Tonbridge Angels 1-1 Weston-Super-Mare - You slip and you get punished, says Tommy Warrilow

Wednesday 03rd April 2013

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 1-1 WESTON-SUPER-MARE
Blue Square Bet South
Wednesday 3^rd April 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says he needs his players to show some character if they are to avoid relegation at the end of their second season as a Blue Square Bet (Conference) South club.

The Angels went into the game sitting in the bottom-four with 40 points from 35 games, precariously sitting one point clear of the relegation zone, but tonight’s draw against fifth-placed Weston-super-Mare felt like a loss after the Somerset side grabbed an injury time equaliser.

Mark Lovell’s ninth-goal of the season gave the Kent side a boost ten minutes into the second half and they came agonisingly close to doubling their lead when Frannie Collin struck the post, but Weston-Super-Mare grabbed a point when Dayle Grubb scored a screamer at the death.

The three-man press conference took place inside Warrilow’s office after the game and he admitted the luck of a last-gasp equaliser against Billericay Town to salvage a point in their last game came back to haunt his side tonight.

He said: “It’s obviously a massive blow. The old saying what goes around comes around I suppose because we did it to Billericay on Monday, but it was important to get that performance on Monday out of our system because we were poor against Billericay.

“But tonight I felt we’ve put in a great shift, a good performance and I think deserved the three points because we got in some good areas in the second half where perhaps we should’ve done a little bit better.

“I’m not going to fault the lads. I’ve said to them in there a lot of them haven’t been involved in a relegation battle before. I think it’s new to them. Perhaps a little bit of nerves are settling in. We’ve just got to believe there’s enough quality in there. I believe in them and I’m sure they’ll come out of it the right way.”

Warrilow would have taken a point before the game but it felt like two dropped against a side chasing the play-off’s – but on their performance tonight it appeared that Weston-super-Mare are not a top-five outfit.

“It’s been a very frustrating season because all the top sides we seem to do well against and we let ourselves down when we’re playing the so-called lesser sides. I don’t call them that because this league is a fantastic league but if anyone came here Monday it’s probably the worst game of football I’ve seen. It was awful!

“But tonight, in difficult conditions (snowflakes falling from the chilly April sky!) against a good side, we’ve acquitted ourselves well and unfortunate not to come away with a win.”

Play-off chasing Weston-super-Mare, who went into the game with 57 points from 36 games, started well and created a couple of early openings.

Naby Diallo played the ball into Grubb, who drove a right-footed shot harmlessly wide of the near post, before a mazy run from Diallo saw him lay the ball off to ex-Angel Kayne McClaggon, who stroked his right-footed shot past the far post.

Weston-super-Mare, who welcome Bromley on Saturday, went close following their first corner of the game.

Grubb played the ball short to Diallo, who played the ball across and McClaggon’s shot was blocked and the ball came out to an unmarked Alvarez Alondo, who looped a left-footed volley over the bar.

Tonbridge Angels’ first opening came from their second corner of the game in the 13^th minute.

Nathan Green swung in a right-wing corner towards the far post where Gary Elphick came up from the back to loop his header into Lewis Carey’s gloves.

Tonbridge Angels keeper Lee Worgan made his first save of the night, tipping over Alondo’s long-range drive, which was dipping towards the far corner.

Weston-super-Mare failed to hit the target halfway through the first half when central defender Matt Villis sent a free-kick forward from the halfway and Grubb knocked the ball down to Diallo, who swept a right-footed drive past the near post.

Tonbridge Angels had a handball appeal turned down when Weston-super-Mare left-back Martin Slocombe got away with a handball inside his penalty box.

“We’ve had a shout. We didn’t get a lot in that respect tonight to be honest,” bemoaned Warrilow.

Weston-super-Mare substitute Ashley Kington turned his marker before stroking his left-footed shot harmlessly wide after a move he started inside the Angels half and following passes from Alondo and right-back Jamie Price.

The home faithful had to wait until the final minute of the first half for their first shot on target. Weston-Super-Mare got bodies back and behind the ball and blocked off the Angels’ threat and Nathan Green managed to get a shot through a crowd of players from 25-yards for Carey to make a comfortable low save.

Reflecting on the first half, Warrilow said: “It’s always going to be difficult, kicking into the wind and up the hill and I thought we coped well. I felt comfortable at half-time. I thought we’d push on and I thought we did second half.

