Bromley is not an easy place to go, warns Tonbridge Angels boss Steve McKimm

The two sides were locked in a goalless stalemate in The FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round at Longmead Stadium yesterday and must do it again at Hayes Lane.

Both on-loan teenage goalkeepers were impressive.  Bromley handed Craig King, 17, his debut after bringing him in from League Two side Luton Town, although Mark Goldberg is expected to recall first choice keeper Seb Brown, who served his one-match ban yesterday, for the replay.

Tonbridge Angels’ keeper, Thomas Hadler, 18, who is on loan from League One Gillingham, produced a world-class save to deny Joe Anderson.

Both sides created chances to win it – Louis Dennis’ curling shot crashed against the bar for Bromley and Tommy Whitnell and Alex Teniola forced decent saves from King.

McKimm takes his side to Hayes Lane, where Bromley have won four and lost four in the Vanarama Conference South this season, despite sitting in second-place in the table, six points behind leaders Boreham Wood and with two games in hand.

History doesn’t bode well for Tonbridge Angels against their Kent rivals.  They have only beaten the Ravens once in fifteen attempts, including yesterday, since the turn of the century.

The last time Tonbridge Angels beat Bromley at Hayes Lane was back in November 1994, winning a Kent Senior Cup First Round tie 4-3.

However, the Angels go into the game having not conceded a goal in 412 minutes, keeping four clean sheets on the bounce.

McKimm said: “Cup football don’t mean nothing, they could’ve won seven, could’ve lost seven.  When you go out there in a cup game it’s a one off and all you’ve got to do is apply yourself right.

“I don’t look at stats and records in terms of that one because anyone can have an off day.

“I just look at it and we’re just going to go there as prepared as we can do with the bodies that we’ve got and see what ends up at the end of the match.

“We know we’re in for a tough, tough game. It’s not an easy place to go.

“All I’ll ask my players to do is what they’ve done yesterday, be composed, be confident, have a little bit of arrogance about you when you’re on the ball rather than panic and just kick it and we’ll see where that ends up.

“As long as they give me the commitment that they gave me yesterday, I can’t ask for no more.”

Bromley boss Mark Goldberg had the luxury of bringing Jamie Slabber, Adam Birchall and Damian Scannell off the subs bench yesterday.

McKimm said: “The bench they’ve got it unbelievable and if he decides to start them and leave three out and then bring them three on that he left out…”

McKimm will assess the fitness of defender Jerrome Sobers (groin) to see if he returns to one of his former stomping grounds.

Bromley go into the replay as favourites.  The Angels are sitting in the bottom seven in the Ryman Premier League table, five points clear of the relegation zone.

McKimm revealed he will take his reserve side to Maidstone United on Thursday night to contest a Robert Dyas (Ryman League) Cup Third Round tie.

The Stones, holders of the trophy, are expected to field their highly-successful Academy side for the game, they travel to Vanarama Conference side Wrexham in The FA Cup Second Round on the Saturday.

“My thinking behind that was because there’s a lot of speculation that’s gone on – apparently it’s for my benefit on Maidstone’s forum.

“I understand some of our supporters are not happy because we’ve got a game at Witham – now it’s at Bromley.

“The reason behind it was Chris Hollyoak hasn’t got a (reserve team) game this week. He hasn’t played for ten days and they’ve got a game on the Saturday so it blows the cobwebs out.

“I’ve always said the Ryman League Cup is going to be my reserve players.

“What’s going to happen is they’re going to play on Thursday because they’ve got a game Saturday, they haven’t kicked a ball in 10-12 days. They haven’t played yesterday, they’re not training on Tuesday so they’ll have a good run out on Thursday in preparation for Saturday and it gives me a chance to look at them.”

McKimm revealed he is searching for another striker, after losing seventeen-goal Billy Medlock, 22, to Sutton United.

Medlock signed an eighteen-month contract with the Vanarama Conference South club following a successful loan period at Gander Green Lane.

“Let’s get it right. I’ve watched some things on the forum. Billy was never going to stay here,” McKimm said of the former Eastbourne Town marksman.

“He scored his goals and his name was being touted about.  Even to the last minute there was an agent getting into certain individuals about him not signing for Sutton, maybe another club, but Billy stuck with it and he’s signed for them because he’s enjoyed the training, he’s done very well for them.

“The manager (Paul Doswell) told me he’s been seven or eight out of ten every week and the goals will come.

“He’s signed his 18-month deal, he’s aspires to play at a higher level, he’s achieved that and he wants to aspire to play even higher and if he can achieve that all well and good, the conversations I had with him.

“Yes, he wasn’t on contract here but I’m not going to let the details out as people have asked but we are going to be looked after if Billy moves on to another higher club in terms of the pro game.

“They’ve got high expectations of him, like I had, but we will get looked after. It will be wrong of me what we’re going to get but we will get looked after and the chairman’s happy with it so as long as the chairman’s happy and I’m happy and Billy’s happy, I’ve got to get another striker, which at the moment I’m looking at.”

McKimm was without former Sutton United striker Marvin Williams, 27, yesterday, a player who won the League Two title with Brentford in 2009.

He said: “Marvin’s short term until Christmas, but that’s only for the time being. Come a week’s time I could announce Marvin’s here full-time. Thing’s change in football that quickly.

“The chairman agreed for Marvin to come here until Christmas as well as Billy (Medlock), if Billy came back so if he’s agreed to that I’m sure, I’m sure he might let me do it (bring in another player).

“But I’ve got to sit down and talk to him because looking at it I think I do need another striker.

“Tommy Whitnell is not an out-and-out finisher, but he’s a good, good player. I’ve got Alex (Teniola) up there and Marvin up there, so I want competition.

“There is someone I’ve got in mind, which I won’t let go. I’m having him watched this month and maybe another month just to make sure he can do it (at this level).

“He has played at a lower level. I’m not saying he’s playing at a lower level now but he has played at a lower level. What I want to do is make sure that he’s fit enough to come into my squad.  I don’t want to do a pre-season and take two months to get him there.  I want someone to come in and put competition for my forwards.

“There is someone I’m looking at. Whether it comes off, whether the chairman allows me is a different matter.

“Nowadays players want so much money, it’s untrue, so that might be a stumbling block but there is someone I’m looking at and hopefully I can move with it.”

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

Bromley  v  Tonbridge Angels
The FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 2^nd December 2014
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF