Dartford 3-0 Tonbridge Angels - We've lost to the better team today, admits Tommy Warrilow

DARTFORD  3-0  TONBRIDGE ANGELS
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Round
Saturday 15^th December 2012
Paul Parkinson reports from Princes Park Stadium

Dartford eased into the last sixteen of the FA Carlsberg Trophy with a 3-0 win over a below-par Tonbridge Angels. 
 
 


Harry Crawford’s early strike and Elliot Bradbrook’s second half penalty, both coming from Tonbridge corners, were added to by a scorching drive from Jon Wallis as the Darts rebounded from three consecutive league defeats to approach their festive programme on a high.

Darts manager, Tony Burman, was a satisfied man at full time, and said: “We had a good start, going one up inside six minutes really put us in the ascendancy, and I felt we played really well in the first half.

“We probably should have been a bit more ruthless in their box and maybe could have come in more than one-nil. We felt that we could counter-attack against Tonbridge, that maybe they didn’t get back as quickly as they could, and it worked.”

“It was a tricky tie for us. I thought my players were under pressure after what happened in the last three games, but credit where credit is due, they came out and did really well.”

For Angels’ Tommy Warrilow though, watching the game from the directors’ box, his was more a feeling of disappointment as he explained: “I thought we started the game really well, but gave away a poor goal. From our corner, they’ve cleared it, we’ve let the lad turn and run at us, then all of a sudden it’s three on one, which is a ridiculous first goal to give away.”

“But we’ve lost to the better team today, there’s no disputing that. The second goal was a copy of the first, where the bloke has dropped off, turned and run at us, and won the penalty.

“It was always a big ask, but we’ve not threatened their keeper too much, and we’ve given the ball away too easily. We had possession, lost it, and against a team like Dartford, they are going to punish you.”

“If you take the goal out of the first half then we’re still very much in the game. We had to be patient; remember we are playing a good side here, so we are not going to get our own way, but we’ve killed ourselves five minutes into the second half.

“Then we started giving the ball away, Dartford grew in confidence and you’ve got to take your hat off to the third goal; it was a fantastic strike.

“I’m disappointed because we’ve come here and haven’t given our best, but I can’t complain as overall the better side won.””

In their last home game, Dartford had been undone by set pieces and woeful marking, and Tonbridge tried to capitalise on that, playing early diagonal balls into the home area.

But they maybe over committed at a corner, as the ball dropped to Crawford mid-way inside the Dartford half.

Crawford, whose nine goals earlier in the season had been central to the run that saw the Darts rise as high as second in the Blue Square Premier table, turned and drove at the only Tonbridge defender who was able to keep up, Tom Davis.

As the ball was slipped inside to Ryan Hayes, it bobbled off Davis’’ challenge back into the path of Crawford, whose low first time shot was saved to his right by Lee Worgan, but the ball ran loose back to Crawford who tapped home from ten yards out.

Hayes, tormenting young full back Henry Muggeridge down the right wing, delivered two good balls into the box, one of which saw Ben Judge deflect Bradbrook’s header behind.

Then Hayes curled a 25-yard free kick over after Gary Elphick had bizarrely been adjudged to have deliberated handled when he hooked the ball onto his own arm.

In between the Hayes’ efforts, Lee Browning’s low cross almost found Frannie Collin sliding in the area, but the close miss would sum up the Tonbridge forward’s day.

George Purcell hit a speculative volley dipping past the left hand post from a poor clearing header, before Tonbridge’s best move of the match saw Aaron Gayle flick on Worgan’s clearance, into the run of Collin, who hit a volley from all of 30-yards that Marcus Bettinelli had to claim at the second attempt.

Worgan was quickly off his line to deny Hayes after the winger had exchanged passes with Crawford, and Tom Champion had to be alert to head a curling effort from Collin away, as it appeared to be heading into the top corner.

At the end of the half, Worgan was alert to tip an audaciously flicked effort from Crawford over the bar, after Champion and Jacob Erskine had kept the ball heading goalwards from a Hayes corner.

