Hollands & Blair 0 Tunbridge Wells 1

Match 105/16/1412 - Wednesday, 15th March 2017 - SCEFL

Hollands & Blair (0) 0
Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Potter 87
Attendance: 94

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Included
Mileage: 58/7,318

This was the first time I've seen the Wells since Christmas and the Crowborough game. In the intervening time, have I been hoodwinked by some fraudsters? How can a team that I watched defend so valiantly at Hollands & Blair have been letting in fives and threes? The back line were absolutely superb, to the point that a top striker at this level in James McDonald doesn't get a sniff and is forced wide on the left as Hollands sent forward their big centre half and captain to try and salvage something out of the game. A block right at the death from Keiron Tarbie epitomised the effort that had been put in and was as match winning as the goal.

The loss of Jamie Lawrence for a second booking failed to unsettle that back line, with goalkeeper Steve Lawrence employed like a long-on at cricket just fielding the odd ball that trundled towards the boundary.

Yes, there are problems in the final third, Josh Biddlecombe put in a shift, but too many runs from him and Pinnock were poorly timed and were ended with a linesman's flag.

Hollands started the game on the front foot as the early stages took the direction everybody expected it to. Bailey Pearce had a shot saved by Lawrence low to his left; McDonald shot straight at the keeper and Brad Webb turned a free kick wide within the first five minutes.

A couple of efforts from Jon Pilbeam interrupted the traffic direction but the Gillingham-based sides efforts were largely untroubling to Lawrence.

Tunbridge Wells' first real chance came before the break when a corner was headed back across the face of goal by Brad Potter to Shea who shot wide but their golden opportunity was to come a minute before the break when they were awarded a penalty after Ben Brown was adjudged to have fouled Josh Biddlecombe. Jamie Lawrence stepped up for the spot kick but blasted high over the crossbar.

The game evened itself out somewhat in the second period with the best chance falling to Blair's substitute Jack Simon whose volley came back of the face of the advancing Steve Lawrence.

Jamie Lawrence who had picked up a booking after 54 minutes, picked up another for another foul after 79 minutes and was summarily dismissed.

Three minutes from time a cross from the right from Pilbeam to the far post found Potter whose header sailed into the opposite corner for the winning goal.

These three points, I would think, banish any thoughts of relegation, unless the Wells implode and the clubs behind them go on an unexpected run of success. For the management, committee and supporters it will soon be time to take stock. Whatever decisions they make, they know that they cannot afford another season like this one, but tonight there were reasons to be cheerful.

Tonbridge 3 Dulwich Hamlet 1

Match 104/16/1411 - Tuesday, 14th March 2017 - Ryman League Cup SF

Tonbridge (1) 3 Akrofi 8,74 Elder 50
Dulwich Hamlet (1) 1 Beaney 26
Attendance: 305

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/7,260

Tonbridge Angels have reached a League Cup Final for the first time at this level for 60 years. On Wednesday, 12 April, at Carshalton they will take on the money bags, ever so slightly bonkers Billericay Town in search of their first ever Isthmian/Southern League Cup trophy.

A first look at the team sheet, although very much aware of the problems leading up to the game, left me feeling that this would be too big an ask, despite Dulwich Hamlet also fielding a side that probably won’t bear any resemblance to the one that returns on Saturday for an important Ryman League fixture.

From the starting eleven it was difficult to work out who would be playing where with the left back spot a real dilemma. After Saturday when three left backs were injured at Staines, perhaps nobody wanted to play there! As it was, the newly-found Jack of all Trades, Damian Scannell filled in to great effect.

Tonbridge were a goal to the good after just eight minute when. An electrifying run and cross from Andre McCollin was met with a stooping header from Alex Akrofi from two yards.

Dulwich slowly worked their way back into the game and, despite a Luke Allen free kick that was narrowly over the bar, there wasn’t too much of a surprise when the visitors equalised after 26 minutes. An unnecessary foul by Mitchell Nelson produced a free kick on the edge of the box that was fired in at the near post by Kenny Beaney.

