Tonbridge Angels 6-1 Steyning Town Community - I think we stayed professional and we gave them the respect they deserve after Saturday and then we punished them for the mistakes that they made, says Tonbridge Angels manager Craig Nelson

Tonbridge Angels 6 – 1 Steyning Town Community
Location	Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JF
Kickoff	16/09/2025 19:45

TONBRIDGE ANGELS  6-1  STEYNING TOWN COMMUNITY
The Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

TONBRIDGE ANGELS manager Craig Nelson says his side put in a professional performance to avoid slipping up on a banana skin as Steyning Town Community’s longest FA Cup campaign came to an end.

Michael Hamm’s side have beaten Badshot Lea (6-3), Hendon (2-1), Lancing (5-0) and fought back from being 2-0 down to ten-man Tonbridge Angels during Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Shooting Field after Scott Wagstaff was sent off.

Steyning Town Community were relegated after just one season in the Isthmian League South East Division, finishing third-from-bottom and they are currently in eighth-place in the ninth-tier Southern Combination League Premier Division table, having picked up 10 points from their opening four league games.

Tonbridge Angels showed a gulf in class and fitness and proved why they are 56 club’s separating the pair, despite sitting in the bottom six of the sixth-tier Enterprise National League South, having picked up seven points from their opening eight games.

This was only Nelson’s second win in 10 games in charge of the West Kent club and their first victory at Longmead Stadium, watched by 415.

Clinical Tonbridge Angels found themselves two-goals up inside the opening 16 minutes through striker Brody Peart, 20, and winger Bobby Unwin, 22, before centre-half Arthur Penney headed in a corner.

Steyning Town Community pulled a goal back just before the hour when centre-half Tadley Bromage cracked in his first goal of the season following a set-piece but when Unwin scored his fourth of the season with a deflected strike, the Sussex outfit ran out of steam and Tonbridge Angels scored two more, with Peart drilling in from 35-yards to score his third of the season, before substitute striker Oluwabunmi Babajide came off the bench to turn in a late six.

“I think we remained professional throughout the game and when our chances came, we put them in the back of the net,” said Nelson, who remains Glebe’s longest serving manager with 68 games in charge of the Chislehurst outfit between 2022-24.

“That is the difference between the levels for me. Normally when you go up the levels, you get more clinical finishing and we just missed that a little bit on Saturday and they had tools in their arsenal that allowed this replay to go ahead.

“I thought they did really well to get back in the game so we knew they wouldn’t be out of it unless we put them out of sight, so the boys stayed focused and I feel through staying on it and allowing the game to get away from them or not taking anything for granted, regardless of the level, they punished their boys, so that’s what we expected and it’s credit to them for staying on it and getting those goals.”

Nelson (and assistant manager Joe Vines) was in charge of Isthmian League Premier Division side Lewes last season and reflected on their First Qualifying Round exit, losing to Harefield United on penalties after a goal-less draw at The Dripping Pan after drawing the first game 1-1.

“Listen, last year, if you remember rightly, I went out to a team in a lower division after having probably 90 per cent of the ball and just couldn’t score and we lost on penalties, so it was insuring that wasn’t a bone of contention today because it could be a potential banana skin,” said Nelson.

“The conversation was you had the dress rehearsal, you know what to expect, so therefore nothing should catch you by surprise and we expect them to go out there and get the job done.

“Our pitch is a lot bigger than theirs and it’s a lot of ground to cover and we knew that would play in our favour.”

Both sides made three changes each from Saturday’s tie where Mann’s side gave Tonbridge Angels a bloody nose and lower-league sides tend to only have one chance against a higher-league outfit in the latter stages of FA Cup qualifying.

Nelson admitted that he was pleased that Steyning Town winger Harry Heath only delivered one long throw into the penalty area, which bounced past the foot of the near-post.

“If you saw how many (long throws) he had on Saturday, it seemed like every opportunity wherever that ball went out of play, it was in our box from his throw, so yes it was definitely something that we were looking to limit and getting it down to one is amazing and I think it took away a little bit of their threat.”

