TONBRIDGE ANGELS 1 HORSHAM 5

TONBRIDGE ANGELS:
1.Matt Reed 2.Robbie Kember 3.Matt Lovell 4.Scott Kinch 5.Richard Harris 6.James Donovan (Watts) 7. John Westcott 8.Hamid Barr (Fontana) 9.Ray Powell 10.Carl Rook 11.Fraser Logan Subs: 12.Kirk Watts 14. Luke Fontana 15.Kurt Husnu 16.Charlie Sharman 17.Ashley Dann
Scorers: Logan (60)

HORSHAM:
1.Paul Seuke 2.Yinka Salaam 3.Nigel Brake 4.Andy Howard 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lee Carney 7. Jacob Mingle 8.Lewis Taylor 9.Jean Michel Sigere 10.Lee Farrell (Austin) 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Simon Austin 14.Eddie French 15.Stuart Myall 16.Steve Davies 17.Alan Mansfield
Scorers: Taylor (pen, 45), Charman (64, 67), Austin (89), Sigere (90+2)

Reporter: Jim Bravery
Photographer: John Lines
Videos: Tim Harrison

Despite some fiercely contested meetings between these two sides in recent seasons, few would have anticipated this Bank Holiday “Derby” fixture taking on quite so much significance. But, with former Horsham assistant coach Tommy Warrilow now in charge at the Longmead Stadium, this was always going to be an interesting tussle as the rookie boss prepared to pit his wits against his mentor, John Maggs. Add to that John Westcott and Carl Rook's controversial switch from Horsham to the Blues and this match became more than just a fight for vital league points and, as such, a crowd of 685 were drawn away from their leftover turkey and unwanted presents for their Boxing Day football feast.

Warrilow had enjoyed a fine start to his managerial career, earning the Manager of the Month award for November and leading the Angels to a famous win against Oxford United in the FA Trophy, despite having to overcome the loss of last season's top scorer Jon Main who opted to join divisional rivals AFC Wimbledon. However, a winless streak of 5 league games had left them languishing in 19th place, just 2 places and 2 points below the Hornets who, themselves, were suffering a poor run of results. Saturday's home reverse against Maidstone United was their 4th in a row, their worst run in 4 years, prompting Maggs to bring in Lewes forward Jean Michel Sigere on a month long loan. The big French striker was put straight into the starting line up alongside old team mate Lee Farrell and, with Gary Charman returning after a virus that had forced him out of the Maidstone match, the team seemed to be better balanced although flu' had robbed Maggs of the services of Tom Graves for only the 4th time this season, a fit again Andy Howard taking his role in the centre of defence. The ewes connection continued with the Angels' recent signings Kirk Watts and Luke Fontana both starting on the bench.

Tonbridge got the game underway attacking the changing room end, down the slope, and it was soon clear that Warrilow would be playing a similar style to the Hornets, starting with two wide men with skipper Ray Powell and Rook left to run the front line. Yinka Salaam conceded a free kick about twenty yards inside the Horsham half and a 'Horsham style' kick found Fraser Logan on the edge of the box but his effort was cleared to safety. Howard imposed himself early on in the game, showing signs of a full recovery from his foot injury, and his presence was a welcome sight after the last two league matches where poor defensive marking had allowed the opposition to capitalise on the costly errors. Charman was quickly put in to test the opposition with two strong runs at the defence his final ball into the box just evaded Farrell and Sigere.

Horsham were enjoying a lot of possession but needed to turn that into goal opportunities, something that had been lacking in their three previous matches. Lee Carney was definitely answering his manager's plea for more effort from the whole team. His run from midfield put Charman away down the left wing and his measured pass into Carney’s path saw the midfielder’s first time effort saved by Matt Reed. The home side were trying desperately to get their own game going but, all too often, it broke down in the final third. Rook enticed the referee into awarding him a free kick, even though he was clearly backing into Kevin Hemsley, but the kick by Hamid Barr was cleared from the danger area by Howard before reaching the lurking Powell at the back post.

It was the Hornets that looked more threatening and more good passing set up Farrell but his effort was a weak one, enabling Reed to make a routine save. Lewis Taylor was getting more into the game and, with Jacob Mingle and Salaam linking well, there was a threat from both flanks. Another chance came the visitors' way when Taylor cut in from the right and hit a pass with the outside of his boot to put Charman in behind Robbie Kember. His perfect cross flicked off the head of defender James Donovan to take it out the penalty area where it was retrieved by Taylor who sent in a cross to Charman at the far post where, climbing highest, he knocked his header back into the six yard box that was a fraction too high for Farrell and this time it was Richard Harris who was on hand to clear. The pressure was still on the home side and Donovan was forced to concede a free kick ten yards outside the penalty area after bringing down Farrell. Carney, Taylor and Mingle all seemed interested but it was Carney who took the kick that went straight into Reed’s grateful arms.