Hamlet now entered into a purple patch and four minutes later were awarded a penalty when Liam Smith was adjudged to have pushed and was given a yellow card for his trouble.

Ibra Sekajja struck the spot kick firmly enough but Tonbridge’s goalkeeper, Jonny Henly guessed right and parried the ball with Sonny Miles completing the clearance. Almost without doubt it was a big turning point in the match and Dulwich certainly had the momentum at that time.

Dulwich were certainly the side that created the chances in the latter period of the first half with Dumebi Dumaka wasting a heading opportunity and a speculative overhead kick from Sekajja also clearing the bar.

Tonbridge substituted McCollin for Nathan Elder at half-time and the move brought an almost instant dividend. Akrofi’s run into the box was halted but the diminutive striker won the ball back and stood up the perfect cross to the far post for Elder to deliver a trademark header.

Sekajja delivered a cross from the left that begged a touch but didn’t get one and Smith did exceptionally well to clear from the line as the visitors searched for an equaliser.

The game became open and end to end as the teams traded attacks. For the Angels, Akrofi was literally terrorising the Hamlet back line that was pretty ponderous.

After 74 minutes, Tonbridge gave themselves a bit of breathing space with a third goal. Elder won the ball for Luke Allen to deliver a killer pass into the path of Akrofi who deftly rolled the ball past the advancing Preston Edwards.

Dulwich responded as they had to in order to save the game but found a Henly on top form saving firstly at the feet of Gavin Tomlin and then a fine save at his near post from Dumaka.

Promotion would be the top priority for both of these clubs and either would possibly trade the win for three points on Saturday, but a Cup Final is still something to look forward to.

Pictures: Wesley Filtness

Tonbridge Angels U18 1 Merstham U18 1

Match 103/16/1410 - Monday, 13th March 2017 - Ryman Youth League

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 1 Fenton 62
Merstham U18 (1) 1 Lubango 16
Attendance: 42

Entrance: £1 Senior
Teamsheet: Free
Mileage: 38/7,222

A sparkling free kick from 20 yards into the top corner from Jack Fenton ensured that Tonbridge Under-18s secured a point from this vitally important top of the table clash with Merstham.

Two previous encounters between these teams have yielded thrills, spills and goals aplenty. This game took on a different look but was, nonetheless, just as absorbing.

Tonbridge were missing a genuine striker and, despite their best efforts, the makeshift pairing of Ollie Baker and Alex Bishop struggled against a powerful central defensive pairing with Mothibi Penn-Kerana outstanding.

At the other end, Tonbridge have suffered at the hands of Anwar Transwes and Emmnuel Omrodre already this season but an outstanding display from Callum Adonis-Taylor managed to just about keep the shackles on the pair.

The opening quarter hour signalled that this would not be the goalfest of the previous encounters but after 16 minutes it was the visitors that made the breakthrough after Tonbridge had failed to clear the ball following cross into the box. The ball fell at the feet of Alberto Lubango who stabbed it past Henry Lovering from around six yards.

Tonbridge responded well and Baker was thwarted by a last ditch tackle by Penn-Kerana after being put through.

Merstham took the honours in the first half with Doherty planting a couple of chances over the bar and Adonis-Taylor doing exceptionally well to stop Transwes in his tracks when the pacey winger looked to be going clear.

Tonbridge’s best chance of the half fell to Louis Pateman, but his effort following a corner was deflected safely into the goalkeeper’s clutches.

Tonbridge made two substitutions in the early part of the second half with Liam McCreadie replacing Bishop and Jack Bray on for Harvey Killick.

They were rewarded just past the hour mark when Fenton perfectly executed his free kick from the left side of the box.

The game became very open with Merstham’s pace on the break proving dangerous. Transwes tested Lovering at his near post and following a Tonbridge attack, Doherty raced clear and struck the bar before the ball was scrambled to safety.

Both sides produced a couple of chances in the last 15 minutes but the defences held firm for a fair result.

