TONBRIDGE ANGELS Ladies put up a brave fight in their tough League Cup tie away at the Premier Division’s unbeaten Ashford Ladies.
The hosts, who had scored 44 goals this season, set out with an attacking formation.
But they found it hard to get behind a resistant defence. When they did break through, keeper Helena Fothergill was in outstanding form.
Tonbridge looked to cause problems of their own on the counter-attack and such was their impact in the early phases, Ashford took the radical step of introducing five substitutes at once midway through the first half.
Ciena Carpenter was one of those five and following a long clearance by goalkeeper Lucy Green, she beat her marker and fired past Fothergill to give her side the lead.
More pressure told on 37 minutes with a loose ball finding the Angels net after the defence failed to clear from a corner kick.
Still very much in the game, the Angels reduced the deficit just before half-time. Kelly Moran sent a free kick into the box and Becky Mackley lifted a clever header out of the reach of Green.
Tonbridge were now in the ascendancy and equalised on 54 minutes. Sam Burton released Megan Akehurst, who hit a half-volley with the outside of her boot into the top corner.
Sharon Lyons and Mackley both had to leave the field with injuries, and as the rearranged Angels looking to settle, Becky Wyatt broke clear to give the hosts the lead in the 63rd minute.
A goalmouth scramble at the other end on 71 minutes resulted in the ball deflecting in off a Tonbridge defender to make it 4-2.
A cross by Lauryn Underhill was headed just over by Becky Janes. Then in the seventh minute of injury time an Ashford counter-attack resulted in a shot deflecting in off Alex Weston.
Tonbridge Angels Ladies are back in league action when they visit Anchorians on Sunday [November 11, kick-off 2pm].
