Hayes & Yeading United 0-0 Tonbridge Angels - We have to put our chances away, says Tommy Warrilow

The Angels missed some good chances to knock their Conference South rivals Hayes & Yeading United out of The FA Cup at the first attempt in an uninspiring stalemate in Woking.

Within a couple of hours of this Second Qualifying Round tie getting underway, former Tonbridge Angels striker Jon Main, 32, announced his retirement from the game after a glittering career of putting the ball in the back of the net.

But despite their chances, that is something that the Kent side failed to do today, so they can now look forward to being in tomorrow’s Third Qualifying Round draw knowing their potential opponents ahead of the replay at Longmead Stadium.

Hayes & Yeading United went into the game sitting in ninth-place in the Conference South table with 12 points from 8 games.

Tonbridge Angels slumped into the bottom six with 8 points from 8 games and Warrilow demanded a positive reaction following their poor 2-0 defeat away to struggling Gosport Borough eight days’ ago.

“I’m really pleased with the reaction from last week,” said Warrilow, who faced questions immediately after walking off the pitch after speaking to his troops on the pitch following the final whistle.

“We weren’t happy as a squad, as management we weren’t happy with what we’ve done last week and you couldn’t ask for a better reaction from that.

“We worked our socks off today and I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t come away with a win.”

The first half was poor and Tonbridge Angels were forced to shoot from distance inside the opening 12 minutes.

Hardworking striker Luke Blewden, whose previous throws were hurled into the box, decided to throw the ball short to Henry Muggeridge and the right-back took a touch before drilling a left-footed shot over the bar from 35-yards out.

The Angels thought they had taken the lead five minutes later but striker Mark Lovell was thwarted by an offside flag, after meeting Nathan Green’s cross with a near post cushioned header which sailed into the near corner from four-yards.

Hayes & Yeading United squandered their best chance of the entire game when the woodwork saved the Angels in the 24^th minute.

A poor header back towards his keeper from Sonny Miles – who was otherwise immense at the heart of the Tonbridge defence alongside Jon Heath – was latched onto by Louie Soares, who played the ball across to Kamaron English, who swept the ball back across the face of goal for lone striker Jake Reid but he steered his right-footed shot against the near post from eight-yards.

Warrilow said: “Our mistake gives them a chance, apart from that I’m sort of scratching a little bit to think when they got in!

“Sonny’s tried to head it back to the keeper and got a little bit too much on it. It’s gone through to H (Henry Muggeridge), who should have got his foot through it. He had a touch and they’ve hit the post but that’s not through us being torn apart – that’s from us being sloppy.”

Tonbridge Angels’ man-of-the-match Phillip Appiah was given time and space to unleash a right-footed stinging drive from 40-yards, which was caught by Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.

Warrilow was full of praise for the central midfielder in yellow boots.

“Phillip Appiah, who has been sitting down for the last two weeks has got a minute in the last two weeks, has gone on in there and he’s put in a performance like that, which shows the good attitude that we’ve got in the squad.”

The Angels’ created the last chance of a boring first half inside injury time.

Right-back Muggeridge burst forward before he played the ball inside to Appiah, who turned and left his marker Mills on the deck before striking a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which stung the hands of the Hayes & Yeading United keeper.

Around 60 travelling supporters in the crowd of Hayes & Yeading United’s second largest crowd of the season hoped for a much better game in the second half.

“It was never going to be,” added Warrilow, when it was suggested that the first half wasn’t very good.

“It was difficult conditions out there. I thought we could have had a few more shots off. We got into good areas and could’ve had a few more shots but it wasn’t to be.

“For me the work-rate and the work ethic, everything, I can’t fault the lads and that’s what we all want to see from (last) Saturday.

“But we were poor at Gosport but it’s not the end of the world. We were poor and we’ve got to get on with it.  We’ll probably be poor again during the season but we’ve got to go again and try to stay unbeaten again and stay in The FA Cup.”

When asked what he said to his troops at the half-time interval, Warrilow replied: “Just to keep it going! We thought it would be a lot harder than what it was second half.  We thought they would come at us a little bit more because of the wind but as I said to the boys, if you just keep organising yourselves without the ball, stop making sloppy mistakes and don’t give them any chances, make them work for it and make sure we get around the front two a lot more.”

But Warrilow was satisfied with his side’s commanding second half performance against a home team that lacked any quality up front.

“I don’t think they got amongst us in the second half,” added Warrilow.

Thankfully, Tonbridge Angels pressed for the winning goal to bring a dead game back to life.

Nathan Green swung in a corner from the right with his left-foot and Lovell held his head in his hands after he sent his header over the bar from six-yards.

