A very young Gills team fall to defeat against an experienced Tonbridge side at the Longmead Stadium.
Tonbridge Angels scored three goals in the opening 25 minutes as they beat a youthful Gillingham team 4-0 at the Longmead Stadium on Tuesday night.
Former Gills midfielder Scott Wagstaff captained the hosts with the visitors containing a lot of first-year scholars and trialists.
The hosts took an early lead through Tommie Fagg. Ruben Soares-Junior did well to get beyond his marker down the right before playing a low ball into the penalty area. After a mini scramble inside the box, the ball eventually hit the back of the net from a couple of yards out, with Fagg getting the final touch.
In the ninth minute, Taite Holtam was called into action twice in quick succession. The first came after a Tonbridge forward brought the ball just inside the penalty area. Holtam was alert and quickly came off his line to close down the shot and made the save. The second came when Soares-Junior was given space to shoot from just outside the box. Holtam did well to get across and got two solid hands to the ball as he palmed it away from the danger.
Jamie Fielding doubled Tonbridge’s lead after 15 minutes. Lewis Gard floated a corner from the right towards the edge of the penalty area for Fielding to head towards the goal. The ball made its way through a host of bodies before finding the bottom corner, leaving Holtam unsighted until the final moments.
Tonbridge had the opportunity to make it three after a good passing move. Tariq Hinds cut the ball back to Soares-Junior, who had plenty of room to set himself before shooting. Fortunately, his effort was straight at Holtam, who made a routine save.
Soares-Junior made no mistake moments later after good play from Wagstaff, who set Gard away down the right side of the box. He drilled a ball across the face of the six-yard box, and Soares-Junior was on hand to convert at the back post.
Holtam was called into action again to deny Fagg. Wagstaff floated a high cross into the box from the right, where Fagg rose the highest to head goalward. Holtam managed to push the ball over the bar for a corner, which came to nothing.
HALF-TIME: Tonbridge Angels 3-0 Gillingham
Kodi Lyons-Foster added a fourth for the hosts five minutes into the second half. Gills could not clear their lines sufficiently, and Lyons-Foster was on hand to place the ball into the bottom corner beyond the trialist goalkeeper, who replaced Holtam at half-time.
Fagg almost made it five after he headed Gard’s floated free-kick from the right goalward. Fortunately, it rattled the face of the bar before the trialist goalkeeper gathered the rebound.
Just after the 70th minute, Nathan Wood was denied by a strong save from the Gills stopper. The ball came out for Wood to shoot from outside the penalty area, and his low shot directed towards the bottom right corner looked like it might sneak in. However, the Gills keeper did brilliantly to get down and push the ball away from the goal.
Chester Smith came inches away from scoring a spectacular goal for Tonbridge Angels. The ball came to Smith, who had his back to the goal, and he tried a speculative overhead kick. He made great contact with the ball, but his attempt rattled the crossbar.
The hosts hit the woodwork again when Fielding headed goalward from a corner. Fielding met the ball at the back post, and it ricocheted off a Gillingham player before rattling the crossbar and bouncing away.
FULL-TIME: Tonbridge Angels 4-0 Gillingham
Tonbridge Angels: Henly (Gibb 82’), Fielding, Lyons-Foster, Parkinson (Tyrie 61’), Gard (Smith 71’), Higgs, Soares-Junior (Velvick 78’), Hinds (Crichlow 55’), Powell, Wagstaff (Wood 55’), Fagg
Gillingham: Holtam (Trialist GK 46’), Webster (Humpfrey 86’), Dobbs, Woodliffe (Trialist 71’), Taiwo-Pratt, Trialist (Trialist 46’), Waldock (White 78’), de Wilde (Khumba 78’), Bayliss (Dayal 86’), Heasman (Trialist 61’), Trialist (Trialist 71’)
Referee: Harry Wager
Attendance: 644