Under-21s suffer defeat at Colliers Wood

Defensive frailties condemn Development team to defeat

A disappointing second half performance defensively consigned the Under-21s to a comprehensive defeat at Colliers Wood United.

On a warm evening at the Wibbandune Sports Ground the parched pitch adjacent bore testament to the hot summer but in contrast the playing area was a beautiful, lush green surface that almost defied believe.

After conceding an early goal, the Angels worked their way back into the game with chances falling to Dominic Toussaint and Sam Jones before Jones followed up to tuck away an equaliser after the goalkeeper had parried an initial shot.

If anything, the Under-21s finished the half in the ascendancy and should have sensed their opportunity to press on in the second period. But they were quickly set back on their heels as a Colliers Wood player (no team sheet for identification) was allowed to travel across the face of the goal before shooting past Stuart Copeland.

Tonbridge produced a decent move that ended with Toussaint bringing a save out of the goalkeeper before, on the hour, a cross to the far post found a man, hopelessly unmarked, to slot home Colliers’ third.

Things might have got worse still but Copeland produced a fine save to deny the home team from the penalty spot, but goals in the 77th and a 87th minute effort that gave the Colliers man a hat trick left a Tonbridge Angels defence with some soul searching.

Chris Wye’s preseason has been made difficult by player unavailability through the holiday period as he has for the coming season implemented a policy of limiting the use of over age 21 players to an absolute minimum, of which at the present time he has just the one.