Tonbridge Angels 1-5 Horsham - It's a day to forget, admits Warrilow - EXCLUSIVE

Wednesday 26th December 2007

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 1-5 HORSHAM
Ryman Premier League
Wednesday 26^th December 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Betterview Longmead Stadium

Tommy Warrilow apologised to fans' after his Tonbridge Angels side were totally outclassed by his former club Horsham throughout this Boxing Day shocker.

After the euphoria of dumping non-league giants Oxford United out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy just eight days ago, and collecting a point at much fancied side Staines Town at the weekend, the Angels were brought down to earth with a Christmas stuffing.

“All I can do is apologise to them,” Warrilow said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I’m a pretty honest bloke. I don’t think we put an honest enough stint in today.

“I’d like to apologise to the supporters, hope they come back for the next home game.”

After losing 6-2 at Swansea City in their FA Cup second round replay, Horsham went into this game on the back of two defeats to Kent sides; Folkestone Invicta and Maidstone United.

But the Hornets dominated proceedings throughout, and punished a Tonbridge Angels side that were controversially reduced to ten-men after 43 minutes when right-back Robbie Kember was shown a straight red card by Maidstone based referee Mr Paul Harris, for what he thought was a handball on the line.

Lewis Taylor netted from the resulting penalty as Horsham deservedly went into the half-time lead a goal up.

But Fraser Logan scored his fifth goal of the season with a screamer to bring the west Kent club back on level terms on the hour mark.

But that was to be the only Christmas cheer for the majority of the 685 crowd, as Gary Charman went on to net a four minute brace; former Maidstone United striker Simon Austin scored his eighth goal of the season, before a 40-yard wonder goal from former Gravesend & Northfleet and Margate French striker Jean-Michel Sigere wrapped up an excellent day for the west Sussex club.

Central defender, John Beales, and versatile player Tommy Tyne were both told to stay away as they were both suffering with flu.

Striker Luke Fontana, a free-transfer capture from rivals Carshalton Athletic, also made his home debut, having come off the bench for the last twenty minutes.

Tonbridge Angels certainly missed Beales, who was awarded the man-of-the-match award during their heroic 1-0 win over Oxford United in their last home game, as Horsham tore Tonbridge to shreds.

Tonbridge Angels goalkeeper, Matt Reed, who celebrated his 21^st birthday on Christmas Eve, was twice called into action inside the opening twelve minutes, denying midfielder Lee Carney and striker Lee Farrell.

It took the Kent side 22 minutes to create their first chances of the game; midfield general Scott Kinch’s header was cleared off the line by Horsham right-back Yinka Salaam and soon after former Horsham winger John Westcott drove his right-footed volley past the near post.

The warning signs were there and Horsham were unfortunate not to take the lead after 24 minutes but Jacob Mingle’s left-footed shot from twenty-yards bounced off the crossbar.

Horsham missed another excellent chance following their first corner, ten minutes later.

Carney cut the ball back to Nigel Brake and his cross was met by a towering header by Kevin Hemsley, who sent his header over from just four-yards out.

Tonbridge finally called Horsham goalkeeper Paul Seuke into action within a minute as he got down low at his near post to block Ray Powell’s left-footed angled shot from eight-yards, following Logan’s free-kick.

At this stage Tonbridge managed to get back into the game and another chance went begging when Powell blazed over from six-yards after Seuke parried Logan’s drive after a lay-off from the unimpressive Carl Rook, a money signing from Horsham.

Sigere squandered another Horsham chance after 41 minutes when his power and pace helped him burst through the heart of the Angels’ defence but his right-footed shot rolled harmlessly past the left-post – and evaded Charman, who was ghosting in.

But Warrilow criticised referee Mr Paul Harris after he sent off Kember for an alleged handball beside the left-hand post, which sent the Hornets on their way.

“He got it wrong full stop,” he fumed. “Chimp (Kember) even showed him the ball mark. He (the referee) just got it wrong, the ref got it wrong, 100%.

“He (Kember) even tried to say it hit him on the chest and then rolled down his arm.

“It’s bang on half-time and they went in 1-0 up. We wasn’t performing well in the first half but if we gone in perhaps level pegging, who knows?”

