I think we're going to prove a few people wrong, says Tonbridge Angels' boss Tommy Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says he is looking forward to locking horns against a club of the calibre of Woking at Longmead Stadium tomorrow, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Angels came away from Dover Athletic with a point after a goal-less draw at Crabble, although they had chances to win it, Frannie Collin coming closest to scoring against his former club, but he was denied by Venezuelan goalkeeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz at the death.

Tonbridge Angels, who were promoted via the Ryman Premier League play-off’s, are holding their own in their inaugural Blue Square Bet South campaign, and have collected seven of the fifteen points available and sit in ninth place in the table.

Warrilow is looking forward to welcoming Surrey giants Woking to Longmead Stadium tomorrow.  Woking are unbeaten in second place in the table with 11 points from 5 games and are two points behind Welling United, who gave the Angels a footballing lesson at Park View Road last Tuesday, but Warrlow was pleased with his side’s defensive showing against Dover.

He said: “I said last week, we didn’t turn up for Welling and we were disappointed we didn’t really play.  Today (at Dover) we played.  We got the ball down, we played, we got it out wide, we kept the ball well.  We didn’t do that at Welling.”

Looking ahead to the visit of Woking, Warrilow, 47, said: “I said to the boys, the higher you go, sometimes the better you play and we said that from day one.

“Games like Woking, Dover, even teams like Eastleigh, who we’re playing now, I think the crowd appreciate that at home, as well as the calibre of club we’ve got coming down to Longmead now.  It’s what we’ve been crying out for, for years and we’re determined and I think we’ve more than held our own in the opening six games, but it’s a very, very long way to go.”

Warrilow admitted tomorrow’s game against Woking is one of the biggest fixtures of the season.

“It’s probably the biggest, I would have thought, them and Truro and Dover and Dartford, they’re the four,” he said.

“And then go through the league, the Chelmford’s, the Bromley’s – they just keep coming.”

The Angels have been tipped by many to struggle this season – but Warrilow is having none of that and his side are more than capable of a midtable finish.

“What I don’t like is when we come to clubs and do well, we went to Maidenhead and done well (winning 4-0) and (people said) Maidenhead were bad – and we beat Eastleigh and they (said they) weren’t good. 

“It’s about us doing well.  We’ve come to Dover and done a fantastic job here today.  Dover aren’t poor, Dover are a very, very good side.

“It was a good team performance today and I don’t want to take that away from the lads.”

Warrilow added: “When we speak to people, they say we’re the lesser side of the two that’s come up and no-one’s really been very complimentary at the moment.

“I like that.  We’ve never had it before.  I think we’re going to prove a few people wrong, but we’re not going to run before we walk.

“We will make mistakes but the lads have been fantastic so far and (we have) seven points.

“It’s still very, very tight and that’s how you want the league to be.”

Dartford, who romped to the Ryman Premier League title 12 months earlier, struggled before Christmas in their first season at this level.  Tony Burman’s side had picked up five points – two fewer than Tonbridge – at this stage of last season.

And Warrilow urges supporters to continue with their good support.

“You’ve got to get behind your side, whether they are playing poorly or getting frustrated, that’s when the players’ need you more,” he said.

“The fans have been brilliant this year, from the middle part of last season onwards.  The fans have been fantastic.  We appreciate we’ve stepped up a level and they appreciate that sometimes we won’t do what’s right and make mistakes but like today, we’ve learnt again and it might be a season like this.”

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

Tonbridge Angels  v  Woking
Blue Square Bet South
Bank Holiday Monday, 29^th August 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JW