Tonbridge Angels 1-1 Canvey Island - Our performance isn't acceptable - Warrilow

Tuesday 01st March 2011

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 1-1 CANVEY ISLAND
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 1^st March 2011
Mike Green reports from Longmead Stadium

“Bottom line is that tonight’s performance isn’t acceptable” – Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow’s frank assessment as his side let two vital points slip against Canvey Island on a bitter night at Longmead.

The Angels indeed were indebted to Jon Beales’ goal on 79 minutes to rescue a point after Canvey had taken the lead early in the second half thanks to Jason Hallett, but the boss was clearly angry at dropping two home points.

A clearly fuming Warrilow said after the game, “I’m not happy as you can’t turn up for 25 minutes and expect to win a game of football. They wanted it more than us, they battled harder that we did, and we had a go at getting back into the game which we did, but we shouldn’t have been behind in the first place.

“We keep telling who should be doing what from set pieces but we keep conceding from them.

“Bottom line is that tonight’s performance isn’t acceptable and we’ve told them that in the dressing room.

“We pat them on the back when we play well but tonight wasn’t good enough. We looked like we didn’t want to win a tackle whilst they had one lad up front who ran his socks off and caused us endless problems and we just couldn’t match that.

“There’s an old saying in football – before you start playing you have to earn the right to play and never did that tonight!

Warrliow’s anger though wasn’t one hundred percent reserved for his players, as referee Tony Mason also received a broadside following an amazing decision in the closing ten minutes.

The Angels had worked themselves a great position down the right and as Chris Piper centred, the ball was clearly blocked by the arm of a Canvey defender and whilst the home players and fans appealed for a penalty, referee Mason surprised most people in the ground by awarding a flag kick rather than a penalty kick.

The Angels boss said, “It was ridiculous – the lads arms are up in the air – it’s a blatant hand ball and yet he (Mr Mason) didn’t give it. I thought he had a poor game tonight and his assistants gave him no help at all.

“If we’d have been given the pen, we could have got away with another poor performance tonight and got the three points, so I could say that he’s cost us two points tonight. And as for some of his bookings? He’s booked Louis Taylor for handball when he was on top of the guy and then there’s a blatant hand ball inside the box in the last ten minutes that he didn’t give.

“I don’t know if he wanted the headline or not, but we were that poor he won’t get a look in on that!

“I’ve already said that our performance wasn’t acceptable tonight, and if I’m honest I don’t think the referee’s was either! He’s got to do his job the same way that I have to do mine. I’m not blaming him for the result and I won’t paper over the cracks – we were poor for 60 minutes or however long it was!

“That’s irreverent – I just want him to make the decisions but I do ask how many times does he want my goalie (Lee Worgan) to be smashed.”

Warrilow was clearly angered by the challenges on Worgan in the first half by three Canvey players – but most of the entire 8^th minute clash with John Easterford that left the Angels keeper requiring extensive treatment on his six yard line.

“At the end of the day I’ve got three more bad injuries tonight – I’m not saying that it was his fault, but he didn’t set his mark on the game enough for me!”

The game threatened to “warm the cockles” of the 303 crowd early on and it was Beales who created their opening chance on 13 minutes as he whipped in a ball from the right that was just too far in front of a late arriving Adrian Stone at the back post.

A minute later Taylor’s through ball found Stone who’s shot was brilliantly saved by Canvey keeper James Russell before Andrew West denied Stone the follow up.

Then a long Beales throw was flicked on by Jay May only for former Gravesend & Northfleet defender and Canvey skipper Chris Moore to clear off of the line.

The Angels continued to press and Fraser Logan was next to test the Canvey defence as he cut in from the left and laid the ball back for Piper who’s shot whistled just past Russell’s right post.

The home side thought that they’d taken the lead when May fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the box only to be defeated by Mr Mason’s whistle for an extremely harsh hand ball decision – harsh because the defender was no more than a yard away from May when he attempted the clearance.

Half time came and there was a feeling that the Angels had disappointed by not really getting into their stride but were still on top – all that was to change within five minutes of the re start when totally any completely out of nothing Canvey took the lead – courtesy of an Angels free kick.

The ball into the Canvey box was poor, and the visitors broke with pace and purpose. Ashley Dumas sprinted clear down the left and played the perfect ball into Hallett allowing the striker time to control and bury the ball beyond Worgan and into the net.

The Angels now were completely put off their stride and moments later, after two horrendous defensive mistakes, Alex Rhodes should really have put Canvey two up as he was denied by a fine save from Worgan – low to his right with Ben Judge on hand to clear.

On the hour, Frannie Collin had a drive that Russell did very well to tip over and from the resulting corner a near perfect near post flick flew across the face of goal needing a touch from anyone to turn it over the line – thing is the flick came from Canvey’s Danny Heale, who was a very relieved man indeed!

Just as the Angels really were beginning to think that it wasn’t going to be their net, they equalised.

Collin’s low free kick wasn’t gathered cleanly and Beales was on hand to bundle the ball over the line from inside the six yard box for the 12^th goal that the defender has scored for the Angels in 280 games.

Then came the Angels appeal for a penalty, before Taylor headed wide from substitute Sam Jones knock down.

All in all, a very disappointing Longmead night, which manager Warrilow was unrepentant about.

He said: “Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming the referee for us not winning tonight, we just weren’t good enough for 60 minutes, and then we seemed to wake up and have a go at it.

“But the bottom line is who could he not see the penalty right at the end with the guys hands so far away from his body - he blew Jay May up in the first half when the guy blasted the ball at him from a yard away, but he didn’t give the one at the other end – I don’t know, I really don’t... I said from day one that we just don’t seem to get any of the big decisions down here we really don’t!

“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves now – we’ve got 12 games left – no outside interference; let’s just get our heads down, we know what we can do and we’ll be in Thursday to address it before we go to Kingstonian Saturday.

“Whatever happens Saturday we go again Monday and so on and so on! We’re not going to go completely over the top after every single game – they’ve had a rollicking after the game and they know that that wasn’t acceptable.

“But it would have been nice to have had a bit of luck tonight – not that I think it was luck anyway – we got a point that feels like a loss – we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again.”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Danny Walder (Jake Beecroft 46), Jon Heath (Sam Jones 66), Lewis Taylor, Ben Judge, Jon Beales, Chris Piper, Adrian Stone (Scott Kinch 46), Jay May, Frannie Collin, Fraser Logan.
Sub: Sonny Miles

Goal: Jon Beales 79

Booked: Frannie Collin 73, Lewis Taylor 90

Canvey Island: James Russell, Andrew West, Ashley Dumas, Rob King, Chris Moore, John Easterford, Leon Gordon (Kevin Dobinson 77), Matt Game, Jason Hallett (John Curran 77), Danny Heale, Alex Rhodes.
Subs: Frank Everett, Mike Alile, Ellis Skidmore

Goal: Jason Hallett 49

Booked: Alex Rhodes 60, John Curran 81

Attendance: 303
Referee: Mr Tony Mason (Sidcup)
Assistants: Mr Aji Ajibola (Erith) & Mr Paul Gorvett (Erith)