Tonbridge Angels stayed in the hat for the 1st round draw of the FA trophy after being pegged back by a late equaliser at the Longmead Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The tie started brightly for the Angels when on loan Brighton and Hove Albion man Shamir Goodwin gave the Angels an 11th minute lead with a sumptuous volley over the keeper from full on 30 yards after chasing on to Luke Blewden flick on from a long ball.

The visitors were defending very deeply, allowing the Tonbridge defenders and midfield to have the ball and not having much end product themselves.

In a drab first half, the only other chance of note forced a good save from the AFC Sudbury keeper, Alex Archer when Shamir Goodwin beat two players on the left and cut the ball back to Luke Blewden, who shot too close to the keeper.

The look of the game changed after the half time whistle with a new impetus from the visitors with their high pressing causing panic and mistakes from the home defence with first Ben Thompson cut back from the byline was hacked away after a loose clearance and then Thompson hitting the outside of the post after being slid through by man of the match Dave Cowley.

Sudbury were causing problems for the home team but Shamir Goodwin’s run after picking up a clearance forced a save for the away keeper from Chris piper’s drive.

And it was from another hacked clearance from the Angels defence which forced a corner, from which David Ijaha chested down the header clear and volleyed a shot against the bar.

It was proper cup tie football with end to end stuff as we reached the last 5 minutes and Sudbury substitute James Baker missed a guilt edged chance after Payton Swatman crossed the ball across the six yard box and somehow Baker squeezed the ball wide.

Tonbridge sighed a huge sigh of relief and thought they had done enough but as the clock hit 90 minutes, Cowley fed Thompson on the left, who cut in and planted a cross right onto substitute Baker’s head unmarked 10 yards out and he planted his header home for a richly deserved equaliser.

 

Tonbridge team: Masters, Piper, Watts, Browning, Elphick (c), Muggeridge (Green 70), Ijaha, Blewden (Lovell 81), Goodwin, Heath.

Subs not used: Appiah, Pinney, Carey.

AFC Sudbury: Archer, Watson, Cawley, Shinn, Crane ( Baker 55), Henshaw, Mitchell, Clarke (c), Thompson, Daniels (Swatman 81), Cowley.

Subs not used: N’cho, Carus, Spriggs.

Man of the match: Dave Cowley

Attendance: 408