Tonbridge Angels 4 Gillingham 3
A Tuesday night goalfest saw Angels progress to the semi finals of the Kent Senior Cup with a hard-fought victory over an impressive young Gillingham side.
Alan Dunne’s side will now travel to Chatham Town on Tuesday 24 March for the right to meet Maidstone United in the final.
Dunne made eight changes from the side which started at Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday.
It was the pacy visitors who made the initial running and Angels ‘keeper Laurie Shala was forced into action twice within the first 11 minutes first from Louie Dayal and then Sullivan Booth.
But Angels hit back and on 15 Matty Warren came close but couldn’t get sufficient purchase behind his shot to beat Fletcher Hegarty.
Hegarty twice needed treatment before being replaced on 33 minutes by Benji Spencer who was immediately called into action after Sean Shields cut inside and struck a shot which was heading for the bottom corner but Spencer got down well to deflect it out for a corner.
But Angels fans didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough. Marcus Sablier found Bunmi Babajide whose perfectly placed shot nestled in the far corner of the net.
Gills hit back and within six minutes were level with the impressive left-winger Damien Theodore the catalyst who set up Dayal for the equaliser.
At half time Alan Dunne replaced Martell Taylor-Crossdale and Shields with Ricky Korboa and Frankie Baker and the latter made an instant impact to make it 2-1.
Angels were pegged back again on 53 after a fine strike by Theodore to thrill the Gills fans in the crowd of 407.
Six minutes later he was at it again, dancing through the Angels defence but this time Shala saved. And the keeper’s positioning was sound shortly after as he clasped a free kick from Alfie Cross which was heading for the top corner.
Yet the game swung in Angels favour again on 66 when Warren’s shot was spilled by Spencer and Baker was on hand to notch his second and Angels’ third.
Dunne then replaced Jordon Thompson with Ethan Sutcliffe and Alfie Pavey with Tom Leahy who with virtually his first touch nearly made it four only to be denied by a miraculous goal line clearance from a Gills defender.
The end-to-end action continued and with seven minutes left Booth’s fine goal made it three apiece.
With neither side wanting to go to penalties, the action swung like the proverbial pendulum and it was Angels who edged ahead on 86. A fine delivery by Bailey Akehurst was met by Sutcliffe’s header and following a rebound, Naz Bakrin was on hand to smash it home from two yards.
This time there was no coming back for the young Gills who had been impressive throughout but it was Angels who triumphed.
After the game, Alan Dunne said: “I thought we were a bit disappointing in the first half and perhaps we underestimated them a little bit because I thought they (Gills) were outstanding and I think ‘Waggy’ has got some really good players to work with there. Second half we were better and I was pleased to get the result.
“We want to win games and we want to win Cups. I’ve always said I want to create memories here and we’ve got an opportunity now to go to Chatham and go one step further.”
ANGELS
Shala, Bakrin, Thompson (Sutcliffe), Omole, Akehurst (McCann), Warren, Sablier, Shields (Korboa), Taylor-Crossdale (Baker), Babajide, Pavey (Leahy)
