We're going to work hard to get out of this League, says Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says there is plenty of work to do if his side are to improve on last season.

The Angels finished their inaugural Blue Square Bet (Conference) South campaign in a respectable ninth-place last season and Warrilow will push his squad of players to improve on that this term.

The Longmead Stadium faithful saw their side clinch promotion out of the Ryman Premier League as runners-up, after beating Harrow Borough and Lowestoft Town in two enthralling games at the end of the 2010-11 season to secure their place in Conference South.

And after finishing in ninth-place last season, Warrilow wants to continue the club’s rise.

The 47-year-old said: “That’s been the thing, every year to have a gradual improvement.  Year on year we’ve done that and last year we were on a winner anyway because wherever we finished was an improvement on the year before.

“Ninth was a fantastic year for us last year.  We were a little bit gutted we fell behind (the play-offs) in the end but that was down to squad size and that’s what’s why I was saying to the board, later on in the season we’ll add to the squad.”

Warrilow expects the Conference South to be even stronger this coming season.

He said: “Once you finish ninth, it’s not going to be easy coming straight in.  Teams that have stayed up last year are very good sides and had a little scare last year and they will come back stronger.

“We know Hornchurch and Billericay (who were promoted from the Ryman Premier League) are two difficult games and Bath City (who were relegated from the Conference Premier) are strong and it’s going to be another tough League for us to finish ninth.”

Warrilow added:  “It’s fantastic to finish ninth. I want to win every League but I’m a realistic.  My target for the boys is to win every single game of football – but that’s not going to happen!

“There’s definitely some positives to take out of the way we finished the season and we know there is work to do but look at the club’s we’re playing against now. 

“These are fantastic times and we’ll enjoy ourselves. We’re determined to enjoy it and put pressure on ourselves.

“At the same time we have to work really hard.  We’re going to work on things we learnt last year in pre-season and that’s not necessarily with the ball.

“There’s massive, massive positives to take into next season, but I appreciate you’re always going to get the half empty syndrome.  We’ve got no divine right to win any game of football.

“There’s some big clubs at this level. We’re still a small fish in a big pond and if people want to hear that or not that’s down to them. A majority of those clubs are used to it (Conference South) and have played in the League above.

“This is the highest we’ve ever played and we’re determined not to throw that away. There’s no way we’re going to walk around with a bit of arrogance saying we should win.

“We’re going to have to work hard to get out of this League and to push on in this League, but with the players I’ve got – if I can keep them fit and injury free and suspension free – it looks like very promising that we can build on last year and that’s the key.”

Tonbridge Angels begin their pre-season campaign with a home game against League One side Crawley Town on Wednesday 11 July (7:45pm).

The Conference publish their fixtures for the 2012-13 season tomorrow at 11am.

Meanwhile, Warrilow will play in a celebrity football match at Whitstable Town’s Belmont Road ground on Sunday, 22 July. 

Whitstable Town boss Justin Luchford has picked a whole host of Kent football stars to face a Celebrity Soap Stars XI – which includes stars from Emmerdale, Waterloo Road, Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

Luchford’s Legends include Warrilow, Dover Athletic boss Nicky Forster, Whitstable Town midfielder Nicky Southall and former Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler.

For more information about the game please visit www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk.

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ website: www.tonbridgeangelsonline.co.uk  

Article published at 13:00 - Sunday 1 July 2012