Five changes for the Angels as they hosted Gillingham on Tuesday night. Jonny Henly returns in goal, Fielding, Parkinson, and Hinds keep their places; Kodi Lyons-Foster joins them to make up the defence. Jordan Higgs returns to the side, Wagstaff and Gard with him in midfield. Johl Powell, Tommie Fagg and Ruben Soares-Junior complete the eleven.

Jim Rowe, our former press officer and director also returned to Longmead after a spell on the injury list. It was great to see Jim back at a game.

Gillingham kicked off but it was Angels who opened the scoring after just three minutes. Soares-Junior dribbling past two defenders, into the 18-yard-box and crossing towards Tommie Fagg. The ball ricocheted around the six-yard-box, but it went down as a Tommie Fagg goal. Another to add to his tally this pre-season. 1-0.

Seven minutes played and Angels weren’t taking their foot off the gas, they had four chances in two minutes. All of which came close but not close enough to double the scoreline. 

A corner on the 14th minute was taken well by Lewis Gard towards Jamie Fielding who was hiding behind an organised crowd of Angels players. This saw him go unnoticed and consequently he scored a relatively uncontested header. It bounced across the goalkeeper, who will probably think he could’ve done better. Angels now two up.

Another move down the right-hand side saw Lewis Gard find Ruben Soares-Junior at the back post and he finished with no hesitation. 3-0.  

Despite dominating the majority of the first half, no more were scored and the teams headed down the tunnel; Tonbridge Angels 3, Gillingham 0.

Angels started the second half almost as quickly as the first. Kodi Lyons-Foster the quickest to react to a loose ball which Gillingham struggled to clear it. He placed it home beyond Gillingham’s trialist keeper. That put the Angels up to a comfortable 4-0 lead. 

Tonbridge were on the verge of scoring again throughout the remainder of the 90. Tommie Fagg and Jamie Fielding’s headers both finding the crossbar, a long Nathan Wood shot well saved and Chester Smith’s acrobatic attempt which was also denied by the bar.

Tonbridge boss Jay Saunders did make substitutions throughout the second half:

Off: Hinds, Wagstaff, Parkinson, Gard, Soares-Junior, Henly

On: Crichlow, Wood, Tyrie, Smith, Velvick, Gibb

At the end of the game there was four scored and plenty more chances created. The Angels impressing albeit a younger Gillingham side that they faced. It ended on the night Tonbridge Angels 4, Gillingham 0.