We've got to learn quickly, admits Cox - EXCLUSIVE

Wednesday 25th October 2006

Brave Tonbridge Angels bowed out of the FA Youth Cup at the final qualifying round stage last night, but manager Gerry Cox admits his players must learn from their experience, writes Stephen McCartney.

Cox’s Southern Youth League side lost 5-1 to full-time outfit Gravesend & Northfleet at a foggy Betterview Longmead Stadium last night.

Conceding goals at vital parts during the game was Tonbridge’s downfall, although highly-rated striker Bobby Dixey pulled a goal back early in the second half, despite being 3-0 down at the time.

But after knocking Carshalton Athletic and Bromley out in the previous rounds, Cox’s side came across a Fleet side that had scored 21 goals from their previous three games in the competition.

“That’s it unfortunately. We wasn’t good enough on the night,” Cox said in an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk after last night’s exit.

”I don’t think we really disgraced ourselves. From open play we created quite a few chances.

”We spoke before the game about conceding early against Bromley, we didn’t really want to do that again.

“We came out, we conceded early, conceded late in the first half as well. We spoke at half-time about not conceding early in the second half. What do we do? We came out and conceded again.

“The boys have to work on that. It’s got to be concentration levels. You can’t give a team of this quality two goals ahead really.”

Despite falling to a goal after just 80 seconds, Tonbridge created four good first half chances to get themselves back in the game.

Cox added: “But we didn’t disgrace ourselves. We had a few good opportunities. Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves in the first half, which maybe might of changed the game but at this level that’s why the goalkeeper is there for, to make the saves.”

But Cox’s players must learn from their FA Youth Cup campaign if they are go follow in the footsteps of Jon Heath and Luke Piscina, home grown players that are currently in the first team squad.

“I’ve not learnt tons from it but I think what it’s teaching me is the boys have got to concentrate all the time,” admitted Cox.

“It’s got to be 100% concentration from when we turn up at the ground for the match to when we actually go home again.”

But Cox feels his side had the best player on the pitch.

He said: “We probably had the best player on the pitch in Nathan Gee, playing out wide on the left first half.

“Didn’t see anybody outstanding for Gravesend. The big boy up front, John Akinde, held the ball up very well. They are very well organised in defence, not a lot to choose from between the teams, yet we’ve come away losing 5-1.”

Cox did reveal that two of his players have been selected for England Schoolboy trials on Sunday.

Frank Fabiola, who played in the heart of defence, and left-back Nathaniel Bell have been called up for trials.

The former Gravesend & Northfleet coach said: “We wish them good luck as well. The only spanner in the works is we’ve picked up a few injuries.

“The boys are away on England trials so we’ve got to cancel our London Cup game on Sunday morning.

“But it will be interesting to see how the boys pick themselves up from this.

“At this level it’s a learning curve for them so we’ll see how they advance from there.”

Visit Tonbridge Angels' website: www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk