Tonbridge Angels 0-2 Bromley - Warrilow rues financial loss following FA Cup exit

Saturday 10th October 2009

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 0-2 BROMLEY
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 10th October 2009
Mike Green reports from Longmead Stadium

BROMLEY eased into the final qualifying round of the FA Cup after maintaining their "indian sign" over the Tonbridge Angels.

Not since 1971 have a Tonbridge side beaten Bromley in Tonbridge, and the Angels have never beaten their West Kent rivals at Longmead since moving to the ground in the early 1980s.

And to be fair, apart from a couple of half chances that you would normally expect the usually deadly Carl Rook to at least hit the target, it was the Bromley defence that excelled with skipper Rob Gillman immense, and the lanky Jerome Sobers deceptively quick and agile.

After the game, Bromley boss Mark Goldberg told BBC Radio Kent that he was a happy man.

He said: "Obviously delighted to get through, as the financial rewards of progressing is great for a club like ours. We knew what to expect from Tonbridge, and although we had a few scares in the first half, I thought we deserved to be in the hat on Monday morning."

After their 4-0 drubbing at Maidenhead the week before, the Bromley boss had read the riot act to his players, although, to use his own words "I was disappointed that even after all that we said one or two of our players went missing again today!"

The Angels had the best of the early exchanges as first Steve Ferguson and then Rook were denied by some last ditch defending.

The game though had barely begun, when there was a delay of 18 minutes when Referee Hyde stopped in the centre circle holding the base of his back.

The East London official (to whom we extend best wishes for a speedy recovery) was helped from the field and after a short time, James Leslie, from Tonbridge, who was in the ground as a spectator, was an assistant referee on the Suburban League panel last season, took his place from the crowd and the game (albeit now running almost 20 minutes late) was able to continue.

And it was the visitors who had the first chance with Luke I'Anson firing straight at Lee Worgan in the Tonbridge goal following a break from an Angels corner.

Rook then beat the offside trap only to be denied by Bromley keeper Gareth Williams with the keeper getting the luck that his initial block deserved as the ball looped up in the air allowing him to catch the rebound with ease.

Then in the 6th minute of time added on came an incident that could have changed the game. Rook and Ferguson exchanged passes on the edge of the box, and as the ball was flicked into the penalty area, the ball seemed to strike Sobers on the hand - sub referee Mr Rob Baker deemed it outside the box and "just" a free kick was awarded when perhaps the punishment should have been more severe!

Bromley then took the lead in the 11th minute of stoppage time - but what a goal it was. A long throw into the box wasn’t dealt with and as it dropped to Ryan Hall 20 yards out, the winger volleyed beyond the despairing Worgan and into the bottom corner.

Worgan then had to be at his brilliant best to firstly denied Warren McBean’s fine drive and then Hall's curling free kick just as the half time whistle eventually blew at six minutes past four!

The Angels keeper again excelled on 59 minutes when I'Anson’s in-swinging left wing corner almost crept in under the bar, and then McBean was denied again by Worgan - the keeper going full length away to his right to palm the drive away.

Tonbridge almost levelled on 71 minutes when a long ball into the Bromley box was spilled by keeper William, but before Rook could react four white shirts descended on him and the danger was gone!

Kirk Watts and Paul Booth then combined but Booth's outrageous back flick flew just wide and from the goal kick Bromley broke and sealed their progress.

Substitute Ashley Carew hit a marvellous cross field pass for hall whose first time pin point cross begged one of the striker's to bury the chance - and Donal O'Sullivan duly stooped to give Worgan no chance.

The Angels almost pulled one back in stoppage time when Booth and Rook combined for Booth to see his shot spilled by Williams before being hacked to safety.

It really wasn’t the Angels day - a point that Tommy Warrilow made to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

"I was reasonably pleased with our performance, but disappointed that we didn’t work their keeper until late on," he said.

"We've got the players here ho should be playing against teams like Bromley week in week out, and so I wasn’t really surprised when we matched them almost all over the pitch.

“I'm just annoyed that we lost as with the rewards for winning today it would have really helped us for the rest of the season."

When asked to make comment about Referee Hyde's injury, Warrilow considered his response before saying "In some ways, I wish he'd have stayed on, as the sub ref wasn’t very good was he. I don’t want to criticise referees, but I know I am, but the thing is that all of the 50/50 decisions seemed to go to them and we're the home team!"

Warrliow went on, "I speak to other managers and they say the same to me - refereeing is the toughest job going in football, yet the standard is getting worse. The sooner more players get involved the better." When asked if he'd do the job, Warrilow simply smiled...

Next up for the Angels is Tuesday's trip to table topping Dartford (a game that Stephen McCartney will be at for www.kentishfootball.co.uk) as things get a bit "easier" for Warrilows side (not), whilst for Goldberg and Bromley is Monday’s draw for the Fourth Qualifying Round and who knows potentially just 90 minutes from playing a Coca Cola League side in the First Round proper.

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Lewis Hamilton, Jon Heath, Lee Minshull, Gavyn Dayes, Tom Bryant (Paul Booth 78), Steve Ferguson, Anthony Storey, Jamie Cade, Carl Rook, Kirk Watts.
Subs: Jean Michel Sigere, Paul Butler, Ebenezer Masadel, Richard Styles.

Booked: Anthony Storey 45 (+16), Gavyn Dayes 45 (+19)

Bromley: Gareth I Williams, Tutu Henriques, Ryan Dolby, Mark Corneille, Jerome Sobers, Rob Gillman (Ashley Carew 81), Aaron Dalhouse, Luke I’Anson, Warren McBean, Ryan Hall, Donal O’Sullivan (Marcus Cassius 90).
Subs: Salifou Ibrahima, Nicky Green, Gareth A Williams, James Dayton.

Booked: Jerome Sobers 45(+7); Ryan Hall 74

Goals: Ryan Hall 45 (+11), Donal O’Sullivan 85

Attendance: 944
Referee: Mr R Hyde (London E1) (replaced by Mr Rob Baker after 9 minutes and an 18 minute delay)
Assistants: Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) and Rob Baker (Maidstone)