Hollands and Blair U23 5 Tonbridge Angels U19 2
For the second time in a week, Angels youngsters suffered Cup heartbreak after going down to Hollands and Blair U23s in the final of the GoCardless Kent County Intermediate Cup.
At Chatham Town’s Bauvill Stadium, Dom Welsh’s illness-affected U19 side led twice only to be pegged back and then implode as the muscular and direct Gillingham-based side went on to win 5-2
In a repeat of Monday – when Angels U18s squandered a two-goal lead to lose to their counterparts from Burgess Hill in the ‘Champions of Champions’ semi-final – Welsh’s side were overrun in the second half.
In the first five minutes Angels’ keeper Jacob Hunt saved a penalty before a fine strike from Callum Fincham, from the left wing position, opened the scoring for Angels on 11 minutes.
On 18, George Byrne equalised for Hollands and Blair before a superb effort from Mackenzie Richardson four minutes later made it 2-1 to Angels which is how it stayed to the break.
The second half was a different story though as Angels collapsed, conceding four goals with strikes from Morgan Arnott, on the hour, and a quick-fire hat-trick from Lennon Reid, on 78, 87 and 90+4, in a scoreline which probably flattered Hollands and Blair.
After the game, Dom Welsh said: “It was a difficult evening for us. We’ve been hit by a viral sickness bug this week which hampered us tonight and Monday. Two lads went down with it ahead of the game and another had to come off mid-match tonight due to it so it’s been very difficult.
“In spite of that, the lads gave a very good account of themselves and an U18 group getting to the final of an U23 competition is a great achievement and I’m really proud. It was fine margins in the second half which cost us but we were brilliant in the first half and showed what a good footballing side we can be.”
Angels: Hunt, Dyer (captain), Fincham, Waul, Penman, Pritchard, Millis, Richardson, Sulovari, Kernan, Vassilev
Subs: Thomson, Bingham, Gallacher, McGuire, Barton
Photograph: Geoff Curtis
