A Kent derby with side aiming high and the other anxiously looking over their shoulders finished the same way it began, with Tonbridge Angels marooned in the bottom three as Ebbsfleet United took the points back up the A21 as they closed the gap on leaders Bromley to just six points and extended their undefeated run to seven.

Goals either side of half time from Alex Osborn and Dean Rance settled the destination of the points but in truth, there was only one side ever going to win this derby and with it ensured that Ebbsfleet’s (and before that Gravesend’s) 27 year dominance of this fixture remained firmly intact leaving Fleet boss Steve Brown a very happy man.

“There was not a lot wrong with that performance at all,” he admitted, “Sometimes I have something to say after a game when we’ve won comfortably after a game, but tonight it was just an extremely professional performance from start to finish.”

“I’ve seen Tonbridge a few times this year and I know that Tom’s been up against it recently with a couple of results, but this side have beaten Eastleigh twice and they’ve beaten Sutton – they’re fully capable of springing surprises, but I’m so delighted that we’ve come here and a very professional performance throughout hasn’t given them a sniff all evening!”

For Tommy Warrilow though it had been a very difficult night. “It wasn’t very good tonight – I thought we were sloppy all round the pitch. We started the game poorly and when you’re playing a team like Ebbsfleet you don’t get away with it.”

“We didn’t really deserve anything tonight and both goals were sloppy goals that summed up our night really – we just weren’t at the races tonight. Our choices were poor tonight – our passes were poor; it was just one thing after another tonight as we caused ourselves problems against a side that do that already that you don’t really have to help them.”

“There’s no point me standing here and making sarcastic comments towards the players as games are coming thick and fast – we’ve got four very important games to play next week. I’m very disappointed tonight but we’ll put this to bed at training on Thursday and go again Saturday.”

Warrilow will have a job to lift his players but few of the Angels remaining games in their survival fight will be against a side as good as Ebbsfleet as this was their sixth clean sheet in their seven game unbeaten run, and in the opening half, Anthony Cook was undoubtedly the game’s most influential player.

With ball at his feet, the Angels defence simply couldn’t cope with his pace and on 13 minutes came within an inch of opening the scoring. A Preston Edwards goal kick wasn’t dealt with by Chris Piper and Lee Browning, and as the ball dropped to Cook he raced away firing in a 30 yard drive which beat keeper Lewis Carey all ends up before crashing into the cross bar and rebounding to safety.

Four minutes later Carey produced a truly breathtaking reflex save to deny Billy Britnell. Cook again was the provider with a pinpoint cross which Bricknell met with a thumping header yet somehow Carey stuck out a right arm as he moved to his left and made a truly stunning stop.

You might have hoped that such a let off may have galvanised the Angels into action, yet it was the Fleet who took the lead just before half time. Cook was again heavily involved, and it was Cook’s shot that Carey couldn’t cope with only palming the ball straight to Alex Osborn who walked the ball into the net.

The Fleet doubled the lead just past the hour mark through a fortunate (and unlikely) source. Cook’s corner was deep to the far post and Angels skipper Gary Elphick (under pressure from Bricknell) could only head the ball across goal and yet it seemed the home side would escape.

Yet almost from nowhere Dean Rance appeared to head the ball home – a goal that had his manager smiling.

“Dean came to see me and said he could do that rather than working on the egde of the box at corners,” Brown admitted.

“We took a look in training and he does have this ability to pop up and get a goal! And he’s done it again tonight and got a flick on at the near post – he’s got this ability to find a space at a corner. We listened and gave him the opportunity and he’s now repaid us with a couple of goals from set pieces.”

The Angels finally began to get the ball down and play, but there was only ever going to be one winner, but the home side did ask questions from referee Cooper with a quarter of an hour left when Elphick went down in the box after seemingly being clipped by the unlucky Joe Howe who had been marking another Tonbridge player.

Elphick was so incensed that he chased the Medway official, but nothing was going to change Mr Cooper’s mind.

It really was a disappointing night for the home side, as when Henry Muggeridge crashed a shot into Preston Edwards’ chest in the 88th minute it was the first shot of any real note that Tonbridge had had.

For the Fleet they now head for Whitehawk on Saturday looking to close in on leaders Bromley, whilst the Angels have to brush themselves down to host play off chasing Weston at the weekend before the start of a punishing schedule that will see them play 15 games in 42 days for their Skrill South survival!

TONBRIDGE ANGELS – Lewis Carey, Chris Piper, Jon Heath, David Ijaha, Gary Elphick, Sonny Miles, Henry Muggeridge, Lee Browning, Luis Cumbers (Michael Bakare 59), Tom Collins (Nathan Pinney 66), Ryan Watts (Nathan Green 46)

Subs not used – Mark Lovell and Phillip Appiah

EBBSFLEET UNITED – Preston Edwards, Joe Howe, Aiden Palmer, Daryl McMahon, Anthony Acheampong (Yado Mambo 63), Osei Sanfofa, Alex Osborn (Chris Sessegnon 89), Dean Rance, Michael West, Billy Bricknell (Michael Thalasittis 75), Anthony Cook

Subs not used – Michael Corcoran and Brandon Hall

Referee – Mr Ian Cooper
Assistants – Mr Ollie Davis and Mr Kevin Welsh

After the game KSN learned that referee Cooper, who comes from Rochester, has been chosen to officiate at the Johnstones Paints Trophy between Chesterfield and Peterborough United at Wembley on Sunday March 30th – our congratulations to Ian on the appointment!