Tonbridge Angels 4-1 Whitstable Town - There's light at the end of the tunnel, says Munday

Tuesday 10th November 2009

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 4-1 WHITSTABLE TOWN
Championship Manager Cup Second Round
Tuesday 10th November 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

STRUGGLING Whitstable Town manager Mark Munday has challenged his side to emulate their performance at Ryman Premier League side Tonbridge Angels during the rest of their league campaign.

The Oystermen belied their position at the foot of the Ryman One South table by showing impressive glimpses during the second half - despite the Angels booking their place in the third round of the Championship Manager Cup with a flattering 4-1 win at a foggy Longmead Stadium tonight.

With both teams fielding strong sides for this low-key League Cup tie, it was Tonbridge Angels that tore Whitstable Town to shreds during a one-sided opening twenty minutes as the hosts stormed into a 2-0 lead after just seven minutes, through strikers Carl Rook and Frenchman Jean-Michal Sigere.

The Angels created more chances and Liam Baker, who impressed on his first team debut, had a goal ruled out for offside, before spirited Whitstable fought back and pulled a goal back through defender Sam Denly eleven minutes before half-time.

Whitstable played some good football during the second half and pressed for the equaliser to force extra time - but Tonbridge, who were hanging on, added two late goals through Sigere and contracted youth team midfielder Baker to take the gloss off a battling Whitstable performance.

The Angels could not have asked for a better start to settle their nerves, as they got off to a whirlwind start in front of their lowest crowd of the season.

Denly was penalised for a foul on Rook down the right and winger Kirk Watts swept in a left-footed cross towards the far post and Rook was on hand to sweep the ball past Kevin Fewell after just 55 seconds for his 13th goal of the season.

The highly-rated stopper prevented Sigere from scoring with a drive after a move down the left involving Watts and Jon Heath, which saw midfielder Lee Minshull - who finished the game in the heart of defence - dummy for the Frenchman to see his shot beaten out.

But Fewell could do nothing to stop Sigere finishing off an excellent, slick, Tonbridge move with just seven minutes on the clock.

Anthony Storey released Baker down the right and a slick one-two with Minshull saw the teenager get in behind the Whitstable defence and his cross was caressed past Fewell by third-choice striker Sigere.

Whitstable could not cope with Tonbridge’s excellent football and they could have conceded a third after eleven minutes when Storey was left unmarked outside the box (following a short corner involving Baker and Watts), but his drive flashed off the soaked pitch and Fewell smothered the ball beside his near post.

Baker was too eager three minutes later when he rifled Sigere’s goal bound header into the roof of the net from just a yard out and the goal was correctly chalked off for offside.

That appeared to knock the stuffing out of Tonbridge Angels and Whitstable should have pulled a goal back on the half-hour mark when Dan Dolton’s header almost embarrassed keeper Lee Worgan.

The former Hastings United keeper - watched by a scout from Ipswich Town tonight - lost his footing as the ball rolled past him but he recovered well to clear the ball away before it rolled over the line.

But he couldn’t do anything about Whitstable’s goal just four minutes later.

Dan Dolton delivered a free-kick from the right and this was met by a thumping header by Denly, which bounced over a crowded goalmouth and lifted the visitors.

Hardworking striker Dave Cory, however, squandered an excellent chance to draw level in the 42nd minute, after being released in behind the Tonbridge defence by Dean Grant, but his low shot was blocked by the advancing keeper’s legs.

The impressive Joe Hitchings and Cory were both off target inside the opening ten minutes as Whitstable were now a far different side to the one that had started the game so poorly.

Baker was denied by Fewell at the other end on the hour mark, and Whitstable striker Stuart Vahid looped a header over Worgan’s crossbar.

Fewell proved why he is one of Kent’s best goalkeepers when he made an excellent double save to thwart substitute Sonny Miles and then tipped Sigere’s follow up shot over the bar.

And from Watts’ resulting corner from the left, the Whitstable keeper tipped substitute Paul Booth’s header to safety via the top of his crossbar.

However, all Whitstable’s hard-work was undone as Tonbridge grabbed two flattering goals at the death.

Baker capped a fine debut in the 87th minute when he was released by Booth and smashed a low drive across Fewell and into the bottom far corner.

The fourth goal was harsh on Whitstable as Baker this time turned provider as his cross from the right was knocked down by Booth and Sigere applied the finishing touch from close range at the far post.

But Munday, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, took plenty of positives from tonight’s performance and wants his side to play like this when they welcome Walton Casuals to Belmont Road on Saturday.

