Tonbridge Angels 1-0 Aveley - You'd nick a 1-0 win all day long, admits Alex O'Brien

The Essex visitors’ played better than their position in the bottom three suggests and they created the better chances in what was a disappointing performance from the Angels.

But good sides tend to pick up points when not playing well and that was definitely the case as Collin’s fifth goal in seven days - his nineteenth of the season - saw the Kent side leapfrog over Lowestoft Town into third place in the table with seventeen games to go.

“That’s exactly what happened today to be honest,” Alex O’Brien, the Angels’ assistant manager said afterwards.

“From the start to finish, we weren’t the Tonbridge side we have been, but if someone would’ve said ‘you would nick a one-nil and play badly‘, you’d take it all day long!”

O’Brien added: “Give them their due, they came here and they were very attacking minded and very strong and worked extremely hard and you’ve got to feel for them, but it’s goals that win and thankfully Frannie, again, was on the right turn, right spot, to give us a 1-0 win.”

With left-back Jon Heath unavailable due to a wedding, the Angels switched to playing John Beales, Ben Judge and Sonny Miles at the back and further up the field, goalscorer Collin played behind the front two of Ade Olorunda and Jay May.

Tonbridge Angels started well, and really should have capitalised from an throw from Beales, who was making his 251st appearance for the club.

Beales, who was playing on the left of a three-man defence, looped the ball out of his hands into the penalty area and Aveley midfielder Andy Howell failed to head the ball out of the penalty area and the ball dropped for the unmarked Lewis Taylor, but the Tonbridge central midfielder nodded over.

Beales was at the right place at the right time in the 17th minute when he got back on the far post to hack clear Junior Dadson’s left-footed angled drive, which had flashed across his goalkeeper Lee Worgan.

Beales was in the action again when he met Lee Browning’s right-wing corner with a bullet header from eight-yards at the near post, but his effort cleared the crossbar.

Aveley goalkeeper Dave McCartney made his only save of the first half in the 20th minute when he dived low to his right to save Taylor’s low right-footed drive from 30-yards.

But Aveley should have stunned the home faithful in the crowd when they squandered three good chances before the break.

Despite having a couple of defenders swarming around him, Aveley left winger Dadson managed to get a shot away, which took a deflection and bounced into Worgan’s arms.

But the best chance of the game arrived in the 32nd minute, and Aveley were so unlucky not to have taken the lead.

Striker Tamer Tuna stepped up and curled a right-footed free-kick from 22-yards, which beat the Tonbridge keeper, who was relieved to see the ball crash off the crossbar.

Central midfielder Kenny Beaney then released Sherwin Stanley down the left channel and the former Tonbridge striker cut inside and his right-footed angled drive was destined for the far corner, but Worgan dived to his left to tip the ball around the post, an excellent save.

The second half was also disappointing for the home fans, as their favourites found it difficult to play their natural game because of the wind and dry pitch.

Returning Aveley defender, Sean Francis, who was immense alongside his skipper Tony Russell, could have broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute, meeting Beaney’s corner from the right with a looping header which dropped over.

Another chance fell Aveley’s way when Beales clearance fell to Dadson, who hooked a left-footed half-volley screaming past the post.

The home fans’ frustration grew after the hour-mark as Tonbridge couldn’t break through a resilient back-four and visiting goalkeeper McCartney was a spectator.

A sweeping move down the left involving Dadson and Tuna saw Dadson curl a right-footed drive over from the edge of the Tonbridge penalty area, but Stanley almost scored against his former club in the 65th minute.

Beales’ slip almost proved costly as Stanley latched onto a ball over the top of the Tonbridge defence and the striker’s hooked right-footed shot from 25-yards was blocked by Worgan’s legs at his near post.

Then Tuna caressed a left-footed hooked shot over his shoulder and Worgan made a comfortable but diving save to his right to prevent Aveley from getting the reward their attacking play deserved.

