Dover Athletic v Tonbridge Angels – Report

A 4-2 away win and a first half that Jay Saunders described as “probably one of the best football games we’ve played this pre-season” contributed to an encouraging performance against a Dover team who presented a tough test.

On a typically warm pre-season afternoon, two trial players featured in a squad that is still being carefully managed, while a few minor niggles kept several potential starters out. A couple of injuries in the second half underlined the importance of this precaution at this stage of the season.

The Angels opened the scoring after 10 minutes when a free-kick from Sean Shields was met with a powerful header from Jamie Fielding at the far post.

Shields doubled the lead on 27 minutes with a perfectly executed shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Fielding felt his hamstring needed replacing at half-time with Crossley Lema and within a minute of the break Dover were back in the game thanks to a goal from Luke Baptiste.

Captain Scott Wagstaff was also called into the match, but his afternoon would last just 10 minutes due to a calf injury that had kept him out of recent games.

The home side levelled on 64 minutes when a defender on trial lost the ball under pressure from George Nikaj, who rounded Toby Steward and fired the ball into the empty net.

Two goals in the final ten minutes from the trialists ensured that the Angels went home with their third win of the pre-season. In the 80th minute, after a corner, the trialist centre-back crossed the ball in from close range and four minutes later the trialist striker was on hand to tap into an empty net after great work from Mo Dabre.

Reflecting on the first half performance, Jay Saunders said: “The first half we were very, very good, we caused them a lot of problems. The second half we started sloppy and let them get back into the game, but the first 45 minutes were probably the best football we played this pre-season.”

On Tuesday evening the Angels return to the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium, where we host a Charlton Athletic XI.

Photo: Matt Davison