Warrilow tells rival managers: Be respectful with your team selections - EXCLUSIVE

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow expects a crowd of over 1,000 to attend the club’s make-or-break showdown against fourth placed side AFC Hornchurch at Longmead Stadium on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Angels must win their last two games of the season and rely on fifth placed Ashford Town (Middlesex) slipping up to stand a chance of qualifying for the Ryman Premier League play-off lottery at the end of the month.

Mark Butler’s Ashford sealed a 3-0 home win over relegation threatened Carshalton Athletic in midweek and currently hold the final play-off berth.

But Warrilow has challenged his side to do the business and will be hoping that second-bottom outfit East Thurrock United and champions Chelmsford City knock Ashford Town (Middlesex) out of the play-off race.

If the Short Lane outfit fall at the final two fences, Warrilow’s warriors travel to Carshalton Athletic on the last day of the season (26^th April), knowing that they’ll be only three wins away from playing Blue Square South football next season.

“I think if we win our last two games I think we’ll qualify,” said Warrilow, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today.

“East Thurrock are fighting for their lives on Saturday and it’s not an easy game to get the result and the last game of the season you’d expect Chelmsford to go over there and continue the form that’s made them champions.”

Talk of losing to AFC Hornchurch on Saturday has been banned as Warrilow calls for a positive attitude from everyone.

“The most important thing is to get Saturday out of the way,” said Warrilow. “By no means it’s an easy game but we’re at home.

“At the moment we’re on a great run and going into it pretty confidence of getting a result.

“We’ve said our home is our fortress. We’ve lost two league games at home since I’ve been here and one of them was the other week in the 96^th minute against Chelmsford.

“Our home form is good and it’s a hard place for other teams to come and that’s obviously down to the fans as well.

“The fans, all year, have been brilliant! We’ve had some massive games, Wimbledon and Oxford.

“It’s been an eventful six months (and) the players are improving all the time.”

Looking ahead to the showdown against Essex club AFC Hornchurch, Warrilow asks all clubs to adopt a professional attitude in team selection.

“I will never put my feet up and take it easy as it’s hard for teams going for promotion or in a relegation fight,” said Warrilow.

“I don’t believe in fielding weaker teams. If players do well they stay in there, whether we’re top or bottom I go into every game looking to win it or your cheating your supporters as well.”

There are fears that Chelmsford City will take their feet of the gas for their final day trip to Short Lane, Ashford.

But Warrilow said: “To be fair to Chelmsford with the squad they’ve got, no matter what squad they’ll put out they’ll hold their own.

“The strength that they’ve got, any player can walk into any team. Against us, Kezie Ibe, came on and he could come into any squad. The bloke is properly one of the best strikers in the league and with Chelmsford they’ve got such strength in depth.

“I’ll doubt they’ll put out their youth squad as it will be disrespectful for teams if they do that.

“It’s up to Jeff (King, Chelmsford’s manager). Hopefully we don’t have to rely on them doing that.

“Whether we like it or not we have to wait for Ashford to slip up.”

Tonbridge Angels would have beaten Billericay Town had Carl Rook’s goal stood, with the Angels 2-0 up at the time, but the Essex side scored two goals to grab a point.

Warrilow, meanwhile, admitted that emotions were running high at New Lodge.

“The Billericay game was always going to be a battle,” he said. “I’ve got no qualms with Billericay, I’ve got a good relationship with their manager and fans, they would do what our fans would do.

“Tempers were high and that’s part and parcel of football. My main concern was the referee.

“Emotions were running high on Saturday, it was a massive game, two teams fighting for a play-off place and that’s the environment at games like that.”

But the former Horsham assistant manager insists everyone will be fully focused in beating the Urchins on Saturday as they bid to join Chelmsford City in the Blue Square South next season.

He said: “The boys are fully focused, not taking anything for granted. We’ve won nothing yet. I’m sure something will happen Saturday and we’ve got to concentrate on us beating Hornchurch and not look beyond that.

There will be plenty of twists and turns during the last seven days of an extraordinary Ryman Premier League campaign.

“Mark Butler has done well at Ashford, we’ve got a very difficult game Saturday. Hastings are doing well at the moment and finishing as high as they can so Jim (Ward, the Ramsgate manager) has got a difficult trip.

“We’ve all got hard games out of the two so it’s on the day, that we don’t many any mistakes and take it into the last game of the season, which will be brilliant for fans and the clubs.

“February 19^th, it was all relegation talk. Two months later we’re going into the last two games thinking about the play-off spot, which will be fantastic.

“It’s been a difficult season for the team and the supporters as there’s been a big change with a new management team and style of play. It’s baring it’s fruits, with two to go we can nick the fifth spot!”

Saturday’s game will be the last for central midfielder Anthony Storey before he serves a two-match ban, but he’ll be back in time for the play-off final on May 3^rd - if selected.

Former Ramsgate midfielder Michael Phillips, meanwhile, is expected to play for the reserves next week, despite picking up an injury in a second string fixture in the week.

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ websites:  www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk & www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk/forum

Tonbridge Angels v AFC Hornchurch
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 19^th April 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Betterview Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JW