Tunbridge Wells 2-3 Tonbridge Angels - I can't fault their effort, says Wells boss Dave Williamson

TUNBRIDGE WELLS  2-3  TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Valley Express Kent Youth League Under 18 Central Division
Sunday 18^th March 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Culverden Stadium

TONBRIDGE ANGELS leapfrogged over Bridon Ropes to the summit of the Valley Express Kent Youth League Central Division after deflating a valiant effort from a brave Tunbridge Wells side who played with ten-men for 87 minutes.




Tonbridge Angels opened the scoring with only 104 seconds on the clock through Greg Barton, before Tunbridge Wells lost defender Jordan Thomas to a straight red card just 71 seconds later for retaliation after clashing with John Ricketts.

But despite the Angels’ created chance after chance, the home side levelled against the run of play, when Mushed Mia converted their first chance of the game after 32 minutes, and the sixth-placed hosts stunned their visitors’ when substitute Olly Burgess scored with a flukey free-kick from 35-yards just after the break.

But Tonbridge Angels, who twice hit the woodwork during a dominant first half, levelled when Jordan Sako headed home, before substitute Daniel Bullock, who was the smallest player on the pitch, nodded home a dramatic well deserved winner just four minutes from time.

Tunbridge Wells manager Dave Williamson, said he felt “very proud” of his ten-men.

“They worked really hard,” he said.  “We had a player sent-off after two minutes and it was an uphill struggle, but I can’t fault their effort.  Absolutely fantastic!”

Tonbridge Angels’ manager, Robin Manuel, meanwhile, showed a total lack of respect for a website that takes time out on a Sunday morning to cover local youth football, by not providing his team-sheet and declining a post-match interview afterwards.

And it’s pretty shabby that the player who scored the winning goal, was wearing shirt number 22, when no-one was listed on the team sheet (which was thankfully obtained from referee Mr Paul Brown), wearing that number shirt!

Tonbridge Angels got off to a flying start when Jeremy Tudor-Pole whipped in a corner from the right and the home side’s defence cleared the ball out to as far as Reiss Crimmon, who scuffed pass was picked up by Barton, who cut inside and drilled a low right-footed shot past stand-in Tunbridge Wells keeper Alex Holder to find the bottom far corner.

Williamson was disappointed with the goal, saying, “We didn’t switch on. We didn’t start very well.  It’s been the way this season but they came back from that very well!”

Tunbridge Wells faced an uphill struggle when Thomas became their fourth player to be sent-off this season when referee Mr Brown showed the tall defender a straight red-card.

Williamson said: “I didn’t actually see it but people say it was a deserved red-card.   You can’t go round arguing with referees.  You can’t retaliate, that’s the end of it.”

Tonbridge Angels dominated for long periods of the first half as Holder, who normally plays in midfield or upfront, saw attempts on his goal reign in.

Barton curled a right-footed free-kick around the far post and following James Wood’s long throw, Sako looped his header wide, before Tudor-Pole broke free through the middle and sent a right-footed chip over from 30-yards, before Jake Dodgson stroked a low curling shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Holder made a flying save to his left to prevent Sako from scoring with a bullet header, following Dodgson’s cross from the right in the 15^th minute – an offside flag, however, taking the gloss of an excellent save.

Tonbridge Angels first struck the woodwork within the next five minutes when Tom Smyth had time and space to crack a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which smacked against the top of the right-post.

A mistake by Tunbridge Wells defender Harry Barden gave Dodgson a chance, but he sent a left-footed half-volley over from sixteen-yards.

Despite all that pressure, Tunbridge Wells grabbed an equaliser, totally against the run of play in the 32^nd minute.

Callum Hopkins pumped a free-kick from inside his half and Mia had an awful lot to do to get around his marker but he twisted and turned and swept a left-footed shot across visiting keeper Jacob Wright and the ball nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Williamson praised his hard-working number 8, saying, “Great finish!  He controlled it well and slotted with his left foot – a very good goal!”

The goal lifted the confidence of the home side and left Tonbridge Angels’ players arguing among themselves, especially when they left the field at the break.

Hopkins tried his luck when left in space on the edge of the Tonbridge Angels’ penalty area and cracked a rasping right-footed drive, which forced Wright into making a save underneath his own crossbar.

The Angels almost regained the lead when Tudor-Pole whipped in a speculative cross-come-shot from the right-hand side from 35-yards, which sailed across a flat-footed Holder and the ball clipped the far post.

They should have gone into the break in the lead when John Ricketts played in Sako but the striker – who was earlier booked for removing his blue shirt to take off his black t-shirt underneath without permission from the referee – dragged a scuffed shot past the far post.

