FA Cup – Tonbridge Angels Report

Photos from Max Spanner – Here.

Steyning Town welcomed National League South side Tonbridge Angels to the Peter Humphrey Memorial Ground for the FA Cup second qualifying round, looking to recapture the magic that has defined their cup run so far. Captain Dion Jarvis led the Barrowmen into what was always going to be a stern test against opposition playing three tiers higher, with the home crowd eager to see if another upset was on the cards.

Steyning entered the tie on the back of their first defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss away to Wick in the Senior Cup, but their FA Cup pedigree was undeniable after sweeping aside local rivals Lancing 5-0 in the previous round. Against Tonbridge, all eyes were on the Barrowmen to see if they could once again rise to the occasion and deliver another exciting performance.

Tonbridge Angels settled quickly, dictating possession in the opening exchanges. Their first effort came inside five minutes, No.17 testing the Steyning defence, before the hosts responded with a pair of trademark long throws from Heath that were comfortably dealt with.

The early pattern of play was broken by concern for Blencowe, who went down heavily after a shove from Tonbridge’s No.2 but play continued, Steyning goalkeeper M Bromage was called into action twice in quick succession, showing sharp reflexes before Blencowe was forced off with an arm injury on 14 minutes, replaced by Miles.

Tonbridge capitalised on the disruption soon after. On 16 minutes, their No.10 found space in the box to tap home the opener and give the visitors a deserved lead. Steyning almost hit back immediately when Heath’s long throw was met by T.Bromage, but the header was comfortably gathered by the keeper.

Tensions rose moments later as Jarvis was fouled by Tonbridge’s No.4, sparking a confrontation that saw the visiting midfielder booked and warned after dissent. The incident lifted the home side, and Steyning struck the post with a speculative effort from distance on 21 minutes, before Tonbridge responded in kind, rattling the upright at the other end.

The game was halted again just after the half-hour mark when Docherty suffered a serious injury, suspected to have dislocated his hip, and was stretchered off to be replaced by Skerry. Despite the setback, Steyning grew in confidence as the half wore on. Heath’s driving run on 40 minutes brought a golden chance, only to be denied by a fine save. The match boiled over in first-half stoppage time when Tonbridge’s No.4 committed another late foul, earning a second yellow resulting in a red and sparking further confrontation between the sides. Steyning pressed their advantage during the lengthy stoppages, and in the eighth minute of added time Heath’s long throw created yet another opening, the resulting corner headed goalward but saved by the Tonbridge keeper.

At the interval, Tonbridge led 1-0, but Steyning had grown into the contest and left the pitch with momentum after a dramatic and bruising opening half.

The second half opened with Tonbridge on the front foot, their No.14 going close from a corner on 50 minutes before Steyning’s defence cleared the danger from the resulting set piece. The hosts soon responded, Bridgman narrowly missing a chance to convert Honore’s cross, while Skerry’s delivery minutes later found Heath, who could only fire into the side netting.

Steyning continued to build momentum, Benn dragging a shot wide on 58 minutes as the Barrowmen pressed for an equaliser. The contest remained fiery, and Steyning’s Plummer was cautioned on the hour for pulling back an opponent before being replaced by Daniels-Yeomans five minutes later. By then, the hosts were firmly asserting their dominance, and Benn briefly thought he had levelled the score on 71 minutes, only for the referee to call play back for a foul in the build-up.

Despite Steyning’s pressure, Tonbridge struck again against the run of play. On 74 minutes, their No.10 doubled the lead from what appeared a marginally offside cross, leaving the home side with a mountain to climb at 0-2.

The response was immediate. On 83 minutes Heath found space on the edge of the box and drilled low into the bottom corner to halve the deficit, sparking fresh belief among the home support. The comeback was completed six minutes later when captain Jarvis pounced on a loose ball to turn home from close range and level at 2-2.

Steyning almost stole it deep into stoppage time. A free kick in the 92nd minute led to a corner, from which T.Bromage had a close chance, while goalkeeper M.Bromage was equally vital at the other end, producing a superb stop minutes later to deny Tonbridge before the visitors headed another chance over the bar.

At full-time, the Barrowmen had battled back from two goals down to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw. The tie will now be settled by a replay, with Steyning heading into it buoyed by an unforgettable fightback.

PotM: Tegan Freeman. Industrious in midfield and played a huge part in the second half comeback.

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