Tonbridge Angels Ladies picked up their first away win of the season at fellow promoted side Thamesview and moved up to third place in Division One East with an impressive display.
The teams had been close rivals the previous season with Thamesview pipping Tonbridge to the league title by a point while the Angels won a closely contested cup final in extra-time.
The visitors looked confident and in control throughout. But clear-cut opportunities were scarce in the first half-hour however.
The breakthrough arrived in the 32nd minute when Maisie Gibb she sent in a cross from the left which was handled by a Thamesview defender in the box. Sam Burton placed the resulting penalty kick into the bottom corner.
Tonbridge began carving open the Thamesview defence at will. Three minutes before half-time Becky Janes found herself through on goal, her shot was only half-cleared by goalkeeper Keisha Lemar and Megazn Akehurst hit the rebound on the volley with venom from 40 yards out to score.
Becky Mackley played in Janes, who turned her defender before chipping Lemar from 20 yards.
There was still time for the hosts to force a corner and Lydia Wills scrambled the ball over the line to reduce the arrears to 3-1 at half-time.
Thamesview were a better side after the break but their hopes of a comeback were hindered by a second yellow card for Rachael Jestin-Cull.
Flo Anastasiou was booked for a foul, and was penalised again with 10 minutes left, the resulting free kick from Imogen Saunders sailing into the top corner, out of the reach of Angels goalkeeper Helena Fothergill.
Having conceded a late equaliser the previous week, the Angels now had to hold their nerve. But they sealed their victory on 86 minutes as Alex Weston’s corner was volleyed in from close range by Burton, taking her tally for the season to four.
Tonbridge now look forward to a run of home games starting with the visit of Cray Valley to Hadlow College on Sunday [October 14].
