Tonbridge Angels 1-3 Chatham Town

The FA Cup always makes for intriguing and high-intensity matches, and this was no exception. Today’s action saw two teams in good form come together looking to make it to the first round proper. Tonbridge sit mid-table in the National League South after a mixed start to the season, but were unbeaten in 8 in all competitions coming into today. Chatham on the other hand, have had a very impressive start to the season, currently sitting in third, no doubt due in part to the fact that they are one of a few full-time sides at their level. Tonbridge, not themselves a full-time team, would have known that this would be a difficult game. 

Tonbridge kicked us off but it was Chatham with the early possession, a lot of passing it around the back with no real attacking threat, a theme that would remain throughout their first half. It was Tonbridge though with the first real chance of the game, in the seventh minute, when Peart burst forward down the right and delivered a great cross into the box, which was passed back out by Wagstaff to the feet of Sablier, whose shot was deflected and ended up in the back of the net. It’s hard to say if it would have gone in if not for the deflection, but the Angels had their goal. The home side found themselves 1 up on their first time of asking. 

Tonbridge were encouraged by this, and only a few minutes later Peart found himself bursting forwards into plenty of space before delivering another great cross into the box. The ball was cleared off the line by Chatham’s captain, Butler, to stop his team going 2 down. Tonbridge were looking very dangerous whenever Peart got the ball. What followed was a very equal 10 minutes, with both sides having chances, though nothing clear cut. Tonbridge had chances in the 17th and 19th minute, and should have done better with the latter. Chatham had sustained possession once again, but this only ever ended with a blocked shot or shot off target, with Adams in the Tonbridge goal barely troubled. 

The next 10 minutes were also fairly equal, with both teams getting forward, but neither creating any real opportunities of note. In the 35th minute Chatham’s captain, Butler, went into the book after a late tackle on Tonbridge’s Babjide. The resulting free kick came to nothing, and the Chatham counter that followed was well cleared out for a throw. 

As the half came to a close, things slowed down even more. Chatham continued to have sustained possession, but were missing any real quality in the final third, and as the ref blew at the end of the 3 minutes added time, the score remained 1-0 to Tonbridge. Although it had been a fairly equal half, it was the home side that made one of their rare chances count and went in as deserved leaders.

Both sides battling in an equal spell of possession.

The second half could not have started any better for Chatham, as barely 1 minute in Tope Fadahunsi found himself in a great position following some poor defending from Tonbridge and a great flick on from Stanley Oldfield. He made no mistake as he fired the ball into the bottom right corner to bring his team level with a whole half still to play. Tonbridge kept pushing to regain their lead for the next 10 minutes, winning the first corner of the game in the 49th minute, but the ball was well held by Molyneux in the Chatham goal. In the 54th minute Peart once again delivered a great ball into the box for Tonbridge, but there was nobody there to tap it in.

In the 55th minute, Tonbridge Manager Alan Dunne decided to shuffle the pack with a double sub; Babajide and Sablier made way for Taylor-Crossdale and Unwin as they looked to freshen up their attacking options. The Angels continued to apply pressure with another corner in the 58th minute, which again came to nothing. However, on the 60th minute momentum began to shift, with Chatham finding themselves in dangerous spaces, making more of their possession. A dangerous cross in the 61st minute was well held by Adams, but only a few minutes later, he would find himself in trouble.

A Chatham free kick from just in front of the corner flag in the 63rd minute floated into the box, and Adams really should have done better in clearing it, having fumbled the catch. This led to a scrappy few moments, which ended with referee Steven Hughes pointing to the spot after he adjudged that Bakrin had pulled down Butler at the far post. Oldfield made no mistake from the spot as his well-struck penalty gave Adams no chance and fired his team in front. Tempers boiled over in the moments before the penalty, the Tonbridge players not happy with the decision, and now they found themselves a goal down with it all to do. 

Chatham, perhaps further encouraged by their lead, continued their upturn in form across the rest of the second half. They outplayed Tonbridge across the pitch and were by far the better team. Butler in particular was having a much better second half, commanding his team and making his presence at the back felt. Chatham made their first sub in the 70th minute as they sought to continue their dominance, with Leathers making way for Garlinge. Tonbridge’s captain, Wagstaff, found himself in the book following a cynical challenge and then subbed off minutes later, making way for ex Crystal Palace player Brandon Pierrick, as Williams also made way for Warren. Dunne would have surely been hoping for more impact off the bench from these players, but the momentum of the game did not really shift, and Chatham continued to maintain control. 

In the 80th minute, Warren found himself in the book and Chatham found themselves with a free kick on the edge of the box with a chance to kill the game off, but this was fired well over by Moynes. As we approached the end of the 90, neither team had any real chances of note, and Tonbridge found themselves with 6 minutes of added time to find the equaliser. However, the game was killed off in the 96th minute after a truly sublime run into the box from Chatham’s Dapo Olugbodi, who had been subbed on previously. He passed the ball back to Leathers who had the simple job of firing it into the back of the net and putting his team 3-1 up with seconds left on the clock.

And so it ended, with Chatham through to the first-round proper of the FA cup for the first time in 97 years! Although on paper this could be called an upset, with Chatham being from the league below, they are a full-time team, with Tonbridge being part-time. This was a fully deserved victory for the Chats, who were by far and away the better team in the second half. 

Chatham celebrating following their third goal

Official attendance:1463

Chatham town celebrating following their historic victory. Source: Chatham Town FC.