Tonbridge Angels first chance of the second half came 29 minutes into it, forcing McCartney into making his second save of the game, following a slick move.

Lee Browning, who was in a central position, played a superb ball to pick out Chris Piper, who was ghosting into the Aveley penalty area and from a very acute angle, the midfielder’s driven shot took a deflection off Francis and McCartney made a near post block with his legs.

But Tonbridge Angels grabbed their seventh league home win of the season with thirteen minutes remaining, which was hard on Aveley.

Left wing-back Danny Walder spread the ball across the penalty area to Taylor, who cushioned a header into Collin’s path and the former Dover Athletic striker fired a right-footed low shot underneath McCartney and into the centre of an empty net.

O’Brien praised Collin for getting his side out of a hole.

“He’s doing alright to be fair,” said O’Brien.  “Me and Tom (Warrilow) still think he’s got plenty more to give but for confidence and he’s own targets, fantastic.  

“He’s in the right direction but what Frannie brings as well it’s not goals but he’s overall game is second to none.  Like I said before, he’s a very, very big part of this Tonbridge side.”

Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow was rewarded with the manager-of-the-month award this week after his side picked up five wins and a draw in January.

Warrilow is the club’s eighth most successful manager, having won 82 of his 171 games in charge of the Longmead Stadium club.

And O’Brien explained why Aveley made it so hard for the Kent side.

He said: “We knew teams want to beat us and for some reason we didn’t react, we didn’t turn that pressure into good pressure and make it all about us.

“We were on our heels from the off and sides that get a bit of confidence and do well with the ball, they got at us but like I said I’m not too fussed now that we’ve won 1-0 but there’s things that we need to address and get us playing the way we should be playing and have been playing but like I said on a dark Saturday night I’ll take that one-nil, no problem!”

O’Brien was so impressed with Aveley today, he is confident they will pick up points against sixth-placed Kingstonian next weekend.

“They worked hard and I’m sure if they work hard like that next week they’ll get something out of the game,” he said.

“But I’m sure we’ll put ourselves tonight in a position now where teams come here and they want to beat us, of course they do, and it’ll be the same Tuesday night (against Concord Rangers).”

The Angels welcome tenth-placed side Concord Rangers to Longmead on Tuesday night, before travelling to basement side Croydon Athletic next Saturday, before coming back home to play Canvey Island on 15 February.

They are presently eight points behind leaders Sutton United, who won 2-0 at Cray Wanderers today, but Warrilow’s men have two games in hand over Paul Doswell’s side, who come to town in two weeks time and what a game that’s going to be!

O’Brien added: “I mean it could be Sutton at any time of the season, it will still be a massive game.  They’re a good side but so are we so it’s going to definitely be a big day so if anyone’s got weddings or this, that and the other, cancel it!

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic game but like I said we’re going to go to Tuesday and we’ll get in Thursday, address it, and then we go to Saturday.  We’re just keeping the boys ticking over and hopefully if they’re bad on one day and we win 1-0, that’ll do me!”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Danny Walder, Sonny Miles, Lewis Taylor (Scott Kinch 90), Ben Judge, John Beales, Lee Browning, Lee Browning, Chris Piper (Jake Beecroft 76), Jay May (Fraser Logan 65), Frannie Collin, Ade Olorunda.

Goal:  Frannie Collin 77

Booked: Lee Browning 45, Ade Olorunda 83

Aveley: Dave McCartney, Ryan Andrews, Charlie Read, Sean Francis, Tony Russell, Danny Slatter (Orlando Smith 81), Andy Howell, Kenny Beaney, Tamer Tuna, Sherwin Stanley, Junior Dadson (Josh Llewellyn 87).

Subs: Ugo Udoji, Spencer Harrison.

Booked: Tony Russell 81, Orlando Smith 90

Attendance: 436

Referee: Mr Alex Neil (Sutton, Surrey)

Assistants: Mr Peter Crichlow (Carshalton, Surrey) & Mr Chris Phillips (Carshalton, Surrey)