Tonbridge Angels 0-1 Bromley - We can't rely on young lads to pull us out of a little hole, says Tonbridge Angels assistant Barry Moore

Tonbridge Angels 0 – 1 Bromley
Location	Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JF
Kickoff	08/11/2016 19:45

TONBRIDGE ANGELS  0-1  BROMLEY
Kent Reliance Senior Cup Second Round
Tuesday 8^th November 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Longmead Stadium

BROMLEY manager Neil Smith says he wants to stay in the Kent Reliance Senior Cup for as long as possible after reaching the Quarter-Finals with a comfortable win over injury-hit Tonbridge Angels.

The Ravens took the lead for only the fifth time in 21 games in all competitions and kept only their second clean sheet of the season. 

Tobi Sho-Silva, 21, asked his manager if he could play as a central striker and he was rewarded by scoring his fifth goal of the season four minutes before half-time to seal victory.

Tonbridge Angels were without Luke Allen, Luke Blewden, Andre McCollin, Sonny Miles, Tom Parkinson, Tom Phipp, Nick Wheeler and Steve McKimm’s side  equipped themselves well against Bromley’s full-strength National League side.

Bromley, in seventeenth-place in the Vanarama National League with 21 points from 18 games and eight points clear of the relegation zone, were without a game on FA Cup weekend, while Tonbridge Angels have dropped down to eighth-place in the Ryman Premier League with 23 points from 13 games after losing 1-0 at home to Kingstonian at the weekend.

“Really pleased. We took it how it was. We hadn’t played on Saturday so it was a good one to give some of the injured boys coming back and some of the people that have been sub needed game time, so it was a worthwhile exercise for us and to get a result as well, even better,” said Smith during the post-match press conference.

“We haven’t played on Saturday so I needed to give them a run-out so that was my whole thought process on that totally and I thought it was a very comfortable 1-0 win.

“As we were trying new things with Dan Johnson going right-back, playing the two young kids in midfield, Jordan Higgs and Connor Dymond, who I thought were fantastic today, absolutely brilliant.  I thought again Dan Johnson has had another good game, at right-back, so there were lots of positives.”

McKimm lets one of his two members of his management team fulfil press conference duties and assistant manager Barry Moore said: “Really pleased, believe it or not. Really pleased with the players we’ve had available. A huge mix of inexperienced youth and a few older heads and I’m really, really pleased with the application the boys put in.

“When you’re starting line-up has Ugo Udoji and Jerrome Sobers as centre halves, Ugo’s a natural full-back. You’ve got a sixteen-year-old at right-back (Liam Smith). You’ve got Steve Panayi, his first, first team start for us who’s 20 I believe, he’s only a young ‘un and you’ve got Cameron Milham, we’ve got a diamond to start off with.  I know Cam’s early 20s but predominantly he’s played reserve football and Tashi-Jay Kwayie up front. I don’t even know if he’s 19 yet. I thought they done really well.

“It’s a good challenge. Who’s to say Bromley played at 75-80%, you don’t know, but for young lads like that, especially Liam and Steve coming up against players of that quality, I think they didn’t give up. They looked fit enough and we restricted them to limited chances.”

Bromley created the first opening, Jordan Higgs dragging a right-footed drive from 30-yards wide of the target after 192 seconds.

Tonbridge Angels created an even better chance inside eight minutes.

Tommy Whitnell, who was playing wide on the right, whipped in a cross for target-man Nathan Elder to bounce his header from 15-yards into Alan Julian’s hands for a comfortable save.

Moore said: “Great ball in.  We said at half-time a couple of times Nathan’s got in between the centre halves and although we haven’t got the size that we normally have, Nathan is a focal point and we can deliver it in when we can.”

Tonbridge Angels keeper Anthony Di Bernardo had an excellent night and he pulled off a great diving save in the 13^th minute.

Lee Minshull played the ball out wide to Blair Turgott down the right, who cut inside Angels’ left-back Steve Panayi and rolled in Sho-Silva, who stroked a right-footed angled drive towards the bottom far corner from 12-yards, forcing the keeper to get down low to his right to tip the ball behind the post.

Moore said: “I think he pulled off two in the first half. I mean the first one when he tipped it around the post was a fantastic save down to his right.”

Smith said: “I thought he’s a good keeper, I think he’s a very good keeper.  We spoke about the keeper before the game. He’s a good shot-stopper and I think we made it easy for him. It was a good pattern of play to get that situation. Tobi hit the target and the keeper saved it so you can’t ask for any more.”