“By Tom (Warrilow) and Cliff (Cant’s) own admissions, the scoreline flattered them,” said Munday.

“I thought we was excellent tonight. We was industrious, we was fresh, had lots of good ideas, just didn’t have the final killer touch in front of goal.

“We made and created enough chances, (had we) taken them, it might have been a different story.

“The performance was full of positives, especially after our recent poor form, but before that I would’ve said our performances had been ok but our results have been poor and we moved into a part where our performances were just dreadful and there didn’t look to be light at the end of the tunnel.

“But I’ve just had them in there for ten minutes and said that’s what’s expected each week, nothing more than that, just the will and want to work that hard and when the chances do come then we do get our noses in front.

“But if you give any side, not just a Premier League side, a two goal start in the first six or seven minutes, it’s an uphill battle.

“I’ve said that all along the character and the dynamics of the game will change if you go 1-0 up.

“I was very pleased with how we played today and how we competed and had the fair share of possession, against a very good Premier side.”

Knowing that his side had scored just one goal on their travels in the league all season, Munday was not confident of getting back into the game after such a shockingly poor start.

“Confidence has to be very, very low, even though you get everyone up for the game,” he said. “Confidence has to be wafer thin but we’ve showed a bit of character. There’s been a few games where we’ve not showed character and we’ve capitulated and it’s turned to be men against boys or an embarrassing scenario where we’re playing sides in our own league and we’ve also given up, which I can’t have that!

“Tonight was a little bit make or break but all we’ve got to do is take that energy, performance, endeavour and freshness and take that into our next five league games, which are massively important. If we do that we’ll give ourselves a good opportunity.

“I don’t think we should be at the bottom with performances like that!”

Despite progressing into the next round of the Ryman League Cup competition, Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow, also speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk felt his side were cocky when they had raced into an early 2-0 lead.

He said: “I thought it was disappointing, the scoreline flattered us! Beating it around the bush, it’s the second game on the spin where I’ve had to go in after a win and have a go at them. It’s just not good enough!

“We started really well, thought it would be easy and then started being cocky and it nearly backfired. They got the goal, it gave them the lift and second half they came out and raised their game and to be honest they looked like getting the goal and not us again.

“That’s disappointing, but the main thing was we won the game and go into the next round.

“It’s not all about us, give Whitstable a bit of credit because at 2-0 they could’ve folded and they stayed in there and got a goal and fair play to them, they made a game of it in the end.

“They didn’t look like a side at the bottom of Ryman South anyway!”

Warrilow praised debutant Baker for his impressive display, although knocks to Worgan, Jon Heath and Tom Bryant were causing concern.

“The plus tonight was Liam Baker had a good, solid debut,” praised Warrilow.

“He’s a young boy whose going to learn. He’s been out for a long time, he’s from the youth team. I’ve seen him play a lot last year and this year he’s come to pre-season and done well and we stuck him on a contract.

“That’s his first game, he’s had a few for the reserves but he’s had to sit on the sidelines for two months (though injury) and he’s come in and done really well.

“He’s made one goal and scored another. There’s bits to work on but he can be proud of that tonight.”

Warrilow sounds like a broken record when he says he wants his side to finish teams off when they have a chance too - starting at in-form Kingstonian on Saturday.

“Why do we have to make it so hard?” he asked. “Again tonight, 2-0 up after ten minutes and then we decide to try and be clever and that’s what I’m trying to knock out of them and that’s what winds me up!

“If we keep playing the way we’ve played in the last two, teams are going to punish us. We won’t get away with it all the time!

“Two teams in the last two games have had little spells in the game where they could’ve won it and we should have been out of sight before those spells, but that’s what we’re doing and making it so hard and that annoys me!”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Lewis Hamilton, Jon Heath (Steve Ferguson 58), Lee Minshull, Tom Bryant, Marc Cumberbatch (Sonny Miles 46), Liam Baker, Anthony Storey, Jean-Michal Sigere, Carl Rook (Paul Booth 46), Kirk Watts.
Sub: Jamie Cade.

Goals: Carl Rook 1, Jean-Michal Sigere 7, 90, Liam Baker 87

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Gareth Cornhill, Steven Lloyd, Dan Tanner, Ben Smith, Sam Denly, Dean Grant, Joe Hitchings, Stuart Vahid, David Cory, Dan Dolton.
Subs: Clint Gooding, Dean Powell, Greg Smith, Mark Munday.

Goal: Sam Denly 34

Attendance: 181
Referee: Mr Charles Breakspear (Walton-on-Thames, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Kevin Welsh (Sittingbourne) & Mr M Graves (Margate)