Two minutes of madness cost Tonbridge Angels not only the game but top spot in the League.
The game started disastrously for Tonbridge as in the 2nd minute Burgess Hill took the lead when Lee Harding running at the defence passed out wide to Chris Smith on the right & his first time low cross found Sam Gargun who slotted in from 6 yards.
Tonbridge were shocked by this but soon got their act together as in the 12th minute they should have equalised when a Nicky Wheeler free kick from the left went to the back post where Laurence Ball rose & headed across the area where Jerome Sobers was but his flying header from 3 yards went wide of the goal when it seemed easier to score.
Seven minutes later Tonbridge equalised when a free kick to the far post missed everyone & Wheeler retrieved it & went back before crossing into the area for Nathan Elder whose powerful header from 8 yards flew into the net. It was Burgess Hill’s time to be shocked but five minutes later they nearly took the lead again when Smith in the area crossed low for Pat Harding whose snapshot was superbly saved by Di Bernardo.
In the 27th minute Ball on halfway was stooping down to head forward when Gargan came in & caught his face with his foot, Ball laid motionless for a minute or two before being walked off the pitch with a bad cut & a small bit off concussion. This prompted a change as Tom Parkinson took his place & Tommy Whitnell came on to fill Parkinson’s boots in midfield.
In the 43rd minute the crossbar came to Tonbridge’s rescue when Sam Fisk got the by-line & his cross found Pat Harding whose shot beat Di Bernardo but not the crossbar.
The second half started with Tonbridge on the attack & in the 49th minute Wheeler down the left crossed to the back post for David Fitzpatrick but his header was easily saved by Josh Jones.
Four minutes later the Hillians could have gone back in front when Gargan’s free kick from fully thirty yards was hit like a rocket & came back off the crossbar, it was still vibrating for five minutes. A minute after this Tonbridge took the lead when Fitzpatrick on the right saw his cross into the area powerfully met by Elder’s head which beat James.
On the hour Tonbridge had the chance to increase their lead when James Folkes passed the ball into the path of Luke Blewden who went into the avoided one Challenge & then from 6 yards saw his shot saved by James. Another chance came in the 69th minute when Blewden on halfway raced forward toward the penalty area before passing into the path of Fitzpatrick in the area & his shot was again saved by James.
Then came the two minutes of madness when in the 75th minute a long ball forward to Pat Harding whose low cross ended up in the net via Di Bernardo for an own goal, two minutes later the Hillians took the lead when Smith latched onto a looped pass in the area & he chipped Di Bernardo from 12 yards.
For the rest of the game Tonbridge peppered the Hillians goal & in the 82nd minute a Wheeler free kick into the area caused an almighty scramble with the ball eventually going past the post.
The final whistle went & the supporters, players & Management of Tonbridge could not believe this result, Steve McKimm held the players in the changing room for 25 minutes as he was not a happy bunny stating it was a poor second half performance defensively but hoped this was a bad day at the office & that next week they would get back to performing how he knows they can.
TONBRIDGE ANGELS:
- DI BERNARDO 2. J.FOLKES 3. S.RENTS ( ON LOAN FROM MARGATE, DEBUT ) 4. T.PARKINSON 5. J.SOBERS (84) 6. L.BALL (30) 7. D.FITZPATRICK 8. A.RIVIERE 9. N.ELDER 10. L.BLEWDEN 11. N.WHEELER
SUBS USED: 15. T.WHITNELL (30) 14. C.WEBSTER (84)
SUBS NOT USED: 12. ELLIS BROWN 16. C.SLOCOMBE
BOOKINGS: 5. J.SOBERS (76)
BURGESS HILL TOWN:
- JAMES 2. W.MILES 3. S.FISK 4. D.PEASE 5. A.PEARSON 6. O.ROWLAND 7. P.HARDING 8. J.KEEHAN 9. S.GARGAN 10. C.SMITH 11. L.HARDING
SUBS USED: NONE
SUBS NOT USED: 12. S.KIRKWOOD 14. C.WILTSHIRE 15. G.BOLTON 16. E.LEVY 17. S.TUCK
BOOKINGS: 2. W.MILES (81)
REFEREE: Mr P.KILLIP
ASSISTANTS: Mr R.ALBERT & Mr O.FYFE
ATTENDANCE: 457