, by a header from Charlie Ruff that cleared the bar.

Into the second half and Tonbridge’s rearguard action was underway almost from the outset. A cross from the left just eluded Jackson right in front of goal, whilst Joe Tyrie and Sonny Miles won countless headers.

But the moment of the match, what might have been for the season, for the Angels fans came on 78 minutes when, from inside the centre circle, Santos spotting the keeper off his line tried his luck and executed a near perfect lob over Ejeheri, but sadly the ball drifted inches wide.

Chelmsford threw everything forward to rescue their unbeaten record but the Angels back line stood firm and, in time added, it took a fine, low save from Ejeheri to deny Joe Turner adding a second.

One final chance from the edge of the box fell to Barnum-Bobb who shanked his shot about 20 yards wide and about 20 feet high to bring down the curtains with a rousing cheer that was mainly borne of relief.

I could still have been scrapped off the ceiling by the time I got home, what a buzz!

Tonbridge Angels U18 7 Glebe 0

Match 36/22/2043 - Monday, 24th October 2022 - Isthmiaan Youth

Tonbridge Angels U18 (2) 7 Cormack 14 Puffette 25,64 Honavar 52,57,75 Lambert 60
Glebe (0) 0

Attendance: 43
Admission: £4
Programme: None
Mileage: 38/2,596

Against a background of Diwali fireworks, the Angels Under-18’s produced a firecracker performance of their own to demolish Glebe by seven clear goals with Cameron Honavar, who returned to the starting XI, scoring a hat-trick in a Man of the Match winning display.

From very early in the game, Tonbridge’s height advantage from set pieces caused problems for the Glebe defence with Will Puffette heading over from a corner.

The visitors stretched the Angels goalkeeper, Matt Larkin, after seven minutes before Max Cormack opened the scoring with a well struck shot past the Glebe keeper, Lorenzo Di-Cesare after 14 minutes.

The goal didn’t actually signal the deluge that was to follow as Glebe responded well with corners and an effort from Taheim Walters-Salmon that kept Larkin busy.

But with Zach Garcia’s set piece deliveries continually causing problems, a second goal was not long in coming as Puffette powered in a header following a free kick.

Puffette produced the tackle of the match after 37 minutes to deny Walters-Salmon and Glebe remained in the game at the break at two behind.

But the second half was to prove a different story as the Angels Under-18’s overpowered their visitors. Seven minutes into the half, Max Lambert set up Honavar to drive the ball into the bottom corner.

A stunning shot from Felix Waring from 25 yards crashed back of the crossbar, but two minutes later, Glebe’s frailty in the air was exposed again as Honavar headed the Angels four up.

On the hour, a really good team goal saw Waring and Honavar setting up Lambert for number five.

Puffette was allowed time to turn in the box and score as the Angels extracted the maximum chaos from every corner.

After 75 minutes, Honavar completed his hat-trick touching in from close range, the fifth goal of seven as a result of a set piece.

In fairness to Glebe they answered their manager’s calls to keep going to the final whistle and Larkin was forced to make a couple of saves late on.

Dom Welsh was rightly delighted with his team’s performance, commenting: “Exceptional team performance tonight, consistently outstanding from minute 1 to 90; controlled in possession, clinical in the final third and prevented everything going forward. A very good all-round performance from the lads.”

Tonbridge Angels 2 Chippenham Town 0

Match 35/22/2042 - Saturday, 22nd October 2022 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Soares-Junior 15 Gard 60
Chippenham Town (0) 0

Attendance: 966
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme:£3
Mileage: 38/2,558

A really solid performance; a clean sheet and three points earned almost without concern. A good day at the office for Tonbridge Angels and even more pleasing that Chippenham were a very useful opposition.

A ridiculously warm late October afternoon saw another attendance that neared 1,000 and the entertainment that was put before them should hopefully ensure that many will return on a regular basis.

Joe Tyrie, 18-year-old skipper of the Academy, signed a first team contract during the week and he took his place alongside Sonny Miles in the centre of defence in an unchanged starting XI from last week’s defeat at Dartford.

The home side made the better start before taking a 15th minute lead through Ruben Soares-Junior following a superb passage of play that began with Miles winning a tackle on the edge of his own box before moving the ball into midfield to Jeremy Santos who in turn sent Joe Turner to surge forward and his pass inside the full back found Craig Braham-Barrett. A pass inside to Louis Collins, a further pass outside to Soares-Junior who finished with aplomb into the far corner. Back-to-front, 80 yards without a Chippenham player touching the ball, it was football to savour.

The half sped by, such was the pleasing nature of the football on show, and the only criticism that anybody could have of the home side was that they were only a goal to the good.

Chippenham came out for the second half with a renewed sense of purpose and really should have been level after 55 minutes when a cross from Eddie Jones found the head of Harvey Greenslade at the far post but it was directed narrowly wide.

Tonbridge doubled their lead on the hour with another flowing move that involved a long ball forward from Santos that sent Jayden Crowhurst scampering down the right before delivering a inch perfect cross to the far post for Lewis Gard to steer a volley home.

Although the Angels held the dominance of the game, Chippenham were far from lying down and Henly had to be at the top of his game to deny Greenslade and a superb save to thwart Luke Russe.

Substitute Tommie Fagg hit a shot from distance that dipped later onto the roof of the net and TQ Addy also brought a save from Will Henry.

