Quite how Tonbridge managed to get nothing out of this game would have been a complete mystery to anyone who only saw the first half of this game, and never before has the cliche ‘a game of two halves’ been more apt.

However, an emergency goalkeeper and a red card changed the game, as what happened in the last half hour of the game was fast becoming inevitable.

Tonbridge were totally in control against a side level with them on points at the start of the game at half-time.

Playing the diamond formation which has served them so well in the recent unbeaten run, with Nick Wheeler at the front of the diamond rather than out wide, they were 2-0 up through headed goals from Ugo Udoji (his first for the club), and Nathan Elder (his 50th).

However shortly before half-time, goalkeeper Anthony Di Bernardo pulled up injured. He held out until half time but at the break, Stewart Copeland, Di Bernardo’s coach, was forced to come on.

Copeland hadn’t played a competitive match since leaving Tunbridge Wells, and he looked a touch raw, although it’s an eleven man game (ten for the last 35 minutes), and Tonbridge will know they should have done more to protect him.

All Tonbridge’s goals came from headers.  Udogi opened the scoring when he lept to head a Tom Phipp cross past the Needham keeper on 18, and it was 2 on 37 when Elder nodded in at the far post from short range from Luke Allen’s ball.

John Sands headed in 4 minutes into the second half for Needham Market, but by 52 minutes the Angels two goal lead was restored.

Mitchell Nelson headed Wheeler’s corner in, it wasn’t abundantly clear whether it had crossed the line but the assistant had no hesitation.

In fact Needham’s protests were more about what they felt was a foul in the build up than whether it crossed the line.

Within three minutes was the second of the turning points in the game. Copeland came out to try and thwart a Needham attack, the ball ran clear, and Udoji fouled the attacker as he was about to shoot, and was shown red for denying an goalscoring opportunity.

Tonbridge never looked the same after that and to Needham’s credit they played some attractive football, found space, and timed runs perfectly, and the way the game was going it wasn’t too much of a surprise that they not only cut Tonbridge’s 3-1 lead but also won the game thanks to goals from Luke Ingram (63), Reece Dobson (77) and Sam Nunn (85).

Tonbridge did force a couple of chances late on, the best through Dan Thompson’s turn and shot, but Needham knew exactly which weaknesses to exploit second half, they never gave up, and will be talking about their comeback for the rest of the season.

TONBRIDGE: Di Bernardo (Copeland); Udoji, Nelson, Parkinson, Parter; Phipp; Blewden, Allen; Wheeler; Elder (Thompson), Akrofi (Folkes).

NEEDHAM MARKET:  Gay; Dye, Morphew, Nunn, Coakley; Ingram, Izzet (Holland), Norman, Simmons; Dobson, Sands (Clark).

ATT: 555

Pictures supplied by Wesley Filtness.