Tonbridge Angels settled their nerves by taking the lead with six minutes and 57 seconds on the clock.

Centre-half Nazir Bakrin launched a long ball out of defence with his right-foot, which sailed over Steyning Town centre-half William Miles and Peart cut inside before drilling his right-footed angled drive across the keeper to find the far corner.

“If I was to say to you Brody probably does that 15 times at training every single training session, I’ve seen it so many times before, when he cuts in and he’s in front of goal, there’s always a chance he hits the back of the net,” revealed Nelson.

“It was a great finish, takes it really early, so the keeper’s not set, so yes, a great finish from Brody.”

Nelson admitted it settled the nerves both on and off the pitch.

“One hundred percent and the fans’ nerves too because the home team, as much as we’re on paper supposed to go through, right, games of football especially in The FA Cup don’t go that way, so I think if we don’t score early on or for a period of time, then our own fans create that animosity sometimes, so yes, that was nice to get it nice and early because it opened the game as well.”

Tonbridge Angels’ holding midfielder Jordan Higgs was seeing plenty of the ball during the first half as both sides were guilty of playing what this website describes as crab football – backwards and sideways.

He was caught in possession by a pressing Stanley Bridgman, the 11-goal striker, who cut into the box but lacked quality to beat Jacob Adams, who comfortably dealt with the chance by using his left-foot to control the ball rather than using his hands.

Tonbridge Angels doubled their lead with their next chance, timed at 15 minutes and 45 seconds on the clock.

Penney rolled the ball back to his goalkeeper and Adams kicked the ball upfield and the ball was headed on by Marcus Sablier on the half-way line and this sent Unwin on his way and after side-stepping the last defender he clinically drilled his right-footed shot across the diving keeper to roll the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

“I actually told Bob today that he was going to get two goals, so he probably owes me a little bit of money for that one,” said Nelson.

“But yes, listen, another great finish. I think Bobby probably had another one when he goes through and the keeper makes a good save, so credit to Bob. Great run, great timing, good pass from Marcus and good finish.”

Higgs ventured into the final third and linked up well with Peart, who fizzed a low cross towards the back post where left-winger Brandon Pierrick slid in unmarked and poked his shot just past the foot of the near-post in the 34^th minute.

Visiting goalkeeper Mitchell Bromage pulled off a great save to deny the home side just 50 seconds later.

Unwin drove down the right before playing often high right-back Bradley Williams on the overlap and his cross from within the right channel was cleared out to Alfie Allen, who drilled a first-time left-footed shot towards the top left-hand corner from 20-yards, inside the D but the visiting keeper dived to his right to push the ball over his crossbar.

Nelson said: “That is probably one of the best saves I think we’ll see this season!
 Any other day I think that goes in the back of the net. It’s a great strike from Alf, with his left-foot. It looked like it was going in but the keeper made a great save for that one.”

However, Tonbridge Angels scored from the resulting corner, timed at 36 minutes and 31 seconds on the clock.

Sablier floated the ball in from the left towards a crowd of players and Penney jumped at the back post to steer his towering header across the keeper into the top far corner to kill off the Sussex side’s hopes.

“We work on that one quite a lot, so training ground one I’ll say.  Great delivery and Arthur gets on the back of that one, so a great finish from him,” added Nelson.

Steyning Town Community created one goalscoring chance and it arrived in stoppage time (47:57) when attacking midfielder Joseph Benn played a square pass to Heath, who cut inside Penney but his weak left-footed shot from 25-yards was comfortably caught at head height by an untroubled Adams.

“It’s about maintaining our professionalism because if they get the first one then the swing of the game could change but if that does happen it’s how they reinsert themselves back in it,” said Nelson, who was asked for his thoughts at the break.

“Ideally, we want to go and get the first one, so it’s about starting fast and we nearly did to be fair, we nearly scored as soon as we came out.

