Tonbridge Angels 5 Corinthian Casuals 1 - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 5
Danny Powell 9, 44
Phil Cramp 48
Alex McEwan 83
Steve Ward 85

CORINTHIAN CASUALS 1
James Holden 33

Stephen McCartney reports from the Betterview Longmead Stadium
Suburban League Shield Semi-Final

Tonbridge Angels’ reserve side stretched their unbeaten run to nineteen games and in doing so booked their place in the Suburban League Shield Final following their comfortable win over Corinthian Casuals.

The Tolworth side had clinched the Suburban League Southern Division title on Saturday courtesy of the Angels’ 1-0 win over Eastleigh.

But they were no match for Julian Leigh’s side and after their trip to AFC Wimbledon on Thursday night the flying Angels will travel to Burnham (The Gore, Wymers Wood Road, Burnham, Buckinghamshire SL1 8AG) next Monday (8^th May) to try to secure their second piece of silverware.

Gravesend & Northfleet were comfortably beaten 4-0 at Stonebridge Road last month in the Kent Intermediate Cup Final and Leigh admitted his side are more than capable of securing a cup double.

“I’ve got to say the performances particularly over the last three or four weeks have been absolutely superb really,” he said.

“The players have just got everything they deserve really, which is two cup finals.

“It really was our pre-Christmas form that caused us problems and we’re going to end up at best fourth and really and truly with the form we’ve got now we’d probably won the league.


“I think the good thing is the youngsters have proved with a little bit more experience, which hopefully they’ll get next year, they can push into the first team. It just looks so good for the club. It’s frightening really.”

Leigh’s side took just nine minutes to break the deadlock against a side wearing their famous chocolate and pink halved shirts.

Former Sevenoaks Town striker Danny Powell latched onto a through ball, and although he looked yards offside - the ageing assistant couldn’t keep up with play in front of the press area - he burst into the penalty area and with only the goalkeeper to beat, slotted home right-footed from 12-yards.

Tonbridge almost doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when Phil Cramp’s corner was flicked on by John Sinclair and Manny Neville’s header was hacked off the line.

But three minutes later Casuals deservedly drew level when Chris Cheavalier latched onto Matty Smith’s through ball and carved open a chance for James Holden, whose shot sailed into the top far corner.

The Kent side had a second effort headed off the line when the unmarked Powell saw his header, following another Phil Cramp corner, headed clear.

But the same combination helped Tonbridge take the lead on the stroke of half time. Cramp’s low cross from the right was stroked home by the striker from six-yards.

It took Tonbridge just 75 seconds after the interval to go close again but after latching onto Powell’s flick, Phil Cramp drilled a shot wide.

But Cramp was on hand to increase their lead soon after, when he fired home after Corinthian were too casual dealing with Ben Rainbow’s cross from the right.

Highly-rated goalkeeper Matt Bromby made a couple of fine saves to deny the visitors in the space of seven minutes.

Kyle Hough sent over a low cross from the left and Holden was about to celebrate scoring his second goal of the night, but the former Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper made a fine block.

Then the Tonbridge based goalkeeper saved from substitute’s Dan Green’s fiercely driven effort from 16-yards.

Tonbridge midfielder Neville should have scored after 75 minutes but he drove across goal and past the post from an acute angle from eight-yards.

Matty Smith’s cross was hooked just wide by Green from just six-yards before two late stunning goals sealed a good victory for Tonbridge.

Substitutes Alex McEwan and Steve Ward got on the score sheet in the space of two minutes - both being set up by the impressive Phil Cramp.

McEwan brought the deep cross under control with his chest before shooting across goal and into the far corner.

And then Ward, the highly-rated former Ashford Town and Tunbridge Wells right-sided winger, lobbed the ball over the advancing Elliott Hind from 25-yards.

Leigh revealed he may rest a few of his key players for their trip to Kingsmeadow to play AFC Wimbledon on Thursday night so his side are at full strength for next Monday’s final.

But Burnham have reached the final by default, as Leigh explains. “They actually got into the final following an appeal against Hillingdon Borough, because Hillingdon allegedly fielded some illegible players so basically they’ve got into the final on that, having lost their semi-final 2-0.

“I don’t know much about them but I feel confident - if we’ve got a full strength side out, which I think we will have.”

Leigh, however, has issued a rallying cry to the Longmead faithful to make the trip to Burnham to continue their excellent support.

“I would expect to get some supporters up there because they’ve been brilliant for us,” he said.

“It’s just good to see that we’ve been averaging 100 plus here watching us at reserve team level. It’s a real plus especially when you look at other leagues.”