Tonbridge Angels 2-1 Maidstone United - We want to keep the season alive, says Warrilow

Tuesday 23rd March 2010

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 2-1 MAIDSTONE UNITED
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 23rd March 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says all that mattered tonight was Derby Day victory over bitter-rivals Maidstone United.

The Angels enjoyed a couple of lucky breaks during their 2-1 home win that stretched their unbeaten run to eight games and takes them to within a couple of points adrift of the play-off’s - in sixth place in the Ryman Premier League table.

For Maidstone United, though, they remain just one place above the relegation zone, following successive derby defeats to league leaders Dartford and Tonbridge Angels. They are now only three points clear of an in-form Margate side, that won 1-0 at Princes Park tonight, courtesy of former Stone, James Pinnock.

“The most important thing was to get the result,” Warrilow told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the giant figure emerged from the players tunnel.

“It’s no disrespect to Maidstone, it’s probably not the best performance we’ve done, but I can’t fault the work-rate again, we’ve worked hard.

“They’re not a bad (side), there’s no bad teams in this league. There’s no easy games in this league and we had to be patient.

“Do you freshen it up, and it backfires on you? We left it as late as I could. Boothy (Paul Booth) didn’t have one of his better games tonight, but he’s done a little bit of magic that he’s capable of doing and he’s got us the victory.”

In front of a bumper crowd of 697, it was Maidstone United that started the brighter in what turned out to be a scrappy derby.

Maidstone striker Danny Hockton, who appears to be unfit, flashed an early chance past the far post from a tight angle, before the visitors broke the deadlock after sixteen minutes.

Dean Rance’s cross from the right rebounded off Tonbridge midfielder Scott Kinch and the ball fell nicely for Adrian Stone, who drilled a right-footed shot past Lee Worgan and into the bottom right-hand corner.

Another chance came Maidstone’s way when Hockton was released down the left and his cut-back was whipped into the box by Antonio Gonnella and Adrian Stone blasted his right-footed drive over.

Gonella was then thwarted by a fine block from Worgan when the left-sided midfielder was released through on goal.

With visiting keeper Andy Walker catching every cross, Maidstone United enjoyed a bit of luck when Tonbridge threatened to equalise.

Sam Long swung in a corner from the left and this was met by a powerful downward header from Sonny Miles, which appeared to strike Mark Corneille’s hand inside a crowded goal-mouth and referee Mr Tony Mason ignored penalty shouts, much to the annoyance of Warrilow and his vocal assistant, Cliff Cant.

Tonbridge Angels should have been 2-0 down - a lick of paint saving them - before they swiftly went straight up the other end and levelled just 19 seconds after Maidstone United struck the woodwork.

Corneille’s ball over the top released Adrian Stone down the inside right-channel and the striker struck a fierce dipping drive from 30-yards, which gave Worgan no chance as the ball smacked the inside of the top of the far post and bounced down to safety before being hacked clear by Phil Starkey.

Tonbridge utilised Kirk Watts’ pace down the left and his low centre from inside the penalty area was converted by Sam Long at the near post from inside the six-yard box - and Tonbridge were level just six minutes before half-time.

The hard-working Kinch drilled a low shot, which brought a comfortable low save out of Walker after 55 minutes - a second half that appeared to be heading towards a stalemate.

Real goalscoring chances were hard to come by, but after Adrian Stone and Roland Edge combined down the left, Edge’s low centre found Corneille inside the penalty area and his low drive was blocked by Worgan’s legs with twenty minutes remaining.

At the other end, Paul Booth met Watts’ cross from the left with a header, which was directed straight at Walker.

But Tonbridge Angels kept their play-off hopes alive, by grabbing a lucky winner with nine minutes remaining.

Booth’s magic conjured up the winning goal, drilling a shot across goal from the right-hand side of the penalty area, which was heading towards Adam Burchell at the far post, but Corneille got in front of the striker and sliced his clearance towards goal and held his head in his arms as the ball bounced past his goalkeeper into the bottom far corner.

Walker denied substitute Jerahl Hughes when through on goal late on, but Warrilow’s side kept their promotion dream alive with their seventh win in eight games.

“It’s not finished yet though!” vowed Warrilow.