Despite the delay, and with Angels midfielder Hamid Barr repositioning the ball on the spot, Taylor sent Reed the wrong way with an emphatic right-footed penalty to score his tenth goal of the season.

There was still time for Logan, at the other end, to send a towering header over Seuke’s bar, after Matt Lovell whipped in the ball from the left.

But early in the second half, a diving Reed was relieved to see Carney’s right-footed drive scream past him – but also past the post.

Farrell should have found the target when he met Nigel Brake’s cross from the left, but he stabbed his volley over.

Seuke was called into action when he kept out Logan’s half-volley from a tight angle but he couldn’t do nothing about Angels’ equaliser with 14 minutes and 45 second half minutes on the clock.

Lovell won the ball with a fair but meaty challenge on the half-way line before getting up and driving forward.

He then laid the ball off to Scottish winger Logan, who raced into the penalty area before cracking a left-footed screamer from sixteen-yards, which flew into the top far corner.

Somehow Tonbridge managed to claw themselves back into the game – but their joy was short lived – 194 seconds in fact.

Charman netted his sixth goal of the season, drilling his shot past Reed and into the bottom near corner.

And Charman headed home his second goal of the game – just 186 seconds later, courtesy of poor goalkeeping from Reed.

Carney whipped in a free-kick from the left and Charman nipped in front of Reed to power his header into the bottom left-hand corner.

Tonbridge Angels’ poor luck was summed up with thirteen minutes remaining.

Richard Harris, who partnered James Dovovan in defence, unleashed a drive from 25-yards, which was beaten out by Seuke, and the ball fell to Kinch inside the penalty area, whose shot agonisingly bounced off the right upright and into the goalkeeper’s grateful arms.

But a counter attack resulted in Horsham netting their fourth goal with 43 minutes and 58 seconds on the clock.

A break from Sigere saw him play the ball to Carney, who played the ball over to the unmarked Austin, whose right-footed finish saw the Angels fans heading for the exits.

Taylor curled a shot agonisingly past the far post but Sigere saved the best goal for last inside stoppage time when his right-footed lob from fully forty-yards sailed over Reed’s head and dropped into the middle of an unguarded goal.

“I’m not going to make any excuses, wasn’t good enough today,” admitted Warrilow, suffering only his second defeat in 13 games since his switch from Horsham, where he was assistant to John Maggs.

“Disappointed with four of the goals but we were chasing for one. The other four I thought we could have done better on so I can’t complain. At the end of the day, we wasn’t good enough.”

Despite clawing themselves back to 1-1, Warrilow wasn’t happy with the way his side capitulated.

“We had a chat in there about it. A couple of individual mistakes, that’s the annoying part,” he fumed.

“We got back in it and then let them straight back into the game.

“We got the equaliser then literally two minutes later gave them another goal.

“It wasn’t a good day at the office. I don’t think anyone can come off the pitch today and say they played well.

“Let’s see what character we’ve got now because it’s gone horribly wrong today but we’ve just got to dust ourselves down and go again at Hastings (on Saturday).”

He added: “It’s Boxing Day, against your old club, we never got nothing today – it’s a day to forget, that’s what I call it!”

Tonbridge Angels: Matt Reed, Robbie Kember, Matt Lovell, Scott Kinch, Richard Harris, James Donovan (Kirk Watts 82), John Westcott, Hamid Barr (Luke Fontana 70), Ray Powell, Carl Rook, Fraser Logan.
Subs: Kurt Husnu, Charlie Sharman, Ashley Dann.

Goal: Fraser Logan 60

Booked: Hamid Barr 31

Sent Off: Robbie Kember 43

Horsham: Paul Seuke, Yinka Salaam, Nigel Brake, Andrew Howard, Kevin Hemsley, Lee Carney, Jacon Mingle, Lewis Taylor, Jean-Michel Sigere, Lee Farrell (Simon Austin 66), Gary Charman.
Subs: Eddie French, Stuart Myall, Steve Davis, Alan Mansfield.

Goals: Lewis Taylor 45 (pen), Gary Charman 62, 66, Simon Austin 88, Jean-Michel Sigere 90

Booked: Yinka Salaam 35

Attendance: 685
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Stephen Roots (Tunbridge Wells) & Mr Guy Marley (Bexleyheath)