No Angels

When City were facing relegation last year, one of the names that always cropped up when berating the team for dropping into the Conference South was Tonbridge Angels, normally along the lines of "I can't wait for the away game at Tonbridge Angels" etc etc., Now I don't know what it was about Tonbridge that particularly attracted the distain, or whether it was the unusual second naming of Angels, but sadly the team from Kent definitely was used as the lowest of the low.

The "Angels" moniker comes from when Tonbridge F.C., started playing at the Angel ground (formally home of Kent CCC) the ground was so named due to a hotel/inn called the Angel. So Tonbridge FC adopted the nickname of Angels, the original Tonbridge hit financial difficulties in 1976 and was liquidated, Tonbridge Angels were immediately formed to finish the season, and to keep football in Tonbridge. The only other bit of information I have about them, is that current England manager Roy Hodgson played for the original Tonbridge F.C. in his non league career.

I was already in London, so the journey to Kent was a fairly easy one, a direct train from Charing Cross dropping us in Tonbridge town centre. Now last season I wrote that Braintrees ground was the hardest ground to find, well while not quite being in that league of difficulty Tonbridge's Longmead Stadium is definitely a bit hidden!

Leaving the station you turn into the High Street which is like any other, however, it soon opens up and includes the remains of a castle, and Tonbridge school, which is unbelievably fancy. Keep going up side streets, until you reach Tonbridge cemetery, cut through the cemetery, and turn left and finally you reach the car park, however, even then it wasn't obvious which the main entrance was! Thankfully, we finally found the turnstyle, paid and entered.

The Longmead Stadium was built in 1980, and has a decent sized seated stand on the far side of the pitch, two smallish terrace ends, and a dug out side with a separate directors/press/officials stand. So all in all, a classic modernish non league ground, clubs must be amazed when they arrive at Twerton Park and see the grand old girl in all her glory.

After the travails of finding the ground, came the ecstasy and agony of the game! The pitch was showing the damage of the heavy rain, and by the corner flag I took up my position by in the first half, there were large patches of heavy mud.

Tonbridge started well, and had the early opportunities. Then on 10 minutes City had their first attack, Josh Low gained the ball on the right and hit a waist height cross into the box, a covering Tonbridge defender tried to block the ball, and it hit his arm. I instantly appealed, as did a few others, and the penalty was given. Tonbridge showed, what was to be a petulant streak, and berated the lino/ref, but to no avail.

Sean Canham stepped up to take the penalty, and hit a low, soft shot towards which Lee Worgan saved well, however, Low reacted quickest and pounced on the rebound, he rolled the ball along the ground and Sean Canham gratefully tapped in.

The Tonbridge defence (left back excepted) were big, bruising lads, who on a few occasions outmuscled the City players, sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly. However, the homeside were posing questions, and it was only through wasteful finishing that they were not able to restore parity.

City managed to double the lead in the 40th minute. Noah Keats was running towards the by-line on the left wing, and Tonbridge's number 2 (Sonny Miles I think) the massive number two appeared to push Keats in the back and the young City man was sent sprawling. However, a City fan who was much closer to the action than me says it was not a foul, so I can only defer to his viewpoint. Nevertheless the referee decided it was a push, and awarded a freekick. Aaron Brown floated the ball in, the ball was only cleared to Chris Allen about 19 yards out, who rifled his shot hard and low into the back of the net. Soon after this, Chris Allen was clattered, moments later he chased the left full back down and launched into the tackle, a combination of over eagerness and the wet pitch meant he carried on and his trailing leg clipped the number 3, to his credit he bounced straight back, but number 2 continued marking his card with me, by berating the player for his honesty and saying "you should have stayed down." The half time arrived with City leading 2-0.

We retreated to the clubhouse, for some warmth and a quick refreshment (Tonbridge brewery's "Rustic Bitter", it is always refreshing when a club puts on a local ale) and we left as the game restarted, after overhearing a discussion as to whether the club should shut the curtains on the bar as per FA regulations.

The Angels flew out of the traps in the second half, but again it was the stripes who were to extend their lead.  Sean Canham slid a through ball to Low on the right, the wideman beat one man, before trying to turn and taking an awful touch, however, he just about managed to get a foot to the ball, before he was scythed down by a Tonbridge centre back. Nailed on penalty, this time Chris Allen stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home. 3-0 after 55 minutes, and City were surely cruising.

Then after a defensive mistake a cross was nodded home by Collin, 1-3. City restored their 3 goal cushion within 5 minutes when Connolly fed Canham, and the tall forward placed his shot into the side netting, 1-4 with only 18 minutes to play. I think the immortal words "even we can't mess this up" were muttered. Well City couldn't but God they came close.

As seems to be the way, the stripes suddenly sat deeper and deeper, and invited pressure onto themselves. Some interesting substitutions were made (for interesting read potentially wrong) but it appeared that the stripes were to come away with a three goal victory. Then in the 89th minute Elphick scored with his head, 2-4, probably a more accurate reflection of the game, a fair result, no problem. Then inexplicably the referee started to play a unbelievable amount of injury time (somewhere between 6-10 depending on who's watch you believe!) Tonbridge started to get corner after corner, and from one of these Gayle scored (95th minute.)

Tonbridge now attacked incessantly, and appealed for a penalty (not given) then in the 100th minute a freekick was given just outside the City box. Away fans faces drop, we've all seen this before, it's bound to go in. The freekick was fiercely struck, it is heading for the goal, I cannot believe it, how have we managed this, then a green blur and out of nowhere Glyn Garner gets his hand to the ball and pushes it over the bar, the referee immediately blows, and City have their first league win since September 1st.

The City players barely celebrated and trudged off, looking gaunt, while fans slumped thanking the Garner save and the referees whistle, Sean Canham quipped to a question "we like to keep you on your toes" but he also looked drained. However, the side need to take heart from a performance that did have positives (other than the win obviously!) Chris Allen in particular is showing signs of being a very good player. Onwards and upwards, lets bring on Hornchurch, and hopefully a 2-0 regulation win! UTC!