In a four team tussle at the top, Merstham have the title in their own hands but with themselves, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Ashford all having to play each other there is still plenty to play for in the last six weeks of the season.

Gillingham 3 Scunthorpe United 2

Match 102/16/1409 - Saturday, 11th March 2017 - League One

Gillingham (0) 3 Wright 78,82,86 (3 pens)
Scunthorpe United (1) 2 Madden 4, Toffolo 73
Attendance: 6,859

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 58/7,184

Match Report

I've come to the conclusion that football is complete and utter nonsense, unexplainable.

For 75 minutes of this game Gillingham were outplayed by a Scunthorpe side that, at the start of play, sat third in the table. It was difficult to quantify how good the Iron were because Gillingham were so bad. Stuart Nelson had single-handedly kept the home side in the game saving four one-on-one's with his feet before in the 73rd minute conceding a second goal through his legs as Harry Toffolo bought a raffle ticket from 25 yards out. What happened next is something that I've never witnessed and, as unlikely comebacks go, ranks alongside Barcelona's stunning comeback on Tuesday evening in the Champions League against Paris St Germain. I have seen many a recovery from two goals down, never have I seen one completed by virtue of three penalties, scored by the same man, in just nine minutes. It was madness.

Gillingham afforded Scunthorpe the Freedom of Priestfield, such was the space in which they were allowed to work, about the only thing they didn't do was herd sheep. In the fourth minute, the home side were opened up as easily as a can of beans. With nobody tracking runners, Kevin van Veen got inside Deji Oshilaja to cross for Paddy Madden to strike from six yards.

The opening half was to continue in the same vein as the impressive van Veen strolled around the Priestfield wastelands feeding the direct running of Madden. Only Nelson stood between Gillingham and total humiliation.

Chris Herd salvaged a situation he had created for himself with a last gasp tackle to thwart Tom Hopper and it was a miracle that Gillingham got to the break just a goal down.

The momentum continued in favour of the visitors and it was surprising that it took until 17 minutes from time for them to score their second, a personal nightmare for Nelson when Toffolo's shot went through his legs.

Gillingham were handed the opportunity of a consolation when Bradley Dack was brought down in the box with referee Robert Lewis pointing to the spot. Josh Wright stepped up shot right, Luke Daniels guessed correctly diving left but was unable to save to offer Gillingham a lifeline.

Four minutes later, Mr Lewis was once more pointing to the spot as an errant hand was spotted. Once more Wright took the responsibility, this time Daniels once more dived left as the ball went right as Gillingham gained parity.

Unbelievably, a third penalty was awarded in nine minutes when Wright himself was fouled. The time the midfielder went back to the goalkeeper's right, as he went left a third time to send Priestfield into rapture.

Somehow the remaining minutes were seen out as Scunthorpe threw everything to salvage something out of a game they had dominated for so long.

There could never have been a truer quote than the one that says fact is stranger than fiction; only a fantasist would write this nonsense!

Leiston 2 Tonbridge 0

Match 101/16/1408 - Tuesday, 7th March 2017 - Ryman Premier

Leiston (0) 2 Muir-Merchant 63,66
Tonbridge (0) 0
Attendance: 183

Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 176/7,126

I take full responsibility, this was an afternoon/evening where everything that could go wrong went wrong from the moment my glasses broke in half while cleaning them, sending me into panic mode to find my spare pair. An accident in Hadlow left me late picking up a friend, but more importantly, also delayed the team coach and then, of course, came the Dartford Tunnel. Best part of an hour to crawl through as a lorry had broken down in one of the bores. We made good time for the rest of the journey, but when a man in a high vis jacket was at the end of Victory Road, with no coach at the ground we feared the worst.

The people at Leiston were very welcoming, there cannot be many places where you are offered a sweet on entry and inside the clubhouse there were no moans about the late arrival of the visitors and the delayed kick-off of 8.30 p.m. Somewhat unusually the tea bar is situated inside the clubhouse which meant that we could sit at a table and refresh ourselves after the horrible journey.

