Despite deservedly leading at the interval, Tonbridge Angels were unable to hold on to claim a first ever home win against bogey side, Sutton United, and a moment of madness eight minutes into stoppage time almost cost Angels their hard-earned point.

A clean David Ijaha strike that defeated Tom Lovelock’s save gave Tonbridge a first half lead, but this was cancelled out by the unfortunate Sonny Miles’ own goal.  Substitute Jamie Taylor’s late freekick whistled past the Tonbridge net as honours ended even.

With each team playing a contrasting style of football – Tonbridge looking to move the ball through midifeld, Sutton trying to hit the long ball early into the wing channels – this game was never going to be a classic.

But, after failing to register a point in the first three games, Angels’ manager, Tommy Warrilow, was a satisfied man, admitting “if you had given me seven points from these three games (Chelmsford, Havant & Waterlooville and Sutton), I’d have taken them.”

He added “it was hard to get out in the second half into the wind, so we packed the midfield and looked to get Henry Muggeridge and Nathan Green wide to shut down their full backs.  We probably sat back too far, but were able to hit on the counter-attack and could have won it at the end.”

Both sides had an early chance, with Jon Heath heading at Lovelock from a Luke Blewden long throw, and Sutton’s Craig Dundas turned on the edge of the Angels’ area but fired into the crowd in the North Stand.

The game burst into life after 18 minutes with a period of Tonbridge domination. Ijaha appeared to be harshly cautioned for a hard tackle on former Bromley midfielder, Ali Fuseni, and then should have done better, firing tamely at Lovelock when both Green and Mikel Suarez were better placed.

Suarez, back-pedalling in the area, met a Muggeridge cross, but couldn’t get enough  power into his header to test Lovelock, and Green overhit a freekick that almost caught the Sutton keeper out at his back post.

Clark Masters was finally called into action after half-an-hour, saving well from Marvin Williams after the Sutton forward had benefited from Gary Borrowdale’s misjudgement, and a Muggeridge cross caused panic in the Sutton box, as Blewden and Suarez were both unable to make the necessary connection.

Tonbridge finally made the breakthrough on 36, with arguably the move of the game. Ijaha drove through the middle of the Sutton half, before feeding the ball out to Heath, who rolled it into Blewden in the area.

Blewden, unable to turn, laid the ball back into the path of Ijaha, who took a touch to beat Dean Sinclair, then rifled a shot into the corner of the net, with Lovelock unable to keep it out.

After the break, and with the wind at their back, Sutton pressed further forward.  Fuseni hit a shot straight at Masters, and Dundas almost capitalised on Sutton’s first passing move. Ex-Gillingham midfielder Dean McDonald found Williams at the ‘D’, who flicked the ball over the Angels’ back four, to Dundas, looking suspiciously offside, whose first time shot cannoned off the outside of the left post.

Borrowdale, for his protests to the assistant referee, earned his 5th booking of the season, which means a suspension to be served in 2 weeks time.

Although Tonbridge’s midfield and defence were working hard to keep out Sutton’s direct play, the visitors crafted an equaliser on 77, but it was Sonny Miles who got the decisive touch.

Fuseni and Williams combined to play Sutton’s leading scorer, Jamie Taylor, into the box, and as the substitute dinked his cross into the 6-yard box, Miles had to make the interception, but his header found the corner of the net.

Taylor had a header saved by Masters, and Muggeridge had a powerful shot blocked by Simon Downer as the game went through an untidy phase, but as the board showed 4 minutes of stoppage time, Tonbridge would have sealed the three points but for a stunning one-on-one save by Lovelock.

Miles’ clearance was worked well by Muggeridge and Nathan Pinney, with the former releasing Lee Browning into the area. The Tonbridge skipper’s drive looked to be arrowing in, but for Lovelock’s timely save.

But, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, a rash challenge by Phillip Appiah on the edge of his own box gave Sutton one final chance.

Taylor struck a fierce shot past the wall but, to the relief of the majority of the 549 who turned out on Non-League Day, also past the left post.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS: Clark Masters, Chris Piper, Jon Heath, Mikel Suarez (Phillip Appiah 75), Sonny Miles, Gary Borrowdale, Henry Muggeridge, David Ijaha, Luke Blewden (Nathan Pinney 85), Lee Browning, Nathan Green.

Subs not used: Ryan Watts, Mark Lovell, Scott Chalmers-Stevens.

Goal: David Ijaha 36

Bookings: David Ijaha 18, Gary Borrowdale 68, Henry Muggeridge 90

SUTTON UNITED: Tom Lovelock, Mitchell Nelson, Sam Rents (Jamie Taylor 74), Jamie Stuart, Simon Downer, Dean Sinclair, James Folkes (Damian Scannell 62), Ali Fuseni, Craig Dundas, Dale Binns (Dean McDonald 62), Marvin Williams.

Subs not used: Paul Telfer, Wayne Shaw.

Goal: Sonny Miles (og) 78

Bookings: Craig Dundas 82

Attendance: 549

Referee: Mr Ryan Atkin (London, SE26)
Assistants: Mr Peter Georgiou (London, SW17) and Mr Peter Killip (London, SE27)