Hollands & Blair came from behind twice to win the Kent Intermediate Cup at the Bauvill Stadium on Wednesday night as Tonbridge Angels finally succumbed to Lennon Reid’s second half twelve-minute hat-trick.
After the tense battles that some Finals have been recently, this game was a joy to behold with fast flowing open football along with some terrific long passing on what was an increasingly chilly Medway evening, and it was the side from just down the road at Star Meadow who missed a golden early chance to take the lead but Owen Edwards missed an early penalty.
That looked to be costly as Callum Finsham cracked home a spectacular opener in off the far post only for Blair to respond with an equaliser from George Byrne from a corner.
Mackenzie Richardson then gave the Angels the half time lead with a sensational strike out of absolutely nothing, but early in the second half Morgan Arnott, son of former Gillingham man Andy, smashed Blair level again leaving the door open for Reid who put Blair ahead for the first time with an angled shot, doubled the advantage with a delightful finish before completing the scoring – and winning the Cup for a third time for Blair – by converting a stoppage time penalty.
The game started with a Blair penalty, but Edwards’ effort was tame with Angel’s keeper Jacob Hunt saving with his feet after nearly diving past the ball.
Finsham put Tonbridge ahead cutting in off the left and hammering a shot past a despairing Mackenzie Porter in Blair’s goal but back came the Gillingham side and Byrne was on hand to convert at the back post after a spell of head tennis in the Tonbridge box.
The scores weren’t level for long as Richardson caught almost everyone out in the crowd by magnificently driving home the goal of the game from fully thirty yards to restore the Tonbridge lead that they just about held until half time, thanks in no small way to their keeper, with Hunt brilliantly palming away Drew Briffit’s effort before going a step further to deny Arnott’s header.
Finsham was inches away from making it 3-1 just after the break with a shot that didn’t miss the far post by much before Blair were level for a second time.
Skipper Richard Davies – whose second period performance alone must have taken him close to the Man of the Match award that hat-trick hero Reid was to claim – went on an amazing run and his brilliant touch ran through to Arnott who drilled home.
Tonbridge responded with a curling effort from Dani Sulovari that just didn’t dip enough for the Angels and didn’t Blair make them pay as Reid got on the end of a long angled ball that eluded the home defence and placed his own angled shot out of the reach of Porter and into the bottom corner with just over ten minutes left.
Tonbridge tried to respond but as time wore on, they left bigger and bigger gaps and that was eventually their downfall as following a swift break, Briffitt’s ball found Reid who squeezed it underneath Hunt for four-two just as the board for ten minutes extra was held aloft.
To their credit, the Angels kept going forward – Richardson’s shot was saved by Porter with Kyler Barton unable to keep the rebound down and Jack Gallacher’s late shot that was deflected inches wide.
From the corner a flying Porter clawed the ball away and Blair broke so quickly that Reid was brought down in the Angels box by a desperate tackle, and it was little surprise that Reid himself would take the spot-kick and he obligingly drilled the ball home into the bottom corner of the net to seal a five-two win.
HOLLANDS & BLAIR – Porter, Sword (Francis), Davies, Jackson (Ware), Byrne, Briffitt, Brooker (Tydeman), Edwards (Reeves), Arnott, Shepherd, Searle (Reid).
TONBRIDGE ANGELS – Hunt, Dyer, Finsham, Ward, Penman, Pritchard (Thomson), Millis (Barton), Richardson, Sulovari (Bingham), Kernan, Vassilev (Gallagher).
Sub not used – Maguire.
REFEREE – Mr. Girt
ASSISTANTS – Mr, Barker & Mr. Campbell-Wroe
FOURTH – Mr. Touko