Tonbridge Angels 0-2 Dover Athletic - Browning's sickening injury mars record breaking Dover's day

Saturday 25th April 2009

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 0-2 DOVER ATHLETIC

Ryman Premier League

Saturday 25th April 2009

Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

ANYBODY who was expecting a meaningless end-of-season game at Longmead Stadium today should have realised that when these two Kent sides clash in west Kent you can always expect fireworks.

Firstly, there was concern all around the sun-kissed stadium when, in the eleventh minute, Dover Athletic midfielder Lee Browning was on the receiving end of a fierce driven cross from Tim Olorunda, as the third-placed hosts started well against the runaway Ryman Premier League champions.

Browning immediately crashed to the ground like a sack of potatoes and was out cold, but thankfully the life-saving efforts of physio's Mervin Slight (Tonbridge) and Andy Hyland (Dover) and doctors prevented a tragedy.

An ambulance was called as Browning laid motionless on the pitch, receiving treatment, and when it finally arrived, Browning received a warm reception from both sets of supporters as he was taken to the Kent & Sussex Hospital in neighbouring Tunbridge Wells for checks.

Thankfully, a little dazed Browning, still in his kit, later returned to the ground to change before joining his team-mates on the coach back hone.

The sickening accident held the game up for a total of 26 minutes.

If that was bad enough, the game turned into a farce when the game was later held up for a further ten minutes when referee Stephen Child suffered a calf injury and assistant Martin Lehane took over in the middle and an unnamed person ran the line.

The bizarre first half lasted an amazing 86 minutes and 48 seconds and Dover Athletic ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, courtesy of goals from the impressive Lassana Sidibe and a Jon Wallis spot kick.

But both sides were reduced to ten-men during the opening half - and both managers were sent to the dressing rooms following an ugly touchline spat.

Tonbridge goalkeeper Lee Worgan was red-carded by Mr Lehane for bringing down Wallis - and Dover Athletic defender Ollie Schulz followed later following his challenge on Tonbridge top-scorer Carl Rook, which sparked fury on the Angels bench as Tommy Warrilow and his coaching staff stormed onto the pitch.

As all hell broke out in and around the technical areas, Warrilow and Hessenthaler were both sent off - after Hessenthaler and Rook were kept apart by team-mates during the melee as tempers flared.

Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk immediately at the final whistle, praised both physios for preventing a tragedy.

"Lee was hit on the temple by the ball with some force, which knocked him out cold," said the chairman.

"Unfortunately he swallowed his tongue. By the time our physio Andy Hyland got there he stopped breathing.

"Luckily they got him breathing again very quickly with the aid of the Tonbridge physio and we hope he's going to be fine."

Dover Athletic officially opened the scoring with 41 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock - after only 16 minutes play.

Skipper John Keister played in attacking full-back Sam Gore down the left and his cross was met at the far post by trialist Sidibe, who slammed the ball past Worgan.

The watch showed 50:03 when play was held up for ten minutes due to the referee's injury, as thoughts of a last-day abandonment seemed likely.

Tonbridge goalkeeper Worgan played a part in Dover Athletic's second goal - which was timed at 105:04.

Worgan rolled the ball to defender Scott Gooding, whose poor pass was intercepted by Wallis, and the star-midfielder burst forward and was upended by the goalkeeper as Wallis rounded him.

Worgan was red-carded, slumping to his knees in despair, and right-back Phil Starkey donned the goalkeeper's jersey, but was sent the wrong way with Wallis' right-footed spot-kick, for his eighth goal of the season.

Schulz' alleged elbow on Rook, meanwhile, sparked the ugly scenes by the dug-outs and it was 4:28pm when the half-time whistle finally blew.

Stand-in goalkeeper Starkey made a couple of comfortable diving saves during the second half, although the league champions should have tested him more.

Starkey dived to his left to make a comfortable save from Shaun Welford, after the striker received the ball from a square Sidibe pass.

And Sidibe squandered an even better chance when he received the ball following a lucky ricochet, but his scuffed shot rolled across Starkey, instead of finding the far corner.

Sidibe, who cut inside left-back Simon Glover, carved open a chance for substitute Matt Bodkin, but his scuffed shot, inside a cut-up penalty area, allowed the diving Starkey to scoop the ball away.

Tonbridge's best chance fell to Rook, who agonisingly turned Dwain Clarke's left-wing cross around the foot of the post at the far post.

And inside the last ten minutes, Tonbridge substitute, striker Paul Booth, headed straight into Preston Edwards arms.

