Tonbridge Angels got a point after being two down but Jay Saunders will ask why his team did not take all three points as they dominated the first 25 minutes but could not score and Oxford City punished them.
The second half was different with Tonbridge getting back into the game but Oxford could have won it with two guilt edge chances but when the final whistle went both managers seemed to be happy with a point.
Tonbridge hadn’t played for ten days whilst Oxford had been down to Devon for an FA Cup replay with extra time so the question was who would be the better for rest or play. Tonbridge started quickly & in the 7th minute Ruben Soares-Junior went into the area & seemed to be fouled & a penalty looked likely but the referee had a different view.
Five minutes later a Jeremy Santos-Hurado corner found Santos-Junior in the 6 yard box & his header was pushed away by Ben Dudzunski.
In the 19th minute Soares-Junior saw his 20 yard shot saved & then a glorious chance came in the 22nd minute when Louis Collins was put through & he raced into the area & his shot across goal forced Dudzunski to tip around the post.
Three minutes later came the sting in the tail when Oxford against the run of play opened the scoring when a ball on the right side of the area was laid into the path of Josh Ashby who from 8 yards on the angle fired home.
Ten minutes later Santos-Hurado saw his 28 yard free kick saved. In the 38th minute it could have been two when Klaidi Lolos was put through but his weak shot was easily saved by Jon Henly.
In added on time Oxford increased their lead when a short corner to Zac McEachran who crossed to the far post for Josh Parker to head in from three yards.
Half time arrived & both Managers team talks would be different after the second goal, would Saunders get his team up for the challenge while Ross Jenkins would ask his team to replicate the first half performance & take the three points.
The second half started with Tonbridge again in the ascendency but in the 52nd minute Oxford nearly went three up when a cross into the area saw Ashby’s looping header go onto the top of the netting.
A minute later Tonbridge got a goal back & what a goal it was, Joe Turner on the left hit a glorious pass out to Soares-Junior who controlled it & cut in & his shot from 20 yards flew into the net.
Tonbridge were on the up & so were the crowd & in the 62nd minute a Santos-Hurado free kick to the back post saw Joe Tyrie’s header saved.
Four minutes & the game was level when Santos-Hurado combined with Lewis Gard before shooting home from 25 yards. The game was there for both sides to win & in the 72nd minute a Ashby free kick on the edge of the area forced Henly to parry away.
The game was a bit stop start as players from both sides were injured & a massive 14 minutes was added. In the 96th minute a corner half cleared fell to Scott Wagstaff making his debut but from 25 yards it went wide.
Three minutes later a ball into the area found Reece Fleet & his shot from 10 yards was pushed around the post for a corner. The last chance of the game came in the 101st minute when Ashby cross into the area saw Charlie Rowan’s powerful header was saved by Henly.
Eventually the final whistle went & both sides seemed to be happy.
TONBRIDGE ANGELS:
J.HENLY 2. J.CROWHURST 3. C. BRAHAM-BARRETT 27. T.FAGG (45) 5. S.MILES 18. S.WAGSTAFF (DEBUT) L.GARD (81) 20. J.SANTO-HURADO 9 .L.COLLINS 14. R.SOARES-JUNIOR 11. J.TURNER
SUBS USED: 16. J.TURIE (45, 86) 19. D.GAVIN (81) 17. T.Q.ADDY (86)
SUBS NOT USED: 13. K.MANUEL 12. F.RUTHERFORD
BOOKINGS: 9. L.COLLINS (102)
OXFORD CITY:
B.DUDZUNSKI 4. J.ASHBY 6.C.ROWAN 8. R.FLEET 10. Z.McEACHRAN 11. K.LOLAS 14. J.PARKER (73) T.HARRISON 17. J.BAPTISTE-FISCHER 3. L.MICCIO (31) 19. C.CARROLL
SUBS USED: 7. L.COYE (31) 18. A.BUSHELL-WILLIAMS (73, 81) 5. A.BURLEY (81)
SUBS NOT USED: 9. J.IACIOFANO 20. L.HUMPHREYS-EWERS
BOOKINGS: 6. C.ROWAN (35) 10. Z. McEACHRAN (56)
REFEREE: Mr.A.FARMER
ASSISTANTS: Mr R.PRECA & Mr.C.PETER
ATTENDANCE: 1073
Picture supplied by Wesley Filtness. Full pictures here: https://wezpix.com/p11859166