Tooting & Mitcham 2-2 Tonbridge Angels - My squad is good enough for Blue Square South - Warrilow

But courtesy of Staines Town’s 2-2 home draw against AFC Hornchurch, Tommy Warrilow’s side are guaranteed post season action as the Essex club cannot now match their current haul of 69 points.

It’s just as well too after seeing his side squander a two goal lead, Warrilow was far from happy at the conclusion of this Good Friday encounter.

“We were the only team trying to play football out there, but we got sloppy and took our foot of the pedal,” bemoaned the Angels boss, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I’m disappointed that we’ve blown a two goal lead. The first goal we let in the keeper should have never come for the ball and we’ve conceded yet another penalty - that’s three in our last three games.

“There going to be happy to get a point out of nothing, but as far as I’m concerned, it really was smash-and-grab.”

And to be fair to the Tonbridge boss, his side played the sort of football that would not look out of place in Blue Square South.

As early as the fifth minute, Steve Ferguson (only playing because John Westcott injured a thigh in the warm-up), broke down the inside right channel, but just could not get enough on his lob to beat the giant Dave King in the Tooting & Mitcham goal.

Six minutes later it was Ferguson long throw, which caused the problems and Paul Booth was quickest to react with a header which seemed to strike Justyn Roberts on the arm, before flying wide. Referee Mr Saliy merely pointed for a corner.

Tooting rallied with the Vines brothers missing half chances - Joe headed wide from a corner, whilst Paul, who appeared to use a hand to control, shot straight at Lee Worgan.

Tonbridge finished the half the stronger - another Ferguson long throw saw Booth acrobatically shooting straight at the keeper, whilst from a Dwain Clarke corner, Leon Legge headed wide.

Within sixty seconds of the restart, the lively Jamie Cade should have given the Angels the lead, as after being released clear of the Tooting defence, he didn’t get enough on his shot, allowing King to scramble clear.

It only delayed the inevitable as on 52 minutes the goal the Angels’ deserved finally arrived.

Phil Starkey played Cade in down the right and his precision cross was volleyed home by Booth, who timed his run to the near post to perfection.

On the hour, Billy Marshall should’ve equalised for the home side, but when he found space on the edge of the Angels’ box, he appeared to be in 100 minds and couldn’t decide his best course of action and only succeeded in side-footing the ball into the arms of a grateful Worgan.

Two minutes later, Worgan excelled as he somehow managed to palm away a skidding shot from Andrew Howell.

As tempers began to fray, and the decisions of Mr Saily became increasingly baffling, Scott Gooding was extremely fortunate not to get a card for a crude challenge on Dean McDonald - that said, Joe Vines and McDonald himself were also the receipants of some lenient officiating following what can best be described as crude, late challenges.

With a quarter-of-an-hour to go, Booth centred from the right, only for keeper King to get enough of a touch on a spinning ball to deny both Cade and Ferguson a second for the Angels.

Within a minute though, Cade had released Booth with a gem of a through ball and the Tonbridge number nine showed all his class as he first drew the keeper before coolly rolling the ball into the net.

Things began to turn against the Angels five minutes from time as a deep hit-and-hope cross from the right by Allan McLeod was completely mis-judged by Worgan and Howell arriving late at the back post crashed the ball home for what should have been a mere consolation.

But, totally against the run of play, and courtesy of yet another questionable decision, the home side drew level just two minutes from time.

A long throw was flicked on by Joe Vines and McDonald, who appeared to be backing into Legge, crashed to the ground in a tangle with the Tonbridge central defender and the official pointed to the spot.

McDonald dusted himself down and drilled the ball into the bottom corner of Worgan’s net.

Whilst these two points dropped did not prove disastrous for the Angels - and extended their current run to just two league defeats in their past 20 games - Warrilow, before hearing the result from Wheatsheaf Lane, was frustrated that his side were potentially still left waiting for that play-off place.

“It’s flat in the dressing room - and it would’ve been nice to have a Saturday off knowing the job is done, but it wasn’t meant to be, and now we have to beat Hastings on Monday, but that won’t be easy as of course it’s Tony’s (Dolby) return to the club.

“Whilst it’s frustrating to be so close, I wouldn’t swap any of my squad as I think our jigsaw is almost complete.

“I’ve got to the stage now, where I turn up at any of our games and whilst I don’t want to sound arrogant, I don’t expect to be beaten.

“I’ve got a squad good enough for Blue Square South, we’ve not just got to complete the job and get there.”

Tooting & Mitcham United: Dave King, Allan McLeod, Andrew Howell, Justyn Roberts, Joe Vines, Aaron Goode, Colin Hartburn, Matt York (Dean Hamlin 81), Paul Vines, Dean McDonald, Billy Marshall (Jason Pinnock 81).
Subs: Craig Pitterson, Kirk Watts, Danny Platel.

Goals: Andrew Howell 85, Dean McDonald 88 (pen)

Booked: Colin Hartburn 57, Justyn Roberts 90

Tonbridge Angels: Lee Worgan, Phil Starkey, Simon Glover, Lee Minshull, Leon Legge, Scott Gooding, Steve Ferguson, Anthony Storey (Tim Olorunda 90), Paul Booth (Carl Rook 77), Jamie Cade, Dwain Clarke (Tommy Tyne 71).
Subs: Ade Olorunda, John Westcott.

Goals: Paul Booth 52, 76

Booked: Lee Minshull 59, Leon Legge 88, Anthony Storey 90

Attendance: 470
Referee: Mr Oleksandr Saliy (Enfield, Middlesex)
Assistants: Mr Russell Howes (Wood Green, London N22) & Mr Peter Smith (Friern Barnet, London N11)