Tonbridge Angels are still on the road to Wembley with a fully deserved victory over National League Torquay United which will probably go down as one of their best results in their history.

Steve McKimm would have been as proud as punch as his team battled to a famous victory. Gary Johnson now knows where Tonbridge is after his comment earlier on in the week.

The game started with Torquay on the front foot but in the 9^th minute Tonbridge took an unexpected lead when Adam Lovatt’s free kick into the area found Joe Turner who from 6 yards saw his flicked header hit the back of the net.

Three minutes later Jack Sparkes running forward from halfway saw his 20 yard shot just go past the post then a minute later Amani Little on the left cut in & his shot from the edge of the area just went past the post.

In the 18^th minute Turner on the left cut in & his curling effort from 20 yards forced Mark Halstead to tip it over the bar & from the resulting corner taken by Tom Beere into the 6 yard box forced the Torquay defence to finally clear it but only to Sonny Miles who saw his shot get deflected for another corner. 

In the 22^nd minute Torquay had a half chance when the ball fizzed across the area found Dean Moxey & his 15 yards shot was saved by Jon Henly.

Torquay were now getting on top & in the 25^th minute Tom Lapslie get to the by-line & his dinked cross found David Wright but he couldn’t keep his header down as it hit the top of the net.

In the 34^th minute Torquay got a deserved equaliser when Little on the left cut in & his dinked pass found Wright who from 6 yards slipped the ball past Henly to score.

The last half chance of the half came in the 39^th minute when a Little free kick on the left hand side of the area went just over the bar.

The second half started with Torquay carrying on where they left off in the first half when in the 46^th minute a ball into the area came out to Sparkes & from 20 yards his shot went just over the bar.

Tonbridge started to get back into the game & in the 62^nd minute a ball on the right wing was moved on quickly for Lovatt & his turn & shot went just over the bar. In the very next minute Sinclair Armstrong got to the by-line & his pass into the path of Little & his shot from 10 yards was saved by Henly.

In the 66^th minute Tonbridge thought they had taken the lead when the ball knocked into the 6 yard box saw Halsted allegedly fouled as the ball found its way into the net. In the 78^th minute Torquay should have taken the lead when Moxey threaded the ball through for Armstrong in the area but Henly came out & blocked the shot.

In the 85^th minute a Beere free kick into the area was flicked on by Tom Parkinson for Harry Hudson but his shot was saved by Halstead but in the very next minute Longmead erupted as Tonbridge took the lead, a corner under the crossbar saw Halstead drop the ball & Ibrahim Olutade reacted the quickest & smashed home.

Torquay now threw the kitchen sink at Tonbridge in the final minutes but Tonbridge held firm & when the final whistle the crowd went mad & now look forward to the draw on Monday.

       

TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1. J.HENLY   2.J.O’SULLIVAN (83)  3. C.BRAHAM BARRETT   4. T.PARKINSON  5. S.MILES  6. H.HUDSON 7. L.JENKINS ( DEBUT )    8. A.LOVATT   9. T.WOOD   10. T.BEERE  11. J.TURNER.

SUBS USED: 12. I.OLUTADE (83).

SUBS NOT USED: 14. L.WOODHOUSE  15. J.EMBERY  16. T.GREEN  17. B.HERMITAGE  18. B.MOORE  19. A.ZAMANI

BOOKINGS: NONE

TORQUAY UNITED:

1. M.HALSTEAD   2. B.WYNTER  3. D.MARTIN  4. T.LAPSLIE  8. D.WRIGHT (75)  10. A.LITTLE  19. K.LOLOS 21. D.MOXEY    25. S.ARMSTRONG  18. J.SPARKES  31. J.LEWIS.

SUBS USED: 30. D.HOLMAN

SUBS NOT USED: 5. A.OMAR  15. H.PERITT  37. S.McDONALD

BOOKINGS: 25. S.ARMSTRONG (32)

REFEREE: Mr. A.HUMPHRIES

ASSISTANTS: Mr. K.SEAR & Mr.J.BLOXHAM

4^TH OFFICIAL: Mr. G.HERON

ATTENDANCE: 719