As in the first half, Tonbridge started the brighter in the second period, with Browning forcing Bettinelli to tip a curling cross over the bar, but the visitors’ were once again culpable as Dartford doubled their lead.

From another Tonbridge corner, Erskine and Hayes combined to release Crawford into the Tonbridge half. Muggeridge tried to intercept, but the ball fell back into the path of the Dartford forward, and as he cut into the area to improve the angle for a shot, Davis clipped his ankles and Mr Bull had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Although the last man, Davis was only shown yellow, and Dartford skipper Bradbrook stepped up to convert the spot-kick.

Wallis and Erskine shared three long range efforts that didn’t really test Worgan, but Wallis’ efforts were just sighters, leading up to his third effort of the half, that whistled into the top left corner to make the lead three.

Substitutes Rory Hill and Danny Walder were combining well on the Tonbridge left and created two chances, one each for Purcell and Collin, but both chances were scooped over the bar, when maybe the forwards should have tested Bettinelli.

Bradbrook tested Worgan again in the closing minutes as the keeper turned a right foot curler round the post, and from the resulting corner, Danny Harris put the ball into the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for an earlier foul.

Warrilow, although disappointed, refused to be too downcast, and said: “It’s just not happening for, not only the front two, as the midfield lost the ball too often as well, but the chance near the end sums Frannnie’s luck up at the moment.

“George will always give you 110%, and we tried to being Gayley in up front to give us a bit of a presence. He did alright against their big guys, but we didn’t get close enough to him, didn’t win the second balls, and that disappointed me.”

“I’ve said to the boys’ that it’s disappointing to be out of the Trophy, but I’m not going to throw away the season. Our season is very much alive. I’m sure I’ll take some flack as it is three defeats on the spin, but that happens in football.

“I’ve got to change a few things, I’ve got some big players who are struggling to perform, so maybe we need to change things against Welling. But if anyone thinks we’re going to give up, and go spiralling down, they don’t know me as a person. We’ll address it, sort it out and get going again.””

And Burman, praised his forwards, especially Erskine who turned in arguably his best performance of the season.

The Darts’ boss added: “I think today he caused their two centre-backs all sorts of problems, and that’s what I’ve wanted him to do. He’s a good player and I’ve got to get him to believe how important he is to the team. He was left out last week, not because he was playing badly, but I’ve got to rotate the squad, so I’ve got a reaction from him, and today I thought he was a handful. He should realise he can have that belief.”

Speaking about former Southend United striker Crawford, Burman said: “Harry’s been patient, as we’ve tried different formations, but this might be his time now to come in a score a few goals. He’s into double figures for the season now; fair play to him as he hasn’t had as many games as we would have liked him to get, but he’s a young lad and he’’ll carry on learning.”

Burman added: “It was a tough week last week, three games in seven days, two of them trips up to Birmingham. We deserved some points from those games, not that many in all honesty, and it’s like in those seven days things have changed. The guys have had a bit of criticism, but we’ve had two good training sessions and they’ve responded in the right way.”

Dartford: Marcus Bettinelli, Lee Burns, Richard Rose, Tom Bonner, Tom Champion, Ryan Hayes (Nathan Collier 79), Jon Wallis (James Rogers 76), Elliot Bradbrook, Lee Noble, Harry Crawford (Danny Harris 84), Jacob Erskine.
Subs: Steven Lawrence, Semi Ajayi

Goals: Harry Crawford 5, Elliot Bradbrook 51 (pen), Jon Wallis 66

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Sonny Miles, Henry Muggeridge, Lee Browning, Gary Elphick, Ben Judge (Mark Lovell 79), Tom Davis, Chris Piper (Danny Walder 46), George Purcell, Frannie Collin, Aaron Gayle (Rory Hill 62).
Subs: Ross Treleaven, Nathan Koranteng

Booked: Tom Davis 50, Lee Browning 90

Attendance: 926
Referee: Mr Mike Bull
Assistants: Mr Jonathan Pickford (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex) & Mr David Spain (Westfield, West Sussex)
Fourth Official: Mr Matthew Goldsmith (Hastings, East Sussex)