Tonbridge Angels 1-3 Hampton & Richmond Borough

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 1-3 HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 17^th March 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Betterview Longmead Stadium

Hampton & Richmond Borough committed the latest robbery in Tonbridge today - aided by three poor match officials from Essex.

Although it’s not as criminal as the £53m stolen from a security depot in the town last February, the result has dented Tonbridge Angels’ dream of securing a place in the play-offs at the end of the season.

Hampton & Richmond Borough arrived in Tonbridge in good form, having lost two of their last sixteen Ryman Premier League games.

But Tonbridge Angels would have leapfrogged over them into the play-off’s had they won today’s vital clash, and things were going well when Jon Main netted his 37^th goal of the season after 24 minutes.

But ALL THREE Hampton & Richmond Borough goals were scored in controversial circumstances, ultimately causing assistant manager Mike Rutherford to be sent from the technical area after substitute Lawrence Yaku scored his 12^th goal of the season to add insult to injury with their third goal in the 90^th minute.

Angels’ manager Tony Dolby kept faith with the same starting eleven that picked up all three points at Slough Town last weekend.

But the windy conditions made life difficult for them and Ian Parkes skied his right-footed volley and skipper Steve Aris nodded Matt Lovell’s near-post corner wide during a poor opening.

Hampton & Richmond Borough created their best chance after eighteen minutes when Elliott Godfrey chipped the ball over Aaron Kerr’s crossbar from eight yards after Dean Wells’ free-kick from the half-way line was flicked on.

But the west Kent side broke the deadlock from their fourth corner of the game, taken by full-back Matt Lovell, after 24 minutes.

Main was lurking on the edge of the Beavers penalty area when the ball was whipped in left-footed towards the far post by the former Cray Wanderers’ defender.

The ball was headed into Main’s path and the prolific striker looked up and let fly with a right-footed shot from twenty yards.

The ball ballooned up and over a crowded penalty area before dropping into the bottom far corner to give the Angels a vital lead in a game that they needed to win to keep their play-off dreams alive.

Man-of-the-match Ray Powell squandered an excellent chance just three minutes later when he lashed a shot high over the crossbar after being played in by strike partner Main.

But you cannot compensate for BLUNDERS being made by the match officials.

Godfrey was YARDS offside when he latched onto a ball over the top of the Tonbridge back-four.

And to add salt into their wounds Godfrey was brought down by Kerr just inside the penalty area as the ball spun off the hard surface.

Despite being the last men Kerr escaped without a card but Godfrey had the last laugh when he got up, dusted himself down, sold the Irish goalkeeper a dummy as he ran up towards the ball before leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot as his right-footed spot-kick found the right corner.

Main nearly captalised on poor defending from Rob Paris, but after bringing a difficult bouncing ball under control, his header was comfortably saved by Matt Lovett.

And Godfrey should have doubled his tally for the afternoon on the stroke of half-time but he blasted his shot agonisingly past the right post from sixteen-yards.

More poor refereeing came in the 56^th minute when Main rolled the ball past Paris some thirty yards from goal only to be flattened by the defender, only for Leigh-on-Sea referee Mr Neil West to wave play on.

Midfielder Robbie Kember chipped the ball behind Powell at the far post but the striker did get his shot away, taking a deflection before going out for a corner.

And after being played in by Main, Powell drove his shot past the near post.

But Tonbridge were left cursing their bad luck when they twice hit the woodwork in the space of three minutes.

Lovell played his sixth corner of the game, in the 62^nd minute, short to Main and his far post cross was met by a header from skipper Steve Aris, which agonisingly bounced off the right post.

Then Main burst through the heart of the visitors defence only to see his shot from 12-yards take a deflection before bouncing off the crossbar before Powell's follow up shot was blocked.

Powell burst past Paris on the right hand side, cut inside Matt Elverson and from an acute angle found the side netting.

And alert goalkeeping from Lovett denied Lovell scoring direct from his seventh corner of the game after 74 minutes when he got two hands on the ball right on the goal-line.

But two goals in the last eight minutes left the Angels’ faithful stunned and some of them heading for the exits.

Kerr was penalised for picking up a controversial back-pass from Lovell and despite the initial free-kick crashing against the wall, substitute Glen Harris rifled his second goal of the season past Kerr and into the roof of the net.

And Tonbridge should have been awarded a throw as the entire ground saw the ball hit a Hampton player before crossing the touchline.

But Hampton went on to add insult to injury when substitute Yaku chipped the ball over stranded Kerr and the ball went in off the top of the far post.

Boss Tony Dolby couldn’t believe that his side were ROBBED by a side that are simply nothing more than workmanlike.

“We’ve been the dominant side of the two,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the theft.

“To get done the way we did is a very had pill to swallow.

“I think there was a few contentious issues with the officials today. I know they can only do their job but unfortunately those type of decisions have cost us today.”

After the final whistle Dolby asked referee Mr West why one of the assistants awarded the visitors a free-kick that led to their second goal.

“I was just wondering whether common sense could have prevailed with the back-pass,” he said.

“We’ve done the sportsman thing and let the ball go out as they had an injured player.

“Aaron Kerr just thought the ball didn’t actually go out so therefore the referee was playing on and he’s innocently, in his mind, picked the ball up to carry on.

“But low and behold the linesman said within the laws of the game he has to penalise him for a back pass and obviously Hampton have not done the sporting thing by giving us the ball again and they’ve scored from the back pass free-kick.

“We started the game very well (and) we were in the driving seat and should have been more than the one goal that we were up.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the second, missed chances and at times had various other chances but it wasn’t going to be our day in front of goal.”

Following a grilling from the assessor today’s match officials didn’t leave the sanctuary of their dressing room for at least an hour after their shocking display.

Tonbridge Angels welcome their Ryman Premier League rivals Ramsgate to the Betterview Longmead Stadium on Monday night as they bid to reach the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup.

Reserve team goalkeeper Matt Bromby is expected to start his second game of the season against the Rams, who climbed above Tonbridge into seventh place in the table following today’s 2-0 home win over Harrow Borough.