Eastbourne are still on the road to Wembley, they came away from Longmead with a victory, the prize money and a place in the hat for the next round as their second half performance probably deserved this tight victory.

Tonbridge will come away thinking what if after they controlled the game in the first half but now it’s back to the bread and butter of the League. 

The game started with Tonbridge on the front foot and in the 7^th minute they took the lead when Khale DaCosta on the right side went into the area and was fouled, a penalty was awarded and up stepped D’Sean Theobalds and his shot into the bottom left hand corner beat Tom Hadler. 

Goals always change games & Tonbridge went on to half time in charge, in the 18^th minute Theobalds received the ball centrally 25 yards out from Jack Rudoni and his shot went just over the bar.

Eastbourne had their one and only chance in the 23^rd minute when Dean Cox’s free kick to the back post saw Roberto Nditi’s overhead kick from 6 yards go over the bar.

In the 43nd minute a bit of magic from Rudoni saw him nearly score when a free kick into the Eastbourne are was cleared out to him and he controlled it by keeping it up and then saw his volley from 25 yards loop just over the bar.

The half time whistle went & Tonbridge had played well and defended well and deserved to be in front while Lee Bradbury would be upset that his players had shown nothing but for them it was only one nil.

  The second half started slowly but in the 60^th minute Eastbourne equalised when Greg Luer ran across the pitch before laying the ball into ex Tonbridge Nicky Wheeler path and from 15 yards he shot past Jonathon Hendy.

As stated before goals change games & Eastbourne started to create chances and dominate.

In the 66^th minute they could have taken the lead when Leur on the right wing saw his low cross into the area found James Ferry on his own 6 yards out but his side foot effort went past the post.

In the 72^nd and 76^th minutes Borough had chances from corners to take the lead, firstly Elliot Romain saw his header from 6 yards go over the bar and then Jesse Debrah saw his header go over the bar from 6 yards.

In the 81^st minute disaster struck for Tonbridge as Eastbourne took the lead, a cross to the far post found Nditi whose cross shot found Romain who controlled it and then smacked it into the net, the home crowd went quiet while the travelling supporters went mad.

Tonbridge were now pressing for the equaliser and in the 3^rd minute of added on time Luer on the right collected the ball and went into the area and from an acute angle forced Henly to save it with his feet.

The final whistle went and the men from the Sussex coast still have the dream of Wembley.

        TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1.    J.HENLY      2. J.FOLKES   3. J.PARTER   4. A.BENTLEY   5. S.MILES   6. R.BRAY   7. K.DaCOSTA (75)

8.      D. THEOBALDS    9. C.McKENZIE (75)   10.  J.RUDONI (69)   11. J.TURNER

SUBS USED:  14. J.SMALL (69)  12. T.DERRY (75)  15. R.OVERDEN (75)

SUBS NOT USED:  16. J.OSEYMI  17. S.BABAYEMI  18. R.BOWDEN   19. E.McDONALD

BOOKINGS: NONE

       EASTBOURNE BOROUGH:

1.  T.HADLER     19. R.NDITI     6. M.ADEBOWALE  15. J.FERRY   8.S.TORRES  4. K.WILLS (78) 

16. J.DEBRAH  9. G.LUER   3. K.CAMPBELL (54)  7. D.COX (54)   10. E.ROMAIN

SUBS USED: 18. N.WHEELER (54)  20. I.GAYLE (54)  11. M.WEST (78)

SUBS NOT USED: 14. C.WALKER  13. S.CHALMER-STEVENS  17. A.GHATBAOUI  5. K.KHINDA-JOHN

BOOKINGS:  3. K.CAMPBELL (51)  19. R.NDITI (90+3)

REFEREE: Mr A.HUMPHRIES

ASSISTANTS:  Mr M.MACKEY  & Mr S.GREGORY

ATTENDANCE: 538