Tonbridge Angels 4-1 Dartford - We couldn't live with Tonbridge, admits Burman

The former Horsham striker took his tally to fourteen this season, taking his career tally to 32 goals from 35 starts since his big-money move from the west Sussex club last season.

Rook got off to a flying start, giving the Angels the lead after just 140 seconds.

Anthony Storey, looking up to take a free-kick, 35-yards from goal, rolled the ball to the overlapping Lewis Hamilton and his cross wasn’t dealt with by Dartford defender Liam McDevitt, enabling Rook to stab a half-volley into the left-hand corner, in off Andrew Young’s right arm.

But despite that set-back, Dartford forced their way back into a pulsating first half, levelling proceedings after ten minutes.

Cody McDonald, who tantalised supporters with his pace, took his own goalscoring tally to nine since moving to the Princes Park outfit.

The striker cut in from the left, weaved past two Tonbridge defenders before stroking a right-footed shot past the stranded Lee Worgan to find the bottom near corner.

Tonbridge Angels striker, Ade Olorunda, then called Young into action just four minutes later. Left-winger, Fraser Logan cut in from the left before spreading the ball low to the unmarked right-back Phil Starkey.

Starkey exchanged a one-two with right-winger Jamie Cade and his cross was met by an acrobatic overhead kick by Olorunda just inside the Dartford penalty area, but Young plucked the looping shot out of the air.

The former Hastings United striker then drove an angled shot, which bounced agonisingly past the far post when released through on goal, before Cade’s hooked shot, just inside the box, was comfortably saved by Young.

Dartford striker Rob Haworth was desperately unlucky not to score his seventh goal of the season when his angled right-footed screamer from 30-yards whistled past the far post.

Olorunda had a goal ruled out after 25 minutes when Jamie Cade tugged Tommy Osborne’s shirt as Olorunda glanced Rook’s cross from the left into the bottom right-hand corner.

But Dartford’s right-winger, Steve Butterworth failed to keep his shot down after Angels goalkeeper Lee Worgan palmed away an in-swinging corner from the left from Jamie Day.

Both sides created half-chances before both manager’s were forced to change their half-time rallying cries as Rook gave Tonbridge the lead again, 86 seconds into stoppage time.

Rook exchanged a one-two with Cade and with the outside of his right boot from inside the box, looped his shot over the despairing Young before the ball dropping into the unguarded goal.

Unfortunately for the 703 crowd the start of the second half failed to reach the heights of the first 45 minutes as Sittingbourne based referee Mr Ian Gosling seemed to take centre stage and went on to book eight players in what wasn’t a dirty game.

The game did spring to life on the hour-mark when Dartford’s Danny Dafter blazed a right-footed volley high over the bar from the edge of the penalty area as the game turned into a hard-fought battle.

Tonbridge’s first chance of the second half arrived three minutes later when Rook’s towering header brought a comfortable save from Young.

However, Dartford’s best chance of the second half came when McDonald turned on the edge of the box and unleashed a left-footed drive from 20-yards, which flashed past the right-hand post.

Then, at the other end, Storey floated in a free-kick from 35-yards on the right and this was met by a glancing header from Olorunda, which sailed just past the post.

Tommy Tyne opened his goalscoring account for the season with the Angels’ third of the night with twenty minutes remaining, bouncing a left-footed stabbed shot past Young following another good move.

Another slick Tonbridge move resulted in substitute John Westcott dragging an angled left-footed drive past the far post, before Rook completed the rout with nine minutes left.

Hamilton drove a clearance forward from his left-back position to release Rook, who was stopped in his tracks by Adam Flanagan.

But Olorunda picked up the loose ball and his stunning long-range strike was beaten out by Young and Rook pounced on the ball and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net to the delight of the home faithful.

With Dover Athletic losing 1-0 at Sutton United tonight, third-placed Tonbridge Angels are only eight points behind their Kent rivals - and travel to Perrys Crabble at the end of this month.

