We must remain unbeaten against our play-off challengers, says Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says his side are in the right frame of mind, ahead of the second-versus-third showdown at Staines Town on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Angels will leapfrog over the Middlesex outfit with a win at Wheatsheaf Park, and Warrilow insists his players will go into the game fully prepared that the game will kick-off at 3 o’clock.

Warrilow’s opposite number, Steve Cordery, believes the match will fall victim to a frozen pitch, but the Angels boss, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after tonight’s training session, says there could be some mind-games going on from his opposite number, ahead of the game.

But Warrilow has challenged his play-off chasing side that they must avoid defeat against Staines Town, arch-rivals Maidstone United (17^th January) and Carshalton Athletic (20^th) - all sides that presently occupy the play-off places.

“I’ve told my boys it’s on and we’re fully prepared for the game,” said Warrilow.

“If it’s off, we’re off, but you can’t afford to go into a game like that thinking it’s off. So my message to my lads was to prepare as normal and go to Staines expecting to play on Saturday.

“We said before Saturday’s game, irrelevant of the result, we’ve got the teams all around us this month so it’s important we stay unbeaten.

“Obviously if we win the games, at the end of the month, there should be a little gap appearing.”

The former Horsham assistant boss says he doesn’t fear a Staines Town side that are unbeaten in their last nine games; have won their last three games, keeping three clean sheets in the process, and only leaders Dover Athletic have won there in the league all season.

But Warrilow replied, “We’ve had three successive clean sheets , prior to the Ramsgate game, and we’ve only lost three out of the last 18-19 games.

“I’m confident going into this month, rather than this game. I’d rather play teams at the top than bottom.

“The most important thing is we don’t get beat this month. The stigma is playing teams at the bottom is you should win these games and that’s not the case.

“There’s no point beating teams like Staines and losing to the so-called lesser sides. We’re up there, we’re sitting third and we’re part of the play-off talks, which is what we want after being at the club for a year.

“It’s nice to be in this position. When teams beat us they all punch the air and they’re ecstatic because we’re one of the fancied sides this year and the boys should take it as a compliment.”

Simon Glover serves the last of his three match ban, but Warrilow hopes former Lewes full-back Lewis Hamilton shakes off an Achilies injury, picked up against Ramsgate, to feature.

The Rams fought back from 2-0 down to score twice in the last ten minutes and their assistant manager Danny Ward said last night that their aspirations are to climb the table to join the play-off party.

“When you let in a goal that late on the adrenalin’s pumping and you’re disappointed,” said Warrilow.

“Two-one up, as I’ve said to everyone, we had three or four good chances to kill the game off and Ramsgate gambled and we didn’t punish them. Their gamble paid off at the end when they scrambled the equaliser.”

Warrilow agrees with the Ward brothers and believes the Rams will join them in the play-off picture by the end of the 42-match league campaign.

“They’re a good side, I speak to Jim (Ward) a lot. I hope they do (climb the table), because they’d be beating the sides around us. They’ve got some good players down there and could easily go on a run.”

Staines Town came away from Longmead Stadium with a scrappy 2-1 win back in August, and Warrilow will settle for any kind of win this weekend.

“We seem to be travelling well, we’re not on a bad bit of form so hopefully we can go there and return the compliment they gave us earlier in the season when they beat us 2-1.” he said.

“It was a game everyone expected to be a good game of football. They were like us, a bit hit-and-miss and they took their chances and we didn’t. It was a scrappy 2-1 - not the greatest game in the world.”

And on Saturday’s away game, Warrilow said: “I’ll settle for any win. A scrappy win’s a good win. The most important thing is to win the game first and analyse the win afterwards.

“The most important thing is to get the win. If we beat Staines, we want to make sure we beat Maidstone and Carshalton and so on.

“We have to start being ruthless. It’s up to us to pick these teams around us and make our gap as big as possible.”

Whilst Warrilow remains positive about securing three points on Saturday, Staines’ manager Cordery appears to be more concerned about the weather.

Cordery, speaking to the club’s website, www.stainesmassive.co.uk, says he can do nothing else except plan for some football - and to build on his side’s terrific recent form, despite an almost weekly battle against the elements.

He said: "Each morning I’m waking up hoping the cold has gone but it’s still with us!

“Today, Thursday, hasn’t been too bad actually but looking at the forecast it seems we won’t escape for too long.

“The way I see it, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t control the weather so we’ll plan like the game is on until we’re told otherwise. I have a good feeling but we’re all keeping everything crossed."

And it’s no surprise the gaffer wants this game on. After having last Saturday’s trip to Harrow Borough called off, a midweek Ryman League Cup tie with Wealdstone also fell by the wayside.

Staines have had just one weekend home game since early November and Cordrey added: “We want the game on because it’s so big. The fact it’s second against third shows what a great season both club’s enjoying.

“Tonbridge are a good, strong team who have come on brilliantly in the last few months. I did a piece with The Non-League Paper in pre-season and I predicted Tommy Warrilow’s side to be the ones to watch out for. It’s a big, big game.”

Despite his club TWENTY points behind runaway league leaders Dover Athletic, Staines Town’s chairman, Alan Boon, admits it’s deflating to see Andy Hessenthaler’s side so far in front.

But the Middlesex club have FOUR games in hand over the Whites and the Angels, and Mr Boon added, “It’s not been easy for anyone at the moment. The players just want to play and the fans must look at the table and see Dover some 20 points clear and feel a little deflated.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game.

Staines Town’s quotes courtesy of www.stainesmassive.co.uk

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ websites: www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk & www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk

Staines Town v Tonbridge Angels
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 10^th January 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Wheatsheaf Park, Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines, Middlesex TW18 2PD