Tonbridge Angels 2
(Turner 9′, Olutade 87′)
United 1
(Wright 34′)
United bowed out of the Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Round stage, following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tonbridge Angels.
After Joe Turner gave the hosts an early lead, Danny Wright levelled things up later in the first half, before a late winner from Ibrahim Olutade saw Angels run out winners of the tie.
Gary Johnson named two changes to the side that was victorious over Stockport County last weekend, as Mark Halstead replaced Shaun MacDonald in goal, and Wright taking the place of Asa Hall.
United began brightly and pressed high from the first whistle. A first minute a long ball forward by Sinclair Armstrong for a chasing Klaidi Lolos forced the Tonbridge goalkeeper off John Henly off his line to clear the danger.
Moments later, Exeter loanee Jack Sparkes’ shot from the right-hand edge of the box flew just wide, before one minute later a corner from Little found a rising Lolos, whose header was just over.
It was the home side who broke through in the 9th minute to take the lead. Sonny Miles’ free kick from 30 yards out found Turner in the centre whose header found the bottom right corner of goal.
United were not deterred however, and continued to enjoy much of the possession. On 12 minutes, Sparkes drove down the right flank and cut into the centre, before his shot from the edge of the box went just wide of the right-hand post.
That was followed a minute later with a low driven effort from Armani Little, which flew just wide of the opposite post.
Still Johnson’s men probed. In the 21st minute, a great cross from Lolos just evaded a rising Wright at the far post, before four minutes later, the same man threatened again, this time it was a cross from Lapslie who found the striker in the centre, but his header was just over and into the roof of the net.
Lapslie battled into the right side box in the 31st minute before his shot across goal went into the side netting, before United’s persistence paid off in the 34th minute.
Despite a lack of options, skipper Little sprinted up the left before cutting central to chip the ball for an advancing Wright who was able to delightfully clip past Henly to make it 1-1 at the break.
United began the second half just as they began the first and forced Henly into action twice inside the first minute. First a shot from range by Little made the Tonbridge No.1 get down to make the save, before he was forced to watch a shot from Sparkes which went just over.
Just past the hour mark, both sides traded punches, with Turner firing just over from the left-edge of teh box, before excellent work from Sinclair down the right ended with the ball being delivered to Lolos on the penalty spot. His low effort was straight at the home stopper though.
Decisions went against both sides around the midway point, as Tonbridge saw the ball bundled into the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for an infringement, before a lightning-quick break from Armstrong saw him go down under a clumsy challenge inside the 18-yard box. The referee though, was unmoved.
In the 72nd minute, Dan Martin’s pace saw him drive forward before rifling a low drive narrowly wide of the upright, before a Jack Sparkes through-ball saw Armstrong denied as Henly spread himself in a one-v-one with fifteen minutes to go.
That spurned chance was to proved pivotal moments later.
After coming to his side’s aid with a superb save from point-blank range from Adam Lovatt in the 86th minute, Halstead was unable to prevent a surge of bodies from causing chaos inside the box from the resultant corner, leaving substitute Olutade to stab home from close range.
Disappointment today then, but all minds will now focus on Boxing Day, as Westcountry neighbours Yeovil head to Plainmoor.
Tonbridge: 1. Jonathan Henly, 2. Jerry O’Sullivan (12. Ibrahim Olutade, 83′), 3. Craig Braham-Barrett, 4. Tom Parkinson, 5. Sonny Miles (c), 6. Harry Hudson, 7. Luke Jenkins, 8. Adam Lovatt, 9. Tommy Wood, 10. Tom Beere, 11. Joe Turner.
SUBS NOT USED: 14. Luca Woodhouse, 15. Jack Embery, 16. Tom Green, 17. Ben Hermitage, 18. Bobby Moore, 19. Alex Zamani.
United: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Ben Wynter, 3. Dan Martin, 4. Tom Lapslie, 9. Danny Wright (30. Dan Holman 76′), 10. Armani Little (c), 19. Klaidi Lolos, 21. Dean Moxey, 25. Sinclair Armstrong, 28. Jack Sparkes, 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 5. Ali Omar, 15. Harry Perritt, 37. Shaun MacDonald.
Yellow Cards: Armstrong 32′