Tonbridge retained the Courier Cup for the fifth time in six years but scarcely deserved their victory. Warren Haughton's winner came in the fifth minute of injury time in a game which looked destined to end in a drab tie. Tony Dolby will have been disappointed with the performance and he will be asking for more from his players as they seek to reach peak form and fitness by the time of the first league game on 20 August.

Dolby employed a 4-3-3 formation with Haughton, Piscina and Huggins in attack. Craig Roser returned to the left-back spot from his holidays and Beales and Lye formed the central-defensive partnership, with Darren Smith again on the right. Dolby, Hambley and Barnes were the three midfielders. Tunbridge Wells are a much-improved side of late and were expected to offer a much stronger fight than in recent years, and duly took the lead after just six minutes. Michael Ward latched onto the ball down the left which had bounced perfectly for him off the damp turf for the striker to calmly sidefoot past Jerome John at the near post.

Luckily for the Angels the hosts' joy was short-lived. In the 11th minute a short corner set-piece between captain Nick Barnes and Luke Piscina reaped dividends when Barnes' cross failed to be cleared, and John Beales had acres of time and space to score a rare Tonbridge goal. Barnes was then involved in two further efforts, first the energetic midfielder chased, but could not reach a Piscina cross, then he saw a long-range shot sail over the crossbar. Tunbridge Wells came close to regaining their lead when Buster Beaney shot over from a Dave Hassett lay-off, but their next attempt would be even closer, Angels' keeper John being on full alert to stop Ward's header at point-blank range.

After the half-time break Tony Dolby had a free-kick blocked by the Tunbridge Wells' wall after Leroy Huggins had been cynically 'taken out' by the onrushing goalkeeper James Coleman, who to say the least had a nervous 90 minutes. As the game wore on Wells had a chance to secure the win but John's heroics in the Tonbridge goal kept out the home side with a double save. With most of the crowd lamenting a performance from both sides as wet and miserable as the weather conditions on the day, a lengthy stoppage ensured an addition of eight minutes to the clock. In the fifth of those, Haughton pounced on a defensive error to finish with composure, and grab the trophy for the Angels.

Report by: Dan Couldridge

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