At the other end, Rook showed why Warrilow has paid good money for him by holding the ball up then putting Logan in behind Salaam with a perfectly weighted pass but Logan’s return saw Hemsley in to block Rook’s effort at the expense of a corner. Logan’s kick was a dangerous one, bobbing about in the penalty area where Nigel Brake reacted quickest to block as Powell was about to pull the trigger. With the home supporters finally given something to cheer, more pressure was being applied and after a game of head tennis in the area the ball found its way to Westcott but the ex Hornet could only manage to pull his shot wide of goal to relieve the pressure on the visitors' defence.

Horsham thought they had taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Mingle created his own space and dinked a delightful shot over the defence that came back into play from the crossbar ,with the well beaten Reed rooted to the spot, and Harris was able to add a boot to clear the danger. All three Horsham midfielders were involved in the next move that saw a neat passing move result in Taylor‘s final effort being blocked by the overworked defence. Kember made a decisive tackle to thwart the lively Charman and set up a counter attack involving Scott Kinch and Westcott but the winger was being superbly kept in check by ex team-mate Brake who enjoyed a profitable afternoon against his former colleague.

Barr was the first player to be shown a yellow card for an unnecessary handball and then kicking the ball away in frustration on the half hour mark but Salaam was lucky to only receive a ticking off by Mr Harris after upending Logan. The resulting free-kick to the far post found Powell whose shot was on target but well saved by Paul Seuke in the Hornets goal and a five minute spell of home pressure continued as Powell's charge into the box was superbly thwarted by Hemsley's brilliantly timed tackle that, despite Powell's theatrical dive, failed to earn his side a penalty from the well positioned referee.

Tonbridge should have taken the lead when a snap shot from the dangerous Logan forced another great save from Seuke but his palmed clearance landed straight to the unmarked Powell who only needed to knock it in to the vacant goal. Instead, he decided to apply power over placement and the ball sailed over the bar and into the stand of disbelieving home supporters. Carney was the next to open up the home defence, a great pass putting Sigere in behind Harris but, as Reed came out to meet him, the Frenchman hit his shot inches wide of the post and, with only six minutes of the half remaining, it seemed that neither side were going to break the deadlock. However, with the half almost at a close, the Hornets were handed the initiative under controversial circumstances. Further pressure on the Angels' back line saw three yellow shirts in a position to score but, just as it seemed the home side had got away with it as Farrell’s shot came back into play off of last man Kember’s chest, the referee’s whistle stopped play with the official pointing to the penalty spot to the amazement of both teams. To compound Tonbridge's misery, he then brandished a red card to the unlucky Kember who clearly wanted an explanation along with fellow team mates. Unfortunately for the disbelieving defender, Mr Harris had already made the decision and he was left to trudge disconsolately back to the changing rooms after stopping en route to ask the linesman for his opinion. After several minutes the spot kick was finally ready to be taken, FA Cup hero Taylor dispatching it to Reed’s right with the keeper going the wrong way to give the Hornets a rather fortunate goal and the interval lead although there was still time for Logan to worry the Horsham defence with a great header that just skimmed the bar.

H/T Tonbridge Angels 0 Horsham 1

The contentious incident just before the break gave the supporters from both sides something to mull over during the half time interval with Horsham supporters as surprised as the home fans at the decision. At the start of the second half, Powell moved back into Kember’s vacated right back spot to leave Rook up front to forage alone. Horsham’s one man advantage showed after the second half got under way, Sigere robbing Kinch and setting off towards goal but his excellent through ball carried just too much pace for Farrell and Reed was off his line to deal with the threat. The goalkeeper was only able to stand and watch as Carney made a brilliant solo run, finishing with a great shot that didn’t quite have enough bend on it, the ball grazing the post as it crashed into the advertising boards behind Reed’s goal.

Brake made inroads down the left, his excellent cross evading the keeper’s hands and finding Farrell at the back post but, similarly positioned to Powell in the first half, he contrived to hit his volley over the bar with the goal gaping. The home goal was under siege again when Powell brought down Charman for a free kick. The ball was headed goalwards by Brake and Reed reacted well to save with his feet, the ball going straight to Charman but, as he side stepped Donovan, his shot deflected off the leg of Harris and out for a corner.

