Cray Wanderers 0-1 Tonbridge Angels - I'm pleased that we've been able to give them that chance of being in The FA Cup First Round, says Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders

Cray Wanderers 0 – 1 Tonbridge Angels
Location	Flamingo Park, Sidcup-by-pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Kickoff	12/10/2024 15:00

CRAY WANDERERS  0-1  TONBRIDGE ANGELS
The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 12 October 2024
Stephen McCartney reports from Flamingo Park

TONBRIDGE ANGELS manager Jay Saunders says it means a lot to guide the club to The FA Cup First Round for the first time in four years.

A record crowd of 1,222 were at Flamingo Park to witness a cagey Kent derby, which was settled by a clinical second-half strike from Tonbridge Angels’ centre-half, Jamie Fielding, 25.

“I thought it was a real typical Cup game to be honest,” said Saunders, 45.

“I felt there wasn’t much in it first-half.  I don’t think there were many clear-cut chances. We maybe had one or two, they had the same.

“It’s funny, we said at half-time, we felt a goal was going to come from either a wide area or a set-piece or something and we managed to get that but we’ve played better.

“You have to give credit to Cray, they were really good on the day and made it, even when we went 1-0 up, they kept going until the very end.”

Cray Wanderers went into this Fourth Qualifying Round tie sitting at the foot of the Isthmian League Premier Division table, having picked up four points from their opening seven games.

Cray Wanderers manager Neil Smith, 53, who's side had lost one in their last nine in all competitions before today, said: “Disappointed.  The frustrating thing was I thought we had the free-kick on Quade (Taylor).  They’ve scored from what I believe was a mistake from the referee. I’m not happy with the goal. I thought it’s soft and then right at the end I thought we deserved at least a draw to bring them back to Tonbridge.

“The players’ are disappointed but they’re sticking together. We’ve been kicked in the nether regions but it’s one of them where they can see we’re getting better. We’re getting more solid, there’s patterns of play, we’re keeping the same boys playing as much as we can but hopefully we can get that belief that we can go on.”

The Wands were given a scare in the First Qualifying Round, coming away from Larkfield & New Hythe with a 1-1 draw, but they recorded a record FA Cup victory with an 8-0 replay win here over the newly-promoted Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side.

Cray Wanderers were then held to a 1-1 draw by their league rivals Wingate & Finchley, before coming back from North London with a 1-0 replay win, before another league rival, Hastings United were beaten 3-0 here in the last round.

Tonbridge Angels, meanwhile, suffered a 3-1 defeat at Slough Town last weekend, which was their first defeat of the campaign and arrived here in ninth-place in the Vanarama National League South table with 17 points from 10 games.

The Angels have beaten Merstham (2-1) and Walton & Hersham (2-1) to reach this stage of the competition, as Fielding’s second goal of the season sent them through.

This was Cray Wanderers’ 57^th attempt in reaching the promised land, since making their FA Cup debut back in 1960.

This was the third time that they had reached the final qualifying round, having twice lost in Essex, losing 2-0 to Grays Athletic in 2005 and then 3-2 to Canvey Island four years ago.

Smith added: “Listen, all I wanted was be in the hat on Monday for Gary Hillman, the chairman, so he could sit there and see the dream’s still going. He could be there for a draw even though we haven’t won but we’ve got a chance, just to have that fulfilment of being in that draw. That’s what I wanted to give him but it was just not to be today.”

The old Tonbridge reached the First Round on five occasions (1950, 1951, 1952, 1967 and 1972).

TONBRIDGE/TONBRIDGE ANGELS IN THE FA CUP FIRST ROUND:
1950 Away Chelmsford City D2-2
1950 Home Chelmsford City L0-1 (Replay)

1951 Home Aldershot D0-0
1951 away  Aldershot L2-3 (Replay)

1952 Home Norwich City D2-2
1952 away  Norwich City L0-1

1967 Away Dagenham L0-1

1972 Home Charlton Athletic L0-5

2020 Home Bradford City L0-7

The Angels reached that stage in 2020, losing 7-0 at home to Bradford City but the game was played behind closed doors due to restrictions put in place because of the Covid-19 health pandemic.