Hayes & Yeading United’s first chance in the second half came inside ten minutes when Mills’ long diagonal ball released Soares galloping down the left before he cut the ball back to Reid, whose first time shot sailed over the near post and into the empty seated stand.

Tonbridge Angels keeper Clark Masters made his only save of the game when he pushed away Kelvin Bossman’s angled right-footed drive from 20-yards after the winger ran across Tonbridge defender Heath – who was later withdrawn with a knock to his arm – before cracking a shot high over the keeper’s right shoulder which was brilliantly turned around the post.

Tonbridge Angels continued to pop shots from outside of the penalty area and Appiah played the ball outside to David Ijaha, whose first time right-footed drive flashed past the post from 25-yards.

The Angels created another chance past the hour when Lovell threw the ball to Appiah, whose diagonal pass was brought under Muggeridge’s spell out on the right and his cross was hit on the turn by Blewden, the ball sailing agonisingly over the bar as the keeper dived to his left.

Tonbridge Angels should have done better after Blewden’s long throw was stabbed towards goal by Ijaha from sixteen-yards, but the former Dover Athletic stopper made a comfortable low save to his right.

Jaimez-Ruiz collected the home club’s man-of-the-match award when he kept the west London club in The FA Cup in the final thirteen minutes.

Green swung in a corner from the right and Miles almost capped off a fine display when he powered his header across goal towards the far corner, but Jaimez-Ruiz dived to his left to push the ball away.

Reflecting on that chance, Warrilow said: “Sonny’s had a header when the keeper’s made a great save off. Greenie’s followed up from Sonny’s header and whether that just went over it’s hard to see if it went over or just wide. There’s some good chances there.”

Tonbridge Angels’ final chance went to skipper Lee Browning, whose right-footed free-kick from 27-yards went over the wall and was comfortably saved by the Hayes & Yeading United keeper.

Warrilow was satisfied with his side’s first clean sheet of the season at the tenth attempt.

He said: “We defended brilliantly, kept a clean sheet, sweeping up at the back with Clark and when we went forward, we went forward in numbers and we got in good areas. 

“The only disappointed with a couple of things but I’m not going to dwell on it because we should have won but we’re in the hat Monday and that’s the main thing.”

Today’s result brought an end to the club’s miserable FA Cup record when they’ve suffered defeats to Guildford City, Chelmsford City and Dover Athletic in the past three seasons.

“I’m fed up hearing about it,” said Warrilow.  “We absolutely battered Guildford City for 90 minutes and we let in a goal in the 91^st.  It’s what happens in Cup football. Chelmsford and Dover away were always going to be two tricky ties but as I’ve said before we go to win every game.”

Warrilow added: “We came here today with the same attitude. We’ve not set defensively.  We’ve tried to get at teams and we’ve come away with the minimum we deserved.  I’m just pleased for everyone. I’m pleased for the chairman. We’re in the hat because it keeps it alive but we’ve not done nothing here. We’ve drawn and we have to make sure we don’t throw it away on Tuesday.”

When asked how his side will beat Hayes & Yeading United in front of a passionate home crowd on Tuesday night, the Tonbridge boss said: “We have to put our chances away. Full stop.

“If everyone’s fit, I won’t change it but why would I change that because that was a good performance by everyone.”

Warrilow rubbished claims that his side are the favourites to progress now that they have home advantage.

He said: “All that favourite’s s**t, I can’t get wrapped around it mate.  I just think anyone can beat anyone in this league. You can’t afford to go in with that attitude, the league is so early. Two wins puts you in fifth spot. It’s too early to say all that. All I know is if my boys give me what they’ve given me today, I can’t ask for much more.”

Hayes & Yeading United:  Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz, Anthony Furlonge, Adam Everitt, Jack Mills, Charlie Wassmer, Dean Inman, Kelvin Bossman, Tom Bird, Jake Reid (Seb Schoburgh 65), Louie Soares (Walter Figueira 90), Kamaron English (Luke Williams 64).
Subs: Luke Bersey, Lewis Cole, Jack Thomson-Wheeler, James Warrington

Booked:  Kelvin Bossman 80, Adam Everitt 85

Tonbridge Angels: Clark Masters, Henry Muggeridge, Ryan Watts, Phillip Appiah, Sonny Miles, Jon Heath (Gary Borrowdale 75), Mark Lovell (Mikel Suarez 83), David Ijaha, Luke Blewden, Lee Browning, Nathan Green.
Subs:  Luke Olley, Nathan Pinney, Scott Chalmers-Stevens

Booked:  Phillip Appiah 69, Jon Heath 71, Gary Borrowdale 80

Attendance: 198
Referee: Mr John O’Brien (London SW18)
Assistants: Mr Jason Connolly (Camberley, Surrey) & Mr Guy Poynter (Basingstoke, Hampshire)