Tonbridge took a hard-earned point after a filthy night in Somerset. Having taken a 31st minute lead through Bunmi Babajide, they were pegged back just prior to the break and as the conditions worsened, and that seemed impossible, both teams slogged their way through a second half stalemate.

Alan Dunne, soaked through to the skin, but delighted with his side’s application: “It was a real battle, great game for the neutral, two teams going at it. They are a strong team, old school team, hard to break down, a team of men. But I thought my boys stood up to it tonight, I’m really proud of them. I saw some performances out there tonight, coming into winter time and I wanted them to show me they can handle it and I don’t think they are going to get a more physical game than that. I’m pleased with the point and with the boys who gave me their all, every one of them.”

Dunney made three changes from Saturday’s defeat to Hornchurch, two of them enforced as parent clubs, Gillingham and Wycombe Wanderers recalled Logan Dobbs and Brody Peart to, ironically, play against each other in the EFL Trophy. Into the starting XI came Nazir Bakrin, Tom Leahy and Alfie Pavey with Eddie Simon dropping to the bench, alongside a first appearance for Ricky Korboa.

Naturally enough, both sides struggled in the initial stages to come to terms with the driving rain and strong wind and it was quarter of an hour before either goal was threatened with a shot from Bath’s Bradley Ash clearing the bar.

The Angels drew first blood on 31 minutes when Marcus Sablier won the ball in midfield to lay a pass into Babajide who curled a fine effort into the far corner off the post.

The home side equalised on 41 minutes when a shot from the edge of the box from Kieran Parselle was parried by Jack West-Astuti but only into the path of Owen Windsor who tucked the ball home from close range.

The opening of the second half brought a change of goalkeeper as Jacob Adams replaced West-Astuti, who had a thigh strain.

The second half, as said, become a real slog with chances at a premium, the best of which fell to the Angels with, on 73 minutes, a cross from Jordan Higgs finding Arthur Penney whose shot narrowly cleared the bar and, in added time, Bradley Williams cross to the back post agonisingly evaded Higgs.

Dunney summed up: “By the time the game starts, you are already soaking wet, but these were the games I loved to play in. Studs on, it’s going to be a roll your sleeves up, it’s going to be a kick fight and we held our own, everyone to a man gave a good shift. It was a fantastic group effort and I couldn’t be more proud of the boys.”