Saunders was without right-back Crossley Lema, who was serving a suspension after being sent-off last weekend, while Ethan Sutcliffe (hamstring), Ben Swift, Joe Tyrie (hamstring) and Scott Wagstaff (hamstring) were ruled out.

Both manager’s were asked what their game plan was.

Smith said: “Listen, we’re playing a team who are ninth in the National League South, we’re bottom of the league, so there’s no point free-flowing…

“I’ve just watched England play Greece, where they’ve gone right, let’s play every forward because that’s what everybody wants to see and they got beat (2-1 at Wembley) from it and then all of a sudden he’s (Lee Carsley’s) getting slaughtered.

“I had to put in a team that was going to be workmanlike for the first 45 minutes. We had to be in the game and I thought second half I thought everything apart from us getting that goal, worked.”

Saunders added: “We wanted to get on the ball and move the ball as quick as we could in wide areas and try to cause them problems.  I felt that was somewhere where we could hurt them but I don’t think we moved the ball quick enough.

“I actually felt they got the better of midfield in the first half and I said to (Jeremy) Santos and Ryan (Hanson) we need to move the ball quicker, work it wider and if we do that we’d be ok.

“But I don’t think we moved the ball well enough but give credit to Cray, you give credit to opponents, they put in a good performance.”

Tonbridge Angels started the game on the front foot and were a threat down the left through wing-back Liam Vicent and Sean Shields often linking up well, causing a threat to Cray Wanderers’ right-back Ike Orji.

“They were areas we felt that we could cause problems and when we did get into that final bit, I thought we lacked that little bit of quality in that wide area, which normally we’re good at in all fairness, so I can’t be too harsh on the boys, added Saunders.

The Angels created their first opening in the 16^th minute when Fielding whipped in a low cross from within the left-channel and the ball came out to holding midfielder Ryan Hanson, whose right-footed drive from 25-yards deflected past the right-hand post.

Shields floated in the resulting corner from the right towards the back post where Hanson towered over Nyren Clunis to steer his downward header past the near post from 10-yards.

Shields was finding pockets and impressing in the final third for the Angels but the recalled Quade Taylor and his central defensive partner Tom Bonner were resilient for the hosts.

“I thought Ike (Orji), Quade, Bonner, Darion (Dowrich) were unbelievable today. I was part of Liam Vincent going to Portsmouth (from then National League side Bromley) and I thought Darion and Ike coped with both of their wing-backs, who are very, very good and I thought even Shaun (Rowley) in goal, I t thought Shaun was outstanding. I can’t have a go at anyone,” said former Bromley manager Smith.

The game then turned into a disappointing stalemate but a goalkeeping mistake from Cray Wanderers’ Shaun Rowley almost gifted Tonbridge Angels the lead on the half-hour mark.

Centre-half Ronny Nelson hit a long ball out of defence to release Vincent and his low cross came in from within the channel and bounced right in front of Rowley, who spilt the cross as he dived to scoop the ball up low to his left.

However, the ball fell at the feet of winger Mohamad Dabre in the centre and his first-time left-footed shot from 18-yards was destined to nestle inside the bottom right-hand corner of an empty goal, but the 27-year-old goalkeeper swiftly got up and spread himself low to his left to make a vital recovery save.

“I’ll have to see it back. I don’t know if Mo should do better or the keeper’s done really well, I’m not sure,” said Saunders.

“Maybe if that falls to a Noel (Leighton) or Shieldsey as a natural forward they probably take that chance but I’m not going to be harsh on Mo. He’s done well to get there, the keeper’s made a good save but probably was our best chance of the first half.”

Smith added: “We’re taking about the 30^th minute and they’re having their first chance and it has only come from a goalkeeper who made a little error but great, great, great recovery and what a save!”