“But another ball into the box that we’re not in and around the seconds for which allowed them to get the first goal but credit to the boys, they stayed on it and then we re-asserted ourselves to go and get four and five.”

Mann switched to a back three with towering centre-half Lateef Oladokun taking no prisoners after replacing the injured William Miles - and he had Jake King and Tadley Bromage either side of him but King often opened the gate as Nelson told his troops to attack down the right-hand side.

Benn unleashed a right-footed drive from 20-yards, which was parried by Adams (diving to his right) and Bridgman reacted too slow to pounce on the loose ball as Steyning Town were denied (11:00).

Steyning Town pulled a goal back with 12 minutes and 2 seconds on the clock, following a set-piece from the left.

Then holding midfielder Scott Kirkwood floated the ball in from the left, Tonbridge got the first contact inside the box but failed to clear their lines with the header and the ball bounced for Tadley Bromage to crack his half-volley into the far corner.

“Listen, like I said, they worked extremely hard and credit to them because I thought they did really well,” said Nelson.

“I even told a few of their players ‘I thought they were exceptional’ over both matches and yes, listen, I don’t like conceding goals, so whether they deserved it (for their FA Cup exploits this season) or not is up to the gods of football but they score at the end of the day.

“I think we can do better, either winning first contact or being in and around the seconds. We kind of got caught flat-footed but it was a great finish from the lad.”

King delivered a deep free-kick towards the edge of the Tonbridge box where Tadley Bromage’s free-header from 20-yards was comfortably gathered by Adams before Tonbridge Angels seized control as their superior fitness told.

Pierrick fed Williams in behind, who dragged his shot past the left-hand post, before Tonbridge Angels scored their fourth goal of the night with 18 minutes and 42 seconds on the clock.

Williams fed Unwin down the right and he cut inside and his left-footed angled drive deflected off a pressing Oladokun and beat the goalkeeper at his near post, as the ball nestled inside the near-corner from 20-yards.

“It did, it really did (kill them off),” said Nelson.

“If I was to say to you I’ve seen Bobby do that a million times. Years’ ago, I went to watch him when I was at Glebe and he was at Bromley playing for the 21s.

“In the first game I watched him, he cut in and put one in the top corner from a similar range and the second game I watched him, he scored a hat-trick and two of the goals were exactly the same, exactly like what you saw (tonight).

“He’s great at cutting in and finding either spaces or providing goals and today he gets his second goal of the game, so credit to Bob.”

The clinical Kent side were given a helping hand from the visiting goalkeeper, when their fifth goal arrived with 21 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock.

Adams kicked the ball towards the half-way line on the left-hand side and Peart spun a tight Oladokun, before cutting in and onto his right-foot before drilling a 35-yarder, which embarrassed Mitchell Bromage, who dived to his left and allowed the ball to slide underneath his body before nesting into the centre of the goal.

Nelson said: “He hits the ball so well Brody and people might say on paper that the keeper should save it but the ball moved a lot, so I think he probably should still save it but it isn’t as easy or cut and dried as people may think.

“Listen, if you don’t shoot, you don’t score so he’s taken the chance to hit the target and it’s ended up in the back of the net.”

Tonbridge Angels dominated the final 15 minutes and created even more chances to punish their opponents, as Nelson felt fitness played its part.

“I say it’s defiantly that and even at half-time we identified an area that we needed to get down. If you noticed the majority of the chances came from their left-hand side, our right and we said keep overloading the area because they’re letting you in time and time again.

“They ended up changing their shape at the end and we changed ours to match how we still get down that side and we continued to do so.”

Bakrin fed substitute striker Babajide, whose dinked pass released fellow sub, Martell Taylor-Crossdale, who dragged his right-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post.

Higgs’ left-footed shot from 10-yards brought a comfortable low save from Mitchell Bromage, who then made a low save to his left to thwart Babajide, as the home side created three chances in the space of 81 seconds.

