Full time: Chelmsford City 1-1 Tonbridge Angels
Jake Hyde scored his second Chelmsford City goal in as many games to help the Clarets earn a point at home against Tonbridge Angels on Monday night at the EMJ Community Stadium.
Robbie Simpson’s side concluded a busy weekend of Saturday-Monday football by producing another second half fightback versus the team visiting Melbourne, with an effort by Hyde drawing City level, just like it did on Saturday when the 34-year-old striker made it 1-1 versus Hampton & Richmond.
Jay Saunders’ Angels eleven took a first half lead in Essex when Liam Vincent, who made one appearance in a Claret shirt last season, produced a clinical finish from 10-yards out after Trevan Robinson capitalised on a mistake made at the back by Clarets defender Arthur Penney.
In the second half, City’s efforts to equalise and manager Robbie Simpson’s attacking substitutions were rewarded, when Hyde impressively dispatched a half-volley struck from the edge of the box in the 70th minute. The Clarets came closest to finding a late winner, but Angels goalkeeper Toby Steward was on hand to deny Penney from close-range in the 85th minute.
Ahead of Monday’s game, Clarets boss Simpson made four changes to the eleven which started against Hampton & Richmond on Saturday. Archie Tamplin, Kane Crichlow, Osman Foyo and Ibby Akanbi took the places of Bradley Williams, Callum Watts, Freddie Hockey and Jake Hyde.
Up until Vincent’s opener, there was little to separate either side in the opening 35 minutes of the proceedings. Taylor Maloney fizzed a powerful effort, struck from way outside the penalty area, a couple of inches over the crossbar in the 27th minute. At the other end of the pitch, Crichlow came close for the Clarets when he sent a low shot from the edge of the box a few yards wide of Toby Steward’s goal.
In the 38th minute, the visitors took the lead when Vincent found the back of the net against his former club. Vincent was assisted by Trevan Robinson, who capitalised on Arthur Penney’s mistimed clearance at the back before driving to the byline and cutting the ball back to his teammate. Former Portsmouth man Vincent finished the chance clinically from 10-yards out, scoring his third National League South goal of the season.
In the second period, as the rain started to fall under the floodlights in Melbourne, City increased their share of possession as they probed for an equaliser. Manager Simpson made a double substitution in the 60th minute, replacing Kane Crichlow with Callum Watts in midfield while in a signal of attacking intent, defender Sam Oguntayo was sacrificed for forward Freddie Hockey. Six minutes later, Simpson made another change to his attack when Jake Hyde replaced Ibby Akanbi up front.
Hyde went on to make an almost instant impact when he equalised for City less than four minutes following his introduction to the game. Sam Gale’s long throw-in into the Tonbridge penalty area was headed away from goal by defender Ronny Nelson, but landed into the path of Hyde on the edge of the penalty area. The forward neatly controlled Nelson’s clearance with his chest before half-volleying an effort towards the bottom corner of the goal, which goalkeeper Steward was unable to save despite diving at full-stretch.
The Clarets remained in the ascendancy after levelling the scoreline, but were unable to make a barrage of corners count in the final 20 minutes of the proceedings. City came closest to finding a late winner when one corner taken by Ruaridh Donaldson was cleared but returned to the Scotsman on the right flank, who cut inside and delivered a dangerous cross to the back post. Donaldson’s delivery found Penney, whose deft touch towards goal from close-range didn’t generate the power needed to beat Steward, with the Angels shot-stopper gratefully catching the defender’s effort from a few yards out.
Having got another point on the board and extended their unbeaten run to two games, City will now look to go one better and record their first win of the National League South season in the club’s next game, which will see Simpson and his squad make a 190-mile trip from Melbourne to Weston-super-Mare’s Optima Stadium on Saturday.
Chelmsford City XI: Collins (GK); Gale, Penney, Oguntayo (Hockey 60’); Tamplin (Williams 71’), Blackman, Crichlow (Watts 60’), Donaldson; Foyo, Ruff ©, Akanbi (Hyde 66’).
Unused substitutes: Orji.
Yellow cards: Donaldson, Williams, Blackman.
Tonbridge Angels XI: Steward (GK); Lema, Hanson, Nelson, Dabre, Maloney, Robinson (Abraham 77’), Fielding, Vincent, Bakrin, Shields © (Wagstaff 86’).
Unused substitutes: Tyrie, Clarke, Santos.
Yellow cards: Fielding, Bakrin, Dabre.
Match Officials: Jack Bloxham (Referee), Jack Birch (1st Assistant), Andrew Tregoning (2nd Assistant), Liam Botten (Fourth Official).
Attendance: 694
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