Magnificent Angels: Chairman pays tribute to Warrilow - and heroic players - EXCLUSIVE

Tonbridge Angels chairman Nick Sullivan is expecting a record crowd of over 2,000 when AFC Wimbledon visit next month, writes Stephen McCartney.

The brave hearts of Tonbridge Angels sealed a 1-0 victory over full-time Blue Square Premier giants Oxford United to book themselves a place in the second round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy on 12^th January 2008.

Despite having five players out and only 12 first team players at their disposal, the west Kent side showed sheer guts, pride and determination to keep their second clean sheet against a side that’s now only scored two goals in their last seven games.

And they also finished the game with only nine men as Scott Kinch and goalscorer Hamid Barr, who scored with a sweet 30^th minute shot with the outside of his right boot, were harshly sent off for dissent, picking up their second yellow cards, inside stoppage time.

Oxford United may be a club that used to play the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1980’s, but they must be at their lowest ebb in their history - only 57 fans made the two-hour trip to witness the giant killing.

And whilst the Angels’ heroes were out earning a living, Mr Sullivan revealed Oxford’s full-time players were enjoying their luxury lifestyle of professional - and well paid - footballers.

“Not only did we beat them, we beat the referee tonight because he was embarrassing - he was the worse ref that I’ve seen in my whole career,” Mr Sullivan said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“The boys‘, to a man, were magnificent. Over the two games we thoroughly deserved it.

“Second half they put us under a lot of pressure but it was long balls that our defence just dealt with.

“It probably hasn’t sunken in yet. We’ve just beaten a full-time Conference club who were stuck in a hotel in Tunbridge Wells this afternoon, while our boys’ were working.

“You tell me over the two games, you’ve seen them, whose the better side?

“You couldn’t tell who the full-time side was and that’s credit to everybody involved in the football club.”

Tonbridge Angels can expect to break their biggest ever attendance figure for the visit of AFC Wimbledon on 12^th January 2008 - the last 32 of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

And a proud Mr Sullivan said: “I’ve just spoken to the Wimbledon chairman. He actually listened to the game on Radio Oxford and he’s delighted.

“We have a fantastic relationship between the two clubs and between Erik (Samuelson) and myself particularly.

“He reckons they’re going to bring a thousand (fans). We will smash the gate record. We will beat the play-off gate (against Dover Athletic) - there will be over 2,000 people in for that game.”

Mr Sullivan, who played in goal for Arsenal against Oxford United - that’s how far they’ve fallen from grace - paid tribute to manager Tommy Warrilow.

The 43-year-old former Horsham assistant manager has lost just one game (at Harrow Borough) in eleven games since taking over from Tony Dolby.

“He’s brought confidence, he’s changed the way we’ve played, his man management, his charismatic and the boys’ have responded,” said Mr Sullivan.

“That’s one defeat in eleven under Tommy and if you consider we had five players’ missing tonight, it didn’t make any different tonight - everyone performed.

“I played against Oxford United when I was at Arsenal not that long ago and they’re a club that’s fallen from grace. Oxford’s wage bill is astronomical.

“And the biggest thing I can say their boys were stuck in a hotel this afternoon, whilst our boys’ have been grafting since six o’clock this morning.

“You tell me whose the full-time side today?”

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ websites: 
www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk & www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk/forum