Tonbridge Angels U18 3 Chatham Town U18 1

Match 79/24/2318 - Monday, 3rd March 2025 - Isthmian Youth League

Tonbridge Angels U18 (2) 3 Penman 15 Fabimafobee 42 Fincham 85
Chatham Town U18 (1) 1 Chime 8
Attendance: 35
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,640

It’s a well used cliche, but as the title race in the Isthmian Youth East Division moves into its final three games, Tonbridge Angels Under-18’s manager said after his side’s 3-1 win over Chatham Town: “We have to take each game as it comes, ultimately it seems likely that we will need to win all three of our remaining games and hope that Welling slip up somewhere.”

On paper, Welling United’s run-in looks a little tougher than the Angels, who also hold a significant advantage in terms of goal difference and many eyes will be focusing on Wednesday evening’s match between Sutton Common Rovers (not out of the race) and Welling at Whyteleafe.

On Monday evening, the Angels recovered from going a goal behind on eight minutes to lead 2-1 at the break before adding a third goal with five minutes remaining. Dom Welsh said of the game: “We were not at our best but we had our good moments. It got a bit tense, but we defended really well and, bar the goal, they didn’t really have a shot of note at goal.”

Chatham’s opener came when a through ball to Fallon Chime saw the Angels defence looking for an offside decision that never came and allowing the forward to clinically finish.

Tonbridge’s response was good and they were quickly back on level terms when good work down the right from River Ballach saw his cross deftly turned in at the near post by Robert Penman, whose goal was his 20th of the season.

Tonbridge now had the momentum and with Tolu Fabimafobee coming to the fore, the Chats were under a good deal of pressure with the winger twice testing the goalkeeper.

Chatham were never out of the game though, forcing successive corners and, from one a header from Clarence Tambe was narrowly wide.

But the Angels took a lead into the break when they scored on 42 minutes after the goalkeeper had made successive saves from Noah Millis, the follow-up from Ishe Hunidzarira, before the ball broke for Fabimafobee to bury into the corner.

Whilst the Angels dominated the second half with a shot from Callum Fincham that was deflected wide on 64 minutes and a goal disallowed on 79 minutes, there was a huge sigh of relief when a header from Chatham Colin Igboma cleared the bar.

The game was finally made safe with five minutes remaining when the ever-dangerous Fabimafobee set up Fincham to finish well from the left side of the box.

Dom Welsh added: “We can only do what is in our own hands, but if Welling go on and win every one of their last seven games you have to congratulate them and say they have deserved it.”

Hemel Hempstead Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 78/24/2317 - Saturday, 1st March 2025 - National League South

Hemel Hempstead Town (0) 2 Tomkins 69 Matthews-Lewis 78
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance:
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 180/5,602

No visit to Hemel Hempstead comes easy to Tonbridge Angels or their supporters. Our history with the Hertfordshire club doesn’t date back into the mists of time, but each visit has inevitably come with its own set of problems on and off the pitch.

Such as it was for the Angels’ supporters who, for the second week in a row, found Junction 27 of the M25 their stopping point, leaving them with a tiresome diversion through endless congested roundabouts whilst stressfully watching the sands of time to the scheduled kick-off drift away.

The game itself was a dull, lifeless affair, with two second half goals giving the hosts a deserved win.

Someone on high then decided that not enough pain had been inflicted on the Angels’ band of brothers and sisters, and having checked phones to make sure that the road home was clear, the QE2 bridge became closed, necessitating another extended journey back.

Those chasing the clock were given the lifeline of a delayed kick-off of 15 minutes and had the relative good news on arrival of an unchanged team from Tuesday’s win against Welling United, with Mo Dabre and Ryan Hanson returning to a full complement of senior players on the bench.

The first day of spring had brought some bright sunshine and a bit of warmth as the game finally got underway at 3.20pm with, hopefully, the last of the visiting supporters in place.

It seems odd to say on the opening day of March but the game took on an end of season feel from the outset, being scrappy and bereft of goalmouth action.