Horsham’s ten minutes of pressure was broken up when the pace of Logan forced Howard to concede a corner that was cleared only for Logan to let fly with a stunning volley from an acute angle that had Seuke diving full length to his left to keep the ball out. The ten men were giving it all they had and deservedly drew level on the hour mark. Carney was dispossessed just inside the Angels' half by a superb Matt Lovell tackle and the left back made the most of the space afforded to him picking out Rook who laid a perfect pass into hit man Logan’s feet and you sensed what was about to happen. Two touches later and the ball was screaming into the top corner of Seuke’s goal giving the poor keeper no chance at all. Suddenly you got the feeling that this game was far from over as the home supporters started to get behind their team while, at the opposite end, the Lardies were now singing for their own players to push forward.

Although Logan’s goal gave the Angels hope, it only lasted for four minutes as Horsham regained the lead in a slightly bizarre way. Taylor, wide on the left, broke out of his own half and squared the ball into the path of Mingle whose miskick flew high into the air around the penalty spot. Reed came out to try and claim it but succeeded only in clearing the ball to Charman with a weak punch and, sidestepping the defender, the Hornets' wing man gave himself enough room to strike the ball past the exposed 'keeper to restore the Hornets' lead.

Westcott’s miserable afternoon against his old team mates went from bad to worse in the 66th minute when he pulled back Charman in full flow to concede a free kick on the edge of the area and Carney’s direct in-swinging kick saw Charman get in a brave glancing header in front of the young 'keeper with the ball trickling over the line for a two goal margin that any team with ten men would find difficult to claw back

Maggs withdrew the ineffective Farrell, who showed his displeasure by throwing his shirt in to the dug-out, and brought on Simon Austin to keep the pressure applied and his first touch created a great opportunity to add to the score as Sigere unselfishly set up the substitute, his effort beat the keeper but Harris was on hand to turn the ball out for a corner. Carney played the corner back to Brake who teed up Taylor but his effort was wildly off target as it cleared the stand as well as the goal. With 20 minutes still left, Warrilow took off Barr and put on another striker in the form of much travelled Fontana in an attempt to get back into a game that was slipping away and, within five minutes, the move almost worked. Logan put in another good shot that Seuke was equal to but the loose ball landed at Kinch’s feet and, with his back to goal, he tried an overhead kick that came rebounded off of the inside of the post and into Seuke's arms with the home supporters convinced the effort had crossed the line.

It was now becoming an end to end battle. Harris was lucky to escape a booking when he brought down Sigere, Taylor’s short kick to the Frenchman producing a good save from Reed, and Harris was again in the action stalling Taylor’s run on goal at the expense of a corner. Tonbridge responded by winning a free kick wide on the right, after Brake had fouled Westcott, and Logan’s in-swinger found the unmarked Fontana at the far post but he only succeeded in planting his free header wide of the post.

Warrilow now had to go for broke but his decision to replace central defender Donovan with striker Watts placed the initiative back with the visitors and, within minutes, an excellent passing move involving Taylor, Carney and Sigere, saw Salaam start and end the move, collecting a pass from the Lewes man before sending a superb shot that just missed the far post by a whisker. A minute later and Horsham scored again. Sigere, in oceans of space, made up a lot of ground and with only Harris back to mark him he committed the defender before laying off a perfect pass to Austin who composed himself before hitting his shot wide of the totally exposed Reed.

With the points in the bag a mass exodus of home supporters were leaving the ground but those who remained could only have admired the quality of Horsham's 5th goal of a superb performance when Sigere, who had been excellent all afternoon, received the ball on the half way line. Inching forward, he looked up to see Reed had advanced just outside his penalty area and, from fully forty yards, he lobbed the young 'keeper to perfection to finish off a remarkable debut in the 90th minute.

Apart from the travelling supporters there were barely any home fans left at the final whistle, the disconsolate Angels trooping off in front of the Lardies who were still cheering their heroes all the way to the dressing rooms.

One has to give John Maggs and the whole team a massive pat on the back for this display. This was the team performance that has been missing over the last three matches. The work rate of all the players showed today, their superior fitness was noticeable and, in Sigere, the Hornets' supremo appears to have pulled off a masterstroke, assuming he is capable of doing this every week.

NEXT MATCH: v Margate (h) Saturday 29th December ko 3.00pm