Tonbridge are entering the last month of the season & every game is like a cup final with three points needed & today they had the bit of luck that has been missing in previous games.

Tommy Warrilow made three changes from last Tuesday’s disappointing game with Lee Browning & Kevin James injured & Nathan Pinney on the bench.

The game started fast & in the 5^th minute Basingstoke had the ball in the back of the net when a cross into the middle saw Shaun McAuley head towards goal only for Liam Enver-Marum to tap in from one yard with his arm & a free kick was given, in the 11^th minute a long clearance from Lewis Carey was flicked on by Luis Cumbers into the area for strike partner Alex Tenoila but even stretching couldn’t get his foot on it as it went to Louis Wells.

In the 15^th minute Andrew Jenkinson on the edge of the area saw his shot easily saved by Carey in the next minute Henry Muggeridge on the left crossed into the area for Cumbers whose flicked header forced Wells to palm away superbly.

Another chance came in the 21^st minute when Nathan Green’s free kick to the back post found skipper Gary Elphick but his header stretching for it went over the bar.

In the 32^nd minute Basingstoke had the ball in the net again when the ball played into the area found Nicholas Bignall who shot past Carey but the flag went up saving Tonbridge again.

As the first half was closing in Tonbridge had the main chances as in the 37^th minute Chris Piper on the overlap crossed low to Cumbers who laid it off to Green who went past a defender before unleashing a curling shot which just went past the post, then in the 43^rd minute a Muggeridge free kick into the area found Tenoila who chested it down but shot over the bar from 15 yards.

The first half was nearly up when lady luck went Tonbridge’s way when in the 45+1 minute a throw in by Adam Green went to Wells who under pressure from Tenoila tried to beat him but ended up fouling him & a penalty was given, up stepped leading goal scorer Mark Lovell who under immense pressure coolly hit it into the bottom left hand corner given Wells no chance.

The second half was only a minute old when a ball forward bounced high causing confusion in the Tonbridge defence which allowed Enver-Marum to get his shot away but Carey saved it.

In the 48^th minute Tenoila passed out wide for Ryan Watts but his shot from 25 yards went wide of the post. In the 54^th minute Bignall ran along the area before passing to Adam Green whose 20 yard shot went just past the post.

The game was now becoming open with either side having chances. In the 60^th minute David Ijaha passed to Muggeridge who cut inside & his shot from 20 yards was saved by Wells, another chance came in the 69^th minute when Watts passed to Muggeridge who passed to Ijaha but his side foot effort from 18 yards was easily saved.

In the next minute Basingstoke did score when the ball was not cleared properly & McAuley found himself in the area & he smashed the ball home from 8 yards leaving Carey helpless.

This was not in the script but two minutes later Tonbridge regained the lead & what a goal it was & it started when Carey passed out to Piper who passed to Michael Bakare who had been on for six minutes, he flicked the ball forward chased it & went into area before unleashing a left foot rocket in to net.

The last 18 minutes of the game would be tense as Basingstoke tried to get back into the game & Tonbridge’s history of giving late goals away was not helped when five minutes went up on the board but as it happened they survived & even had a chance to score again when in the 90+3 minutes Philip Appiah running forward passed to Piper & his shot was saved by Wells’ leg.

The final whistle went & the relief & excitement around the ground was immense as they battle for their Skrill Conference South lives.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1. L.CAREY  2. C.PIPER  3. R.WATTS  4. D.IJAHA  5. G.ELPHICK  6.  S. MILES  7. H.MUGGERIDGE  8. M.LOVELL (89)

9. A.TENOILA  10. L.CUMBERS (67)  11. N.GREEN (56)

SUBS USED: 12. M.BAKARE (67)  15. P.APPIAH (56)  16. D.WALDER  (89)

SUBS NOT USED:  14. N.PINNEY  17. T.COLLINS

BOOKINGS: 8.M.LOVELL (61)

 

BASINGSTOKE TOWN:

1. L.WELLS  2. N.SMART  3.A.GREEN  4. A.JENKINSON (67)  5.  J.GASSON  6. R.RICE  7. W DALY  8. S.McALEY

9. L.ENVER-MARUM  10.  N.BIGNALL  11. M.WILLIAMS

SUBS USED: 15. L.SOARES (67)

SUBS NOT USED:  12. R.ADAMS  14. J.HOLDER-SOONER  16. N.BARRETT  17. M.JOHNSON-SCHUSTER

BOOKINGS: 1. L.WELLS (45+1)  3. A.Green (70)  7. W.DALY (71)

 

REFEREE: Mr M.GEORGE

ASSISTANTS: Mr K.WELSH & Mr D.SHELDRAKE

ATTENDANCE: 354