Tonbridge Angels produced a well-worked move in the 37^th minute when right-wing-back Tariq Hinds threw the ball short to Dabre, before the impressive Shields laid the ball back to Dabre, who switched the play from right to left and Vincent took a touch inside the box but lacked composure and drilled his left-footed drive over the top of the near-post from 15-yards.

Saunders said: “I thought it was the wrong ball from Mo. I didn’t feel like we needed to go out to Vinny. I think we should’ve kept it and slipped Tariq (Hinds) but look on another day, Liam’s our top scorer (with six goals) so another day he scores so I’m not going to be too harsh on him.”

Cray Wanderers offered very little threat going forward during the first half, with four-goal striker Kenny Coker kept very quiet by Tonbridge’s three centre-halves of Nazir Bakrin (right), Fielding (centre) and Nelson (left).

“I think we were a little bit too erratic.  I think we were very rushed with the passing and stuff like that,” admitted Smith, when asked about his side not creating a first half chance.

“I think the boys grew in confidence.  I think they were a little bit nervous, 1,222 supporters, we’re playing against a team who are ninth, we’re bottom of the league so they’re not the most confidence but I think after half-an-hour, 40 minutes, 45, they grew into it.

“Second half we came out and looked like a team that wanted it and could do what we know they could do.”

Tonbridge Angels’ lone striker, Noel Leighton, endured a frustrating time, as goalscoring chances for both sides were at a premium.

Smith said: “Brilliant! They’ve done everything that we’ve asked. Now you can go and express yourself. You’re better than what you think, go and get on the ball, keep it.

“I thought Lateef (Adaja) was outstanding again today. I thought Kenny (Coker) showed glimpses of what he can do but probably just run away from him a little bit and I thought Frankie Raymond and Toby King did their job in midfield.”

Saunders added: “I just felt we needed a bit more tempo to us. I felt that we were comfortable and we didn’t, I don’t know, I just felt we need to go up another gear or two and we wasn’t doing that.

“I’m not saying we did it brilliantly second half but we felt we needed to move the ball a little bit quicker, up the tempo and if we did it we felt we’d get chances.

“I even said at half-time, look if it stays like this and we have to take them back for a replay, then we’ll look at it because I didn’t feel we were at our best.”

Tonbridge Angels almost grabbed the lead in flukey style a second short of four minutes into the second half.

Dabre and Shields linked up down the left before the ball was worked into the left-channel where Nelson whipped in a cross, which sailed over Rowley and clipped the crossbar.

“He’s claiming it’s a shot but he’s put a ball in. I was quite pleased, there was a bit of movement, we got him down the left channel and yes, he’s got to do a bit better with the cross but it nearly went in,” added Saunders.

Smith said: “Listen, he didn’t shoot. It was a freaky cross but again that’s what you’re dealing with a team that are doing so well in National League South.”

Play was held up (11:18-16:07) as assistant referee Alphie Ibrahim suffered a suspected hamstring injury and received treatment before swapping places with Fourth Official James Hall.

Tonbridge Angels took a deserved lead with 18 minutes and 45 seconds on the clock.

Leighton challenged Taylor who took a bang to the foot and received treatment and the Cray Wanderers’ centre-half was off the pitch for the resulting set-piece.

Vicent launched his third and final long throw in the box, the ball was flicked on at the near post by Hanson, before the ball was cleared out to Nelson, who recycled the ball back into the box towards the unmarked Fielding, who hooked his right-footed volley across Rowley to find the bottom far corner from 10-yards.

“I was actually really pleased with the ref to be honest for that because I didn’t think Noel touched Taylor,” claimed Saunders.

“If I see it back, I may be completely wrong but I think Taylor tried to buy a free-kick and because of that the ref didn’t give the free-kick and made him go off and I think that was the right decision.

“If I’m wrong and he did catch Taylor, I’ll apologise.

