Tonbridge Angels 0-1 Chelmsford City - Warrilow asks: Where did he get the time from?

With the clocks going forward tonight, the Eltham based referee needs to visit his nearest watch repair centre (there’s one at Well Hall Road, Eltham), as he somehow found nearly seven minutes of “stoppage” time.

Chelmsford City scored the only goal of the game, timed at 50:13, in a second half where five substitutions were made (accounting for around two and a half minutes), but both physiotherapists remained in their dug-outs during the half.

Mario Noto’s seventh goal of the season, however, came just 104 seconds from the end of the game and ended the Kent side’s magnificent seven game winning run, leaving boss Tommy Warrilow bewildered.

“Anyone that was here today I thought we deserved more, at least a draw,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“They’ve come here, and to be fair, I think the way they’ve set out the last few games has been a bit defensive looking, to hit teams on the break.

“But I was more disappointed with the time the goal was scored in and the 96 and a half minutes, whatever.

“We asked the ref how long to go, he told me “a couple of minutes” and six and a half minutes later they scored!

“I’m not going to air-pick or whatever, pick-hairs but it just sticks in your throat when you lose like that, so late.

“We was out on our feet but I don’t think, it was cruel the way the goal went in.”

Angels goalkeeper Matt Reed went into this game having kept four consecutive clean sheets and he had reached 514 minutes without conceding - before substitute Noto netted a controversial winner.

A corner from James Dawson was cut back to Noto and the 22-year-old drilled a right-footed shot through a crowded penalty area, and the ball nestled into the bottom far corner of the net after flashing underneath Matt Lovell’s feet at the far-post.

It was cruel on the Kent side and the jubilant scenes where Chelmsford City players’ celebrated their 25^th league win with their supporters, was really hard to take.

They may be top of the league, but on this occasion, they didn’t show it as resilient Tonbridge Angels took them all the way, well almost!

Warrilow kept faith with the same starting eleven that defeated his former club Horsham 3-0 on Easter Monday.

Despite completing his two-match ban, striker Carl Rook, whose netted 25 goals this season (15 for the Angels) had to sit on the bench for 65 minutes before partnering Akwasi Edusei up front, whilst Fraser Logan switched to the left.

The Angels set their stall out very early and right-back Ray Powell was booked for a tackle on Chelmsford’s 21-goal striker Ricky Holmes inside the opening two minutes on a wet and blustery day.

Powell was warned about his future behaviour by Mr Hatzidakis for fouling the same player again just two minutes later, and this unsettled Holmes, who later switched from the left flank to the right.

Both sides created a couple of chances inside the opening eleven minutes.

Chelmsford’s James Lawson rode a challenge from Kirk Watts down the middle before striking a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was comfortably saved by Reed, diving to his left.

Angels midfielder Tommy Tyne, meanwhile, almost added to his five-goals this season as his right-footed drive from 25-yards crashed just past the near post, thundering into the perimeter fencing behind Danny Gay’s goal.

Chelmsford knew it was going to be a very luck day for them, as early as the tenth minute.

Edusei’s shot had looped off the goalkeeper and bounced agonisingly off the crossbar but Gay turned round to catch the ball.

Holmes lashed a shot over Reed’s crossbar from twenty-yards but Chelmsford’s best chance of the half arrived after 24 minutes.

A short pass from Holmes gave former Margate striker Bertie Brayley a sniff on goal and his shot from the edge of the box flashed agonisingly past the foot of the right-post.

With Powell in his pocket, Holmes switched flanks by the time he had struck a right-footed free-kick from thirty-yards straight into Reed’s grateful arms after 32 minutes.

And on the stroke of half-time Edusei didn’t connect with John Westcott’s drilled in cross from the right but the Angels deserved to go in at the break on level terms as they out-fought their big-spending opponents.

The body language of Holmes, with his arms on his hips, proved that Chelmsford were frustrated against a side that weren’t going to lie down and die.

