THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW – TONBRIDGE ANGELS (AWAY) KO 3.00 PM

Dulwich Hamlet make a swift return to Tonbridge Angels as attention switchs to the race for the Ryman League playoff battle

As the race for promotion moves towards its final denouement, Dulwich Hamlet face a frenetic fortnight that could prove the acid test for their playoff ambitions. Six points adrift of Wingate & Finchley, current occupants of holders of the last golden ticket to the post season playoff party, the Hamlet nevertheless have as many as five games in hand of their rivals due to their triple pronged attack on silverware.

Starting on Satrday, the next fourteen days see Gavin Rose’s troops face a raft of fixtures that could make or break those promotion ambitions. Monday sees the start of a three-game run of home matches beginning with the visit of Kingstonian side whose season seems to have gone into reverse gear as dreams of making an assault on the playoff places have been replace by nightmares of a drop into Ryman. South. Contrasting opposition follows when Havant & Waterlooville, aiming to make a swift return to National League South, come to Champion Hill in the hunt for critical points in their tussle for the title with South Coast contenders Bognor Regis Town having traded places with the Rocks almost weekly at the head of the pack. Home and away games against newly enriched Billericay Town ensue in quick succession before Dulwich go man on man with in the return encounter with Havant’s Hawks.

Before all that Dulwich Hamlet must make a swift return to Longmead Stadium, home of Steve McKimm’s Tonbridge Angels, just four days after hopes of making the final of the Ryman League Cup for the third time under Gavin Rose were dashed in contentious fashion on Tuesday evening. The bête noire proved to be Angels striker Alex Akrofi who scored twice and set up a third for fellow forward Nathan Elder. That said there was a whiff of controversy over the Elder goal, Akrofi’s delivery for the big hitman to nod home at the back stick coming after a contested drop ball after play had been stopped for an injury to the same player. Still Saturday’s game is less about revenge for that defeat, even less so about vengeance for the home league defeat at Champion Hill. Then Akrofi came off the bench to plant a precise header past Preston Edwards seven minutes after Damien Scannell had been dismissed for a second caution and with just 3 minutes left of normal time. It was a reverse that seemed to galvanise the Hamlet, with the side beaten just once at the next ten league games, winning 6 of those and drawing thrice, the only blot on the copybook a 1-0 loss away to struggling Canvey Island. The period also saw Dulwich dispatch loftier opposition from the FA Trophy. Gavin Tomlin’s double helped turn a 1-0 deficit at National League South side Whitehawk into a 4-1 pasting before Braintree Town were stunned at Champion Hill, the National League side leaving with their tail between their legs after a 5-2 replay rout. Dulwich came with a whisker of repeating the feat in the quarter final against Macclesfield Town, fighting back from 2 down to level and only denied a sensational last gasp winner thanks to Scott Flinders fingertip save from Ashley Carew’s audacious attempt from 40 yards out. Though Dulwich lost some ground in the promotion hunt due to the Trophy exploits, it remains in their own hands to close the gap in the coming weeks.

For the Angels, that late, late win at Champion Hill was not to prove a springboard back into promotion contention as December blew out in barren fashion. The last three games of the old year saw just a point garnered from a 2-2 home draw with Folkestone Invicta and New Year started no better as last gasp goals from Goldy Capela and Billy Bricknell snatch victory at the death for Billericay Town after the Angels had led from the 12th minute to the 88th thanks to Luke Blewden’s effort. The following Saturday Blewden would score again and this time it would prove to be decisive as Angels kick-started 2017 with a 2-1 win over a revitalised Met Police.

January would see the Angels continue to harvest valuable points as they cemented their slot in the playoff places, though form still stuttered. Comfortable victory over Hendon was followed by a goalless stalemate at home to Burgess Hill Town before a trip to fortress Harlow ended as it had for so many this season, in defeat (0-1). February saw the Tonbridge flower, unbeaten through the month those results saw McKimm measured up for a new suit as Manager of the month. Having finished January with a win and a draw, the Angels with four straight wins, keeping five clean sheets for good measure and self-certified champions in waiting Havant to a 1-1 draw, only losing the lead with 8 minutes to go when Jason Prior found the net.

New month and the curse of the new suit fell upon the Angels. Facing a Needham Market side in something of a quandary after mixed form of late, it seemed as if all the shipshape and Bristol fashion when Ugo Udogi headed his side into an 18th minute lead. The aerial assault continued when Elder dumped number two in the back of the net but things would soon take a turn for the worse. ‘Keeper Anthony di Bernardo left the field injured just before the break, with John Sands taking advantage to pull one back only for Mitchell Nelson to restore a 2-goal advantage soon after. The plot twists continued as Udogi headed for an early bath just 60 seconds later. Full steam ahead for the Marketmen against the ten of Tonbridge and their replacement ‘keeper. Luke Ingram made it 2-3 just after the hour, Reece Dobson levelled 14 minutes later with Sam Nunn’s winner 5 minutes from the final whistle seeing the Suffolk visitors pilfering the points and overleaping their hosts in the table. Three days later and the Angels made the trip up to Leiston. Given the Blues recent barren run, one point from a possible 21, Tonbridge must have fancied their chances of a swift rebound but it was not to be as Niko Muir-Merchant quick-fire second double and a shot shy Angels attack sent the Kent side home pointless following a 2-0 defeat. It came as much relief when Tonbridge finally grabbed a point last Saturday away to Staines Town but it was not an afternoon for the fainthearted as the Angels weathered a first half assault from the Swans. ‘Keeper Johnny Henly had to make a number of quality saves to keep the hosts at bay as Tonbridge came under the cosh before Jonathan Hippolyte broke the resistance on the half-hour. Though Nicky Wheeler salvaged the draw with a top-drawer drive from 25 yards in the 53rd minute, the game ended with Angels down to ten men as Jack Parter, James Folkes and Tom Parkinson departed the field with injuries, the last of these when the substitute options had been exhausted.

The game takes place at the Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JF, kicking off at 7.45 pm. For directions to the ground please click here

Admission Prices:

• Adult (18+) £10.00
• Senior (65+) £ 6.00
• Youth (13 to 17) £ 4.00
• Junior (Under 13) Free when accompanied by an adult or £2.00 unaccompanied

Match Programmes: £2.50 – Read the preview here