It was honours even at Longmead in a classic game of two halves as Tonbridge Angels missed out on a chance to overhaul Dulwich at the top of the Ryman Premier Division.

The Angels dominated the opening half, but couldn’t make the breakthrough, and it looked as though they would regret the missed chances as Mitchell Nelson headed the visitors into the lead on 74.  But, Nathan Elder levelled with a header of his own in stoppage time to save a point and make it 4 games unbeaten for the Angels.

Tonbridge had the incentive of returning to the top of the Ryman Premier division with a win, due to postponements elsewhere.  If it hadn’t been for an outstanding display by Dulwich’s Phil Wilson, a goalless first half could have been very different, and the Angels will still be wondering how a chance wasn’t taken.

Nick Wheeler was the instigator of Tonbridge’s best moments throughout the first 45 as the home side dominated.  Luke Blewden brought the first save from Phil Wilson in the third minute, with Nathan Elder’s header from the resulting corner being cleared off the line by Jack Dixon.

The Angels had the ball in the net in the 12th minute after Wheeler set up a chance for Elder, but the forward mishit his shot back to Wheeler, who was ruled offside, meaning that Luke Allen’s follow-up shot counted for nothing.

Tonbridge’s midfield trio of Tom Parkinson, Allen and Anthony Riviere winning their individual battles, restricting Dulwich to long range efforts that failed to trouble Anthony di Bernardo’s goal, while Wheeler (twice), Blewden and Allen forced Wilson into further saves to keep his goal intact.

Dixon hit a long-range shot over the Tonbridge bar, which was better than an earlier effort that he dragged well wide of the goal, but the Dulwich midfielder did create the visitor’s best chance of the half.  On 33, Dixon floated a freekick into the area that di Bernardo couldn’t claim, and Tonbridge were fortunate that Laurence Ball was covering as the cross hit the defender and ran to safety.

Blewden had one further header that he guided over in the first half, but the teams went into the interval goalless.

A further downpour during the break served to make the surface even more greasy, but the interval seemed to allow Dulwich time to regroup, and Tonbridge struggled to reassert themselves on the midfield areas.

Within minutes, di Bernardo had to save at point-blank range from a driving run by Dixon who met Mitchell Nelson’s cross perfectly.  The Angels couldn’t clear the rebound which led to  Parkinson throwing himself in front of Damien Scannell’s shot.

Dulwich’s wingers, Albert Jarrett and Nyren Clunis were starting to exploit the space down the sides of the Tonbridge defence, with Clunis curling a shot just wide.  Ryan Moss broke through onto a Scannell pass, but despite a confident finish past di Bernardo was also denied by the assistant’s flag.

The visitors deservedly took the lead in the 74th minute, as Nelson rose highest to meet Scannell’s corner, and should have extended their advantage as Moss escaped the attentions of an exposed Tonbridge defence, but this time dragged his effort across the face of goal.

In the closing minutes, Allen blazed a freekick high over the bar after Elder had been wrestled to the ground just outside the area, and for the first time in the half, Wheeler got away from Nelson down the left side and his cross was powered into Wilson’s grateful gloves by Parkinson’s header.

Di Bernardo palmed away a shot from Dulwich substitute Rhys Murrell-Wilkinson as the game moved into stoppage time, and its dramatic conclusion at the other end of the pitch.  Sam Rents took a quick freekick to Wheeler, who curled a cross into the 6-yard box, where Elder applied a glancing header to bring the scores level.

Neither side was able to create a meaningful chance in the remaining minutes.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS: Anthony di Bernardo, James Folkes, Sam Rents, Tom Parkinson, Sonny Miles, Laurence Ball, Luke Allen, Anthony Riviere (Jack Parter 62), Nathan Elder, Luke Blewden, Nick Wheeler.

Subs not used: Charlie Webster, Tommy Whitnell, Jerrome Sobers, Aaron McGuigan.

Goal: Nathan Elder 90.

Cautions: Sonny Miles 41.

DULWICH HAMLET: Phil Wilson, Mitchell Nelson, Jordan Hibbert, Danny Waldren, Matt Drage, Ethan Pinnock, Nyren Clunis (Jordan Clarke 90+2), Jack Dixon, Ryan Moss (Kevin James 86), Damien Scannell, Albert Jarrett (Rhys Murrell-Wilkinson 71).

Subs not used: Dean McDonald, Mehmet Piro.

Goal: Mitchell Nelson 74.

Cautions: Danny Waldren 41, Jack Dixon 80.

Attendance: 1,095
Referee: Mr Michael Webb (Aldershot)
Assistants: Mr Shelby Elson (Farnham) and Mr Kwame Hinson (Aldershot)