Step 3 Super Play-Off Final
Imber Court, East Molesey
Admission : £10.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 1268
I had long since planned to take in a couple of ladies games today. However, when this so-called "Super" play-off final was set up, at a venue I had wanted to revisit for some time as my previous visit was back in 2006 on a midweek evening, when Sittingbourne came back from two goals down to draw 3-3 thanks to a late equaliser by their goalkeeper, and with today's visitors being a club I used to watch fairly regularly when I lived in the area, I altered my plans to head for this showdown with a place in the National League at stake.
Imber Court is about a ten minute walk westwards from Thames Ditton train station, and access is gained by walking through a corridor of a very large clubhouse building for the entire sports complex, passing by a large bar area en route, leaving the building to walk through a grass area, which today had a beer tent placed on for the expected bumper crowd, before arriving at a brick turnstile block in one corner of the football ground. Programmes and golden goal tickets were available from a table just past the turnstiles, and behind the end closest to the main entrance, a stand covers a few steps of terrace stretches between the corner flags. Along the length closest to the main entrance, there are two steps of uncovered terracing, which continues behind the other end, whilst along the remaining length, an all-seater stand straddles the half way line and offering elevated and unobstructed views. A tea bar is situated to one side, and towards the other corner flag, where a second turnstile block was in operation today but is often not, hot food was served from a small gazebo. A very nice feature of the ground is imposing old fashioned floodlight pylons in three corners, with a much more understated one in the remaining corner, and although the ground could do with a little TLC in places in terms of its appearance, it is generally a tidy ground, with a bit of character and one that unsurprisingly has a different feel to it than most grounds at this level. The 28 page programme, which sold out well in advance of kick off, was decent, with a well designed front cover, and plenty of information to digest inside.
In any other season, both of today's clubs would (and certainly should) have done enough to secure promotion. After finishing in third place in the Southern League Premier Division South, Metropolitan Police won the divisional play-offs after beating Salisbury 3-2 and then Poole Town 1-0, both at home, while Tonbridge Angels finished in fourth place in the Isthmian League Premier Division, and won the divisional play-offs by beating Haringey Borough 1-2 away, and then Merstham 2-0 at home. Due to league restructuring, winning the play-offs of their own division was not sufficient to earn promotion this season, as with only six promotion spots available but four feeder divisions, two "Super Play Off" matches were required to decide which two clubs would be promoted alongside the four champions. In the other super play-off match, Northern Premier League Premier Division play-off winners Warrington Town would play Southern League Premier Division Central play-off winners Kings Lynn Town. It's a far from ideal system, but still infinitely better than the shambolic, bordering on disgraceful system at Step 4, when several teams contested the play-offs knowing that they could not be promoted, as their points-per-game record would disqualify them - for this reason, for example, Isthmian League Division One North Play-Off winners Heybridge Swifts were denied promotion. Tonbridge will be looking to return to Step 2 football after an absence of five seasons, whilst Metropolitan Police were aiming for Step 2 football for the first time in their history, and victory for them would cap a sweet ending to a season that started so acrimoniously when the FA forced Metropolitan Police to switch from the Isthmian League to the Southern League, to the dismay of the club - it is fair to say that the club was not relishing trips to the likes of Tiverton, Merthyr and Weymouth, and this was the main reason that their long serving manager Jim Cooper stood down at the end of the season, with a number of players also moving on, not fancying the extra travelling, and the playing budget was significantly reduced. Under the circumstances, it has been an impressive achievement for the club to have reached the play-offs, and also the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, when they hosted Newport County and far from disgraced themselves with a 0-2 defeat.
On a mild afternoon, Tonbridge started in the ascendancy, creating the first three decent chances. On 5 minutes, a free kick was fired in low and was well saved by the keeper's foot, on 9 minutes, a goalbound header following a corner was blocked by a defender, and on 14 minutes, a far post header from a corner went just wide. So, it was against the run of play when the hosts took the lead on 17 minutes with a fine goal, Ethan Chislett curling the ball from outside the area into the top right corner of the net, giving the keeper no chance. The Met Police then went onto have a very good spell, creating some decent chances, although Tonbridge had a gilt edged chance to equalise on 27 minutes, when Chinedu MacKenzie struck the ball first over well over the bar from barely 6 yards out. But at half time, it was the home side who held a narrow lead, but with all very much still left to play for.
But it would not take long for Tonbridge to equalise. On 50 minutes, they were awarded a handball just outside the outer corner of the penalty area, and Arthur Lee fired the ball low, taking a deflection off a defender to guide it just inside the near post. Three minutes later, Tonbridge peppered the goal in quick succession, but the ball stayed out of the net, but on 56 minutes, the Met Police went back into the lead, Ollie Robinson poking the ball home after an initial attempt at goal was blocked. The visitors then pushed hard to get a second equaliser, which finally came on 83 minutes, and it was another wonderful goal scored by a Tonbridge player, this time D'Sean Theobalds, who kept on running and running with the ball, through midfield and then along the penalty area, eventually firing the ball from the edge of the area through the keeper's legs. They should have won it with 3 minutes left when the ball was flashed across the goal line, and a block on the line ensured that extra time would be required.
Within a minutes of the restart, the Met Police came close to taking a lead for a third time, when Jack Mazzone curled shot from the edge of the area which forced a fine finger tip save over his head by the Tonbridge keeper. But on 97 minutes, the visitors went into the lead for the first time, sub Jared Small raced down the right on the counter attack, eventually crossing the ball to the far post, for Tom Derry to head the ball home from close range. Although the Met Police did manage to create a couple of good chances, their players looked very tired by now, and the final ball lacked conviction, and so it was Tonbridge Angels who held on to earn promotion, with the final whistle the cue for hundreds of Tonbridge supporters to invade the pitch to celebrate with the players.
It was quite fitting that Tom Derry would score the winner, an ample reward for the club's fans that had funded his arrival in February. The outcome was really tough on the Metropolitan Police, who more than played their part in a most enjoyable and high quality game of football. Losing in the play-offs is always a cruel way to miss out on promotion, particularly after extra-time, and all the more so that this was probably the only season when winning their divisional play-off was not sufficient to earn promotion. In the cold light of day though, perhaps National League South would have proved a step too far for the Metropolitan Police anyway, and Step 3 football is more their natural level with their limited resources and support. In terms of resources, next season will probably be a struggle for Tonbridge Angels in the National League South, but such concerns are the future, as they bask in the glory of promotion for now.