Hessenthaler was speaking on his mobile phone out on the pitch before he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk and his concern was more on Browning's health than winning this ugly Kent showdown.

"He's on the mend, he's conscious and he's talking so that's the main thing - that's the key for us," he said.

"After what happened (to Browning) it didn't bother me what was going on. But as I say, the game's over - we move on.”

Today’s events, sadly, marred the day that Dover Athletic broke a club record of collecting the most points in a season since the Whites clinched the Beazer Homes League title back in 1989-90.

"We've had a fantastic season, we've broken the club record today as well,” he proudly said.

"That was our aim at the start of the game, but after what happened to Lee it was a non event for me as far as I'm concerned.

"What I will say is my players were absolutely outstanding today and a credit to the football club.

"We were comfortable, we should have won it a lot more second half (as) we had a lot of the ball. They put their right-back in goal and we didn't test him when we should've.

"We could've done better in the final third, but that's me nit-picking.

"To break a club record is fantastic; to get to 104 points in a season at any level of football; I commend all the players, the players from start to finish have been absolutely first class."

Despite his spat with Warrilow, Hessenthaler insists the two of them will remain friends once the dust has settled.

And the legendary Hessenthaler says he would like to see their adversaries join them in Blue Square South next season.

"I'm not going to get into a war of words with Tommy," he said.

"Did anyone see our reaction when their keeper brought Jon Wallis down? We sat on the bench and didn't jump up and try and get a player sent off. He (Worgan) got sent off because the referee decided to send him off.

"I'm not sure their reaction didn't help Schulz's sending off as far as I'm concerned.

"I've known Tommy for years, he's a passionate guy, like I am. We say things at the heat of the moment, like anyone else does. He's protecting his player and I'm protecting mine.

"I'm not one for holding grudges. He didn't agree with it - we don't agree with him. We've been in football too long to have grudges as far as I'm concerned.

"I wish Tom all the best Tuesday night (in their play-off semi-final) against Carshalton and I hope they get their promotion and I hope we see them next season."

Tonbridge Angels boss Warrilow, meanwhile, did warn supporters that this was never going to be a stroll in the spring sunshine.

"When you go on the football pitch you can't change the way you are," Warrilow explained to www.kentishfootball.co.uk .

"I want to win everything, Hessie wants to win everything. We're all appealing for stuff, those things happen. That's football, but at the end of the day everyone got their money's worth."

Speaking about Browning's sickening injury, Warrilow added, "Hopefully Lee's alright - that's not nice to see."

And on his side's ninth league defeat, Warrilow continued, "It killed us (Browning’s injury) as we started well and that stopped us a little bit and they broke away and scored.

"Dover are a good team; I'm not going to stand here and slate them.

"The second half we put a good solid performance in and that finished 0-0. We had a couple of chances as we well - so did they."

There was concern that Worgan will have to miss the Angels' play-off matches, which start at home to Carshalton Athletic on Tuesday night.

But Warrilow quashed those fears by saying, "It's a league game, it's not a play-off game. The rules came through the other night and I understood that whoever gets sent off in a play-off will automatically miss the final.

"That was a league game so as it was a league game it (the suspension) will be two weeks from the incident so Worgs will be suspended next season."

Speaking about his spat with Hessenthaler, Warrilow admitted he saw red following Schulz's challenge on Rook.

"I know what I saw and I was appealing for it," he said. "Obviously the lad's got sent off for it. It was wrong and it all escalated from there.

"It was just two passionate geezers having a little verbal tussle and that was it."

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Phil Starkey, Simon Glover, Tommy Tyne, Gavin Dayes (Lewis Hamilton 55), Scott Gooding, John Westcott, Tim Olorunda, Jamie Cade, Carl Rook (Paul Booth 69), Dwain Clarke (Steve Ferguson 77).

Sub: Lee Minshull.

Booked: Gavin Dayes 41

Sent off: Lee Worgan 27

Sent off: Tommy Warrilow (manager) 45+

Dover Athletic: Preston Edwards, Matt Fish, Sam Gore, Laurence Ball, Ollie Schulz, John Keister, Jon Wallis, James Rogers, Shaun Welford, Lassana Sidibe (Jerahl Hughes 64), Lee Browning (Matt Bodkin 11).

Subs: Sam Jones, Alan Pouton, Scott Chalmers-Stevens.

Goals: Lassana Sidibe 16, Jon Wallis 30 (pen)

Sent off: Ollie Schulz 45+

Sent off: Andy Hessenthaler (manager) 45+

Attendance: 858

Referee: Mr Stephen Child (Beckenham)

Assistants: Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath) & Mr James Macey (Bexley)