“It’s a good ball in, we kept it alive, second and third phase and Jamie’s on hand to finish and it was a good finish.”

Smith added:  “I thought we had the free-kick on Quade. Quade then gets treated for their throw and he’s had to go off the pitch. He’s the one that goes near-post and they’ve scored from what I believe was a mistake from the referee that we had a free-kick and the fact I then lose a player who should’ve been in that position, so not happy with the goal.

“It’s disappointing because all of the little things that worked against us, worked for them.

“Not getting the free-kick, Quade then having to go off because he’s had a bit of treatment because the guy stamped on his foot, not being in the position he would’ve been in for the goal. It was disappointing but we didn’t give up, that was the main thing.”

A poor left-footed clearance from Rowley was charged down by a pressing Leighton, the ball looping over the crossbar.

Cray Wanderers’ first chance arrived in the 71st minute when holding midfielder Frankie Raymond played in a left-footed free-kick into the box (in behind the Angels’ high defensive line) and Taylor swept his shot harmlessly wide from within a crowd of players at the near post.

Tonbridge Angels were too comfortable at this point – before Smith brought on striker David Smith (73 minutes), winger Anthony Cook (88) and debutant attacker Calvin Ekpieta and threw the kitchen sink at their higher-league opponents.

However, gaps started opening up for the first time and Tonbridge Angels almost doubled their lead in the 79^th minute when Vincent’s long ball along the deck released substitute striker Trevan Piedade-Robinson into the left channel. He easily cut inside Taylor and into the box but Rowley narrowed the angle and pushed the right-footed angled drive around his near-post.

Piedade-Robinson replaced former Three Bridges striker Leighton in the 77^th minute and Saunders explained his decision to make the change.

“I just felt at that point Noel had a tough afternoon. He worked hard but it wasn’t happening for him and we felt with Trev’s legs, he could get in behind and it's a great ball by Liam and Trev’s done what he’s very good at, he’s cut inside and unfortunately he couldn’t finish but really pleased with his performance when he came on.”

Smith added: “Great save, great save! I think we were just getting on top as well there.

“I brought on the substitutes. I brought on Dave Smith for Kenny. I brought on Imran (Kayani).  We went more attacking.  I brought Calvin Ekpieta on. I think we had about five attacking players and it was one of them where we had nothing to lose.  They hit us on the break.

“Calvin’s a good player (signed from Potters Bar Town). He played for Carshalton, so he knows the division. He was at Cray Valley last season where they got promotion (as Isthmian League South East Division champions) and he just gives me something different but with a small squad, I have to take what I can.”

Both managers appreciated a well-timed and brilliant sliding tackle from Hanson on Cray Wanderers winger Lateef Adaja inside the box in the 81^st minute.

Smith said: “I think the number four, who made a tackle on Lateef – for me that saves them. That was as a good as the goalkeeper saving it.”

Saunders said: “I think Ryan Hanson made an unbelievable tackle when Lateef was going through!

“I was disappointed with some of our game management. We’re a very young side and you take Shieldsey out of that today, I think everyone’s (in their early 20s).

“We had chances to run it in the corner and we didn’t and we made wrong decisions and it was allowing them to put things in the box.

“You have to give Cray credit. They had a lot of quality in our box but we stood tall but if it wasn’t Toby dealing with things, then Nazir (Bakrin) made a good tackle and Ronny (Nelson) was good today and Jamie (Fielding).

“Sometimes in these Cup games, you have to stand tall and they did that.”

Cray Wanderers were awarded a free-kick on the right touch-line in the 87^th minute and Raymond rolled it short to Orji, who floated in a cross towards the near post but David Smith’s near-post header flashed across the face of goal before being cleared by a resilient visiting defence.

Sheilds put in a low counter-attacking raid into the Cray Wanderers’ box and the ball was stabbed towards his own goal by Toby King, which forced Rowley to dive to his left and grab hold of the ball before it crossed the line (44:38).