It was fully 37 minutes before either goalkeeper was particularly asked to do anything with Matt Rowley comfortably saving from Brandon Barzey and four minutes before the break Ethan Sutcliffe broke into the box from the right to pull a ball back from the byline that Hemel’s goalkeeper, Brad House, palmed away to safety.

If anything, Tonbridge had enjoyed, if that’s the right word, the better of the possession in a poor first half.

The second period saw a clever variation from a throw-in that saw an effort from Jack Wood that cleared the bar but the game quickly reverted back to the first half state of stalemate.

That was broken on 69 minutes when this scrappy game got its reward of a scrappy goal from the hosts, who had dominated the half. A long throw into the box produced a scramble with the ball eventually falling at the feet of Ben Tomkins who stabbed it home from close range.

Hemel immediately had a good chance to double their advantage when George Williams sent Oliver Lynch clear to shoot wide but, in the 78th minute, the ball was fed to substitute Millar Matthews-Lewis who lobbed the ball into the far corner from the edge of the six-yard box.

A couple of late half chances might have given the Angels a consolation but it was not to be as a disconsolate set of supporters began their trudge home.

Jay Saunders, interviewed after the game, commented: “It was a nothing game in regards to quality. I don’t think there was a lot in it, neither goalkeeper has had a lot of saves to make and it looked like an end of season game for the large part, but to be fair to them, they have had two opportunities and taken them. In hindsight, some of them looked a bit leggy and off it and if I could go back and change that, I definitely would, so I take that on the chin and take part of the blame for that. But there was not enough desire, second half, to go out and get a win.”

Tonbridge Angels 2 Welling United 0

Match 77/24/2316 - Tuesday, 25th February 2025 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Vincent 38 (pen) Botti 59
Welling United (0) 0
Attendance: 727
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,422

A goal in each half was enough to comfortably ease the Angels past relegation-threatened Welling United and record back-to-back victories following Saturday’s win at Enfield Town.

On a cold evening at the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium, Jay Saunders effectively started with the side that finished the game at Enfield with Mikey Berry and Christie Ward starting ahead of Taylor Maloney and Crossley Lema, who both dropped to the bench.

Welling, who moved out of the bottom four with a draw at Chippenham Town on Saturday, were fast out of the traps and went close twice in the opening 10 minutes through Scott Kashket, the second of which saw his effort brilliantly turned onto the crossbar and over by Matt Rowley.

Tonbridge, relieved not to have fallen behind, settled into the game and Gianluca Botti rippled the side netting with a shot after 18 minutes after being found in a good position by Ethan Sutcliffe.

Now firmly in control of the game, Botti had a couple of half chances before in the 38th minute a great forward pass into the right channel from Jamie Fielding allowed Sutcliffe to take an excellent touch which took him into the box and commit the Welling defender, Riccardo Di Trolio, into a challenge that brought him down with referee Ben Robinson immediately pointing to spot from where, on his 50th appearance, Liam Vincent converted.

Successive corners prior to the break found the head of Fielding, but these went wide as the Angels entered the break well deserving of their single goal advantage.

The second half was largely one-way traffic as Tonbridge, with the energetic Berry finding pockets of space anywhere him roamed in the midfield with Ward tidying up any loose ends.

Sean Shields had a couple of efforts early in the half, the second of which brought a fine save from the Welling goalkeeper, Rhys Lovett and with the momentum firmly with the home side it seemed only a matter of time before the lead was increased.

This came, just shy of the hour, when Shields’ pinpoint cross found Botti to bury a header into the corner giving Lovett no chance.

Pantomime villain of the evening, Garrett Kelly, returning to Longmead, received an inevitable yellow card and when he was robbed late in the game it offered the chance for Maloney to shoot narrowly wide.

Lloyd Blackman, taking the post-match interview, said: “It was a thoroughly professional performance.”

Of the shape taken following Saturday’s win: “We felt we could hurt them in the wide areas with ‘Woody’ and ‘Shieldsy’ and, generally, that was our main route to goal. It was a slight change, but the boys adapted very well considering it was a quick turnover from Saturday to Tuesday. We gave them the game plan and they executed it really well.”

Picture: David Couldridge

Enfield Town 1 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 76/24/2315 - Saturday, 22nd February 2025 - National League South

Enfield Town (1) 1 Kasimu 27
Tonbridge Angels (0) 3 Nelson 77 Shields 78 Botti 90+6
Attendance: 733
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 146/5,384

Tonbridge Angels supporters who had endured a difficult journey to Enfield, whether by a road with an M25 road closure or by train, were eventually rewarded with three goals in the final quarter-hour to record their first win on the road since late November and, in so doing, also put a six game winless run behind them.

For 75 minutes, all that seemed unlikely as the visitors struggled to come to terms with a difficult pitch in which any quality from either side was at a premium.

Jay Saunders speaking with Matt Davison after the game: “Up until we got our first goal, it was not the most enjoyable afternoon I’ve had, but it shows you how quickly a game of football can change. It was a tough game, obviously with the pitch, you know what you are in for. I was disappointed with the first half, and the goal we conceded, but I think we showed a good reaction with the substitutes coming on and making an impact.”

On a mild afternoon with glimpses of the sun, Jay Saunders was able to welcome back Sean Shields, Liam Vincent and Crossley Lema, but lost Harry Ottaway to injury. Mikey Berry, Christie Ward and Bailey Akehurst took places on the bench.

The opening 20 minutes was not for the football purist with misplaced passes, hefty clearances and very little in the way of goalmouth action. To be fair to Enfield Town, much of the early momentum was with them but without troubling Matt Rowley to any great degree.

On 27 minutes, as Tonbridge were starting to wrest a bit of control from their hosts and with Gianluca Botti having broken clear to be denied by a good challenge, Enfield Town took the lead when a cross-cum-shot from the right by Anointed Chukwu was bundled home at the far post by Hisham Kasimu.

The Angels could easily have gone into the break further adrift as, on 41 minutes, John Oyenuga put a good chance wide and on the stroke of half-time, Rowley saved well to turn away a shot from Sam Youngs and, from the resultant corner, was needed to claw away an inswinger from under his crossbar.

Jay made a change during the break, reverting to a back four with the substitution of Ethan Sutcliffe with Ward.

But as the second half progressed and the pitch got worse, so did the game. On 64 minutes, Berry was introduced for Taylor Maloney and after Jack Wood had taken a whack, Akehurst was his replacement.

In the space of a minute the game was suddenly turned on its head when the latest of what had been numerous Vincent long throws that had continuously looked the Angels most potent weapon, found its way towards the far post from where a deft header from Ronny Nelson squeezed its way past the Enfield Town goalkeeper, Joe Wright and his post.

If the Angels support felt relief at the equaliser, they were in raptures a moment later when a superbly weighted through ball from Botti sent Shields clear to finish into the bottom corner.

Enfield Town, desperate to get something from the game to aid their relegation fight, threw bodies forward but Rowley was only needed to catch or punch a couple of corners before six minutes of added time were entered.

The Angels were managing the period comfortably but added some gloss to the scoreline when in the final minute, a cross from the right saw a Shields effort brilliantly saved by Wright but as the energetic Berry fought for the rebound the ball fell at the feet of Botti to drive home from inside the six yard box.

Jay added: “I’m pleased because we needed that. We’ve probably played better recently and not got the results, but today, at half-time, I’ve questioned them when I felt they felt sorry for themselves. When you’ve been on the run we’ve been on with injuries and results, you feel that everything has been against you.”

Staplehurst Monarchs 3 Rochester United 1

Match 75/24/2314 - Wednesday, 16th February 2025 - SCEFL Division One

Staplehurst Monarchs (1) 3 Luke Adams 21 Headley 69 Sean Adams 80
Rochester United (0) 1 Wilkins 59
Attendance: 67
Admission: £5
Mileage: 1/5,238

Staplehurst Monarchs and Rochester United slogged their way through 90 minutes on a pitch where the going would have been described as heavy had it been a racecourse.

