Tonbridge Angels Battle Past Ten-Man Ramsgate in Emotional Steve Churcher Tribute

Tonbridge Angels: Jephte Tanga (33') Bunmi Babajide (82')

Ramsgate: Alfie Paxman (21' pen)

Before a ball was kicked, Longmead paused to remember Steve Churcher, the club's president and former chairman who died earlier this month aged 68. As Frank Sinatra's "My Way" played, Churcher's children Laura and Rob walked to the centre circle and laid down his trademark cap and jacket, staying in place through a minute's applause from the crowd.

The game itself was anything but straightforward. Ramsgate, a level below Angels in the Isthmian Premier League, took a deserved lead on 21 minutes when Alfie Paxman converted a penalty after Lexus Beeden fouled Billy Munday. Angels responded well: Frankie Baker won the ball on the halfway line, drove down the right and crossed for Jephte Tanga to level from close range on 33 minutes, his sixth goal of the season. Ramsgate's task got harder six minutes before the break, when Raphe Brown was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Baker inside the box - Bailey Akehurst stepped up for the resulting penalty but crashed his effort against the bar.

Ramsgate boss Ady Pennock organised his ten men well after the break, and Angels were repeatedly frustrated until Tanga produced a moment of quality on 82 minutes - twisting away from two challenges near the byline before squaring for substitute Bunmi Babajide, back from injury, to finish for what proved the winner. Manager Alan Dunne was frank about the performance afterwards: "It wasn't a Cup classic by any means... it's not always about the performance, it's about the result and the main thing is we are in the hat for the next round." Source: tonbridgeangels.co.uk

The win booked a third meeting with Torquay United this season - Angels have already played the Devon side home and away in the league - after the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round draw paired the two together again, this time at Longmead on Saturday 3 October. Dunne called it "an exciting draw": "It's always great to play Torquay though who are a fantastic club, run by good people, who always bring an excellent following when they visit us." Source: tonbridgeangels.co.uk

Form (last 5 league games): −✓✓✗− — today's cup win isn't included