The Angels boss considered changing personnel - his only change was enforced when Watts went off with a sore ankle.

He said: “I was tempted today to change it because I couldn’t see either side winning it, not just us, but them.

“Do you change it and perhaps come unstuck and lose it? Or do you let them persevere and work away and see what happens. I’m glad I didn’t - but the boys on the bench need to get some football as well so they were making it difficult for me and it’s a good time to do that.”

Warrilow added: “There’s a buzz around the place, and that’s all we ask for. We want to keep the season alive and I’m not just saying it because we’re there now, but I always believed in my lads.

“I’ve always said we’re capable of pushing up. I thought even though we were losing we weren’t playing that bad and I’m glad we’re reaping the benefits now, heading towards the right side of the table.”

Warrilow revealed that former Ramsgate defender, Nick Davis, who hasn’t kicked a ball for the club as he suffered an injury to the tendons in his ankle prior to coming to the club, will turn out for the reserves against Beckenham Town on Wednesday night.

The club confirmed that “he never took a penny from the club and paid for all of his private treatment personally.”

And another long-term injured player, winger, Fraser Logan, trained with the squad before tonight’s game.

“Nick Davis is having a go with the reserves on Wednesday night, that’s the first 20 minutes of the season so we’ll see how he is on that,” revealed Warrilow.

“Fraser Logan was down tonight having a run around and a warm-up so hopefully there might be some good news there as well.”

For Maidstone United boss Peter Nott, he took plenty of positives from their fifteenth league defeat, which leaves the club in a precarious position just one place above the relegation zone.

“I think it was a good team performance tonight,” Nott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Absolutely gutted for the boys. You look at the two goals that they’ve scored. One, we’ve hit the bar and post, they’ve gone straight down the other end and scored and we’ve scored an own-goal towards the end.

“But it was a much-improved performance but I don’t think the performance warranted the result.

“If we show that effort and desire for the remaining games then we’ll get ourselves out of the mess that we’re in.

“We need to build on that. That’s got to be a minimum from now on.”

Teams that are doing well always seem to get the lucky breaks, as was the case for Corneille’s 81st minute own-goal that handed the Angels the local bragging rights.

“In fairness to Mark, I felt he had a real good game today,” said Nott. “If anything we should’ve squeezed out a bit earlier and the fella (Burchell) would’ve been in an offside position and we wouldn’t have got ourselves in that situation.

“Some of us squeezed up and some of us didn’t and he was caught one on one at the back and sliced the clearance in.”

Nott takes his side to high-flying Ryman League Division One South side Folkestone Invicta on Thursday night in the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Cup.

“We’ll treat it as seriously as we can in the situation we’re in,” said the Stones boss.

“Again, we’ve picked up some knocks. We just have a roll call tomorrow to see who’s alright and it gives an opportunity for some of the squad players to come in and stake a place between now and the end of the season.

“Tom Parkinson will probably start on Thursday, which will be the first game that he’s started for a little while. Dean Bradshaw will be out for the rest of the season and Chris Saunders should be available (on Saturday).”

Meanwhile, defender Peter Hawkins could be on the verge of leaving Maidstone United as the skipper is subject of a seven-day approach, believed to be Dartford.

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Phil Starkey, Jon Heath, Lee Minshull, Liam Harwood, Sonny Miles, Sam Long, Scott Kinch, Adam Burchell, Paul Booth, Kirk Watts (Jerahl Hughes 78).
Subs: Anthony Storey, Jamie Cade, Tom Bryant, Bobby Dixey.

Goals: Sam Long 39, Mark Corneille 81 (own goal)

Booked: Sam Long 90

Maidstone United: Andy Walker, Ashley Ulph (Lyndon Rowland 83), Rob Lyall, Roland Edge, Peter Hawkins, James Peacock, Dean Rance (Craig Stone 23), Antonio Gonnella, Adrian Stone, Danny Hockton, Mark Corneille.
Subs: Charlie Stimson, Ant Bodle, Richard Knell.

Goal: Adrian Stone 16

Booked: Rob Lyall 69, James Peacock 90

Attendance: 697
Referee: Mr Tony Mason (Sidcup)
Assistants: Mr Guy Marley (Bexleyheath) & Mr Freddie Collins (Beckenham)