That they produced an entertaining game is a credit to both sides. On a first viewing, the pitch that has been the subject of several postponements this season, didn’t look too bad but 20 minutes after kick off it was cutting up badly making anything played along the ground a serious risk.

In Jack Bray, Staplehurst had a defender for the occasion, he headed everything, heaved his clearances long with a thou shalt not pass attitude.

The pitch has been a major concern for Staplehurst since their promotion into Step 6 football but, hopefully, a resolution is just around the corner.

Funding is in place for the laying of a 3G pitch and approval sits with Maidstone Borough Council and it is reported that a decision is fairly imminent. It is seen by the local residents to be a community asset, so MBC, let’s get on with it.

Staplehurst took the lead on 21 minutes after an opening period when the visitors just about held the balance of play. Luke Adams buried a shot into the bottom corner to give the Monarchs a lead that they took into the break.

Rochester equalised, deservedly, on the hour when a long throw was only partially cleared to Liam Wilkins who scored from the edge of the box.

At this point, and with the pitch churning up, the game could have gone either way but it was the home side that restored their lead on 69 minutes when a long throw was scrambled home at the near post by Phil Headley.

With 10 minutes remaining Sean Adams made the game safe with the best goal of the game, an angled shot into the top corner from 25 yards.

Both sides continue to harbour outside ambition of a play-off spot with Rochester in the better of the position with games in hand.

Tonbridge Angels 0 Truro City 1

Match 74/24/2313 - Tuesday, 15th February 2025 - National League South

Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Truro City (1) 1 Dean 15
Attendance: 1,085
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 38/5,237

On an emotional day, Tonbridge Angels fell to a single goal defeat to visitors Truro City, who maintained their position in the play-off places, moving up a place to sixth.

The pre-match tribute to Devonte Aransibia began with the laying of a wreath on the centre circle, performed by Devonte’s parents, who were accompanied by his partner along with Tonbridge Angels’ chair, Sophie Purves and club chaplain, Neil Durling, who led the prayers. This was followed by a perfectly observed minute’s silence.

A cold, grey afternoon that matched the solemnity of the moment, Jay Saunders had a further depleted squad from which to make his selection. Jack Wood (ankle), Liam Vincent (achilles), Brody Peart (back) added to those of longer term absence with Sean Shields and Harry Ottaway returning, who, along with a couple of others, were “probably not 100% and maybe you could see that at times.”

After a good opening period in which Ottaway’s effort cleared the bar after two minutes and Trevan Robinson’s cross flashed across the face of goal after nine, it was the well-travelled Cornish side that opened the scoring after 15 minutes when a clearance from a long throw into the box, fell to Will Dean on the edge of the penalty area from where a well struck shot into the bottom corner found its way through a crowded area.

A Shields cross that saw Robinson struggling to get the ball out from under his feet on the edge of the six yard box was the best chance in the remainder of the half whilst Truro, who had the better of the half, had opportunities through Tom Harrison, who shot wide and a cross from Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain that landed on the top of the bar.

The Angels in the second half, encouraged by their supporters in the North Stand, who had raised a banner for Devonte and had a new song in his honour, had the vast majority of the possession, and forward momentum, but stumbled on a stubborn visiting defence that didn’t allow the goalkeeper, Dan Lavercombe, to be tested on too many occasions.

A corner, after 51 minutes, saw a header from Jamie Fielding go over and when, on the hour, Shields cut in from the left and set for his shot, hopes rose of the net rippling, but it was straight at Lavercombe, who comfortably collected.

Truro went straight to the other end and when Jaze Kabia was sent clear it took the legs of the advancing Matt Rowley to save.