A very satisfying afternoon and after several weeks of less than satisfactory refereeing, a word should go to George Laflin who allowed the game to flow at all times. Great to see, especially with Tonbridge at full flow!

Staplehurst Monarchs U23 2 Hollands & Blair U23 3

Match 34/22/2041 - Thursday, 20th October 2022 - SCEFL Development League

Staplehurst Monarchs Under-23 (2) 2 Sargeant 16 Morrell 18
Hollands & Blair Under-23 (2) 3 Davies 20 Prudger 35 Hall 62

Headcount: 45
Admission: £2 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 1/2,520

My first foray into SCEFL Development League football took me to my local club, to watch Staplehurst Monarchs Under-23’s take on Hollands & Blair. They provided a watchable game, but one which lacked the quality of Isthmian Under-18’s of which I was interested to make compare.

On a chilly evening, where the wrong choice of coat was made, Blair started the brighter with chances falling to the heads of Richard Davies and Oliver Everett and followed, in the ninth minute, with a superb block from Staplehurst's Keaton Courtman to deny Davies, but it was the home side that found themselves two goals ahead by the 18th minute.

After 16 minutes, a cross from the left, found Toby Sargeant with time and space to drive a shot into the bottom corner and two minutes later, the score was doubled when Hollands goalkeeper, Jason Hayward, saved an initial shot but Harry Morrell was on hand to bundle home the rebound.

But the Gillingham-based side quickly hit back and the endeavour of Davies was rewarded when he finished via a post following a surging run from the middle of the pitch.

Blair continued to have the better of the game with Staplehurst goalkeeper, Tom Klegwegt saving from Fred Searle before they got on level terms, after 35 minutes, when a shot from 30 yards by Dallas Prudger could only be helped into the net by Klegwegt.

Staplehurst enjoyed their best period of the half in the closing 10 minutes with James Found narrowly going wide and Hayward saving from Ruben Sammut and Sargeant but half-time parity was a fair reflection.

After four minutes of the second half, a 30 yard shot from Searle cleared the bar but two good chances followed for Staplehurst with a header following a corner being cleared from the line and then another header from Found after a good cross from Morrell also went over the bar.

But, after 62 minutes, some dreadfully naive defending from the home side allowed Hollands & Blair to take the lead. A quick throw-in to George Hall, stood in an offside position, but, of course, you cannot be offside from a throw-in and the Blair winger cut in to bury his chance into the far corner.

A succession of chances should have seen the visitors through to a comfortable last 15 minutes but Hall put a chance wide and Prudger headed into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Staplehurst rallied to try to extract something from the game but Hollands comfortably managed the game to its conclusion.

Tonbridge Angels U18 3 Hastings United U-18 2

Match 33/22/2040 - Monday, 17th October 2022 - Isthmian Youth League Cup 2R

Tonbridge Angels Under-18 (1) 3 McLeod 38 Garcia 59 Lambert 75
Hastings United (1) 2 Corbin 9 Chapman 78

Attendance: 60
Admission: £4
Programme: None
Mileage: 38/2,519

Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s progressed in the Third Round of the Isthmian Youth League Cup with a hard fought win against an equally impressive Hastings United side. It was a compelling contest with no quarter asked, none given with a couple of stunning free kick goals to further illuminate the game.

The game started as it intended to go on with a first minute chance for the Angels that Max Lambert put wide before Hastings grasped the early dominance that led to a ninth minute lead through Dominic Corbin after a corner from the right had been headed on at the near post for the Hastings man to head home at the far.

Hastings drew confidence from the goal and, with a great work ethic, that for 20 minutes the Angels struggled to match, the chances fell to the East Sussex side.

But slowly the Angels, now matching their visitors with every stride, began to wrest control with Finlay McLeod bringing a fine save from goalkeeper Ben Spicer.

Matt Larkin, in the Angels goal, was pressed into action saving well from Finley Chapman with the follow-up effort going wide.

Tonbridge got themselves level after 38 minutes when a superb through ball from Felix Waring sent McLeod clear to slip the ball under the advancing Spicer.

The half-time whistle brought down the curtain on a very good half but the second half proved to be real a cracker!

Lambert drew a good, low save from Spicer and a couple of minutes later Larkin did similarly from a Hastings free kick and so the tempo was set.

On the hour, the Angels got their noses in front when Zach Garcia, dubbed the “Ginger Pele” by this team mates, curled a 20 yard free kick over the wall and into the top corner.

At this point in the match, Tonbridge held the ascendancy and, after 65 minutes they thought they had doubled their advantage but a very tight offside decision denied Lambert’s strike. But the energetic Lambert was not to be denied on 75 minutes when he chased down a back pass and while the goalkeeper dithered with the ball at his feet the impact of Lambert’s tackle took the ball into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

If the Angels youngsters thought that was game over their visiting counterparts were having none of it and three minutes later, from a 25 yard free kick, Chapman drove the ball into the top corner to set up a frantic, enthralling finish.

Both sides had their half-chances but deep into injury time when a header from a free kick was collected by Larkin there was a collective sigh of relief as the referee called a halt on a highly entertaining evening.

Dominic Welsh was obviously delighted with his team’s effort commenting after the game: “Excellent win tonight. Disciplined and determined are the word! We had a game plan that the lads 100% adhered too and that brought an outstanding result against a strong Hastings United side.”