Tonbridge Angels Hit Five Past Walton & Hersham in Bank Holiday Rout

Tonbridge Angels: Jephte Tanga (19'), Frankie Baker (22'), Bailey Akehurst (38'), Lamar Reynolds (54'), Alfie Pavey (82')

Walton & Hersham: Matas Skarna (75')

Tonbridge Angels turned on the Bank Holiday style at Longmead, putting five goals past newly-promoted Walton & Hersham and, on the balance of chances created, could have scored more. A frantic opening ten minutes brought four gilt-edged opportunities that went unconverted — including Frankie Baker rounding the Swans' goalkeeper only to strike a post with the goal at his mercy — before Angels found their clinical edge.

Jephte Tanga broke the deadlock on 19 minutes, finishing with precision after being played in by Ricky Korboa for his fifth goal of the season. Tanga turned provider three minutes later, winning the ball back and setting up Lexus Beeden, whose low cross was converted by Baker from close range. Bailey Akehurst's whipped delivery from a corner curled straight in to make it three shortly before the break, and although Walton & Hersham threatened through Junior Dixon just before half-time, the contest was already running away from them.

Angels made it four early in the second half when Akehurst's second corner delivery of the afternoon was fumbled by the Walton & Hersham goalkeeper into the path of Lamar Reynolds, who finished with ease. The visitors did pull a goal back on 75 minutes through Matas Skarna's fine strike from distance, but substitute Alfie Pavey restored the four-goal cushion with a cushioned header from a Harry Gardner corner soon after.

Assistant manager Larry McAvoy was pleased with the afternoon's work: "Really, really pleased with that. To score five goals — and it could have been more — is obviously very pleasing. We are disappointed not to get the clean sheet but overall I thought we were excellent, in and out of possession and controlled the game well." He added that the performance built on the previous weekend's draw at Billericay: "We started how we finished against Billericay on Saturday and we showed real personality on the ball."

It's a fourth win of the season for Angels, whose next test comes away at Farnborough, giving Alan Dunne's side little time to dwell on a thoroughly satisfying Bank Holiday afternoon. Source: tonbridgeangels.co.uk