Tonbridge Abgels 0 – 1 Wealdstone
Tonbridge Angels
0 - 1
WealdstoneAfter an accident closed the M25, Stones arrived in dribs and drabs to this game, the majority of the side not arriving until 3 o’ clock, this resulting in a 3:25 start to the match.
With no time to properly warm up stones set their stall early on to kill the gam and contain their opponents, then to slowly bring themselves on, and that is pretty much how the game panned out. An even start saw Stones actually create the best of the chances, with Alexander (twice) and Jolly going close, while Ryan Cahill and Robin Tucker returning after nine months out with an injury held firm and limited the home side to half chances from distance.
The second half saw Stones a little more progressive and again having the best of the chances – Jolly was unlucky on 55 minutes after being put through by Jones when the home keeper saved, but a similar move 1 minute later brought a better result with what turned out to be the only goal of the afternoon and Jolly took the ball round the keeper and slotted home.
A minute later, and Stones were reduced to ten men when Jones was sent off apparently for kicking an opponent on the ground (he was laying on the ball) and this gave the home side some heart, but Stones defence held firm as the match evened out an encounter.
Ten minutes later and Tony Dolby, the Tonbridge player manager, on as a sub was sent off for an elbow on Tommy Williams off the ball and this just about ended the match as a contest.
Tonbridge could have equalised when a shot cannoned off of the top of the crossbar, and Alexander, Jolly and Beckford could have extended Stones lead, but 1-0 was enough to take all three points.
Ten bookings and two sending’s off gave the Referee the image of a poor dealer in a poker school, as it really wasn’t a dirty game…
Harrow Times Steve Paull
Tonbridge Angels 0 Wealdstone 1
A WELCOME three points in Kent for Wealdstone in their battle to move from the basement of the Ryman League table.
More good news was the return of Robin Tucker to play his first game of the season after a lengthy time out through injury.
The match kicked off 25 minutes late due to horrendous holdups on the M25 delaying the arrival of some of the Wealdstone team. Perhaps because of this the opening minutes were pedestrian, but Stones gradually began to take a sort of control of affairs.
Converting this positional superiority into goals has been a problem for Wealdstone, and was evident as the half progressed. Once again, Stones were on top but Richard Jolly and Ben Alexander failed to find the target from promising positions. The most spectacular effort was from Brian Jones, whose 25 yard shot just cleared the Tonbridge bar.
After a quiet start, referee Smith, of Eastbourne, began taking names at regular intervals for petty offences in what was not a violent match. By the end of the game, as well as frustrating players and spectators alike with a series of confusing decisions, he had amassed nine bookings and two sendings off. Unfortunately, one of the dismissals was of the influential Jones for alleged use of the elbow on Tonbridge’s Lye, who only received yellow for acrobatically wrestling the Wealdstone man to the floor in the aftermath.
That was just before the hour mark.
But Smith equalled things up 15 minutes later when Dolby was dismissed for a similar offence on Tommy Williams. On both occasions the punishment seemed harsh.
Andy Carter was largely unemployed, but produced two superb saves, one in each half, to deny the slippery Piscina. The second half save, from a free kick that penetrated the defensive wall, was out of the very top drawer.
Piscina did hit the bar with a 20 yard strike just before Wealdstone scored, but Tonbridge were largely ineffective going forward.
Wealdstone’s goal ten minutes into the second half came when Jones’ pass put Jolly clear to round keeper Turner to score comfortably.
Jolly should have scored again soon after the sendings off, but put the ball hopelessly over the bar from six yards following a low cross from the right.
At ten-a-side the game became scrappy. Jermaine Beckford went close, and Smith found seven minutes from somewhere to add on, but Wealdstone came away with their first league victory since August – and very welcome it was too.
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