Cray Wanderers created their best chance of the game with 45:35 on the clock.

Pacey left-back Darion Dowrich put in a low cross from within the left-channel towards Cook, whose right-footed shot from 20-yards, took a wicked deflection and looped towards the roof of the net, with goalkeeper Toby Steward sticking out his arm to tip the ball onto his crossbar and over for a corner.

Smith said: “It’s one of those ones where it takes a deflection and you’re going ‘go on, go on, will it go in, will it go in?’ but it just hits the crossbar.

“I think they were more nervous in the last 10 minutes than we were.”

Saunders added: “I’d be gutted if that had gone in. It would’ve been very unlucky but Toby’s done well to just get that little touch on it.”

Raymond floated in the resulting corner towards the back post where Bonner came up from the back and the ball bounced off his shoulder and bounced past the near-post.

Cray Wanderers kept knocking on the door in search for a late leveller.

Raymond stroked an ambitious left-footed 30-yard drive past the right-hand post (52:36), before Raymond put in the home side’s fifth corner of the game and Bonner’s bullet header was blocked from within a crowd of players.

“That’s cup football for you,” admitted Smith. “If you’re having that little bit of luck, that goes in. The one off the crossbar, if you’re having that bit of luck, that goes in, the tackle, Lateef scores a goal.  I’m not talking about how they could’ve scored and that was the difference.”

Saunders admitted: “I was glad to see that go over the bar and you know that’s it. I’m delighted, I’m delighted for everyone, you could see the scenes and I’m delighted that we’ve got through.”

But with men pushed forward in search of a second bite of the cherry, Tonbridge Angels almost picked them off on the counter-attack.

Sub striker Piedade-Robinson released an untracked Shields, who placed his right-footed shot towards the bottom left-hand corner, only for Rowley to dive low to his right and use a strong right-hand to push the ball towards safety (56:10).

Saunders said: “I’m disappointed again that Shieldsey not just kept it in the corner.

Smith added: “Great save but listen, we’re throwing everything at them. We’re throwing everything that we’ve got.”

Tonbridge Angels fans will remember this moment and the crowds in the stands went wild as they look forward to Monday night’s FA Cup First Round Draw.

The Angels have scooped £18,375 in FA Cup prize money so far this season.

“Someone’s just said it’s only the second time in 52 years’.  I’m really pleased.  Since I’ve come here it’s all I’ve had ‘we’ve done c**p in the Cups, so for me it was important we got through for everyone at the club,” said Saunders.

“For the players, players especially. For a management team you want the players to experience things.  Our average age is 22, so a lot of these boys have never been in this situation.

“You look at Nazir (Bakrin), Jeremy Santos, Jason Adigun, people like that, have come from 23’s football, so they’ve never experienced proper FA Cup football so it’s great for them.

“It’s great to see the scenes at the end with the supporters.’ It means a lot. It means a lot financially for the club, it’s good as well and I hope we can get a good draw.

“I think the next round, even if you were to lose, you’re guaranteed £15,000, I think, because there’s no replays, so it’s worth a lot of money to the club today and it’s fantastic. I thought the day was brilliant.

“I love the set-up here. I haven’t been here since they’ve done it and it’s brilliant to see Cray here, big crowd. It’s fantastic.  I wish Smudge and Tosh (assistant Tim O’Shea) all the best for the season, they’re good guys and I’ve known them a long time.

“Gutted it was us knocking them out and they’re not going through with us but they’re good people and I’m sure they’ll go on and have a good season.”

When asked what message he has for the travelling fans, Saunders replied: “Thank you! I thought they were unbelievable from the first minute to the last. The singing, the drum, brilliant and to see the players’ in with them at the end, fantastic and that’s what you want and our supporters’ have been brilliant home and away this season.

“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to give them that chance of being in the First Round.

“I want a home tie, especially with no replay. I think home if the obvious one. If you can get a good League club and you’ve got a chance of it being on TV as well.”