A stunning save from Reed, however, thwarted Chelmsford after just 158 seconds into the second half.

Reed, tipped to return to professional football by his club, made a flying save to tip Oliver Berquez right-footed dipping drive over the crossbar.

Reed made another stunning save on the hour mark, stretching to his left to save Dean Palmer’s header, after Chris Duffy whipped in a cross from the left.

Five minutes later the former Dover Athletic player cracked a right-footed shot, which sailed over the top of the right-hand post after racing down the middle.

Logan’s pace, however, caused the Essex boys’ problems down the left but his cut-back struck the back of defender Andy Duncan and Gay was able to pounce on the loose ball.

Westcott’s corner was met by a looping header from John Beales from eight-yards but this was comfortable for Gay as the Angels went in search of a goal.

As time went on, Beales, who has formed an excellent partnership with James Donovan at the heart of the Angels’ defence, headed Logan’s free-kick from the right-channel wide.

But time stood still here in west Kent and after late pressure Moto went on to leave Warrilow bewildered.

He said: “There was a big wind here toady so we decided to kick against it so we expected a lot more pressure (in the first half), so we expected a lot more pressure but with them just going long a lot carried it back to Reedy (Matt Reed).

“I was happy to come in at 0-0 at half-time. If there was one negative, I thought we sat a little deep in the second half, which encouraged them to come on.

“But overall I thought we created the better chances. We had a couple in the first half, one has hit the bar and came back. We had a couple of ricochets that haven’t gone our way. It’s just one of those days when it wasn’t to be.

“I think the winner sort of summed it up. It wasn’t exactly a brilliant goal was it?”

Warrilow wasn’t impressed with the referee’s timekeeping and as a result his side drop down two places to ninth - four points lower than fifth placed Horsham, with only five games to go.

“Obviously I’d be happy with a draw but like I say, it (angers me) a little bit the way the last goal went in. I don’t know where he (Hatzidakis) got the time from?

“The goal was a joke!” he fumed. “We shouldn’t even been out on the pitch but even then, he’s (Moto) hit the cross, someone’s swung a foot at it, it’s gone under his foot and 96^th minute, you can’t come back from that.

“I think he’s (Hatzidakis) only played the other two minutes (of stoppage time after the goal) to save himself some face.

“But in all, I thought we created the better chances. First half we had two good chances. Second half we got into some good areas but I don’t think neither keeper had many saves to make.”

Warrilow, meanwhile, was satisfied with the gutsy performance from his play-off chasing side.

He said: “I mean, we’ve supposedly lost to the champions today, but if that’s the championship winning team, the future’s looking good for us.”

Three of the Angels’ last five games are at home, starting with the visit of Harrow Borough in seven days time, and Warrilow, who revealed Kirk Watts came off with a sore hamstring, added: “Our next game’s a big game because everyone wants to see what character we’ve got.”

Don’t forget to put your clock’s forward an hour before you go to bed tonight!

Tonbridge Angels: Matt Reed, Ray Powell, Matt Lovell, Tommy Tyne, John Beales, James Donovan, John Westcott, Anthony Storey, Fraser Logan, Akwasi Edusei (Simon Glover 82), Kirk Watts (Carl Rook 65).
Subs: Scott Kinch, Michael Phillips, Phil Starkey.

Booked: Ray Powell 2, Tommy Tyne 57, Matt Lovell 63

Chelmsford City: Danny Gay, Steve Clarke, Chris Duffy, Andy Duncan, Steve Ward, Dean Palmer, Oliver Berquez, Jeff Minton (Mario Noto 76), James Lawson, Bertie Brayley (Kezie Ibe 75), Ricky Holmes (Stuart Ainsley 86).
Subs: Joel Kitamirike, Ashley Harrison.

Goal: Mario Noto 90

Booked: James Lawson 18

Attendance: 855
Referee: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis (Eltham, London SE9)
Assistants: Mr Neil Wallace (Crawley, West Sussex) & Mr Daniel Robathan (Dorking, Surrey)