Following substitutions of Ottaway and Taylor Maloney by Nazir Bakrin and Crossley Lema, Fielding was pushed forward as the central forward. Lema had a header that drifted wide; Shields a shot that was over and Robinson a header that went wide after a corner head been headed on as the Angels desperately searched for a goal that would give them at least a point that could, arguably, have been deserved.

But Truro managed the game to its conclusion and took the three points back to Cornwall.

Jay said after the game: “The game wasn’t, I would imagine, great to watch. Truro are very good at what they do, they man mark all over the pitch. Long throws and set pieces and, unfortunately, we’ve lost it on a long throw which is the biggest disappointment. It was a patched-up side but we’re just disappointed with the goal conceded.”

Dorking Wanderers 1 Tonbridge Angels 0

Match 73/24/2312 - Tuesday, 11th February 2025 - National League South

Dorking Wanderers (0) 1 Murphy 90+3
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance:
Admission: Season Ticket
Mileage: 111/5,199

On 26 minutes, applause rang out from the Tonbridge Angels supporters in recognition of Devonte Aransibia, a young man who said he was never happier than when playing for Tonbridge Angels. As the referee, Adam Marchant, leant over an injured Taylor Maloney, the Dorking Wanderers captain, Charlie Carter, drew his attention to the applause. The game stopped, players joined with both sets of supporters in a show of respect for a young family man we have lost. In that minute, the ultimate result was immaterial, football had shown its soul.

On another evening, a 93rd minute defeat would have been devastating but tonight was about that 26th minute and we, as in the football family, had won.

Tonbridge Angels would like to thank Marc White, his players and their supporters for their part in this emotional moment. Rest in Peace with the Angels, Devonte.

On a cold Surrey evening, a sizeable contingent from Tonbridge had made their way to Meadowbank and occupied their corner in fine voice. Jay Saunders’ injury woes continued with Gianluca Botti pulling out through a knock sustained on Saturday alongside Scott Wagstaff. Crossley Lema, also substituted on Saturday, took a place on the bench.

As might be expected from a side at the top of the league, the Angels were forced to defend for long periods but the back three of Ethan Sutcliffe, Jamie Fielding and Ronny Nelson were truly heroic and, when they were breached, Matt Rowley was a safe pair of hands.

Dorking had a very early chance as Jordan Norville-Williams dragged a shot wide and, on 11 minutes, Carter was denied by the legs of Rowley.

But, the first half ended goalless and, in truth, Rowley had not been overworked.

Wycombe Wanderers loanee, Brody Peart, making his first start, needed to be substituted during the break for Trevan Robinson, whose pace started to give the home defence a problem and, on 55 minutes, the Angels were only denied the opening goal by a superb save from the Dorking goalkeeper, Harrison Foulkes. Liam Vincent crossed from the left to the head of Harry Ottaway who saw his effort turned onto the crossbar with the rebound just evading Robinson.

Dorking regained the initiative and, on the hour, Rowley made a good save from Rhys Murphy but, in the main, the Angels rearguard stood firm.

Bailey Akehurst had a half-chance on 75 minutes but his effort was wide and as five minutes of added time were entered, and Jason Prior shot high into the Dorking night sky, the Angels support hoped.

But, in the third minute, a free kick was lofted into the box, the ball fell to Prior, whose shot was parried by Rowley but the rebound fell into the path of Murphy and Angels’ hearts were broken.

Of the game, Jay said: “I’m gutted, genuinely gutted for the boys, the supporters, because I thought we deserved something out of it. To get done by a set piece right at the end is disappointing because the effort the boys put in was outstanding, our shape was very good and we limited them to half-chances. To concede the way we did was a kick in the teeth and hard to take.”

And, reflecting on Devonte: “Dev was a quiet lad, a good lad that always had a smile on his face and that first year he was with us he was unbelievable as a player and as a lad. It’s horrendous what has happened, as bad as it is for everyone involved in football that knew him, for his family, for his Dad, he has a young child. It shows you, that you get to know these lads really well but you don’t know what is going on away from football and you hope that people talk and reach out. I am devastated for him, for his family because he was a good lad that loved his football.”