Hopefully we can go to Wingate & Finchley and get a result, says Tonbridge Angels' assistant manager Barry Moore

TONBRIDGE ANGELS’ assistant manager Barry Moore says it feels nice to smash the current clubs FA Cup biggest win in style last night.

The second-placed Ryman Premier League outfit were just a kick away from suffering an embarrassing FA Cup First Qualifying Round exit away to Hellenic League outfit Ascot United on Sunday.

Ascot were awarded a last-gasp penalty but Angels keeper Anthony Di-Bernardo pulled off a brilliant save to deny Paul Coyne grabbing all of the headlines, as Tonbridge Angels dominated the game, which finished 2-2.

But there was to be no second chance for Ascot’s bravehearts as they could not live with Tonbridge’s high tempo and Steve McKimm’s side scored seven without reply at Longmead Stadium last night.

The Angels raced into a 3-0 lead at the break, courtesy of a headed own goal by Jesse Wilson; Nathan Elder’s trademark header and Damien Scannell slotting home.

Midfielder Luke Allen stroked in a third from 30-yards, before winger Bradley Fortnum-Tomlinson came off the bench to add a fifth goal.

Ascot were reduced to ten-men when they lost central defender Ryan Britnall to a straight red-card for a two-footed lunge on man-of-the-match Allen.

Ascot keeper Carl Dennison, who pulled off a string of brilliant first half saves, blotted his copybook by pushing in Scannell’s corner for the second own goal of the night, before classy Tom Phipp came off the bench to score a 22-yard free-kick at the end.

When told it was Tonbridge Angels’ record FA Cup win (albeit predecessors Tonbridge FC thrashed Worthing 11-1 in the Second Qualifying Round back in 1951), Moore replied: “Is it really? There you go then, we’ve set one record then, nice, that’s good!”

The Angels will now travel to league rivals Wingate & Finchley in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday 17 September.

Tonbridge beat the north London outfit 3-0 on the opening day of the season and they are in the bottom three after winning one and drawing one of their first six league outings, while Tonbridge have only conceded two goals in the league this term.

“They’ve got a couple of players back in now who didn’t play against us, who are good,” warned Moore.

“They have a lovely pitch down there and we know that they’re a good footballing side.  If you let them have time and space and they’ll pass round anyone in the league.  They know what we’re about so hopefully we can go there and get a result.”

Tonbridge Angels return to Ryman Premier League action on Saturday with a trip to fourth-placed AFC Sudbury.

“Playing on the Astro, the 3G, most people train on it now.  It will be an advantage because the ball sits up in certain areas but we’ve got ball players that can handle that.  We should be going there in confidence.  We do train on 3G pitches in the winter but a lot of the lads, when they were young players and they’ve grown up with it really.”

Tonbridge Angels are expected to make changes for next Tuesday’s trip down to newly-promoted Kent rivals Folkestone Invicta in the Alan Turvey Trophy Sponsored by Robert Dyas First Round.

“When the draw came out we had it in mind people like Tashi-Jay Kwayie, a couple of the young lads to play in it,” revealed Moore.

“We’ve played Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday from the start of the season and it’s no disrespect to the League Cup but we have to look at the young lads.

“I think Tashi-Jay is an exciting prospect and there’s a few in the youth team so hopefully we’ll give them a run-out.

Subject to FA Cup results, Tonbridge Angels then host league leaders 100% Leiston at Longmead Stadium on Tuesday 20 September.

Moore added: “Leiston are very organised, very structured team and they’ve scored a lot more goals than they did this time last year I think, but I think that will be a good game.  Leiston are there for a reason after the first six games so they’re doing something right.”

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

AFC Sudbury  v  Tonbridge Angels
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 10^th September 2016
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Brundon Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 7HN