Tonbridge gained three valuable points against high flying East Thurrock with probably their best 45 minutes of the season.
The game started with Tonbridge on the ascendancy as in the 6th minute Lee Carey’s long ball out wide saw loanee Mitchell Pinnock bring the ball down & head towards goal but his shot went across goal with no one there to knock in.
In the 12th minute Tonbridge took the lead when a Pinnock short corner to Carey who crossed into the area for Joe Taylor to flick on to the far post where Tommy Whitnell was & from 1 yard out he headed into an empty net.
Seven minutes later it could have been two when Jack Parter on the run down the left passed into Taylor who controlled it & laid it into the path of Whitnell 20 yards out & his shot went just over the bar.
Thurrock had their first half chance in the 22nd minute when a corner into the area was flicked on & Kye Ruel on the back post headed over from 2 yards.
A minute later Tonbridge doubled their lead with possibly the goal of the season when Taylor on halfway passed out wide for Pinnock whose first time cross into the area was slightly deflected but Whitnell 10 yards out acrobatically volleyed in.
Thurrock had another half chance in the 30th minute when a corner was half cleared & then crossed to the back post where prolific goal scorer Sam Higgins headed wide.
Four minutes later it was nearly three as a long ball into the channel saw Taylor chase after it & get to it before Simon Peddie & then pass back into the path of Dee Okojie who then ran across the edge of the area before shooting but it went just wide of the post.
Another chance came in the 43rd minute when Taylor on halfway passed out wide for Pinnock & his shot from 25 yards went wide, a minute later Ryan Sammons 30 yards out tried his luck but it went past the post then in the last minute of the half Tonbridge tripled their lead when Peddie was forced to make a back pass to David Hughes & his clearance hit Taylor who was trying to close him down & he reacted the quickest & turned & curled the ball into an empty net.
The half time whistle went & to the neutral you would have thought that Tonbridge were the club vying for promotion.
East Thurrock made two substitutions at half time & they nearly made an impact when in the 46th minute David Bryant saw his cross into the area find Ellis Brown but his looping header went over the bar.
Another chance came their way in the 54th minute when Brown retrieved the ball on the right went into the area but saw his shot parried away by Kyle Merson.
Tonbridge at this time seemed lethargic & maybe thinking game over so their first real chance of the half came in the 59th minute when Pinnock saw his free kick from 25 yards out pushed away by Hughes.
The game went a bit scrappy with Tonbridge relying on counter attacks & Thurrock over passing then in the 75th minute they got a lifeline when a ball into the area found Brown in the area & from 10 yards he shot home.
Thurrock sensed they had a chance to maybe snatch a point as the pushed forward & in the 86th minute Sammons saw his cross evade everyone including Merson but just go past the post.
Tonbridge were getting a bit nervous but they saw out time & now have gone two games without defeat.
TONBRIDGE ANGELS:
- MERSON 2. J.FOWLKES 3. J.PARTER 4. L.CAREY 5. S.COX (80) 6. L.BALL 7. M.PINNOCK 8. T.PARKINSON 9. J.TAYLOR (71) 10. T.WHITNELL 11. D.OKOJIE (86)
SUBS USED: 17. M.WILLIAMS (71) 15. N.CAMPBELL (80) 16. R.GREENIDGE (86)
SUBS NOT USED: 12. D.PARKINSON 14. C.SLOCOMBE
BOOKINGS: 4. L.CAREY (48)
EAST THURROCK UNITED:
- HUGHES 2. R.SAMMONS 3. T.STEPHEN 4. S.PREDDIE 5. B.WOOD 6. N.SYMONS 7. K.RUEL 8. R.PARMENTER (60) 9. S.HIGGINS 10. M.GILBEY (45) 11. J.PAXMAN (45)
SUBS USED: 14. D.BRYANT (45) 16. E.BROWN (45) 12. C.WITHERSPOON (60)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. P.GOODACRE
BOOKINGS: 9. S.HIGGINS (49) 2.R.SAMMONS (83) 6. N.SYMONS (83)
REFEREE: Mr C.BODELL
ASSISTANTS: Mr M.RYAN & Mr S.HUGHES
ATTENDANCE: 414