Bromley keeper Julian pulled off an excellent save of his own six minutes later.

Central midfielder Cameron Milham fed the ball into Elder’s feet, who swept the ball out to Damien Scannell.  The former Bromley winger cut inside Daniel Johnson and unleashed a right-footed angled drive towards the top left-hand corner from 20-yards, the ball deflecting off Higgs, but Julian dived high to his right to push the ball behind.

Moore said: “We’ve been saying to Scanns, if you get anywhere 20-25 yards in, trust your ability, he’s both footed. Instead of being unselfish, get your shots off. He pulled off a good striker and a good save.”

Smith added: “Look, Jules has been brilliant and we know what Damien Scannell can do on his day, obviously being with us.  You only have to give him a chance and that’s what he can do.  Jules was up to it and what a fantastic save!”

Blair – Bromley’s leading scorer this season with eight goals – played a one-two with Connor Dymond down the left and his angled drive screamed across the goal and past the top of the far post.

Jack Parter, who was playing out of position on the left-hand side of Tonbridge’s midfield diamond, swept the ball out wide to Scannell, who floated in a cross from the right but Whitnell’s overhead kick went wide from 16-yards.

Bromley wasted a glorious chance when David Martin’s deep cross sailed from right to left to find left-back Joe Anderson.  He floated in his cross towards the near post, the ball was knocked down by Minshull and Sho-Silva hooked his shot past the foot of the left-hand post from eight-yards.

Di Bernardo had to be at his best again when he dived full-length low to his right to ensure Minshull wasn’t going to score against one of his former clubs.  The midfielder’s left-footed hook on the turn from 25-yards was destined to nestle into the bottom left-hand corner, but the Angels keeper pulled off a great save.

Smith added: “Again, we can only ask to work the keeper. If it goes off target you’ve got to be disappointed but the fact that it was on target, the keeper’s got to make the save and he was up to the chances.”

But Bromley sealed their passage by scoring the only goal of the game, which was timed at 40 minutes and 35 seconds.

Rob Swaine played the ball out from defence up to Turgott, who fed right-back Daniel Johnson on the overlap.  The find from Herne Bay sprinted down the right, cut inside and had his shot blocked inside the box. 

The ball fell at Sho-Silva’s feet and the former Charlton Athletic player drove his right-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from eight-yards.

“The reflexes to take the shot was fantastic but again DJ (Johnson) playing at right-back, on the overlap, he done everything that we’ve been working on and created the chance coming in on his stronger left-foot and hitting the target,” said Smith.

“Then Tobi does what Tobi does (scoring his fifth goal of the season) and that’s without being prolific and starting many games so he can score a goal.

“He asked me if he can play centre forward today and I gave him that opportunity and he popped up with a goal.”

Moore added: “I don’t know if it was Steve or Whits who made a nice challenge to block it and it’s just fallen to his feet and he rifled it in. Sometimes you get a block and it goes out 20 yards!”

Di Bernardo pulled off another brilliant save, diving high to his left to tip over Turgott’s right-footed drive from the edge of the box.

“Tony’s very agile. It was a great save over the bar.  He’s expect himself to save that, I think,” added Moore.

Both camps were asked their thoughts at the break.

Moore said: “Just to keep doing what you’re doing! There was a couple of bits in the first half where we may have played in a tight area and got caught against a very good opposition. Sometimes you’ve got to mix it up a little bit, get in behind them with the pace of Tash, when he did, he looked dangerous.  It was just a case of keep playing when you can and you might have to go longer if you can but that comes with experience and age, I think.”

Smith added: “Just keep doing it, move it a bit quicker. I think we were over-playing sometimes but it was one of those games but I thought we did better second half, moving it a lot quicker and switching it.”

Alex Wall featured for 45 minutes in a behind closed doors friendly against Reading under 23’s (missing a penalty in a 2-1 defeat) last Friday and was expected to feature at some point tonight but Smith explained why the 26-year-old striker stayed on the bench and didn’t make his first appearance of the season.

“We put him on the subs bench. He stayed out and did a warm-up and just felt a twinge in his knee after,” revealed Smith.

“He played a game for us on Friday against Reading under 23’s and when he said he had a slight twinge I haven’t got to chance it.  I didn’t need to chance it today so that’s why he didn’t come on and he was looking to come and play minutes, too.”

Tonbridge Angels’ striker Tashi-Jay Kwayie raced forward before drilling his left-footed shot past the left-hand post from 20-yards inside the opening eight minutes.

