Tonbridge Angels 3 Salisbury 2
Despite coming under late pressure, Angels ran out victors of a five-goal clash against opponents seeking to confirm their place in next season’s National League South.
With Ricky Korboa and Bradley Williams – the two players already confirmed for next season’s campaign – dropping to the bench, the match was an opportunity for Angels’ starting 11 to make their case for inclusion in Alan Dunne’s 2026/27 squad.
Angels dominated from the start, with Bunmi Babajide firing over the bar and Tom Leahy forcing Whites keeper Will Buse into a save in the opening minutes of the game.
Against the run of play, Salisbury hit the bar in the sixth minute with a shot from distance, but Angels kept pressing and nearly took the lead five minutes later courtesy of a Bailey Akehurst corner that almost floated straight into the net with the help of the wind – Buse doing well to keep it out.
With the Salisbury goal coming under such heavy pressure, it was no surprise when Angels opened the scoring on 13 minutes with Jordon Thompson heading in another Akehurst corner at the near post.
And Angels’ lead was almost doubled on 26 minutes when Frankie Baker poked the ball into the back of the net, but the referee ruled it out for an infraction on the line.
Though Salisbury began to pick up momentum at the end of the half, with midfielder Josh Hedges’ shot curving away from Matt Rowley’s goal on the stroke of half time, Dunne must have felt unlucky to go in at the break with just a one goal lead.
It was the away side who started the second half more brightly after making a half-time substitution to combat the Angels’ commanding performance, but within five minutes of the restart it was Angels who had doubled their lead – this time, Leahy adding his name to the scoresheet with a banger of a shot into the top left-hand corner.
Dunne took the chance to freshen up the side, swapping Scott Wagstaff, Alfie Pavey and Babajide for Jordan Higgs, Marcus Sablier and Francis Mampolo respectively.
The visitors were down but not out, and on 66 minutes their perseverance paid off as former Angel Nathan Odokonyero set up midfielder Noah Coppin for a low shot past Rowley to put Salisbury back in with a fighting chance.
Angels piled the pressure back on, with Ethan Sutcliffe heading into the goal from a corner to restore the two-goal cushion on 73 minutes. But a topsy-turvy half continued to surprise as the Whites hit back to reduce the deficit once more. Odokonyero was there again to take advantage of Angels switching off in defence with just ten minutes left on the clock.
Home fans clenched as six minutes of added time was shown on the board, with Salisbury pushing hard for an equaliser in the dying moments of the game. However, it was too little, too late for the visitors as the referee blew the whistle for Angels to walk away as winners – a fair outcome based on the full 90 minutes.
Tonbridge Angels: Rowley; Warren; Wagstaff (Higgs); Sutcliffe; Baker (Korboa); Babajide (Mampolo); Leahy; Omole; Thompson; Akehurst (Williams); Pavey (Sablier)
Subs not used: Taylor, Bakrin
Photograph by Dave Couldridge