“Second half I thought we got in good areas, where we should’ve done a lot better.”

Tonbridge Angels posed a threat down the right with the impressive Henry Muggeridge giving Slocombe a torrid time with his pace.

Warrilow said: “He worked hard but again his final ball should’ve been better. H has got past his man a few times and the one time he did pick one out Lovers has come out in at the back stick and the keeper’s made a great save from it on the half-volley.

“I’m just more pleased that we’ve got Monday out of our system and put a performance tonight against a play-off team.”

The Angels created their first chance after only 79 seconds when a through ball from central midfielder Sonny Miles sent Muggeridge on his way and after cutting inside the visiting keeper dived low to his right at his near post to spill the shot.

But Grubb gave Tonbridge Angels food for thought in the 53^rd minute when he picked the ball up on the half-way line and dribbled towards the penalty area before cutting the ball onto his right-foot and blasting over from 20-yards.

But Tonbridge Angels eased their relegation fears by taking the lead in the 55^th minute.

Lee Browning picked the ball up and produced a moment of sheer quality when he curled a telling cross with his right foot, which was guided into the bottom far corner by Lovell’s deft right-footed flick.

Warrilow said: “Lovers has come on leaps and bounds and he got a goal like that similar from a Frannie Collin free-kick. He does those runs and he took it very well.”

The Angels should have doubled their lead just 83 seconds later when Green disposed right-back Price and sprinted towards goal but he lost composure when he only had the keeper to beat and his left-footed shot was poor and Carey, who has local roots, made a comfortable low save to his left.

Warrilow added: “A little bit of nerves, a bit anxious. One thing I think that shows people want the pretty football but the ball was bobbling around a bit. It’s in the lap of the gods when you see that, if it has a nice ball before he hits it. I think he hit it a little bit too quick and obviously it was an easy one, straight at the keeper.”

Anthony Sinclair-Furlonge, who could be playing his last game for the club because his loan spell from League One Stevenage ends tonight, brought the ball under control before spraying the ball out wide to Muggeridge, whose drive was too hot to handle and Carey gathered at the second attempt.

Warrilow, who was without injured pair Tom Davis and Danny Walder (ankle) was without central defender Ollie Schulz through sickness, said: “The boy Furlonge goes back to Stevenage tonight and after Sunday Ashley Miller goes back to Gillingham to I have to speak to the chair (Steve Churcher) and the respective clubs to see what the SP is whether we retain them or not.”

David Ijaha played the enforcer role in the middle of the park and he provided protection in front of the Angels defence.

As the game edged towards the final third, Weston-Super-Mare striker McClaggon played a one-two with substitute Ross Stearn before cracking a right-footed drive narrowly over the bar from 22-yards.

Muggeridge then unleashed a speculative right-footed drive from 30-yards, which bounced several times on its way past the far post.

Weston-Supre-Mare pressed for the equaliser and McClaggon cut onto his right-foot and stroked a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which bounced once into Worgan’s gloves to make a comfortable save.

Then midfielder Brett Trowbridge’s shot from 20-yards took a deflection and narrowly missed the far post.

Tonbridge Angels created further chances to claim a vital three points, which would have seen them climb up to fifteenth-placed had they maintained only their fifth clean sheet of the season.

Miles played the ball forward to Collin, who played a fine diagonal pass to release Muggeridge down the right and he whipped in a cross towards the far post for Lovell, whose close range half-volley was tipped over by Carey.

The game was soon to be entering the final two minutes when Tonbridge Angels were cursing their luck again.

Browning played a diagonal pass to Muggeridge, who cut in towards the by-line, skipped past Slocombe and Jamie Laird to confidently run along the by-line before cutting the ball back to Collin, whose left-footed drive went across Carey and bounced agonisingly against the far post and rolled across the face of goal and out for a goal-kick.

“Frannie’s hit the post and it’s hit the post and not gone out but it’s rolled away and gone out for a goal-kick so if you work on that angle, on another day that goes in as well.

“I can’t fault anyone tonight. We just have to relax a little bit more and perhaps get that bit of quality in our final ball.”

But Weston-super-Mare’s equaliser – just 141 seconds after Collin was denied his eighteenth-goal of the season – was harsh on the Angels.

Substitute Ross Stearn played the ball inside to Grubb, who received a slice of luck when Elphick slipped, but his finish was sheer quality, drilling a left-footed screamer on the angle into the top left-hand corner from just inside the box.

