Harrow Borough 2-1 Tonbridge Angels - All good things come to an end, admits Warrilow - EXCLUSIVE

Tonbridge Angels remained undefeated during Warrilow’s first seven games in charge, but defensive frailties were to be their downfall at a sparse Earlsmead Stadium.

Tonbridge Angels would have climbed up to tenth place in the Ryman Premier League table had won tonight, but remain in the bottom five, level on 19 points, with rivals’ Hastings United and Folkestone Invicta.

Warrilow made two changes to the side that were held to a goal-less draw by East Thurrock United at the weekend.

Hamid Barr was suffering with flu so didn’t travel, and as Anthony Storey faces a one-match ban and misses the trip to league leaders Chelmsford City on Saturday, he was dropped to the substitutes’ bench.

But the Eastbourne based midfielder faces a new three-match ban, as he was sent off towards the end of this game, due to violent conduct.

“I thought it was ridiculous, the linesman’s in front,” Fumed Warrilow, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“He’s got squeezed in between two players and he had no option. He didn’t stamp on him.

“If he got sent off for stamping, that’s fair enough but he landed on him. Difference between landing and stamping.

“They wouldn’t even talk to you the refs, so he’s not going to change his mind.

“But it should have been a free-kick anyway, he’s booked the lad and given us a throw in.”

Harrow Borough took the lead inside nine minutes, courtesy of Robin Shroot’s fourth goal of the season.

Danny Neilson delivered a throw in from the corner flag and giant Angels defender Richard Harris sent his header more up than out of the penalty area.

And Shroot curled a right-footed half-volley from 12-yards into the top left hand corner.

Wingers Kirk Watts and John Westcott saw plenty of the ball during the first half and Watts’ pass played in Akwasi Edusei but the striker, who spent most of his time losing his footing, dragged his shot wide of the far post with only the goalkeeper, Gary Ross, to beat.

Edusei’s strike partner, Tommy Tyne, looped a header wide, as Watts’ whipped in a cross from the left, following Ray Powell’s free-kick in midfield.

But Harrow Borough squandered three golden opportunities to wrap up the points.

Stroot unleashed a left-footed shot from 25-yards in the 27^th minute, which Angels goalkeeper Matt Reed tipped over his crossbar.

And from the resulting corner, taken by Albert Adomah, Danny Leech powered his header agonisingly past the right-post from just six-yards.

And on the half-hour mark Stroot headed over the crossbar from 12-yards, after Neilson whipped in a cross from the right.

But Tonbridge Angels levelled proceedings within a minute, as midfielder Scott Kinch netted his sixth goal of the season.

The Kent side were awarded a free-kick on the left-byline as Matt Lovell was bundled over.

Watts chipped the resulting free-kick with his left-foot towards the far post and Kinch stabbed the ball through a crowd of players over the line.

After exchanging passes with half-time substitute Jonathan Constant, Stroot’s right-footed drilled shot was tipped around the post by Reed.

But more poor defending cost Tonbridge, as Constant scored his third goal of the season, five minutes into the second half.

Central defender John Beales’ poor header back towards Reed was intercepted by Stroot, who cut the ball back to Constant, stabbing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

Tyne played Westcott behind the hosts’ defence in the 55^th minute and his first time cross found Watts on the left.

Following his low centre, Kinch’s shot was charged down and Tyne dwelled on the ball and the chance was gone.

Reed made a comfortable near-post save from Constant before seeing Harrow Borough skipper Wayne Walters blaze a right-footed 35-yard shot high over his bar.

Tonbridge Angels had to wait until the 66^th minute for their next chance but Eduesi sent his 25-yard shot straight at Ross.

With the travelling fans’ growing even more frustrated, Storey sent his free-kick over the bar when well placed.

But substitute James Donovan almost grabbed a point inside the last three minutes.

The former Margate defender met Westcott’s corner with a powerful header, which was cleared off the line by a defender standing beside the right upright.

Warrilow, meanwhile, admitted he was “gutted” as he lost his first game as Tonbridge Angels boss.

“Not nice, but we knew all good things come to an end and it did tonight,” said the former Horsham assistant manager.

“To be honest we’ve been riding our luck, Saturday and tonight so I haven’t really got no complaints about it.

“We’ve just got to dust ourselves down and re-group and go from there.”

Warrilow felt his side squandered an excellent chance to climb the table with a victory tonight, instead of remaining in the bottom five.

“The only good thing is the league is still very, very tight,” he explained. “There’s lots of games to play.

“We know what we’ve got to do here. We can’t do nothing about it now. It’s gone.

“We’ve lost the chance to move up eight places tonight. We’ve got to make sure we go Saturday and cause an upset over at Chelmsford.”

League leaders Chelmsford City have won all of their eight league games at Melbourne Park this season, but Warrilow is confident that his side can do well.

“On our day, yes!” he said. “First give games definitely, last two you’d be (not so sure).

“But you know what this league’s like. You’d lose to teams like Harrow Borough and beat teams like Chelmsford’s so there’s no easy games just like tonight proved again.”

Warrilow felt his side failed to get the ball out wide during the second half, as they did during the first.

He said: “I’ve got to be fair to the boys’ (that) are upfront, Saturday we didn’t create any chances (and) we need to address that. We knew that and it will be addressed but we’ll give everyone a chance.

“Tonight, yes, I thought the boy Akwasi don’t well up there and Tommy battled away for you but we just want to get strength in depth all round the squad so I won’t just single the front two out.

“I thought the distribution up to them weren’t the best at all times. Our problem again tonight was we didn’t use the width of the pitch.

“John Westcott, second half, was out there on his own and for some reason we stopped going out wide.

“We’re not going to win all your games, obviously I’m gutted tonight but we knew it was around the corner, so it’s happened now, we’ve just got to react to it, in a positive way.”

Harrow Borough: Gary Ross, Danny Nielson, Gary Megin, Wayne Walters, Danny Leech, Bobby Highton, Robin Shroot, Jamie Lawrence, Charlie Hill (Danny McGonigle 54), Byron Harrison (Jonathan Constant 45), Albert Adomah (Kwasi Frampong).
Subs: James Bent, Josh Lennie.

Goals: Robin Stroot 9, Jonathan Constant 50

Booked: Wayne Walters 33, Robin Stroot 41

Tonbridge Angels: Matt Reed, Ray Powell, Matt Lovell, Scott Kinch, John Beales, Richard Harris (James Donovan 61), John Westcott, Robbie Kember (Anthony Storey 73), Akwasi Edusei, Tommy Tyne, Kirk Watts.
Sub: Kirk Husnu.

Goal: Scott Kinch 31

Booked: Ray Powell 52, Robbie Kember 63

Sent off: Anthony Storey 90

Attendance: 128
Referee: Mr John Scott (Buckingham)
Assistants: Mr Mark Sennett (Hayes, Middlesex) & Mr Bartholomew O’Toole (Isleworth, Middlesex)