Whitnell whipped in another cross from the right for Elder, but the striker planted his near post header just past the post from eight-yards.

Moore said: “I think Whits’ delivery was very good today. He showed, I think, lots of quality, like he done last year earlier on in the season and the year before. He’s a quality player and some of his first touches today taking him past players, I thought he played very, very well.”

Bromley took 21 minutes to create their first chance of the second half.

Substitute Jamie Philpot delivered a deep cross from the left, Blair cut the back back to Johnson, who teed up Dymond, who hit a first time dipping drive just over the crossbar.

“I felt comfortable. We created enough chances to score again but we didn’t,” said Smith, whose side have scored only 21 league goals this season.

“I was quite happy with what we were trying to do. There’s certain things that we wanted to put in practice and we told the boys what we want and they were trying to do it today and it just didn’t have that final end product.

“We just wanted to go out and create as many chances as we can second play and play with a bit of freedom. There was no real pressure on us and go and enjoy themselves and I think they did.”

Higgs then played a quickly-taken free-kick to release Turgott down the left channel and he set up Higgs, who chipped the ball over the crossbar.

Smith admitted: “I think Blair was in second gear all the way through that game today and whenever he wanted he could’ve stepped it up.

“But for me it was a bit like a game where my whole thought process is Saturday and at home to Boreham Wood. I don’t want any injuries so I’m hoping tomorrow I get a phone call and we are all up for training on Thursday for selection.”

Di Bernardo made a smart block at his near post to deny Martin, who powered a low left-footed angled drive from the left-hand side of the penalty area.

A poor defensive header from Angels substitute central defender Callum Adonis-Taylor let in Jamie Philpot, but the on-loan Millwall striker’s chip from a tight angle was clawed over the bar by Di Bernardo, diving to his left.

Tonbridge Angels squandered a great chance to force a penalty shoot-out when two of their younger players combined following a long ball.

Right-back Smith swept forward a long cross onto the head of substitute striker Corey Watts, the header looping into Julian’s hands for a comfortable save.

Moore added: “We had a couple of ones in the box where a yard either side, similar to their goal really. Their keeper didn’t have an out-and-out save in the second half. We still felt one bit of quality, we can get a chance.”

Bromley created a couple of late chances but central midfield duo Dymond and Higgs put their efforts over the bar after crosses from Martin and Blair.

Smith was delighted with only his side’s second clean sheet of the season and Bromley should be looking to win the Kent Reliance Senior Cup this season.

He said: “It isn’t enough, we’ve done better than that.  I feel sorry for the boys because there’s some games we’ve come off letting a goal in when we didn’t deserve it.  We should be keeping more clean sheets. Touch wood, hopefully that’s what we do on Saturday.”

Bromley have joined Folkestone Invicta, Margate and Charlton Athletic in the last eight and Smith added: “I just think it’s a great competition because we don’t have a reserve side. I can give players that have been sub, I can bring injured players in, give them game time and every now and again I can throw a couple of youngsters in, so yes, I do want to stay in this for as long as I can.”

Moore added: “I got a lot of positives out of tonight, especially the young lads. I can’t name a team in the Ryman Premier that would’ve struggle with (so many players out at the moment).

“We’ve got players’ playing out of position. Look at tonight, We stuck Jack Parter on the left side of a diamond. People aren’t used to playing in those positions.

“The young lads are coming in and doing great but we can’t rely on young lads to pull us out of a little hole.”

Tonbridge Angels: Anthony Di Bernardo, Liam Smith, Steve Panayi, Cameron Milham, Jerrome Sobers, Ugo Udoji (Callum Adonis-Taylor 55), Tommy Whitnell, Damien Scannell, Nathan Elder (Richard Frempong 65), Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Jack Parter (Corey Watts 64).
Subs: Sonny Miles, Luke Blewden

Booked: Jerrome Sobers 45

Bromley: Alan Julian, Daniel Johnson, Joe Anderson, Connor Dymond, Rob Swaine, Ben Chorley (Jack Holland 64), David Martin, Jordan Higgs, Blair Turgott, Lee Minshull (Reece Prestedge 69), Tobi Sho-Silva (Jamie Philpot 65).
Subs: Adam Cunnington, Alex Wall

Goal: Tobi Sho-Silva 41

Booked: Lee Minshull 54

Attendance: 190
Referee: Mr Aji Ajibola (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Simon Cutler (Sheerness) & Mr Kieran Stoneham (Gravesend)

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