Tonbridge Angels Ladies will play their first ever cup semi-final at Longmead Stadium on April 8th, after defeating Oasis Community Reds 3-0 at Tonbridge Farm on Sunday.
The Sheppey-based visitors are second in the Kent Division 2 East – one division below the Angels – showed they are capable of competing in Division 1 next season with a hard-working defensive performance which restricted Tonbridge to plenty of possession outside the penalty area but few chances on goal throughout the first half.
The hosts needed a goal to open up the game and it arrived in style within 60 seconds of the restart. A cross from Kelly Moran initiated a moment of hesitation from Oasis’ sweeper Charley Morrow at the near post and this was enough for Angels’ striker Becky Janes to pounce, lifting the ball over her shoulder and firing in from the tightest of angles.
With Oasis now needing an equaliser and forced to play higher up the pitch, this enabled further chances for Tonbridge but were kept at bay with shots blocked off the line or well saved by the impressive visiting goalkeeper Gemma Norton. The lead was eventually doubled in the 77th minutes when Nancy Syrett’s ball into the left channel released Janes who lobbed Norton to make it 2-0.
A place in the Kent Divisional Cup semi-finals was confirmed when Sharon Lyons’ free-kick was converted by Lauryn Underhill on 90 minutes.
Manager Dan Couldridge commented: “It was a fantastic all-round performance, Oasis were well-organised defensively which required plenty of patience and belief that we would eventually break the deadlock. With regular goalkeeper Sam Wright unavailable with a shoulder injury, we were particularly grateful to Tracy Edwards who stepped in at the eleventh hour and produced a solid performance to earn her second consecutive clean sheet.”
Diamond United, top of Oasis’ division, will be the visitors to Longmead Stadium for the semi-final on April 8th.
Team: Edwards, Anastasiou, Coulter, Weston, Lyons (capt), Fothergill, Underhill, Moran, Akehurst, Janes, Gibb. Subs: Coombes, Jarvis, Foster, Archer, Syrett.