Tonbridge Angels 3-2 Harrow Borough - What the fans saw was a fantastic night for Tonbridge -O'Brien

TONBRIDGE ANGELS  3-2  HARROW BOROUGH
(after extra time)
Ryman Premier League Play-Off Semi-Final
Tuesday 3^rd May 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

BRAVEHEARTS Tonbridge Angels handled the pressure cooker of the play-off’s to book their place in Saturday’s home final against Lowestoft Town after snatching victory away from impressive Harrow Borough in a two-hour epic.




The home fans were asked to make home advantage count to ensure that Harrow Borough would melt in the cauldron of passion that is Longmead Stadium and they didn’t disappoint, as their support before, during and after the game was immense.

The home faithful even stayed behind after the game to clap Harrow’s heroes off the pitch in what was an excellent, yet nervy, game of football, with so much at stake.

Despite losing both league games to Harrow Borough, the away game coming only eleven days ago, it was important for the Angels to get off to a good start, and Chris Piper settled the home side’s nerves with a goal inside the opening six minutes.
 
It got even better when warrior Scott Kinch sent a curling strike into the bottom far corner to hand Tonbridge Angels a 2-0 lead after 22 minutes – before it all went wrong and Harrow Borough pulled a goal back through Rocky Baptiste’s close range finish just three minutes later and Harrow dominated proceedings as Tonbridge were on the rocks for large chunks of the enthralling contest.

Baptiste appeared to be offside when he nodded home his 28^th goal of the season to level with 21 minutes of normal time remaining, before Tonbridge Angels found that extra yard of desire and striker Ade Olorunda bundled home a dramatic winner with nine minutes of extra time remaining after visiting goalkeeper Nick Jupp had kept out his initial chip.

”In true Tonbridge fashion, highs, lows, ups and downs, all sorts went on tonight,” said Angels’ assistant manager Alex O’Brien afterwards.

”I think if you were a neutral and you’ve paid money to get in you’d be very, very impressed with what you saw.  Two sides that went at it from the start all the way to the finish and fair play to Harrow Borough, they pushed us, they really pushed us and I think the real positive for me was the character that showed through from our boys to never give up, never get their heads down.  They carried on with the job and they got the job done.”

It was one of those proud Longmead Stadium nights, with passion on the terraces, desire and a will to win from all fourteen heroes dressed in blue.

Tonbridge started on the front foot and Piper and Jake Beecroft fired shots wide of the Harrow goal, before the Kent heroes drew first blood with 5:23 on the clock.

Ben Judge sent a free-kick from inside the Tonbridge half straight down the middle of the pitch and Kinch and Adrian Stone flicked the ball on with their heads and Piper guided a left-footed shot into the roof of the net, which sparked protests towards one of the assistant’s referee from goalkeeper Jupp and Danny McGonigle, who felt there was a handball in the build up.

”We said, when we played Harrow a couple of weeks back, we didn’t start, we didn’t start at all,” said O’Brien.

”We got bullied and I did use a phrase we got rolled over.  It was a man-versus-boys’ game.

”We started well (tonight), we started bright.  When we went in at full-time the players were throwing all sorts at me saying ‘there’s your men-versus-boys’ and I love that and I don’t mind at all if I set someone the challenge and they make that challenge, I’d take a Kinchy elbow in the face!”

Tonbridge keeper Lee Worgan was relieved to see David Ijaha’s right-footed drive deflect over his crossbar, before the visitors’ stepped up a gear.

Left-back Ryan Watts delivered a free-kick from the inside left-channel and the ball was knocked down by Ijaha and Dewayne Clarke sent an ambitious overhead kick over.

Then, Kurt Morlese sent a right-footed half-volley sailing over crossbar, stand roof and dressing rooms, after Jon Heath headed out his long throw.

Worgan then sent a free-kick up field, which was flicked on by Olorunda and the ball dropped nicely for Piper (who was ghosting forward), but the central midfielder scuffed a right-footed shot wide.

Tonbridge Angels doubled their lead, half-way through the half.

Jake Beecroft won possession and fed the ball to skipper Kinch (on the corner of the penalty area) and the midfield general swivelled and clipped an stunning right-footed shot over the stranded Jupp and into the bottom far corner before racing towards the delirious home faithful.

”I just want to say a few words on Kinchy,” said O’Brien.  “Kinchy, so far, with another game coming up, has been immense.  He had a break where he wasn’t getting in the side and he’s come back and he’s been absolutely fantastic for us.  I can’t speak highly enough of Scott Kinch.”

Harrow fought back, however, and after McGonigle won a loose ball, Danny Hart cracked a curling drive with his right-boot, which swerved just wide of the far post.

But Tonbridge squandered a decent chance when Olorunda burst through three Harrow defenders and sent a left-footed shot over the crossbar with the home fans roaring him on.

The home faithful were on the edge of their seats throughout, especially when Harrow Borough pulled a goal back after 25 pulsating minutes.

Worgan allowed Kwasi Frempong to play a ball across the face of his goal to find the unmarked Clarke, who cut the ball across the stranded keeper and Baptiste was on hand to stab the ball over the line from close in.