The pitch at Victory Road has suffered several recent postponements and a Leiston supporter described the far side as a quagmire.

The team coach finally arrived at 7.50 p.m. The team sheet showed three players missing, signalling that this was always going to be tough ask despite Leiston's recent poor form. Anthony Di Bernado's injury from Saturday looks to be a lay-off that could end his season and he was replaced by Jonny Henly, on loan from Hemel Hempstead. Luke Allen was suffering from a dead leg which brought Damian Scannell back into the starting eleven as did Ugo Udoji's replacement James Folkes. Alex Akrofi was carrying a knock that relegated him to the bench with Andre McCollin starting.

The delayed start seemed to affect both sides equally in a first half in which chances were very much at a premium. Tonbridge survived an early scare when Jack Parter cleared from the line and it took 15 minutes for the Angels to register a shot, albeit a tame one, from McCollin that was comfortably saved.

A miscued cross from Leiston's right that landed on the top of the bar after 19 minutes proved to be the closest either side got to scoring in the first period.

The second half started with greater urgency, perhaps the players had finally got the delay out of their legs. Joe Francis, a constant menace, cut in from the right and shot wide of the far post and at the other end of the field, McCollin forced a low parrying save to his left out of Jacob Marsden.

The home side were beginning to turn the screw with a couple of efforts before they took the lead just past the hour mark. Niko Muir-Merchant was played in at the right hand edge of the six yard box and finished into the far corner.

Leiston's advantage was doubled within three minutes when Muir-Merchant was allowed to run from the left and plant a shot between Henly and the left hand post.

Steve McKimm responded by bringing Dan Thompson and Tommy Whitnall into the fray replacing McCollin and an injured Parter.

When, with 15 minutes remaining, a long throw from Luke Blewden was only cleared to Tom Phipp, whose shot from 18 yards struck the inside of the far post but came back out to be cleared, it was pretty obvious if it hadn't already been, that this was not to be Tonbridge's night.

Thankfully, the journey home was uneventful, finally pulling on to the drive in Staplehurst at 01:15 a.m., tired and just a little dispirited.

Pictures: Chris Coolbear

Tonbridge 3 Needham Market 4

Match 100/16/1407 - Saturday, 4th March 2017 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (2) 3 Udoji 18, Elder 37, Nelson 52
Needham Market (0) 4 Sands 49, Ingram 63, Dobson 77, Nunn 85
Attendance: 555

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/6,950

My hundredth game of the season proved to be a truly memorable occasion, sadly for all the wrong reasons.

Tonbridge and Needham Market, sitting third and fourth in the table, separated only by goal difference, had all the makings of a close encounter, but at half-time the difference between the sides could easily have been third and 14th, such was the home side's superiority. But an injury to Anthony Di Bernardo was about to change the game completely.

The visitors started reasonably well and it took a well-positioned Jack Parter to clear from the line as a glancing header from a corner was goal bound. But it was Tonbridge that opened the scoring after 18 minutes when a well-worked training ground routine from a corner saw Tom Phipp cross to the near post where the head of Ugo Udoji steered the ball home.

Tonbridge took control of the game with Luke Allen supplying a cross for Alex Akrofi to direct his shot at the goalkeeper and then driving over a shot. Hearts did go into mouths when Mitchell Nelson trod on the ball and nearly let in John Sands but recovered to clear to safety.

After 37 minutes, Tonbridge went 2-0 up when an inch perfect cross from Allen found the head of Nathan Elder for the striker's 50th goal for the club.

Just before the break, Di Bernardo went down injured and with his first kick of the ball following treatment it was clear that he would not be able to continue and was replaced by goalkeeping coach Stewart Copeland during the break.

Within three minutes of the restart Needham Market had reduced the deficit when a cross from the right found the head of Sands, who glancing header found the bottom corner.

The home side re-established their two goal advantage just three minutes later when Nelson headed in Nick Wheeler's corner, the goal being awarded after the linesman's flag indicated that the ball had crossed the line despite the efforts of a Needham defender on the line.

