EMIRATES FA CUP -THIRD ROUND QUALIFYING REPLAY
TONBRIDGE ANGELS 5 CRAY VALLEY (PM) 0 - 30 SEP 2025 - ATT 572
Goals: TA - Tumkaya (OG) 11, Higgs 26, Simon 31, 45+3 (Pen), Peart 50

A night to forget for the Millers as they were sent crashing out of this season's Emirates FA Cup with Tonbridge Angels comfortably progressing to host Chatham Town on the 11th October for a place in the First Round Proper.

A catalogue of bad fortune / errors for the goals, with the Millers on the back foot from early on. The opening goal coming in the 11th minute , ball whipped into the area at speed and cannoning off the shin of the unfortunate Cem Tumkaya into his own net. Angels were on top and doubled the lead on 26 minutes, a corner was cleared to Jordan Higgs who from 20 yards fired past Shaun Peart-Rowley in goal with the help of a deflection. The third which effectively killed the game came five minutes later, Sablier crossed from the left, Marvel Ekpiteta slipped as he went to clear the ball, missed it and Eddie Simon had the simplest of tasks to slam home. To add salt into the wound Angels added a fourth right on half time after what looked to be a soft penalty was awarded and Simon scored from the spot.

Any thoughts of a sensational comeback were put to bed within five minutes of the re-start, a Brody Peart strike taking a wicked deflection on route sending Rowley the wrong way. No further scoring ensued and the Millers will need to dust themselves down and now look ahead to Saturday and the third qualifying round of the FA Challenge Trophy when they host step 3 Southern Premier South Division side Berkampsted.

Angels: Adams, Williams, Warren (Wagstaff 59), German, Penney (c) (Peart 7), Higgs, Simon (Taylor-Crossdale 63), Sablier, Babajide (Pierrick 62), Bakrin, Akehurst (Mundele 58) Subs not used: Foley, Unwin
Caution: Peart

Millers: Peart-Rowley, Williams (c), Tumkaya (Kpakpe 57), Ekpiteta, Lema, Shomotun (Barrington 46), Black (Holness 46), Cumberbatch, Vigor, Aileru, Akanbi (Ajakaiye 70), Subs not used: Puemo, Smith
Caution; Akanbi

Post Match Interview: Steve McKimm
https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/videos/postmatch-interview--steve-mckimm-on-cray-valley-pms-fa-cup-exit-vs-tonbridge-angels-30925-214157.html

Funmaya Shomotun with the corner kick - photo courtesy Tom Stanworth

Guest Match Report: Cray Valley (PM) Supporter Preston Lee-Willett -
The Preston Perspective

"A "bridge" too far"
Match Report - Tonbridge Angels 5 - 0 Cray Valley PM
An FA Cup replay on a Tuesday night did indeed prove a bridge too far for The Millers as our run in the competition came to a very abrupt and sobering end at the National South side's home ground

Having held the Angels to a creditable 0-0 draw on the Saturday, and argubaly having had the shade of the possession and play, there were hopes amongst some of the supporters that maybe we could go one better and nick a result. The opening 10 minutes seemed fairly evenly matched with both sides carving out the odd half chance, but on the 11th minute we found ourselves a goal down ; cruelly from a deflection off one of our own players.

Still, there's never a reason to be disheartened at being 0-1 down early on in a game, but there was halfway through that first half a simply calamitous spell that effectively took the game away from us as the hosts started to feel more confident with their ability to spray balls down channels for runners to chase. A corner kick was only partially cleared on 25 minutes , and a shot from the edge of the area found the net and the hosts were 2-0 up. Within 5 minutes the hosts were 3 - 0 up and the game was effectively gone from that point I felt. Our midfield was being cut open as a hot knife goes through butter and the defence quite simply overun.

It's easy for me to say having never played the game, and watching from the sidelines, but a combination of poor passing and poor choices in possession was helping contribute to our own downfall As i drifted off early for a half-time cuppa , we conceded a penalty. I didn't see the incident but it was evident from the reaction from the bench that our management team felt it was very unfair. Regardless of fair or otherwise, the penalty was converted

5 minutes into the second half, the bunch of travelling Millers had cause to sing "6-5 !! we're gonna win 6 -5 !!" as the hosts added another ; the goal was credited to a Tonbridge player but it certainly looked to some of us that the unfortunate lad who'd scored the first own goal had made a significant contribution to their Fifth as well !
Overall the second half performance was better from a Millers perspective ; we did at least get some better balls into the box and their 'keeper did have to do some work in that second 45 , but there can be no hiding that this was a chastening night.

Still, fair play to our lads and the Gaffer as they came over and acknowledged the travelling support after the final whistle ; always appreciated
Good luck to Tonbridge Angels, they can look forward to another Isthmian Premier side coming to their manor in the shape of Chatham Town in the next round ; we need to dust ourselves down pretty rapidly as we prepare to face Berkhamstead on Saturday in the FA Trophy
ISMWT

Main Photo: Lema Crossley with a glancing header - photo courtesy Tom Stanworth