Kentish Football 
Margate 0-1 Tonbridge Angels - My Margate side lacked passion, fumes boss Iain O'Connell
Tuesday 05th October 2010
MARGATE 0-1 TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 5th October 2010
Mike Green reports from Hartsdown Park
A BRILLIANTLY worked goal from Lee Browning proved enough for the Tonbridge Angels to win a pulsating Kent derby at Hartsdown Park, which saw both sides playing some terrific fast flowing football, which was in the main brilliantly refereed by Mr Stuart Butler.
Although Margate boss Iain O’Connell was disappointed with his side’s overall showing after the game, even O’Connell would have to appreciate the one touch football the Angels showed in the build up to the games only goal even if, as the Gate managed bemoaned afterwards, “we let the full back run much too far!”
The full back in question, Jake Beecroft then found Browning 20 yards out, and the former Dover man exchanged fabulous one touch “cushioned” passes with Claude Seanla (who’s pace proved a real thorn in the home side all night) before striding into the box to slide the ball past a wrong footed Jamie Turner in the home goal.
For Angels boss Tommy Warrilow, this was the ideal way to follow on Saturday 7-1 drubbing of AFC Hornchurch, as he explained to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game. “We’ve played some top quality one touch, two touch football tonight and the goal underlined that,” he said.
“First half I though we got the ball down and spread it around in good areas, which we continued in the second half.
“It was always going to be tough for us tonight as they only lost 2-1 at Sutton on Saturday – Iain’s (O’Connell) got a very good side here; they’ve got the height and the strength which are always a threat – very similar to Hornchurch in fact – no one’s going to come here and get an easy game.
“There’s always loads of passion and the desire from both sets of benches to win the game tonight must have been clear for all to see, but I’m just glad we’ve come out the other end with all three points.”
O’Connell couldn’t hid his disappointment at what he considered to be his sides lack lustre first half as he then spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “I’m so disappointed at the way we played in the first half – they dominated the game really and we didn’t come into it until the second half,” he said.
“Second half we came back into the game and created a couple of chances when we really should have done better.
“But that wasn’t the passion that I want from my Margate side. I don’t know why, but it just wasn’t there tonight particularly in the first half. No one really wanted the ball and that’s a great shame.”
It could be said that O’Connell is being hard on his troops for this was really a very pleasing game to watch, which for a Kent derby is something of a rarity, and it almost had the explosive start that so many of these games actually need.
After only 7 minutes, James Rogers got away don the left and his cross was met by a fabulous Shaun Welford header, only for Lee Worgan in the Angels goal to pull off a fine save away to his right.
Just before the 15 minute mark it was the visitors turn to come close, Jamie England guiding a header (from Frannie Collin’s deep cross) just wide of Turner’s left post.
England went even closer moments later when my Man of the Match Chris Piper combined brilliantly with Browning, before sliding a delightful ball through for England who coming in from the left wing blazed high over the bar.
At this stage Margate were being pinned back in their own half, and on 24 minutes Collin and England combined to create the chance for Browning, but the former Dover man curled the ball inches wide as Turner looked on helplessly as the ball fizzed again past his left post.
Just when you felt that the homes side needed to kick-start their game, Worgan again was called upon to make an excellent stop – this time from James Pinnock.
A long throw was flicked on by Welford and with the Angels keeper scrambling across the goal, the ball just wouldn’t come down for Pinnock quickly enough before Worgan blocked his shot around the post.
In Margate’s next attack Darren Marsden was thwarted by another stunning Worgan save, before the Angels keeper was fortunate to get away with a fumble after he blocked another Marsden drive only for the ball to rebound towards Welford but close enough to the big striker before the angels keeper was able to recover.
Right on the stroke of half time, Pinnock hobbled off with a reoccurrence of a groin problem and O’Connell admitted afterwards, losing one of his strikers proved to be a big blow.
The Gate boss said: “Obviously losing James just before half time was a big blow as we’re still a bit light weight up front. He’s got a groin problem, which he had a fitness test on beforehand and he said it was OK, but it went just before half time. We’ll have to see how serious it is and hopefully he’ll be OK for Saturday’s game with Horsham.”
Margate could have done with Pinnock after the break, which began with Marsden again trying his luck from distance – a fierce shot just not dipping enough as it cleared the bar.
Collin was then denied at the other end by a brilliant Turner save – the former Dover striker’s trickery left former team mates Craig Cloke and Laurence Ball in his wake before trying to curl the ball around Turner, only for the giant keeper to claw the ball away diving full length to his left.
Then, with 15 minutes left the Angels struck – Browning exchanging crisp short passes with first Jake Beecroft and then Seanla before guiding the ball past a wrong footed Turner and into the Margate net.
Within three minutes the home side perhaps should have been level. Turner’s huge clearance caught the Tonbridge defence out allowing substitute Dean Grant to race away clean through on the Tonbridge goal.
Worgan though stood up and didn’t commit himself, and pulled off a fine block.
Piper then came within a wicker of sealing the points but his delightful ball into the box was just too far ahead of both Seanla and Collin, before Aaron Lacy fired a bullet through the crowd which Worgan did extremely well to hold onto, for what was the home sides final opportunity of what really was an enthralling game to watch – one that was excellently refereed by Mr Butler, who could have thrown cards around, but used common sense and allowed the game to flow which added to the crowds enjoyment.
Asked whether these back-to-back wins could be the kick-start the Angels season needed, the manager’s response was in some ways expected.
“You’re not going to get me to say we’ve turned the corner just because we’ve won two on the bounce,” Warrilow said.
“I’ve always said we’ll look at it at Christmas and take it from there and I still do. We’ve got a tough game with Croydon Athletic coming up on Saturday – I know Dave Garland and Bob Langford really well and the longer those two are at the club then they will only get stronger, so we’ll be treating Croydon with exactly the same respect as we would a Sutton!”
Margate: Jamie Turner, Aaron Lacy, Tommy Osbourne, Curtis Robinson, Craig Cloke, Laurence Ball, Darren Marsden (Wayne Wilson 82), Jay Saunders, Shaun Welford, James Pinnock (Dean Grant 44), James Rogers.
Subs: Sam Groombridge, Alex Waugh, Josh Winchcombe
Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Sam Jones (Rory Hill 90), Danny Walder, Lee Browning, Sonny Miles, Ben Judge, Jamie England (Scott Kinch 72), Chris Piper, Claude Seanla (Jay May 83), Frannie Collin, Jake Beecroft.
Subs: Kirk Watts, Matt Hollyoak.
Goal: Lee Browning 75
Booked: Scott Kinch 78
Attendance: 341
Referee: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Adam Bakalarz (Bromley) & Mr Jamie Broughton (Deptford, London SE8)
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