“I’m right behind it,” said Warrilow. “As soon as he’s hit it, I can see it’s in the top corner. No one could do nothing about it!

“We can always say get over quicker to shut the shot off. Sometimes you have to take your hat off to a fantastic strike, which that was.

“I think if Gary (Elphick) doesn’t slip, he shuts him down. There the fine margins. It’s an unforgiving league. You slip and you get punished and we’ve got to learn to do that to other teams.

“It’s been a long old slog this season, not been the most enjoyable one. It’s fine when it’s all rosy in the garden and you’re winning games. I’m looking for character and determination and positivity from everyone because it’s easier to support and play and manage clubs when you’re winning but when you’re losing that’s when I want to see some character.”

The Angels play six more league games – four of which are also involved in the relegation dog-fight.

Tonbridge Angels are one of four clubs on 41 points and they travel to Woking on Sunday to play seventeenth-placed Hayes & Yeading – who travel to now fourth-from-bottom Staines Town on Thursday night – a game that Warrilow will be watching.

Tonbridge Angels then welcome Staines Town to Longmead Stadium on 13 April, before travelling to fourth-placed Chelmsford City two days later and then on to Eastleigh on 20 April.

They complete their campaign with two home games, against Eastbourne Borough (23 April) and relegated Truro City on the final day of the season.

Warrilow knows his side must not lose against Hayes & Yeading, Staines Town, Eastbourne Borough and Truro – four wins would be ideal though!

Warrilow said: “I’ve got to need some character. There’s some experienced lads in there, they’re still quite young but they’ve played at this level for a while now.

“You can’t be down. It’s been a very, very hard season on and off the pitch and you have to show your character, a little bit of mettle. There’s no panic in my voice or in my thoughts, but two more points is obviously a big loss because the league is ridiculously tight.

“I’ve just looked at it and there’s four of us on 41 points so the other two points that we’ve lost tonight are a loss but we nicked a late goal on Monday to save Billericay getting two more points so we have to crack on with each game.”

But if they put in the same effort as they did tonight then Tonbridge Angels can look forward to a third season of Conference South football in August.

When asked whether his players are up for the challenge, Warrilow insisted: “They’re up for it and that’s given them a bit lift tonight, the performance and how close they’ve come. They’re in the play-offs. Eastleigh last week was a fantastic result. We’ve taken four points off two sides battling for the play-offs. It is there. It’s just small little details.

“It’s an unforgiving league and if we don’t do our jobs or we switch off and we get sloppy we’ll get punished and these are the things that we need to try to eradicate from our game.”

Warrilow added: “Relegation? I’ve not even mentioned it to the lads. They know we’re in a scrap. This is our second season (in Conference South), I never took for granted how well we done last year (finishing in ninth-place) and this year has been a slog and we’ve just have to be a little bit patient. Unfortunately in football that’s not a word that’s used a lot.

“Everyone’s together. The board have been brilliant and we’re always up front and honest. We can only do what we do. I’ve never mentioned the relegation word to the lads because I still believe we’ve got enough in here to push on and we’ve still got a semi-final of a cup to look forward to so I’m hoping we can finish the season on a positive note with a cup final and maintaining our Conference South status.”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Anthony Sinclair-Furlonge, Jon Heath, Lee Browning, Gary Elphick, Sonny Miles, Henry Muggeridge, David Ijaha, Mark Lovell (Chris Piper 80), Frannie Collin (Mikel Suarez 90), Nathan Green.
Subs: Ashley Miller, Scott Chalmers-Stevens

Goal: Mark Lovell 55

Booked: Sonny Miles 29, Nathan Green 66

Weston-super-Mare: Lewis Carey, Jamie Price, Martin Slocombe, Brett Trowbridge, Matt Villis, Jamie Laird, Alvarez Alondo (Ross Stearn 60), Ben Kirk, Kayne McClaggon (Chas Hemmings 85), Dayle Grubb, Naby Diallo (Ashley Kington 36).
Subs: Pete Monks, Mark McGregory

Goal: Dayle Grubb 90

Booked: Jamie Price 52

Attendance: 283
Referee: Mr Carl Fitch (Ipswich, Suffolk)
Assistants: Mr Nick Dunn (Deal) & Mr Kevin Welsh (Sittingbourne)