Tonbridge Angels are now entering the stage with the controversial decision that there will be no replays from the First Round.

“It’s a shame. I think it takes the romance out of The FA Cup a bit doesn’t it.  Like I look back to that Stevenage game, it was fantastic but (I know) why they’ve done it as well, is the schedule.

“It’s one of those things but the club now is guaranteed, the team that goes out is guaranteed £15,000, which I guess for clubs it kinds of compensates it a little bit but I think for supporters and players, it’s hard.”

Cray Wanderers, meanwhile, have banked £14,375 in FA Cup Prize Money this season and Smith said: “It helps pay for the ground first and foremost. We need a home. People have got to pay for it and the four guys that are sort of putting the money in can’t sustain it far too much longer but hopefully this gives us a little bit of a platform to go on and kick on.”

Both sides report back to League action, with Cray Wanderers welcoming Chatham Town on Tuesday night back for the bread and butter of climbing away from relegation trouble.

Kevin Hake’s bubble has burst as his side sit in the bottom five with eight points from as many games.

Bognor Regis Town (eight points from 10 games), Bowers & Pitsea (seven points from nine games), Cheshunt (five points from eight games) and Cray Wanderers are in the relegation zone.

Smith said: “My problem is now we’ve got to re-group, re-go again. We’ve got a game on Tuesday against Chatham up are very up and down at the minute.

“I know Kevin Hake. We’ve beaten them in the local Cup but that means nothing, we now have got to do our bread and butter.

“We’ve played seven games, we’re bottom of the league, there’s 35 games to go and I want to win them all and that’s the mindset we’ve got to have.

“The quicker we get that sorted we can enjoy the season. We’re still in the local Cups, the Kent Senior Cup and the London Senior Cup.  Maybe have a little cup run in that as a distraction but first and foremost we’ve got to get out where we’re at and start moving up that league table.”

Smith wants another big crowd for the visit of Chatham Town on Tuesday night.

“Listen we’ve got to make sure this is our momentum now. Don’t just come for the Cup, come every week now. Come and get behind the club. We’ve got a youth section that’s unbelievable. We’ve got women and girls’ football, we’ve got a hub now what we call home. Home football but we need the supporters, the supporters are what we need and putting performances out there and people seeing that we’re up for it might just get them back.”

Now in tenth-place, Tonbridge Angels travel to eleventh-placed Worthing next Saturday, a side that have picked up four wins and four draws from their 10 games and came away from Plymouth Parkway with a 4-0 win in The FA Cup today.

Saunders said: “Difficult game. Worthing are a good side, always a really tough place to go but we’re looking forward to it. The boys have been brilliant. We’ll enjoy the draw on Monday and then we’ll start preparing for Worthing.”

Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Ike Orji, Darion Dowrich, Frankie Raymond, Quade Taylor, Tom Bonner, Lateef Adaja, Toby King (Calvin Ekpieta 88), Kenny Coker (David Smith 73), Charlie Edwards (Imran Kayani 55), Nyren Clunis (Anthony Cook 88).
Subs: Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, David Ijaha, Max Huxter

Booked: Ike Orji 51

Tonbridge Angels: Toby Steward, Tariq Hinds, Liam Vincent, Jamie Fielding, Nazir Bakrin, Ronny Nelson, Sean Shields, Ryan Hanson, Noel Leighton (Trevan Piedade-Robinson 77), Jeremy Santos-Hurtado (Taylor Maloney 85), Mohamad Dabre (Jason Adigun 66).
Subs: Mackenzie Richardson, Andrew Norburn, Ryan Clarke, Benjamin Martin-Coward

Goal: Jamie Fielding 64

Booked: Liam Vincent 31, Mohamad Dabre 40, Ronny Nelson 45, Jeremy Santos-Hurtado 74

Attendance: 1,222
Referee: Mr Steven Hughes
Assistants: Mr George Lynch & Mr Alphie Ibrahim
Fourth Official: Mr James Hall