Warrilow, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, praised the star of the show.

“Carl Rook was absolutely outstanding,” said Warrilow. “He was the only plus point for the first half. The goal that he banged in before the break came saved the lads from a real rocket.

“I did give them a rocket but I was going to go ballistic at them because I was really disappointed with the way we’ve been playing.

“There’s no easy games in this league and Dartford are a difficult side to break down, but I was pleased (with the) second half.

“We got up the pitch more, we pressured more, we kept the ball better and we got our just rewards.”

Seventeen goals in their last four games has sent out a signal to the rest of the Ryman Premier League that the Angels mean business.

“I said at the start of the season we’re definitely going to score goals because of set-pieces and we do create a lot of chances as you witnessed tonight,” said Warrilow, who has recently released Kirk Watts and Luke Piscina, due to a lack of first team opportunities.

“The boys are actually starting to convert them now and we could have had a few more.

“The most important thing is to punish sides because if we don’t, it’s quite easy what happened at Sutton could happen again.”

For Dartford boss Tony Burman, alarm bells are now starting to sound, following defeats against two sides that are proving their capable of mounting a serious push for the title - Sutton United and the Angels.

The Darts are now sixth from bottom in the table - just four points off the drop zone - and Burman, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk admits his side came up short against their Kent rivals.

“I think the goal just before half-time has killed us to be perfectly honest with you,” said a disappointed Burman.

“We were well in the game first half and I thought we done ok in the first half, but we’ve conceded again from a free-kick.

“But we’ve come back from that, to be fair to the players, they’ve come back from that and doing ok and to concede one, as we did (against Sutton United) Saturday just literally before half-time, my team talk has changed a little bit.

“To be fair, for me, it was a poor time to concede and second half, if I’m honest, it became sort of men against boys.

“They’re a strong side Tonbridge, they’ve got two good players up front. We’ve had a battle but they’ve won the battle by a long way!”

Burman admitted last season’s Ryman League Division One North champions need to go a long way to compete with their last two opponents.

“It seems we’re stretched, unfortunately we can’t do that against the two teams that we’ve played against in the last two games,” said Burman.

“It’s near enough got to men against boys by the end of it.

“When I look at the two teams that we’ve just played then we’re a long way from matching them, when we played well.

“It’s a lesson learnt from us and I’m very, very disappointed. I’m just disappointed that we performed like that, especially in the second half.

“I know people say about finances, finances do come into it, but at the end of the day, we’re gradually trying to get there. That’s the best thing I can say. We will but it’s disappointing.

“We’ve had a go against two teams when I possibly thought we’re not going to get much out of the game if I’m honest, but there you go. First half I thought was alright, but second half, it was poor.”

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Phil Starkey, Lewis Hamilton, Tommy Tyne (Tim Olorunda 86), Leon Legge, Scott Gooding, Jamie Cade, Anthony Storey, Ade Olorunda, Carl Rook, Fraser Logan (John Westcott 67).
Subs: Michael Phillips, Simon Glover.

Goals: Carl Rook 3, 45, 81, Tommy Tyne 70

Booked: Tommy Tyne 47, Ade Olorunda 56, Lewis Hamilton 59, Jamie Cade 76, Leon Legge 83

Dartford: Andrew Young, Jamie Coyle, Tommy Osborne, Adam Flanagan, Liam McDevitt, Danny Dafter, Steve Butterworth, Jamie Day, Rob Haworth, Cody McDonald, Lee Noble (Ryan Hayes 76).
Subs: Brendon Cass, James White, Danny Baigent, Daren Ibrahim.

Goal: Cody McDonald 10

Booked: Rob Haworth 17, Danny Dafter 73, Liam McDevitt 90

Attendance: 703
Referee: Mr Ian Gosling (Sittingbourne)
Assistants: Mr Paul Beadle (Sevenoaks) & Mr Jonathan Stone (Ashford)