Match Report: Tonbridge Angels
The Stones broke the deadlock with just five minutes played. Riley Court’s free-kick from the left was headed on by Taylor Foran and Deon Moore showed his striker’s instinct as he scored from just yards out.
There after, it was Tonbridge who looked the more threatening of the two sides in the first half. Frankie Baker got in on goal but Jephte Tanga showed some excellent defending as he eased Baker out the way, allowing Nathan Harness to gather the ball.
A long ball forward picked out former Stones player Tom Leahy. Leahy cut inside and his curling effort clipped the outside of the left post.
Then with the game in stoppage time, Tonbridge struck the woodwork again. This time Ricky Korboa got past Foran and from the left, his cross come shot, hit the inside of the right post.
Tonbridge made a double change at the break, bringing on Scott Wagstaff and Bumni Babajide for Matthew Warren and Marcus Sablier. They continued to push hard for an equaliser, and Frankie Baker played the ball to substitute Babajide who found Korboa and his effort appeared to take a deflection as it hit the far post.
Just past the hour, Riley Court played the ball out to Tanga. Tanga’s ball into the box came to Muhammadu Faal who couldn’t quite generate enough power to really trouble Laurence Shala in the Angels goal.
However, with 67 minutes gone, there was an air of inevitability as Tonbridge finally got their equaliser. Substitute Wagstaff was forced wide as he went round Harness but he did well to deliver a low ball into the six-yard box which was despatched into the net by Korboa.
As the game moved towards its later stages, Maidstone started to look more dangerous and they might have scored on 75 minutes. TJ Bramble surged into space and hit a rising drive which Shala could only parry and from just yards out, substitute John Gilbert headed wide of the right post.
But it was the Angels who should have won the game. With one minute of additional time played, Sam Corne slipped inside his own box. This left Ansu Janneh, who had replaced substitute Wagstaff, in a great position but he lifted his shot onto the roof of the net.
Tonbridge Angels: Ricky Korboa 67
Maidstone United: Deon Moore 5
Tonbridge Angels: 1. Laurence Shala, 24. Kyle Smith, 2. Bradley Williams, 5. Ethan Sutcliffe, 3. Matthew Warren (4. Scott Wagstaff 45 (15. Ansu Janneh 70)), 7. Ricky Korboa, 17. Noah McCann, 20. Jordan Thompson, 9. Frankie Baker (23. Sean Shields 84), 10. Marcus Sablier (11. Bumni Babajide 45), 14. Tom Leahy (29. Alfie Pavey 62). Subs not used: 13. Jack West-Astuti, 27. Bailey Akehurst.
Maidstone United: 1. Nathan Harness, 5. George Fowler, 24. Taylor Foran, 3. Leo Hamblin, 2. David Sesay (15. David Agbontohoma 77), 8. Sam Corne, 6. TJ Bramble, 7. Jephte Tanga, 17. Riley Court (10. John Gilbert 63), 9. Deon Moore (20. Antony Papadopoulos 77), 22. Muhammadu Faal (11. Jamie Yila 90+3). Subs not used: 13. Lenny Holden, 23. Hamzad Kargbo.