Chatham came from a goal down to beat higher-league Tonbridge and reach the FA Cup first round for the first time in almost a century.

National League South Angels led at the break through Marcus Sablier’s early deflected strike.

But Isthmian Premier Chats stormed back with Tope Fadahunsi’s equaliser at the start of the second half, a penalty from teenager Stanley Oldfield and an added-time clincher from Adam Leathers.

It goes down as an upset in terms of league status but as the full-time side out of the two, Chats were always good enough to go to Longmead and win.

Victory sends them through to the first round for the first time in 97 years, while Angels miss out on successive appearances in the main draw.

Chatham enjoyed early possession but all in front of the back four as Tonbridge defended well.

Angels went on to take a seventh-minute lead with their first meaningful attack after a lovely move sparked by Brody Peart’s burst down the right.

Eddie Simon took up play from Peart’s cross before skipper Scott Wagstaff teed up Sablier, whose deflected strike looped over goalkeeper Henry Molyneux.

Alan Dunne’s side created a series of chances to extend their lead, with Chatham on the ropes for a spell.

Simon collected Wagstaff’s pass and spread play to Peart before getting himself into the box to meet the cross with a header that was blocked on the line by Reece Butler.

Good possession soon after saw Wagstaff, Simon, Bailey Akehurst, Arthur Penney, Naz Bakrin and Bradley Williams all involved before Simon ran into the box and forced a good save by Molyneux.

Moments later, Chats left-back Kasim Aidoo pulled off a vital block from Sablier after Molyneux failed to deal with a left-wing cross.

Chatham cleared their heads and finished the half with plenty of the ball but Tonbridge’s defensive discipline was clear to see as they denied the visitors a shot on goal.

That changed within a minute of the restart, however, as Fadahunsi turned in the box and fired home on his left foot in front of the travelling Chats fans.

It was a lovely finish from the forward for his seventh goal of a productive season.

Chatham looked to build on the equaliser and were the brighter team in attack.

They went in front from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after Bakrin was adjudged to have pulled down Butler at the far post from Sam Sene-Richardson’s whipped-in free-kick, which keeper Adams could only get a hand to.

There’d been all sorts of pushing and pulling in the box before the ball was played over, and Tonbridge weren’t happy with the decision, but Oldfield emphatically beat Adams from the spot.

Oldfield was inches away from another goal after being teed up on the edge of the area as the visitors threatened a third.

Tonbridge were vulnerable on the break in their push for an equaliser and might have been picked off a couple of times as Chats countered quickly.

And so it proved in the seventh minute of added time as Leathers had the simple task of slotting Chatham's third after a brilliant run by fellow substitute Dapo Olugbodi.

Tonbridge: Adams, Williams (Warren 75mins), Bakrin, Penney, Akehurst, Higgs (German 90+6mins), Wagstaff (Pierrick 75mins), Sablier (Taylor-Crossdale 56mins), Peart, Simon, Babajide (Unwin 56mins). Subs not used: Foley, Omole.

Chatham: Molyneux, Evans (Cooper 87mins), Giles, Butler, Aidoo, Robins, Garlinge (Leathers 70mins), Sene-Richardson (Olugbodi 83mins), Moynes, Oldfield (Anokye-Boadi 80mins), Fadahunsi (Nelson 90+3mins). Subs not used: Harvey, Allen.

Referee: Steven Hughes.

Attendance: 1,463.

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