Tonbridge Angels 7-3 Gravesend & Northfleet

The first round tie survived two earlier pitch inspections and when the heavens opened some thirty minutes before the start of the game that must have put off many fans attending.

But the 156 supporters that braved the elements were rewarded as the Ryman Premier League hosts raced into a four goal lead after just 20 minutes.

Welsh striker Andy Martin, who hasn’t started their last four games, netted four goals and Dolby handed two sixteen-year-old substitutes their debut, Luke Watkins and Ashley Dann.

Dann, who netted four goals in a recent reserve team game against Horley Town, scored Tonbridge’s sixth goal of the night.

Tonbridge favourite Luke Piscina opened the scoring after just 351 seconds when his left-footed screamer from 25-yards gave Sam Mott no chance in the Fleet goal, to score his second of the season.

A minute earlier the same player drove a 20-yard shot just past the foot of the left post.

The visitors created a couple of chances but Chris Anderson drove his shot past the far post and Liam Coleman’s shot was plucked out of the air by goalkeeper Matt Bromby, making his first start of the season.

Martin scored his first goal of the night inside the first nine minutes when he beat the offside flag to stroll into Fleet’s penalty area and slotted home from eight yards.

Tonbridge Angels striker Andy Martin took his tally up to ten goals for
the season after scoring four times against Gravesend & Northfleet
tonight.
Photograph:  David Couldridge - www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk

Gravesend & Northfleet, a full-time club, were stunned when they found themselves three goals down after 16 minutes when John Beales left his defensive duties to power home a header from their first corner of the game, taken by Piscina, to score his third of the season.

Mott was beaten for the fourth time inside 20 minutes when Michael Power flicked the ball on for Martin who stabbed the ball into the bottom right corner from eight yards.

Fleet’s left-winger George Purcell, who looked lively going forward, brought a fine save from the former Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone United and Hastings United goalkeeper six minutes later.

But Bromby, who started his career in the Angels youth team, was beaten twice in the space of six minutes as Danny Ekoku walked the ball into the net after the striker, with bundles of Conference experience, slid the ball past a committed goalkeeper.

Striker John Akinde then nodded the ball past Bromby into the bottom left hand corner after the goalkeeper came off his goal-line.

Gravesend & Northfleet could have equalised late in the first half but Ekoku’s low drive was deflected just past the foot of the far post and from Mark DeBolla’s resulting corner, centre back Mike McLeary came up to head just over the near post.

After seven goals in the first half the second half took a while to explode back into life.

A run from Luke Coleman resulted in Akinde’s glancing header being smothered by Bromby, who then saved Liam Coleman’s 25-yard shot after Chris Anderson stole the ball off Angels defender Mark Green.

Tonbridge’s first second half chance came when Martin skied a shot high and wide from distance but the Fleet pulled a third goal back in the 70^th minute when Anderson stroked the ball past Bromby and nestled inside the bottom corner.

Debutant Dann came close to scoring soon after when he was played in by Ian Parkes but he slid the ball agonisingly past the foot of the post.

But Tonbridge ran riot in the final four minutes, scoring three goals.

Martin scored his hat-trick in the 86^th minute from the penalty spot after being upended by Mott.

Mott dived to his right but the Welsh striker lifted the ball over his body to find the net.

HAT-TRICK:  Gravesend & Northfleet goalkeeper Sam Mott was beaten seven
times tonight.  Here Welsh striker Andy Martin nets his hat-trick from the
penalty spot.
Photograph: Dave Couldridge - www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk

Dann got on the score sheet when he cut in from the left and drove a low shot across Mott to find the bottom far corner.

Martin then latched onto Power’s clever through ball and dinked the ball over Mott and the ball trickled inside the foot of the far post.