Taylor-Crossdale chested the ball from the half-way line towards MacKenzie Richarson, who sent Taylor-Crossdale through on goal but he lacked composure in a one-v-one and drilled his right-footed shot high into the side-netting.

Kirkwood hit a long diagonal out of the right-back position but left-wing-back Evan Hoarty drilled his shot over the top of the near-post as Steyning Town created an opening with direct football inside the final six minutes.

Williams played a deck pass down the line and Richardson reached the by-line before drilling over a great cross into the six-yard box where Babajide’s downward header was saved by the busy visiting keeper.

“MacKenzie is 17 year’s old but he plays like he’s played for a long time. I think he’s been excellent and to get him on and get him some minutes today was really important,” added Nelson.

Front-footed Tonbridge Angels notched their sixth goal of the night with 41 minutes and 14 seconds on the clock.

Taylor-Crossdale and Richardson linked up before a low cross from the right was turned in by Babajide’s right-foot from inside the six-yard box to score his second goal of the season.

“Again, good move.  Martell makes a really good run and his found beyond their centre-back, takes the ball down, links well. MacKenzie makes a great run and then squares it to Bunmi.  It’s a great move and I think it’s my favourite goal of the game in terms of what we work on from training ground into here.

“MacKenzie done really well. Bunmi arrives in those areas really well and he’s always a threat off the bench, so happy that he came on and got his goal and even happier that MacKenzie got some minutes and he’s providing an assist for us as well.”

There was still time for Oladorun’s intended pass towards holding midfielder Tegan Freeman to be intercepted by Richardson, whose right-footed chip from 22-yards was comfortably caught by Mitchell Bromage.

Nelson was asked what pleased him about tonight’s routine victory.

“I just think overall the performance. I think we stayed professional and we gave them the respect they deserve after Saturday and then we punished them for the mistakes that they made.

“What I’m disappointed about is conceding. I think it was a poor goal. I don’t mind if we concede through being out-played but I think in terms of those types of goals were conceding way too many of those this season so far and we need to do better in those moments to make sure that we don’t concede.”

Nelson revealed that two players return to training on Thursday night, ahead of Saturday’s trip to tenth-placed Worthing (three wins, three draws and two defeats).

“I think the start hasn’t been good enough overall. I think some of those (four) draws could’ve definitely turned into wins, especially here and losing here against Enfield (Town) wasn’t great because we were largely the better side in that game.

“But we’ve got to do better overall. I think none of us have come here to be a number.  The League is unforgiving, so we need to start rolling those wins together and being able to get over the line in those games to put more points on the board.

“But overall, it’s never doom and gloom here. We maintain a positive attitude with the players we’ve got and we need to make sure that we just get the best out of them every week.”

Worthing came away from Jersey Bulls with a 2-2 draw in The FA Cup at the weekend and won the replay 5-0 at Woodside Road tonight.

“It’s going to be a tough game.  At the start of the season and looked at who was going to be right up there, you name them,” said Nelson.

“They’ve had a great season last year. I know Aggie (Chris Agutter), his brand of football is really good and he’s got some great players in his door. 

“It’s away from home, so it’s always going to be hard but we’ve got to go there to make sure we stifle what they’re good at and then try to execute what we feel we can win the game.”

Eddie Simon (concussion), Matthew Attenborough-Warren (ankle) and Sean Shields (knee) are currently on the sidelines.

“Eddie’s precautionary, he couldn’t play, this is his last day, so he’ll be back in light contact (training) on Thursday and then he should be fine for Saturday, but we’ll have to asset to see how he gets through Thursday,” revealed Nelson.

“Matty Warren has been out with an ankle injury but (his partner) had a baby in the week, so precautionary, we left him out and we haven’t had him back in training to see how his ankle is anyway, so probably wasn’t best to rush him back because he might be out for longer.

“Sean Shields has done really well. He will come back into training on Thursday, I believe, after being out for quite some time.  It’s his knee, just behind his knee and a little bit of wear of his cartilage too but he has been undergoing extensive rehab and he’s done really well.  Hopefully he’s out the other side of it and we’ll see what Thursday brings to see how and when we can reintroduce him back into the squad.”

