Tonbridge Angels new boy Ruben Soares-Junior banned over unpaid £17 fine from four years ago

Jay Saunders probably knew it wasn’t going to be Tonbridge’s day in the FA Cup when his new signing was blocked from playing over a £17 fine.

Depleted Angels signed Portuguese forward Ruben Soares-Junior, who’d been training with the club, in time for Saturday’s Second Qualifying Round tie at Binfield.

But there was a surprise in store when they learned he couldn’t play due to an outstanding fine.

Tonbridge, missing 13 players, went on to lose 4-0 to their Isthmian South Central opponents.

“An FA ban came through from a fine picked up in 2018 for £17, so they wouldn’t let him play,” said manager Saunders.

“It’s one where the club he played for at the time didn’t pay his fine to the Essex FA, so they put a ban on him. That probably sums it up.”

Tonbridge got through to half-time without conceding before Binfield ran riot against the patched-up visitors who had players out of position and a bench made up entirely of academy boys.

Saunders is keen to move on quickly from the defeat with eighth-placed Tonbridge facing National South away games against Cheshunt this Saturday and Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday.

The good news is he’s set to have Craig Braham-Barrett, Jamie Fielding, Louis Collins, Jeremy Santos, Tommie Fagg, Soares and Tushaun Walters back available this weekend.

A combination of injuries, suspension and ineligibility ruled them out at Binfield, while the other absentees remain sidelined.

Saunders said: “It was always going to be tough with the players we had out but I don’t want to make too many excuses because I don’t want to take away from what Binfield did.

“It wasn’t a good performance and we got what we deserved.

“When you’ve got that many players missing you need your senior players to stand up and be