Tonbridge hope to shake off the memory of a calamitous coastal excursion on New Year’s Eve. The trip to Worthing ended in a 3-0 disappointment, with the home side awarded three penalties during an encounter that involved four red cards. The visitors had to complete the second half with only nine players (please see match report).

On Monday, the other New Year fixture, an outing to Billericay finished in another defeat, by 2-1. Late strikes from the Essex outfit snatched victory after Luke Blewden had provided a 12th minute lead.

The outcomes caused a widening gap between the side from Longmead and the play-off positions, plus potential challengers below are also catching up. Hopefully a plethora of home games in 2017 can provide an opportunity to make up ground.

On the plus side, there is a League Cup (Alan Turvey Trophy sponsored by Robert Dyas) quarter-final to enjoy, with a tricky trip to championship chasers Needham Market next week (Tuesday January 10th, kick-off 7.45pm). The Marketmen are firmly in the title hunt and giving Bognor, many pundits’ favourites, a run for their money - even following a 5-1 thrashing at Leiston on Monday.

Attentions first turn to Ryman Premier activity, however. Despite defeats in recent weeks against mid-table Staines Town (1-2), struggling Harrow Borough (1-0), the aforementioned fiasco at new-boys’ Worthing, plus Billericay, the gap is not too big - yet.

When on-song, the Angels have produced superb performances with excellent wins over promotion rivals Needham Market (won away 0-2), Bognor (4-1 home triumph) and Dulwich (won 1-2 away).

After spending much of the first half of the season on the road, the second phase involves runs of home games. January is going to be hectic with six out of seven Ryman contests scheduled for Longmead. That provides an opportunity to get the promotion bid back on track.

The first is on Saturday against the Met. It was the team based in Surrey that halted the 100 per cent winning start to the season, when a last-gasp equaliser nicked a point at Imber Court. Steve McKimm’s men seemed on course for a fifth straight win, following a Nathan Elder opener just after kick-off, but the home side grabbed a leveller in the sixth minute of added time.

Tonbridge paid the price for missed chances earlier in a stop-start game interrupted by frequent free-kicks. The boys in blue repelled attacks efficiently, defending their lines in the strong and solid fashion that is something of a trademark and always makes them difficult opponents.

Jim Cooper’s squad are in relegation trouble and a scrap for survival is likely to mean a tight affair on Saturday. It took Bognor 90 minutes to score the winner on New Year’s Eve, when substitute Oscar Haynes Brown snatched maximum spoils from a late raid on the Met’s own patch.

Apparently, there was plenty of “attacking intent” from both teams in the first half, but “quieter” after the break.

On Monday a local derby against Kingstonian ended in a vital 1-0 success. Charlie Collins, something of a talisman for the Blues, scored from the penalty spot just before the hour. The 24 year-old attacking player has MK Dons on his CV and a couple of his colleagues have also been on the books of Football League clubs.

In December, the Met beat Leiston (2-1) and Wingate & Finchley (2-0), at Imber Court, but lost to Leatherhead on Boxing Day (2-1 away) and, as mentioned, to the Rocks, on the last day of the year.

The Ryman Premier match between Tonbridge and Metropolitan Police FC at Longmead Stadium on Saturday January 7th is a 3pm kick-off.