Tonbridge Angels then travel to Eltham to tackle Cray Valley (Paper Mills) in The FA Cup Third Qualifying Round on Saturday 27 September.

Steve McKimm’s side lost 3-1 at Chatham Town tonight and sit in the bottom six in the Isthmian League Premier Division table (six points from seven games).

“I know Steve really well and I played them a couple of times last year but they’ve got a newish side, a lot of incomings and the same as us,” said Nelson.

“They didn’t start really well but they’ve picked up some momentum now, similar to us and we want to hopefully try to carry some momentum into that week and make it a really good game because it’s not going to be easy.

“It’s a hostile place to go and they play really well. They’re effective in what they do and they’ll be a hard team to beat, so I look forward to those types of games because it will stretch our players but it’s definitely a game that we want to go to win.”

Tonbridge Angels have banked £3,375 for their win tonight, while Steyning’s coffers have been boosted by £5,944.

“Listen, when you’re a club like us, a community based club, every penny helps because it will go back into the club and get re-invested into what we do here, so if we can progress as far as we can, every penny earnt is going to make a major deal for us.

“I don’t really look at those numbers like that, it’s for the board and them to make a decision on where that’s spent and stuff but any income we can bring to the table is always a bonus.”

Nelson was then asked about life at Longmead Stadium and his aspirations for the season.

“It’s been amazing. It’s been difficult in terms, no one set out to make the start that we’ve made but I think the people have been fantastic.  The board has been so welcoming and so supportive in what we’re trying to do and what we’re embarking on.

“It’s a new journey for everyone and then the fans have been great as well. We’ve had one blip, I’ll say but they were rightful to make sure that we were hearing them because the performance overall against Enfield wasn’t good enough and they let us know, which is good but you can see here today it’s quickly forgotten.

“They were great at Salisbury away and again here tonight they were really, really loud, so credit to them.”

Tonbridge Angels are a part-time outfit, training at night, once or twice a week and Nelson revealed: “We have to just make sure that we hit our first objective of staying in the League, which is the most important thing for everyone associated to this football club and then it’s about building on that to see where we sit and try to push as high as we can.

“At the moment it’s circumstantial that its around survival. We then start to put a string of wins together and climb up the League then we can say midtable to play-offs is that and that’s how we have to see it.

“It’s setting the foundations and the platform to set our philosophy throughout the club and then bring in exciting and talented players that want to play for this football club and play our brand of football, so hopefully be sustainable for years to come.”

Tonbridge Angels: Jacob Adams, Bradley Williams, Ben Mundele (Bailey Akehurst 77), Jordan Higgs, Nazir Bakrin (Jack Matton 77), Arthur Penney, Brandon Pierrick (MacKenzie Richardson 77), Alfie Allen, Brody Peart, Marcus Sablier (Oluwabunmi Babajide 70), Bobby Unwin (Martell Taylor-Crossdale 68).
Subs: Scott Wagstaff, MacKenzie Foley

Goals: Brody Peart 7, 67, Bobby Unwin 16, 64, Arthur Penney 37, Oluwabunmi Babajide 86

Booked: Nazir Bakrin 45

Steyning Town Community: Mitchell Bromage, Conrad Henore (Ryan Plummer 71), Jake King, Finn Daniels-Yeomans (Scott Kirkwood 23), Tadley Bromage, William Miles (Lateef Oladokun 46), Hayden Skerry (Evan Hoarty 71), Tegan Freeman, Stanley Bridgman, Joseph Benn, Harry Heath (Jared Rance 71).
Sub: Stanley Berry

Goal: Tadley Bromage 58

Booked: Stanley Bridgman 6

Attendance: 415
Referee: Mr Tommy Breen
Assistants: Mr Craig Wood & Mr Andrew Crossley
Fourth Official:  Mr Joseph Gray