Stalemate at Lewes
Two hundred and twenty minutes of football between these two sides have failed to produce a goal and even when Lewes were offered the opportunity from the penalty spot, a tame effort from Ben Pope was comfortably saved by Jonny Henly, writes Wink Tomkinson.
This re-arranged game, due the abandonment earlier in the month when the tide came in at the Dripping Pan, was once again put in doubt this time by a floodlight failure of one pylon, but having been given the choice of another postponement by the referee, the managers agreed to the game going ahead.
At the final whistle, Steve McKimm, who described the game as not one to bring the fans flocking through the turnstiles, expressed his satisfaction with his side’s performance and a result that maintains the six point gap between the clubs in the quest for play-off places.
McKimm returned Alex Read to the starting line-up for Chinedu McKenzie who was unavailable and Tom Parkinson came in for D’Sean Theobalds who took a place on the bench.
Tonbridge dominated the early exchanges with Joe Turner testing ex-Angels’ goalkeeper Lewis Carey after five minutes. The Lewes custodian was brought into action again from the resultant corner turning aside a Sonny Miles header.
Turner and Parkinson saw efforts saved before Lewes mounted their first serious attack after 20 minutes when Henly saved from Omarr Lawson.
Just short of the half-hour, Tom Beere limped out of the game with Theobalds taking his place.
Whilst the visitors maintained their dominance the chances dried up and the game went into the break goalless.
After a couple of early second half raids from the Angels, Lewes had a period in which they gained the momentum. Mohamed Diallo flashed a pass across the face of goal that begged a touch and following a shot from Lawson that was parried by Henly, the referee pointed to the spot for what appeared to be a push by the goalkeeper as he sought to recover the ball following his save. Arthur Lee was cautioned in the arguments that followed the award but Pope’s effort was saved low to his right by Henly.
Miles’ header from a Turner free kick that was directed back across the face was as close as the Angels came to winning the game in the final half-hour whilst Henly saved from Pope as the sides cancelled each other out for a second time this season.