Tonbridge’s stay in the competition continues but St Albans made them struggle especially as they played with ten men for 87 minutes.

The game was only 3 minutes old when controversy happened, when Tonbridge’s Henry Muggeridge & Chris Piper combined only for Richard Graham to elbow Muggeridge in the face but the referee Mr Ashvin Degnarin did not see it but the 4^th official Mr Gareth Mays did & he told the referee who produced the red card.

Tonbridge now had the one man advantage which was different to last week when David Ijaha was sent off in the first minute.

Tonbridge had the experience & knew it would be hard & it was St Albans who had the first real chance when in the 12^th minute a free kick found David Keenleyside whose shot was easily saved by Lewis Carey.

Then in the 20^th minute Tonbridge had their first chance which seemed to be a training ground routine when a free kick on the edge of the area was taken by Muggeridge who passed it into the path of Sonny Miles just inside the area & he flicked it on for Shamir Goodwin who from 6 yards out could not control it & the ball went into Paul Bastock’s hands.

St Albans were still playing well with only ten men & in the 25^th minute James Comley 25 yards out saw his shot saved at the second attempt by Carey.

Two minutes later a Nathan Green corner saw Miles under pressure from Bastock & a couple of defenders head just wide of the post.

Another great chance for Tonbridge came in the 31^st minute when Lee Browning on halfway put Goodwin in & his shot across goal was parried away by Bastock which saw Green steaming in for the rebound only to be foiled by Bastock getting there at the same time to challenge for the ball which went out for a corner.

In the 38^th minute Mark Nwokeji running forward the defence opened up like the Red Sea & his shot from 20 yards was parried away by Carey.

In the 43^rd minute Muggeridge on the left cut inside went across the area before unleashing a powerful shot that whistled past the post & in the 4^th minute of added on time a free kick into the Tonbridge area saw Nwokeji 8 yards out on his shoot towards goal forcing Carey to make another save.

The second half took some time to get going & in the 60^th minute a St Albans corner into the 6 yard area found John Frendo but his header went wide.

In the 64^th minute Tonbridge had a really good chance when Luke Blewden passed to Goodwin who let it bounce before shooting forcing Bastock to get down & push it around the post, not bad for a 43 year old.

In the 70^th minute a St Albans corner was cleared & Ijaha ran from halfway before shooting from 18 yards forcing Bastock to save. Two minutes later Frendo 40 yards out ran forward & forced Carey into saving his 20 yard shot.

Two minutes later a Tonbridge free kick into the area saw a scramble occur leading to the ball being cleared of the line.

The best chance of the game came in the 82^nd minute when Browning with the outside of his boot put Goodwin in & his shot from 18 yards went high & wide when you would expect someone of his ability to hit the target.

The last chance of the game for Tonbridge came when Carey’s free kick into the area found Miles & his header was tipped away by Bastock & the last chance of the game came in the last minute when a cross into the area found Comley but Jon Heath came across & made a superb challenge to knock the ball away when it did look like he would score, so both clubs try again on Monday night at Clarence park.

TONBRIDGE:

1. L.CAREY   2. C.PIPER  3. J.HEATH   4. D.IJAHA  5. G.ELPHICK  6.S.MILES  7. H.MUGGERIDGE (84)

8. L.BROWNING  9. N.GREEN  10.S.GOODWIN  11. P.APPIAH (57)

SUBS USED:  15. L.BLEWDEN (57)  16. N.PINNEY (84)

SUBS NOT USED: 12. M.LOVELL  14. M.SUAREZ 17. C.MASTERS

BOOKED: 4. D.IJAHA(84)  9.N.GREEN (13)

ST ALBANS CITY:

1. P.BASTOCK  2. D.GREEN  3. L.CHAPPELL  4. R.MARWA  5. B.MARTIN  6. T.WARD  7. D.KEENLEYSIDE

8. J.COMLEY  9. J.FRENDO (88)  10. M.NWOKEJI  (77) 11. R.GRAHAM

SUBS USED:  14.G.NGOYI (77)  17. J.KALOCZI (88)

SUBS NOT USED: 12. C.HENRY  15. D.LOCKE  16. H. HALL

SENT OFF: 11 .R.GRAHAM (3)

REFEREE: Mr A.DEGNARIN  ASSISTANTS Mr G.REED & Mr P.GEORGIOU

ATTENDANCE: 484