Ashton Prime made the trip to table-topping Tonbridge Athletic without captain Abu who was attending former Prime player Joe Walker's wedding. Mazurkiewicz, Flamank, Davis and Buckland were also missing.

Westcott came into midfield alongside Ellis, with Henshall returning on the right and Goldsmith dropping to the bench with Excell moving back to his favoured number 10 role behind Ferguson. Goulding arrived late to join Goldsmith on the bench.

Prime lost the reverse game 6-0 at Cadogan, but the team were determined to put on a better show at Tonbridge Farm with broken-leg victim Darrell Sparks watching on.

From the off Prime's resolute attitude shone through with Tom Cary flying into tackles and winning the aeriel duel with Athletic's burly striker.

The home side were definitely on top, but Prime's defence looked solid with Sykes and Sander keeping tabs on their wingers and Turvey making a couple of last-ditch tackles to deny Athletic's ginger striker.

Prime were grateful to Nowak's goal-line headed clearance from a corner as the leaders continued to push.

But this was a much more even contest than before Christmas and with Ferguson muscling defenders out of the way and winning a personal record number of headers, Prime were coming more and more into the game.

There was a predictable flashpoint mid-way through the half when Ellis bundled into Athletic's midfielder 30 yards out. A choice selection of swear words came Ellis' way before the midfielder responded by saying how proud the offender's Mum must be of him!

The reaction that followed resulted in handbags between both sides with linesman Goldsmith receiving more verbal abuse from Tonbridge's finest after running onto the pitch to defend his players. 2 Athletic players were booked in the aftermath by the excellent referee Rabiu.

Prime then got their heads back on football and they proceeded to have their best spell of the game with several corners won - but no clear-cut chances came their way.

It was 0-0 at the break and Prime could sense an upset, but from the start of the second-half it was largely one-way traffic but Turvey and Cary continued to be immovable objects and Kerton was still not really called into action.

Tonbridge threatened again from a corner but this time it was Sander who got the ball off the line as Prime hung on.

As time ticked by, Henshall and Nowak were starting to see more of the ball and Prime were having more attacking forays, but after one such attack broke down, Tonbridge hit Prime on the break and after their striker outpaced the defence and rounded Kerton, it seemed as if Prime's defiance might finally be over, but Turvey got back on the line to deflect the ball up and over the bar with his thigh.

Frustration was getting the better of the home side and after another excellent Cary challenge came off the Tonbridge sub and out for a goal-kick, linesman Goldsmith received another volley of verbal abuse which resulted in another booking.

With 15 minutes left, Goldsmith replaced the hard-working Excell and won a few headers to help ease the pressure on the Numbers' defence.

With Tonbridge committing more and more men forward, Prime came close twice to snatching a goal. Firstly Sykes, who had played through the pain of a hangover, burst down the left and after a 50-yard run he got to the by-line but his cross rolled agonisingly across the face of the goal with Ferguson closing in but unable to get a telling touch.

With 5 minutes left, Prime worked it forward again through Henshall who found Ferguson in the box, but with Westcott screaming for the lay-off, Ferguson for once chose the wrong option and was tackled as he tried to get his shot away.

The visitors were determined to hang on for a deserved point and they defended a series of Athletic corners well before 41 year-old Goulding came on to replace Fergie and run the clock down even further.

Soon after, the final whistle went and Prime became the first side to stop Tonbridge claiming the 3 points since Leigh on the opening day.

Leigh's 3-2 win over Woodlands Reserves lifts them above Athletic at the top of the table - Prime move above FC Revolution into 3rd.