A good performance, but a disappointing result away against likely champions Langton Green B. The match was a lot closer than the 3-0 scoreline suggests.
We started the game brightly with Greg Byrne and Ben Spring winning a lot of ball in midfield, and Chris Phillips and Ian Dipple combining well on the right. For all our possession, there were few clear-cut chances. The best chance of the half was a long-range shot from Greg Byrne that drifted wide. The only other notable incident of the half was the yellow card Martin Hill picked up for a foul.
There were few chances at the start of the second half, but as the game wore on Langton started to get more into the game. The effects of playing uphill on a porridgy pitch started to take their toll and the three substitutions midway through the half changed the shape of the team.
With ten minutes remaining Tom Ryan, who had defended brilliantly for the preceding hour, failed to get enough on the ball and it fell for a Langton forward who made no mistake.
The effect on the Tonbridge players was immediate and obvious: heads dropped and they started to be second to the ball. Further goals followed in the 65th and 69th minutes, and Jamie Hards had to make a great save in injury time to keep the score respectable, which was rough justice.
Ian Dipple was named man of the match for a skilful display of forward play. |