Promising opening for the Academy
Tonbridge Angels Academy followed their opening day win at Ramsgate with an ultimately comfortable win over Maidstone United at Longmead.
Hayden Velvick, who missed the 6-1 win at Ramsgate, helped himself to a hat-trick as the Angels produced a devastating 10 minute spell that saw a goalless stalemate turn into a four goal lead.
A bright opening to a game that continued to be very watchable saw the Angels goalkeeper, Andrew Norburn, asked to make a first minute save that was quickly followed by chances for Kimsley Gatakata and Velvick.
Maidstone carved out a great opportunity when their forward was denied by a great interception from Noah Millis after 12 minutes. Following that scare, it was the Angels that largely dominated the game but without troubling the visiting goalkeeper too much.
This was to change in the last ten minutes of the half when the goalkeeper did really well to turn an effort from Gatakata onto a post and then saved well when Jamie Bidston met a corner with a firm header.
In first half time added, Tonbridge struck the post a second time this time from Casey Dudley with the rebound somehow clearing the bar from Ollie Thomson.
On the hour, the woodwork was struck a third time, this time from Velvick, before the game was taken away from the visitors in an initial spell of four minutes. On 65 minutes, a surging run from Colin Dake was brought to an end by the goalkeeper, but the rebound fell kindly to Justin Somauroo who had a relatively easy finish.
Within a minute, Velvick doubled the advantage as he cut in from the left to bury a shot into the far, bottom corner and Velvick made it three in four minutes with a close range effort.
On 75 minutes, a Dudley free kick initially looked like it had gone straight in, but it was Velvick that had the telling touch to take it past the goalkeeper and complete his hat trick.
Maidstone had the consolation of a last kick of the match goal when an effort from Robbie Keil was deflected into his own net by a defender at the far post.
Certainly a promising start from a squad peppered with first year students.