The Tunbridge Wells manager, meanwhile, felt his side deserved to go in at the break on level terms, despite being out-played.

Williamson said: “Because of their effort, of course they deserved it!  This is our fourth player sent-off this season so you can’t go around playing teams like Tonbridge Angels with ten-men and expect them to get a result – unfortunately we didn’t!”

Tunbridge Wells made a substitution at the break as Burgess slotted in at left-back for Lewis Mitchell and Burgess gave his side the lead just 125 seconds into the second half.

They won themselves a free-kick down the left, some 35-yards from goal, and Burgess whipped in an excellent free-kick with his right-foot, which curled past a crowd of onrushing players and sailed into the far corner, leaving visiting keeper Wright embarrassed.

Williamson added: “It went in.  It was probably a cross.  I wished it had been 92 minutes, it was 48 and we had a long way to go to hold on!”

Tonbridge Angels’ finishing was woeful – Dodgson smashed a right-footed shot past the foot of the near post whilst under pressure and Tudor-Pole’s effort from the edge of the box sailed wide.

A long throw from James Wood caused havoc into the Tunbridge Wells penalty area when following a poor headed clearance from Hopkins – up instead of away – Ricketts, who had his back to goal, sent an overhead kick wide from three-yards.

Another long throw from Wood could have been cleared twice by a red-shirt but Sako glanced his header straight into Holder’s grateful hands just three yards from goal.

But Tonbridge Angels’ pressure did finally come off as they deservedly equalised in the 63^rd minute.

Barton pumped a free-kick upfield from inside his own half and Sako outjumped defender Barden (who had earlier picked up a knock to his right thigh) and glanced his header into the left-hand corner.

Williamson bemoaned the loss of Thomas for this moment in the game.

He said: “Our line was getting deeper and you knew the guy had the throw and Jordan was in there to compensate for this.  Obviously Jordan wasn’t on the pitch. It was a struggle, yes.”

By this stage Tunbridge Wells were hanging on and it was only a matter of time that their neighbours would claim the victory.

Ricketts picked up the ball and drove a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which was caught by Holder, the stand-in keeper putting in a brave performance under such difficult circumstances.

Tonbridge Angels thought they had scored the winner three minutes earlier than they actually did.

Crimmon launched a long throw into the penalty area which was flicked on at the near post by Sako and Dodgson was in an offside position by the time he nodded home.

But their eventual 86^th minute winner was deserved.  Smyth swung in a corner from the left and diminutive substitute Bullock was left unmarked at the near post to glance his header across Holder to find the bottom far corner.

“We just couldn’t quite hold out, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.  But I’m very proud, very proud of my players,” added Williamson.

Tunbridge Wells travel to fourth-placed Sevenoaks Town next Sunday and Williamson is looking forward to the Greatness Park clash.

He said: “They’re a good side, they beat us 2-1 down here.  They had a player sent-off but we couldn’t break them down.   We’ll see how it goes.”

“We’ve been up against it all season. We didn’t have a goalie today.  That was an outfield player play in goal today.  Our centre forward’s (Jack Harris) been with the first team.  This is the fourth player that we’ve had sent-off, we’re really up against it.  We haven’t got a big squad so we’ll keep going and see where we end up at the end of the season.”

It’s just a shame that Manuel didn’t express what their tenth league victory meant to him when he declined a request for a post-match interview afterwards. 

As the season draws to a close, Tonbridge Angels, Bridon Ropes and Bromley all have a chance of clinching the title.

Tunbridge Wells: Alex Holder, Jordan Thomas, Lewis Mitchell (Olly Burgess 46), Harry Barden, Callum Hopkins, Tom Leek, Ben Williamson, Mushed Mia, Ryan Mills, Callum Bennett, Harry Jarrett.

Goals: Mushed Mia 32, Olly Burgess 48

Booked: Mushed Mia 83

Sent Off: Jordan Thomas 3

Tonbridge Angels: Jacob Wright, Jack Moss, James Wood (Daniel Bullock 61), Greg Barton, Reiss Crimmon, John Ricketts (Jackson Murrian 67), Tom Smyth, Connor O’Reilly, Jeremy Tudor-Pole (Kieran Wells 77), Jordon Sako, Jake Dodgson.

Goals: Greg Barton 2, Jordon Sako 63, Daniel Bullock 86

Booked: Jordon Sako 33, Connor O’Reilly 82, Reiss Crimmon 84, Greg Barton 86

Attendance: 29
Referee: Mr Paul Brown (Maidstone)