O’Brien admitted he wasn’t pleased with the goal.

”I thought it was unnecessary,” he bemoaned.  “We had a good chance to get our foot on the ball and play our way out or clear our lines but we didn’t do neither.

”All off a sudden at 2-1 we’re a little bit fragile.  Like I said, they’re strong and they’re pacy and they’re going to get at you.  They’ve beaten good sides this season so it was always a worry.  They’ve got goals in them but we were confident to be honest.  There were holes in behind them and if we could just penetrate those holes, we’d create chances.”

Tommy Warrilow’s number two, O’Brien added, “Both sides had good chances to kill the game off but hand on heart, honestly, we had a couple of one-on-ones, shots charged down and I think on another day we could’ve got more than three.”
 
Tonbridge missed some decent chances as they finished the first half the better team.

Just 46 seconds after Harrow’s first goal, Piper stroked a placed shot straight at Jupp from 20-yards, but an even better opportunity came their way in the 32^nd minute when Stone’s flick released Lewis Taylor through on goal and with only the keeper to beat, his attempted lob from 20-yards was comfortably caught.

The nerves were evident both on and off the pitch and Clarke’s ball over the top should have been gathered by Worgan, but he didn’t, but the keeper managed to get back to prevent Baptiste from scoring from long range.

Worgan launched a kick up field which was flicked on by Stone to release Olorunda and his right-footed shot took a deflection and agonisingly dropped just wide of the far post.

Olorunda didn’t stop running all game and Jupp gathered the ball at the third attempt as the striker latched onto Beecroft’s ball over the top inside the opening two minutes of the second half.

But that was to be the end of Tonbridge’s good football and Harrow went on to dominate for the rest of the second half.

Tonbridge just couldn’t live with Baptiste and the striker released Morlese through two chasing defenders – luckily his right-footed shot was weak and Worgan gathered comfortably.

Worgan screamed at his defence as the sliding Baptiste was within inches of connecting to an excellent whipped in teasing low cross from right-winger Hart after 55 minutes.

The increased tempo of the visitors even raised the vocal support from around 50 Harrow supporters – Tonbridge were hanging on to dear life.

Hart swung in a corner from the left, which Tobi Jinadu lost an aerial battle at the near post and the ball dropped to Morlese, who cracked a right-footed volley screaming wide.

Hart was seeing plenty of the ball and after being teed up by Ijaha, he cracked a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which narrowly flew over Worgan’s crossbar.

But Harrow Borough deservedly pulled a goal back after 69 minutes – although Baptiste appeared offside.

Ijaha managed to get the ball out from underneath his feet and his right-footed swept shot from inside the box looped up and the unmarked Baptiste sent a diving header past Worgan. 

An offside flag didn’t arrive and Tonbridge were now dead on their feet.

The confident visiting contingent taunted the stunned Tonbridge faithful, “two-nil and you f****d it up!”

”I like to see it tomorrow on the Dvd but I’ve got to be honest, the lino on this side was really behind play a couple of times but what can you do – we’ve won a game of football so I’m not going to do much.  I’m just going to get on with it,” came O’Brien’s reply.

But these bravehearts weren’t going to ruin all their hard work over a ninth month period, which took them from bottom place in their first three games to finish second – 11 points behind champions Sutton United – to surrender their promotion ambitions.

With twenty minutes left, Tonbridge found something from inside of them and substitute Fraser Logan latched onto Piper’s pass and cracked a left-footed rasping drive over.

Judge then pumped another free-kick towards the edge of the penalty area but his defensive partner Sonny Miles’ weak header was caught by Jupp.

Jupp pulled off a smart save in the 76^th minute when he tipped Taylor’s low fierce right-footed angled drive around the post after Logan crossed from the left and Olorunda’s unselfish lay-off set up the half’s best chance.

Olorunda then sent an ambitious overhead kick – from Danny Walder’s long throw – into Jupp’s gloves before the introduction of Harrow substitute Jerome Walker gave Tonbridge a nightmare for the last 36 minutes of the contest.

Walker’s pace was giving tired Tonbridge problems and he almost carved open a chance for Hart, but thankfully his left-footed shot flashed into Worgan’s gloves with only three minutes of normal time remaining.

Tonbridge Angels almost grabbed victory in the final minute of normal time – Walder clipping a right-footed free-kick narrowly wide of the post from 30-yards.

With Tonbridge tiring, the last thing they wanted after 49 games was extra time.

Glaswegian Logan swung a left-footed free-kick into the box and Olorunda steered a header over, before Walker released Baptiste through on goal.

The Tonbridge fans decided to stay where they were during the second half – and that was probably the right decision as they sucked the ball away from their goal when Walker released Baptiste through on goal and his right-footed drive whistled just past the post.

Kinch met Walder’s throw with a header at the near post, which was caught by Jupp and Logan sent substitute Lee Browning on his way but he swept a right-footed shot straight at Jupp from the corner of the box.

The game went into a nail-biting second period, with everyone expecting the drama of a penalty shoot-out to follow.

