Leyton 0-4 Tonbridge Angels - I'm still targeting the play-off's, says Warrilow - EXCLUSIVE

LEYTON 0-4 TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 22^nd January 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Lea Bridge Road

TONBRIDGE ANGELS manager Tommy Warrilow insists Carl Rook will now produce the goods, having opened his goalscoring account tonight.

The former Horsham striker, in and out of the side during the Angels’ FA Trophy campaign, banged in two goals as the west Kent side totally OUTCLASSED basement boys Leyton to climb out of the drop zone.

Both sides started the game in the bottom three, and a shockingly poor crowd of JUST 60 - there's bigger crowds in the Kent League -saw Tonbridge Angels turn on the style, with right-sided winger John Westcott impressive throughout.

On this display there is no chance that Tonbridge Angels will remain near the foot of the table - Leyton, on the other hand, look doomed.

Had Tonbridge taken their numerous chances then they would have scored a lot more goals.

But they had to settle for just the four, with two of those goals arriving in the final fourteen minutes against a side heading towards relegation.

Defender James Donovan was forced to sit out this match, having picked up a one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards, whilst the versatile Robbie Kember served the last of his two-match ban.

Westcott was simply brilliant throughout and the Angels who earned themselves 12 corners to their hosts none, should have scored from their first flag kick.

The winger’s sixth minute floated corner was met by a towering header from an unmarked John Beales from eight yards, which agonisingly bounced off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.

And at the other end, Shaun Lee sent a left-footed half-volley just over Matt Reed’s crossbar.

Another Westcott cross was met by Tommy Tyne’s looping header, which dropped just over from twelve yards out.

Tyne, the former Dover Athletic man, will be forced to sit out the next three games, following his red card against AFC Wimbledon in the club’s last match, their sorry FA Trophy exit, in which they lost 4-0.

Left-winger Kirk Watts took his first - and Angels third - corner after seventeen minutes. Beales again met the ball with his head but sent the ball over the top of the right post from six-yards.

It took almost 23 minutes for the home side to muster a chance at Reed’s goal but the unmarked Victor Renner, once of Dover Athletic, sent his header over from ten-yards, following a cross from the right by Marvin McCoy.

Charlie Bull then played a superb long diagonal ball over the top of the Tonbridge defence for McCoy to latch onto but the nippy midfielder Shaun Lee wasted the chance and poked his shot past the post.

But Tonbridge Angels deserved their lead, which came after 33 minutes, with Rook netting his first goal for the club since his big-money move.

Rook started and finished the move, playing the ball to winger Kirk Watts down the left hand side on a nice playing surface.

Watts then delivered a trademark cross for Rook, whose initial header was beaten out by goalkeeper Sam Tanner, but Rook responded first and nodded the ball past the goalkeeper from just three yards.

Rook was denied by a fine near post save by Tanner but Tonbridge deservedly doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time.

Once again it arrived from another superb corner from Westcott, which was flicked on by Beales at the near post and Fraser Logan, partnering Rook, swung round and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Another chance came Tonbridge’s way early in the second half.

Westcott drilled a low curling free-kick from the left-hand side and all it needed was a touch from anyone in the crowded penalty area as the ball flashed past the far post.

Leyton’s finishing, however, was woeful and that’s why they’re currently rooted to the bottom of the table.

McCoy’s left-footed shot on the angle from twenty-yards crashed against the roof of the empty terracing behind Reed’s goal - and the east Londoners also hit the foot of the right-hand post later on.

Tyne played in Rook whose right-footed angled drive flashed past the far post as Tonbridge went in search for more goals against a very poor side.

But the scoreline finally mirrored the true reflection on the game as Tonbridge netted two goals in quick succession.

Westcott was once again the provider, when his free-kick was flicked on at the near-post and fell to Beales at the far, and he drilled an angled shot across the goalkeeper and into the bottom far corner after 76 minutes.

Rook, who later had a goal chalked off for offside, rifled a right-footed penalty into the top-left hand corner moments later, after Watts was brought down by Tanner on the edge of the six-yard box.

Despite climbing to fifth from bottom in the table, Tonbridge Angels are only TEN points adrift of a Ramsgate side that’s currently occupying that final play-off berth.

But Warrilow was a happy man afterwards, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Disappointed we didn’t make it any more but I’m not going to get too greedy. The main thing is we needed a win tonight," he said.

“I would have taken a 1-0 prior to coming here. They had a good result Saturday at Chelmsford (losing 2-1). There’s no easy games. Four-nil, very happy, it was a comfortable four-nil.”

Warrilow was happy that Rook got off the mark despite his stop-start Tonbridge Angels career.

“I thought he played well tonight,” he said. “There’s things he has to work on but I’ve said it before, people have to get off his back and be a little bit patient.

“The lads only had five games since we’ve been here. Even tonight it was two and a half weeks since his last game.

“He’s not the same player as Jon Main but he will make a nuisance of himself, create goals and score goals and tonight he scored two so hopefully that’s him off the mark.”

He added: “I know what he’s going to give us and I know he’s a wanted forward.”

Warrilow also signalled out Westcott, the main inspiration tonight.

He said: “He’s different gear all day long. Total professional, you’ll get a good honest days graft out of him.

“God knows how many crosses he got in tonight. Not one iota of a problem with John Westcott, that’s why he was my first signing when I got here.”

Also pleasing was the clean-sheet and that central defender John Wilfort, who gifted AFC Wimbledon two of their four goals in their last game, was back to his best.

“I’m pleased for John tonight,” said Warrilow. “John came in and obviously put to bed the torrid time he had against Wimbledon.

“Human error again. I’m not going to hang the kid out to dry, he’s a good player.

“He still needs some games but he’s come in tonight, looked stronger at the back and his distribution was good and hopefully he’ll build on that as well.”

Warrilow, who takes his side to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday in league action, was pleased that his side got over this banana skin.

He said: “I love going to Wimbledon and Chelmsford. I prefer playing those teams than coming to the likes of, no disrespect to Leyton because you’re on a hiding to nothing here.

“I suppose this will go down as we should have won. It doesn’t really matter this result to some people but we’ve got three points.

“If we can get a little run together like a few of them have there’s no reason why we can’t push up.

“I think Tonbridge finished eleventh last year so it’s important we finish this season top half of the table.

“Until the play-off’s are mathematically impossible I’ll keep giving them boys’ a target - that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Leyton: Sam Tanner, Jack Dallender, Aaron Ramos-Gonzalez, Ben Gracey, Olawale Ojelabi, (Roderick Osei-Owusu 46), Des Thomas, Shaun Lee, Aaron Cox (Andrew Thomas 65), Victor Renner, Marvin McCoy (Jermain Hughes 79), Charlie Bull.
Subs: Jamie Edwards, Shaun Maher.

Booked: Aaron Cox 24, Andrew Thomas 81, Jermain Hughes 81

Tonbridge Angels: Matt Reed, Phil Starkey, Matt Lovell (Akwasi Edusei 72) Tommy Tyne, John Beales, John Wilfort, John Westcott, Anthony Storey, Fraser Logan, Carl Rook, Kirk Watts.
Subs: Micky Collins, Scott Kinch, Akwasi Edusei, Dan Bowles.

Goals: Carl Rook 33, 77 (pen),Fraser Logan 44, John Beales 76

Booked: Anthony Storey 39, John Beales 81

Attendance: 60
Referee: Mr Neil West (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex)
Assistants: Mr S Gillman (Colchester, Essex) & Mr C Newman (Bures, Suffolk)