We were expecting a tough test against Forest Row, a team that had just come down from the B division, and a team that had beaten us on all three of our previous meetings. Jamie Wickham was ruled out with a foot injury and Chris Stewart was in the squad for the first time this season. The team played some good passing football in the first 15 minutes, without looking to have much of a cutting edge, but Chris Newbury, who had had a quiet game up until then, hit a superb long-range shot over the Forest Row keeper in the the 20th minute to give Tonbridge the lead. Ben Spring had been leading the line well and he doubled the score five minutes later. Oliver Leigh, playing in midfield, made himself available and called for the ball; Ben Spring feinted to pass but spun away from the defender and unleashed an unstoppable shot. The 39th minute of the first half was the defining moment of the game. Tonbridge goalkeeper James Faulkner made a save, but the ball went behind him and he just managed to prevent it crossing the line. From the resultant clearance the ball got to Ben Spring, who showed great composure to round the Forest Row keeper and slide the ball in to give us a 3-0 half-time lead. A couple of second half substitutions altered the balance of the side, and Max Turner went off injured early in the half. He was replaced by Chris Stewart, who looked a little rusty in his first appearance of the season in an unfamiliar position. A mix-up between him and the goalkeeper gave Forest Row an open goal in the 54th minute. This could have given Forest Row a lifeline back into the game, but Tonbridge realised there was still work to be done and weathered the storm for the next ten minutes. Chris Newbury then relieved the pressure, seizing on a poor goal kick to restore the three-goal margin. In the 74th minute Forest Row broke and Tonbridge keeper James Faulkner brought down one of their strikers to concede a penalty and pick up a yellow card. He then dived to his right to push the spot kick round the post, but the penalty was ordered to be retaken, as he was adjudged to have moved off his line. He also saved the retaken penalty. That was the end of the game as a contest, and Chris Newbury put the icing on the cake in the 45th minute of the second half, claiming his hat-trick with a powerful shot that the Forest Row keeper couldn't keep out. There were lots of great performances, throughout the team. Tom Ryan was solid as ever in defence, Chris Newbury took control of the game in the second half and scored a hat-trick, and Ben Spring was full of menace up front, but Jack Holden was chosen as man-of-the-match for an intelligent performance that displayed his increasing maturity as a player.

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