Baptisite teed up substitute Evandro Delgado, who with his back to goal, turned and stroked a left-footed shot from 25-yards and a struggling Worgan was relieved to see flash just wide.

But all the home fans’ prayers’ were answered, as their heroes grabbed a dramatic winner with nine minutes remaining.

Logan released the hard-working Olorunda through on goal and Jupp stuck out a strong right hand to deny the striker scoring with a right-footed chip.

However, the ball looped up in the air and took what seemed to be an eternity to drop towards goal, and despite the efforts of Jupp and three red-shirted defenders beside the left upright failed to deny Olorunda, who found that extra ounce of energy to nip in and stab the ball over the line.
 
Cue jubilant scenes all around Longmead and despair for the travelling supporters and players.

Olorunda, 28, who hails from Hastings, said, “Fraser put me in again, he’s set me up a few times.  I tried to lob the keeper, the keeper’s just got a hand on it, and it was a mad chase, chasing it down.  The keeper actually stopped it on the line and I just nipped around the other side and put it in.”

Reflecting on the game, Olorunda said, “Tough game but I think I’ve repaid Tonbridge and Tommy for their loyalty from before, when I left, so one more game and hopefully we’re ready to go up.

”Two-nil up, not like it’s done because it’s 90 minutes, but they fought back and we knew from the other day how strong they were physically and they came back at us but two-all, it was nervy, but the boys stuck together.  The manager said we’re going to need characters and we did it so there’s nothing more we can ask for really.”

Olorunda hailed the Tonbridge fans as “brilliant!”  “There were a few moments there when we thought we’ve got to dig in and they just kept cheering us, loud as well.  It’s a credit to them really – they were our 12^th man.”

It was a night for heroes.  “There was no man-of-the-match,” said Olorunda.  “Everyone was a man-of-the-match. It’s just ledge.”

Olorunda got exactly what he deserved, according to O’Brien.

”It was in the air a long time and he bundled it over and I think he’s got his just deserts,” he said.

”He made things happen.  He won his headers.  He made the ball stick.  He constantly gave their back four a hard night and it was brilliant for him to get the winner.”

O’Brien added, “From Worgs right the way through to the subs, to Melvin (Slight), Tina (Jenner), the supporters.  To everyone who wanted us to do well tonight.  Itt was a really, really decent performance from us and one that we’re all contributed to.  It was a squad game.  Players want to do well for themselves and the club.  Tonight, hand on heart, the boys showed a very, very good strong character.  It was something me and Tom are very proud off.”

Jupp made a fine save to deny Browning scoring with an angled drive, but Harrow still had one last chance, thankfully referee Ian Rathbone – who had a great game too – blew his whistle and awarded Tonbridge a free-kick as Jonathan Constant dived in an attempt to win his side a penalty, which would have been the last kick of extra time.

The celebrating Tonbridge fans gave their heroes a send-off to remember, and to prove what great fans they are, they stayed behind to clap Harrow’s players off the pitch too.

O’Brien paid tribute to the club’s 12^th man.

”From the start, in the tunnel coming out I could hear them.  At half-time I could still hear them.  Full-time I could still hear them, having a shower.  I can still hear them in the bar now and that’s what you want.  That’s fantastic!  That’s brilliant!  I think they knew it was a decent game of football tonight considering you’ve got two huge teams on telly tonight.  The support we had tonight was fantastic.”

A night never to forget, and O’Brien agreed.

”I’m glad I was apart of this tonight.  I’m glad I was part of the Tonbridge side that beat Harrow 3-2 in the semi-final because I think what the fans’ saw here tonight was a fantastic night for Tonbridge.”

With build-up to the must-win home game against Lowestoft Town to follow in the week, O’Brien whetted our appetite for the winner-takes-all clash, adding, “It’s on to Saturday now so hold on because I’m sure we’re in for a ride!”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Danny Walder, Jon Heath, Scott Kinch, Ben Judge, Sonny Miles, Lewis Taylor, Chris Piper (Lee Browning 80), Adrian Stone (Carl Rook 73), Ade Olorunda, Jake Beecroft (Fraser Logan 63).
Subs: Sam Jones, Joe Hagan

Goals: Chris Piper 6, Scott Kinch 22, Ade Olorunda 111

Booked: Ben Judge 86, Danny Walder 118

Harrow Borough: Nick Jupp, Kwasi Frempong, Ryan Watts, Wayne Walters, Tobi Jinadu, David Ijaha, Dewayne Clarke (Evandro Delgado 106), Danny McGonigle, Rocky Baptiste, Kurt Morlese (Jerome Walker 84), Danny Hart (Jonathan Constant 106).
Subs: Lee Hall, Danny Leach

Goals: Rocky Baptiste 25, 69

Booked: Kwasi Frempong 80, Jonathan Constant 120

Attendance: 1,124
Referee: Mr Ian Rathbone (Northampton)
Assistants: Mr Wayne Chambers (Northampton) & Mr Ellis Clark (Wellingborough, Northamptonshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Richard Kendall (Luton, Bedfordshire)