At a rain swept Longmead Tonbridge turned the form book upside down with an emphatic victory over Braintree, this victory was their best of the season & moved them out of the relegation places.

  Braintree started quickly and had two chances to take the lead early on. In the 2^nd minute a low cross to the near post saw Thomas Richardson react quickly as his shot was saved by an alert Jonathan Henly and then in the 9^th minute Femi Akinwande 20 yards tried his luck forcing Henly to push his shot away.

After this Tonbridge came into their own and in the 13^th minute Khala Da’Costa on the right wing crossed to the back post where Sonny Miles was and his downward header fell at Joe Turners  feet but from 15 yards his shot went over the bar.

Seven minutes later Da’Costa, again on the right wing, cut inside and saw his curling effort go just past the far post. In the very next minute Tonbridge took the lead when Turner & Parter combined leaving Parter to get to the by-line and his toe poked cross found Tom Derry who from 1 yard poked home.

In the 26^th minute it was two when Jack Rudoni, on loan from AFC Wimbledon, ran into the area and was fouled by Adeyinka Cole for a penalty; up stepped D’Sean Theobalds and he hit it into the bottom left hand corner.

Two minutes later and Tonbridge were in heaven as they got their third, a long ball forward saw Tommie Hession-Harris chase it down & the Braintree defenders left it for their keeper Michael Johnson but he was slow to come off his line and Hession-Harris stroked it past him.

The last 7 minutes saw Braintree have a lot of possession trying to get a goal back but with a bit of luck & resolute defending Tonbridge held on to their three goal lead come half time.

  The second half started with Tonbridge on the attack and in the 53^rd minute a quick throw in to Turner and from 20 yards his shot was pushed around the post by Johnson for a corner, in the next minute Tonbridge could have got their fourth when Rudoni saw his shot from the edge of the area pushed out by Johnson but straight to Turner who seemed to have his feet tied together & his shot went past the post.

Braintree had their first chance of the half in the 59^th minute when Akinwande tried his luck from 20 yards but it went past the post. Two minutes later and it was four when Jarod Small on the right saw his low cross arrive at Hession-Harris feet & his first shot was blocked but came back to him and he shot home from 5 yards.

In the 74^th minute Braintree got a goal back which was to be a consolation goal when Byron Lawrence’s free kick into the area was headed in unopposed by Adam Mills, a minute later Akinwande in the area saw his toe poked effort beat Henly but then with the goal at mercy he shot wide under pressure.

Tonbridge got their fifth in the 80^th minute when a corner into the six yard box saw Turner have two efforts blocked and half cleared, it then was crossed into the area where Rian Bray, unmarked, headed in from 6 yards. In the 83^rd minute a ball into the Tonbridge area was headed out by Turner but only to Akinwande & his shot was palmed away by Henly.

In the third minute of added time Tonbridge nearly got six when Small on the right played Rudoni in & from ten yards his shot was pushed away by Johnson for a corner. The full time whistle went & the vast majority of the crowd and players of Tonbridge were ecstatic with the result which was well deserved & if they can keep that performance going for the rest of the season they will be ok.

        TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1.  J.HENLY      2. A.BENTLY  3. J.PARTER   4. J.RUDONI  5. S.MILES   6. R.BRAY  7. K.DA’COSTA (45)  

       8.     D. THEOBALDS   9. T.DERRY (60)   10. T.HESSION-HARRIS (64)    11. J.TURNER

      SUBS USED: 16. J.SMALL (45)  15. C.McKENZIE (60)  12. C.TIEHI (64, DEBUT)

      SUBS NOT USED:  14. J.FOLKES  17. L.SMITH

       BOOKINGS:  7. K.DA’COSTA (14)  12. C.TIEHA (72)

      BRAINTREE TOWN:

1. M.JOHNSON        2. J.JAMES   3. C.GREEN   4. R.MORREL-WILLIAMSON (53)  5. J.HUTCHINS  6. J.McLEOD-URQUART

       7.    B.LAWRENCE   8. A.COLE   9. T.RICHARDSON (68)  10. F.AKINWANDE  11. A.CERULLI (55)

      SUBS USED: 12. A.MILLS (53)  15. T.CHRISTIAN-LAW (55)  14. C.BARKER (68)

      SUBS NOT USED:  16. L.KIRKPATRICK   17. I.JKOBICA

       BOOKINGS: 8. A.COLE (18)  3. C.GREEN (87)

       REFEREE:  Mr M.RYAN

       ASSISTANTS:  Mr K.DEMPSTER & Mr G.HERON