FA Trophy Special: Warrilow wants more giant killing acts

The Angels went to giants, Oxford United, in the first round proper and held them to a memorable goal-less draw at the Kassam Stadium last December, before Hamid Barr’s strike secured a famous 1-0 replay win at Longmead Stadium to knock out the stunned Blue Square Premier club.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t repeat their heroics against a AFC Wimbledon side that went on to clinch promotion as Ryman Premier League play-off winners. The Angels lost 4-0 in front of their largest ever crowd - 2,281 - on 12 January 2008.

The Angels get this season’s FA Carlsberg Trophy campaign underway tomorrow, welcoming fellow Ryman Premier League rivals, Ramsgate.

They go into the Kent showdown now in ninth place, having put in a disappointing shift on Tuesday night, losing 3-0 at AFC Hornchurch.

Ramsgate, who suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Carshalton Athletic on the same night, are enduring their worst season for many years, and travel to west Kent just one place and one point above the drop zone.

“To be honest, the first half there wasn’t a lot wrong,” Warrilow, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk said of their defeat in Essex.

“We let a sloppy goal in from a corner, the goalkeeper just got checked and the lad got a free header in, which we were disappointed with.

“But after that we had four or five good chances that just weren’t falling for us. We went in at half-time 1-0 down, so no real panic stations.

“I just thought if we were doing what we were doing towards the end of the first half, it’ll be a matter of time where we needed that little but of lick, but we just gave away a penalty five minutes into it, which took the wind out of the lads’ sails and we never got going.

“To be fair, Hornchurch hustled and bustled us quite well and we never got our game going.

“From the position we were trying to watch it, it was difficult to gage how deep we were dropping. It weren’t our night, we have to take it on the chin, dust ourselves down and go again tomorrow.”

Tonbridge Angels enjoy an impressive record against Ramsgate and Warrilow wants his side to continue that to bring more happy memories to the club.

Warrilow was without five players and only had 12 first team players at his disposal for the two games against giants Oxford United last season.

Only 57 Oxford supporters travelled to Kent to watch their club’s most embarrassing night of their history as Barr’s strike sent the former top-flight club crashing out at their first hurdle.

Speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk THAT night, Warrilow said of Oxford and that famous giant killing: “They’re a great club. I’m not disrespecting Oxford, but I thought over the two games we can’t just turn round and say we were lucky. I thought we deserved the win.

“I’m absolutely delighted with the result. One-nil against Oxford United, it’s a massive result. I don’t think anyone could envisage that could happen.

“There’s no getting away from that but tomorrow when I wake up the reality will kick in that we’ve just beaten Oxford United here one-nil, as well as drawing at their place.

“It will probably go down hopefully as one of the best days down here in the club’s history, result wise.”

And Warrilow, speaking at lunchtime today, is desperate for more night’s like that one.

He said: “Last season we had a tremendous run with the games against Oxford and it was a great highlight for the club.

“It got everyone out and everyone together and it helped push us on. The Trophy is our cup final and we’ve got half a chance of having a go at it.

“No-one wants to go out of the competition at the first hurdle.

“To bring them back to our place, end up with nine men on the pitch, on a nice floodlit night, it was a good old fashioned cup night under floodlights and it was a night that everyone will remember for a long time.”

Warrilow brought some good news about former Hastings United man, Ade Olorunda, who is currently out with a broken metatarsal.

He added: “He’s been training well this week and the next week or so we may be able to include him in the squad.”

And on tomorrow's Kent derby showdown, Warrilow said: “Ramsgate haven’t been playing badly, I speak to Jim quite a lot and he’s not had the rub of the green this year.

“We just have to make sure we’ll put in a performance like we did against Horsham and try build on that or there’s a possibility we’ll come unstuck.”

Visit Tonbridge Angels website: www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game.

Tonbridge Angels v Ramsgate
FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 18^th October 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Betterview Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JW