Angels need more bodies
Parkrun Tonbridge
Parkrun returned to Maidstone and Malling on Christmas Day after the previous weekend’s wet weather.
Niall Stewart led the way at Maidstone, leading the 341 runners home in a time of 16min52sec. He was followed home by James Ford in a personal best of 17.02 with regular leader Tom Carpenter third in 17.21.
On her first visit to the course, Kelly Clark was the leading lady in 19.37. Second place went to Kerstin Sung, a recent winner at Malling, who ran a PB of 21.06, with Charlotte Bates third in 21.15. After being the top age-graded runner at Malling for the last two weeks, Paul McAuliffe took top honours on that score at Maidstone, recording 81.92% after finishing 19th in 20.17.
On Saturday, Marley Godden was the first to finish at Maidstone in a PB of 16.30. As on Christmas Day, Ford (16.56, PB) and Carpenter (17.47) made up the top three. Bates moved back to the top of the ladies field in 20.52, just pipping Sung (21.10) who finished second again with Rebecca Lednor third in 21.44.
Stewart Wells was best age-graded performer with a score of 81.76% for his time of 19.17, and ninth place overall from 367 finishers. Malling’s first ever Christmas Day run saw Jordan Chambers lead the way with a PB of 17.13. An unregistered runner was second with Hamadel Ndiaye third in 18.16. First time visitor Molly Renfer was the leading lady in 19.11, Emily Hale took second place in 20.17 with another first time visitor Alison Lundy finishing third in 20.30. Matthew Green took the top agegraded position with 80.48% for his 18.37, and fifth place overall from the 324 runners.
On Saturday, it took a PB of 17.25 for Chris Patey to edge out Justin Lane, who had to be content with coming second despite running his own PB of 17.32. Lane’s consolation was the best agegraded performance from a field of 306 with 80.23%, and first time visitor Julian Rendall was third in 17.46.
Another first time visitor, Pollyanna Rimell, took the ladies prize in 21.23, Lara Jee (JW11-14) was second in 21.32 and Nicola Morris third in 22.25.
Manager Steve McKimm concedes he is eager to add to Tonbridge’s threadbare squad. Struggling Angels only had 12 fit first-team players on Saturday for their 3-0 loss at Dartford in National League South.
“I’ve got to add to it (the squad) because I have 12 fit first-team players,” admitted McKimm.
“I have to get people in, but we have to sit down and discuss whether I can or I cannot (bring players in).
“If I can, I’ll be making phone calls left, right and centre between now and New Year’s Day to get players in.”
On the injury situation ahead of Tonbridge’s trip to Maidstone on New Year’s Day, McKimm said: “I think Tom Derry (knee) is booked into have a scan next week. “Christ Tiehi (ankle) is about a week away. We missed him at Dartford.
“I felt that he would have been one who would have put his foot in. We didn’t seem to put our foot in during the first half.
“We’ve had a long conversation. It’s not good enough, not just in midfield, but all over. As a group, we weren’t good enough.”
One player Tonbridge will welcome back for their trip to the Gallagher Stadium is on-loan Ben Greenhalgh, who will face his former club, having not been allowed to play against his parent club Dartford at the weekend. McKimm said: “Ben will come back into the squad, and we’ll assess where we are going to be and what we are going to do.
“That’s another body we can add but that still only brings us up to 13.
“I had an academy player on the bench (Harry Hudson), and an ex-academy player who has been learning his trade, Josh Stirman.
“Young Ted (McDonald) is a goalkeeper, only 17, and I brought young Liam (Smith) back who is getting loads of games at Sevenoaks at the minute.
“We need to add. When you look at what we have at the moment, it’s tough.”
With his team beginning 2020 in 21st, two points from safety, McKimm admits Tonbridge will be up against it when they face eighth-placed Maidstone. He said: “It’s another big one. That’s why we are in this league, though, to play in these sort of games.
“We are going to be up against it again but we are not looking for excuses. We need to put a team out there to compete against Maidstone who are a very good side.”