Tonbridge Angels 3-0 Heybridge Swifts - Boss pleased with Powell's swift finish - EXCLUSIVE

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 3-0 HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 11^th March 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Betterview Longmead Stadium

TONBRIDGE ANGELS fans’ favourite Ray Powell marked his fifth anniversary with the club by scoring with his first touch - just twenty seconds after coming off the substitutes bench.

The versatile Crayford based player replaced striker Akwasi Edusei, who had opened the scoring late in the first half, to score the Angels second with just eight minutes of this one-sided encounter remaining, one which was played in blustery conditions.

And another substitute, midfield general Scott Kinch, also made an instant impression by adding a third just three minutes after he had replaced striker Carl Rook.

This was Powell’s first game back following a three month lay-off following a hernia operation and manager Tommy Warrilow, whose side sealed their fifth consecutive win tonight, was a delighted man afterwards, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“He’s had a bad injury Razor and he wants to play but to be fair the lads have put a run together,” said Warrilow.

“He’s staked his claim, he’s come on, worked hard, has scored a goal, so it’s good to get him back around.

“He’s a very good footballer. He’s got (ten) minutes under his belt so hopefully we can build on that and like I said in my programme notes, we need everyone up and running.

Powell made his Tonbridge Angels home debut exactly five years today, scoring four goals in a 6-1 win over Spalding United. Tonight’s goal was his 49 for the club in 154 games.

The only absentees at present are right-back Phil Starkey (knee) and veteran striker Micky Collins (Achiles), although record signing Carl Rook, with 15 goals since his big-money move from Horsham, begins a two-match suspension on Saturday.

Heybridge Swifts appeared at first sight that they would be making more of a game of it as Gary Burrell blazed a right-footed shot on the angle high over the bar with just ten seconds on the clock.

But the Kent side soon stamped their authority on their Essex visitors.

Central defender John Beales met John Westcott’s free-kick from deep with a glancing header, which sailed wide from fifteen yards.

Westcott then got to the ball before Heybridge’s left-back William King and burst towards the penalty area but his right-footed drive flashed agonisingly past the far-post.

Heybridge Swifts did call goalkeeper Matt Reed into action but the highly-rated goalkeeper was never going to be beaten from George Lay’s drilled free-kick towards the foot of the near post.

Edusei issued the Essex visitors a warning when he turned Westcott’s low centre past the post from eight-yards.

But the Angels really should have broken the deadlock with just 12 minutes on the clock.

Left-sided winger Kirk Watts played the ball to Edusei, whose low centre was met by Westcott at the far-post but the former Horsham winger swept the ball agonisingly past the far-post from twelve yards.

Central midfielder Tommy Tyne got into the act halfway through the first half but his header on the angle, following Anthony Storey’s free-kick, was plucked out of the air by the busy visiting goalkeeper Ollie Morris-Sanders, who needed treatment on three occasions during the game.

But there was no disputing that the west Kent side deserved to open the scoring after 34 minutes.

Tyne picked out Watts with a superb diagonal ball and the left-winger twice turned his marker inside the penalty area.

Watts cut the ball back to Edusei who stabbed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards to score his second goal of the season.

Heybridge almost stole an equaliser when a hanging cross from King was met by a looping header from Sean Marks, who had fouled Reed in the process, but the header dropped over the crossbar.

Dominant Tonbridge, however, twice went close to increasing their lead with half-time approaching.

Westcott’s low cross was miss-kicked by a defender inside the penalty area but Edusei didn’t react in time but Watts retrieved the ball to set up Edusei but his shot was beaten out by the goalkeeper.

Then moments later a flick on from Rook sent Edusei through on goal and once inside the penalty area his low centre, aimed at Westcott who was ready to stroke the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box, was blocked on the line by King and Westcott’s follow up shot was blocked by Stafford Browne.

But Westcott still managed to whip in a cross towards the far post and Rook headed straight at Morris-Sanders from eight-yards out.

Westcott and Storey both fired in shots towards the Heybridge goalkeeper inside the opening nine minutes of the second half.

A move involving Rook and Storey resulted in Edusei racing through the heart of the Heybridge defence but the striker was thwarted by the goalkeeper's legs.

King’s angled 40-yard cross from the left flank almost embarrassed Reed in the Angels goal as the high hanging cross dropped wide of the far post, with Marks sliding in.

Heybridge’s Gary Burrell cracked a left-footed half-volley past the post, via a deflection from thirty-yards, and another shot from the edge of the penalty area crashed off the roof of the north stand.

But two inspirational substitutions from Warrilow ensured that it wasn’t going to be a frustrating night for the Kent side in front of goal.

Powell came off the bench to replace Edusei and twenty seconds later he had scored his third goal of the season.

Westcott’s cross was met by Rook's cushioned header at the far post and Powell was on hand to stab the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from four-yards out.

Kinch then came on for Rook and with 75 seconds of normal time to play unleashed a deft-lob from the left-hand side of the penalty area which sailed over the goalkeeper’s head before dropping into the far corner.

Warrilow admitted it was a comfortable night for his side, once the second goal arrived after 83 minutes of a one-sided game.

“Always at one-nil you find that something’s going to come back and bite you but then again we created so many chances in the first half,” said the former Horsham assistant manager.

“We got them in at half-time to make sure we pushed them on in the second half and obviously wanted that second goal badly.

“But overall I was delighted with the performance, thought we worked hard and again I thought the better team won.”

Tonight’s victory was the first in six attempts for Tonbridge Angels against Heybridge Swifts.

“Didn’t know about that!” admitted Warrilow, who added: “They’re always a very, very difficult side to beat so I’m just delighted with the three points and (we’ve) kept that run going, just have to continue it Saturday.”

Warrilow's substitutions tonight helped to make the scoreline reflect the impressive performance from his side.

“Akwasi, we thought, was tiring a little bit so I always wanted to give Powell a bit of a run out tonight to build on,” he said.

“Kinch’s come on for the last four or five games and just shored things up for us and he’s popped up with a goal, which he done when we first got here.

“He got in the box and come up with a great finish tonight so delighted with the two subs.”

With five successive wins under their belts, the west Kent side have climbed up to ninth place in the Ryman Premier League - just two points behind fifth placed Billericay Town, who defeated Folkestone Invicta 4-1 tonight.

Billericay Town knock Margate out of the final play-off berth following their win at New Lodge tonight but Tonbridge’s position is a lot better than it was just three weeks ago when they were flirting with relegation.

It just proves that if you can string some decent results together climbing the Ryman Premier League table is possible.

But I always knew the Angels were too good to be lingering around the drop zone!

Tonbridge Angels: Matt Reed, John Wilfort, Matt Lovell, Tommy Tyne, John Beales, James Donovan, John Westcott, Anthony Storey, Akwasi Edusei (Ray Powell 81) Carl Rook (Scott Kinch 86), Kirk Watts.
Subs: Fraser Logan, Michael Phillips.

Goals: Akwasi Edusei 34, Ray Powell 82, Scott Kinch 89

Heybridge Swifts: Ollie Morris-Sanders, Nathan Clarke, William King, Adam Passfield, Daryl Dourgeois, Stafford Browne, George Lay (Alex Rowe 77), Adam Gillespie, Sean Marks, Reggie Savage, Gary Burrell.
Subs: Luke Fisher, Ryan Hull, Richard Bowyer, Jamie Bowyer.

Booked: Reggie Savage 63

Attendance: 281
Referee: Mr Tim Robinson (Bognor Regis, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Babatunde Abebayo (Bexleyheath) & Mr Tim Burman (Welling)