Tonbridge Angels rescued a deserved point thanks to substitute Ibrahim Olutade’s 98th minute equaliser against Hampton & Richmond Borough at Longmead Stadium on Saturday.
David Fisher’s exquisite free kick put the visitors ahead late on but Angels eventually got the goal their performance merited with the last kick of this National League South clash.
Tonbridge had the better of a forgettable first half with the lively Ricky Modeste setting up Aaron Smith-Joseph and Adam Lovatt in quick succession, the latter’s pot luck shot almost squeezing under the body of Beevers stopper Alan Julian.
Tom Beere in the middle of the park for Tonbridge was absolutely superb throughout frequently finding both Modeste and Smith-Joseph but the hosts were still looking for the breakthrough.
Hampton & Richmond could have gone in at the interval ahead had Ryan Gondoh, who would later receive a bizarre red card, shot the other side of Jonathan Henly’s post.
The visitors improved in the second period and almost took the lead when Kadell Daniel’s strike was expertly tipped round the post by Henly, who would later require treatment for a collision from a set piece.
Gondoh, a constant threat for Borough, then won a free kick on the edge of the Tonbridge box and up stepped Fisher, a half time sub, who rifled home an unstoppable shot to put the Beevers in front on 78 minutes.
Daniel should have doubled the lead but his close-range effort went agonisingly wide following good work from Nathan Minhas.
The Angels kept pushing and Olutade almost levelled but for a brilliant save from Julian, who moments later watched Modeste’s header rattle his bar as the pressure mounted.
Gondoh then received two yellows in quick succession, the first for refusing to exit the pitch at the nearest point when subbed and then for tipping the ball over the away dugout as the clock ran down.
With the allotted seven minutes up, it looked like a third loss in four for Steve McKimm’s men but when Smith-Joseph saw his shot saved the ball fell to Olutade who did not panic and calmly slotted home to secure a more than deserved point for the Angels.
Man of the Match: Tom Beere
Tonbridge Angels: Jonathan Henly; Jerry O’Sullivan (Ibrahim Olutade 82), Craig Braham-Barrett, Adam Lovatt (Doug Loft 84), Sonny Miles (C), Harry Hudson (Yellow 42), Ricky Modeste (Yellow 45), Tom Beere, Tommy Wood, Aaron Smith-Joseph, Joe Turner.
Hampton & Richmond Borough: Alan Julian (Yellow 88), Ruaridh Donaldson, Charlie Wassmer (C), Sam Cox, Ryan Gondoh (Ronan Hutchins 90) (Yellow 90) (Red 90), Jake Gray, Cole Brown, Kadell Daniel, Jorome Slew (Yellow 57) (Nathan Minhas 76), Kyron Farrell, Imran Uche (Yellow 90).
Attendance: 730