The game was to turn back towards the Suffolk side in the 55th minute when a hopeless misjudgement by Copeland led to Udoji committing a professional foul on the edge of the box and seeing red for his misdemeanour.

Down to 10 men, with no confidence in the goalkeeper behind them, Tonbridge descended into disarray. Defenders cleared long and desperately with ball retention further upfield becoming non-existent. It was only a matter of time before the Suffolk side would gain parity and this they did after 77 minutes when Luke Ingram surged inside from the right to finish with a shot into the bottom right hand corner with Copeland flat footed.

Any hopes that Tonbridge would salvage something from the game appeared to end when, five minutes from time, a cross from the right slipped from the grasp of Copeland to the waiting feet of Reece Dobson who gratefully fired into the unguarded net.

And yet Tonbridge might just have rescued a point in time added with two chances that fell, firstly to Luke Blewden who missed narrowly wide right and in the final act of the afternoon a Dan Thompson shot that was deflected away from the line by a defender.

Conceivably, these two sides could meet again in the play-off semi-finals. Tonbridge have won twice this season at Needham and now the Marketmen have taken the points away from Longmead, who's to say home advantage between these clubs is an advantage?

Pictures: Dave Couldridge

Tonbridge 1 Havant & Waterlooville 1

Match 99/16/1406 - Tuesday, 28th February 2017 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (1) 1 Akrofi 13
Havant & Waterlooville (0) 1 Prior 82
Attendance: 408

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 38/6,912

Match Report

It is not an unnatural thought of many that the three games in the next week would prove to be a pivotal point in Tonbridge Angels’ season. This game against second placed Havant & Waterlooville is to be followed by third placed (at kick-off time) Needham Market on Saturday and, next Tuesday, a visit to sixth placed Leiston. The schedule provokes a discussion on the definition of a “must win” game, in my opinion, on the last day of February, perhaps not. Nonetheless, this was a game of significance.

At the final whistle we then enter the age-old argument of a point gained or two lost after the visitors had found an equaliser in the 82nd minute courtesy of their goal machine Jason Prior.

The game was a credit to the Ryman League, the officiating was a tad erratic but, thankfully, didn’t have a great deal of bearing on the final result.

Mitchell Nelson remained suspended, so the makeshift pairing of Ugo Udoji and Tommy Parkinson were required to blunt the prolific partnership of Prior and Alfie Rutherford.

A shooting opportunity for both sides arrived in the first five minutes, Tom Phipp for the Angels and Rory Williams for the visitors but the opening period was cat and mouse with both sides largely cancelling each other out.

After 12 minutes Tonbridge could have taken the lead when Nick Wheeler’s cross was met with a goalbound header from Nathan Elder, but his effort was denied by a brilliant diving save from Ryan Young.

Havant’s reprieve was only momentary and a minute later a sublime through ball from Phipp found Alex Akrofi, who had a lot of time to think about where he was about to put the ball but he kept his nerve and slotted past the advancing Young.

The Wheeler-Elder combination might have given the Angels a two goal advantage before the break but the big man steered his header wide.

Tonbridge breathed a sigh of relief in the 39th minute when they managed to shepherd the ball to safety after Anthony Di Bernardo had initially parried a close range shot with a few seconds of pin ball ensuing.

The second half followed the pattern of the first with neither side gaining ascendancy and chances that stretched either goalkeeper were few and far between, but that is not to say that it wasn’t a fascinating encounter.

Di Bernardo made a smart save at his near post after 57 minutes and a minute later Havant struck a post but a linesman’s flag was already raised.

The Tonbridge team, to a man, had put in a shift and into the last ten minutes it was obvious that some were running on empty and finally their defence was breached with eight minutes remaining. A needless free kick given away was floated to the far post reaching Di Bernardo without a touch and when the goalkeeper scooped the ball away it was only to the feet of Prior who had a tap-in.

Overall, this was a fair result. If Tonbridge were to back it up with a win against Needham Market then we can look back and say this was a good point that was enough to see them climb above Saturday’s opponents and into third place.