I don't want to finish where we did last year, says Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says he wants to finish in the top eight this season.



The Angels boss won his first FA Cup tie in four years when ten-man Hayes & Yeading United were beaten 2-1 in the Second Qualifying Round Replay at Longmead Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Angels came away from Woking with a goal-less draw on Sunday, but they finished off the job on home soil.

Phil Babbs’ side were reduced to ten-men when striker Kelvin Bossman was controversially sent-off for allegedly swearing at referee Barry Holderness after 21 minutes and Tonbridge were 2-0 up at the break when Gary Elphick and Mikel Suarez scored.

Hayes & Yeading United pulled a goal back through Frankie Murrifield in the final eleven minutes to set up a tense finish.

Tonbridge Angels will now travel to Calor (Southern League) Premier side St Albans City in the penultimate qualifying round on 12 October.

But before that tie, the Angels return to Conference South action tomorrow when fifth-placed Staines Town visit Longmead Stadium in Warrilow’s 300^th game in charge of the Kent club.

“Back to the bread and butter,” said Warrilow.

“Staines are fifth, but only six points (ahead of us).

“The boys have had two hard games in the space of 72 hours. That’s why the squad’s tested for. We had a couple of changes on Tuesday and they’ve both popped up with goals so that’s another plus for.”

Warrilow was faced with internet abuse after going down to a disappointing 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted strugglers Gosport Borough two weeks ago.

“To be honest it’s only the Gosport game that’s killed us but the reaction from it was ridiculous,” said Warrilow.

“I’ve been here long enough now. You’ve just got to get on with it.

“We’ve lost one in six, we’ve had a good FA Cup win and we’ve got to carry that into Saturday. We don’t put our feet up. The most important thing is the league so Saturday is a massive game as well.”

Goalscoring has been a problem for Tonbridge Angels this season.  Luke Blewden, Nathan Green, Lee Browning, Sonny Miles, David Ijaha, Mark Lovell, Henry Muggeridge, Nathan Pinney, Elphick and Suarez have all scored one goal each.

“When you see the way we’ve been training, that’s the most frustrating thing. We’ve been training fantastic. The tempo and quality has been outstanding,” revealed Warrilow.

The Angels boss confirms the standard in Conference South gets harder every year – but he doesn’t want to finish in sixteenth-place again.

“I think at any level, you go into the first year and you’re not sure about it but sides that came up have strengthened this year,” explained Warrilow. 

“I spoke to a lot of players that I just couldn’t get down the club. It’s one of those things. We knew what was going on around the league and we knew it was going to be tough this year but we have got to be a little bit realistic in what we’re doing.

“Listen, we’re pushing for as high as we can all the time. I don’t want to finish where we did last year. My aim is to at least finish above ninth, where we finished the first year when we was in it.”

Warrilow calls for the club’s fans to keep the faith and get themselves through the turnstiles tomorrow.

A crowd of 297 bothered to turn up to watch their FA Cup win in midweek – the club’s lowest of the season.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Warrilow.  “I don’t know where they are.  Football was on the tellie. 

“It’s not going to help us, that’s the thing, we’re saying we need help.  We need the fans. We need everything. We’re playing Conference South football and it’s a very good league, good quality sides that are coming down here and we’ve got a good set of lads here and good quality here.  It’s disappointing but we just have to get on with it.

“Hopefully there will be a few more Saturday and then we’ll crack on from there.  I can’t do nothing about the attendances. I’m sure there will be someone deep in thought about why.”

Tonbridge Angels have done well to maintain their Conference South status on a smaller budget to some of their league rivals.

Warrilow said: “The club’s that have come up through this league, Dartford’s, Chelmsford, Dover, teams like that, they’re big, big, massive clubs.

“The two teams that went up last year went back straight down, Billericay and Hornchurch and they’re probably in similar situations than what we are.

“Hornchurch have been higher historically and Billericay were full time not long ago when Justin Edinburgh went over there. 

“We’re finding our way.  I speak to the chairman all the time and we’re fine about it. We all want more, we all want better but we’ve got to walk before we can run but at the moment we’re jogging along nicely and were trying to push on, but when you get gates like Tuesday night the only plus is we’ve got the FA Cup money on top of it.”

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

Tonbridge Angels  v  Staines Town
The Skrill South
Saturday 5^th October 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JF