ANGELS’ IN HEAVEN: WE WON PROMOTION FOR OUR FANS, SAYS CAPTAIN SCOTT KINCH

TONBRIDGE ANGELS skipper Scott Kinch played through the pain barrier to guide the club into Blue Square Bet South for the very first time in the club’s history, writes Stephen McCartney.


Not only did he score the club’s second goal during THAT 3-2 home win over Harrow Borough last Tuesday, the midfield general had his left arm strapped up by the two unsung heroes – physio’s Melvin Slight and Tina Jenner – and was sent out to do battle against Lowestoft Town in yesterday’s historic 4-3 home win that clinched promotion out of the Ryman League in the club’s greatest ever day.

In front of the club’s largest crowd, 2,411, were put through the mill and witnessed a seven-goal thriller in a roller-coaster that summed up their season.

The Angels were slumped at the bottom in their first three games, but boss Tommy Warrilow worked his magic and guided the club to its highest ever finish – second place, eleven points behind Sutton United – but two heroic play-off wins has put Tonbridge Angels back on the map and in the sixth tier of English football.

Just like against Harrow Borough on Tuesday, the Angels were 2-0 up inside 22 minutes, but this time it as Ade Olorunda and Danny Walder who scored, before Lowestoft Town pulled a goal back through Scott Mitchell’s far post header.

Walder kept his nerve to slot home a clinical 42^nd minute penalty to give the Angels a deserved and convincing 3-1 lead at the break.

But the Angels’ don’t do things the easy way and when Andrew Cave-Brown hooked a shot past Lee Worgan within three minutes of the restart, giving the Suffolk side hope.

Ball after ball was pumped into the Tonbridge box and Bulgarian Lubomir Guentchev cracked a screamer into the top far corner to level with only thirteen minutes of the game remaining, it brought back the nightmare of the 3-3 draw here back in January when the Angels threw away a three-goal lead.

But step forward winger Lewis Turner, who within four minutes of that set-back, received the ball from Kinch and burst forward and with his right-foot curled a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner to send the home faithful wild again.

The Angels’ held firm and didn’t surrender and they won the war.  The final whistle finally arrived with 50:24 on the clock and the party started.  Fans let off blue coloured smoke bombs in the jubilant South Stand and started to stream onto the pitch and the Tonbridge Angels’ heroes celebrated with their 12^th man – the Barmy Army whose passion got them over the finishing line.

In true Scott Kinch fashion, he made no fuss about his battle wounds.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” he said after emerging out of the players’ tunnel, holding the Ryman Premier League play-off “trophy” in his right hand.

“We made it hard for ourselves, letting the first goal in, again.  We knew they’d come at us.  Second half they put pressure on us, they got it back to three-all, but we knew we’d get another chance and we had to keep our heads, keep working hard together, just work hard for each other. 

“We knew we’d get another chance and obviously it’s paid off.  The hard way again, but all the boys are going to the bar to celebrate!”

When asked how he felt when Lowestoft clawed it back to 3-3, Kinch replied, “To be honest, I thought here we go again!  We do all the hard work, went 1-0 up, 2-0 up, sloppy goal, 2-1 and I thought this reminds me of Tuesday night!

“Next thing you know they’re scoring (twice) in the second half but all the amount of ability in the team we knew we’d get another chance and it fell to Lewis who has slotted it bottom corner and all we knew from then is we had to keep our heads, defend strong and see it home to ninety minutes.”

The Tonbridge Angels’ fans were asked to make it a “Caldron of Passion” ahead of the Harrow Borough game and they certainly played a major part in getting their heroes out of the Ryman League.

A crowd of 1,124 sung their hearts out against Harrow Borough – Ade Olorunda netting a dramatic 111^th minute winner in the 3-2 120 minute epic in midweek – and they were immense again against Lowestoft yesterday.

“The fans were f*****g different class again,” praised Kinch.

“It’s been a long old season but it’s nice to be up in the Blue Square.

“I said on Tuesday, for a Tuesday night for that many to be here – you couldn’t even hear the other players on the pitch – and that was doubled again today.

“The crowd have been behind us from the beginning of the season.  Last two games they’ve filled the stand, obviously having the home advantage (helped) and we wanted to do it for the fans as well as ourselves. 

“It’s the highest the club’s been and everyone’s looking forward to it (playing in Blue Square Bet South).”

When asked how he was feeling at the final whistle, when all his efforts during the course of the season was rewarded with promotion, Kinch said, “I can’t even remember the final whistle going.  I remember the ref blowing the whistle but I weren’t sure if it was for another free-kick, but all he was saying was “there’s a minute left, a minute left!” – that minute just seemed to go on for ever and when he did blow the final whistle it was so much excitement and all the boys were together.”

Kinch added, “I am speechless.  I’m lost for words.  It’s just such a nice day for me, the players, the fans, the board, for everyone.  It’s the highest the club has ever been and everyone’s so excited and lost for words.”

When asked how proud he was to be holding the Ryman Premier League Play-Off winners “trophy”, Kinch replied, “That feels nice, but we’re not in that league no more and we’re up in the Blue Square so bring that on next season.”

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ website: www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk

Click on this link for Dave Couldridge's photographs of the big day:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/16074688@N03/sets/72157626668332856/

Visit the fans' forum for You Tube video clips of the match and post-match celebrations: www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk/forum