Post Match Interview | Tonbridge Angels 1 Harborough Town 4 | Jay Saunders

[@jgcl138]

Having not seen the Angels much in the last 50 years I was hoping to see history made in reaching the 2nd round, but in truth they never looked like doing so. In the pre-match warm-up the home team replicated the methods used by Premier teams, while the visitors seemed to be casual and leisurely, with the manager doing fairly gentle shots at the keeper from the half way line, for example. I mistakenly thought that we were in for an easy afternoon. Harborough came with a clear plan to use their back four who were all well over 6 feet tall to rough up key Tonbridge players for which I think all four were booked. They waited the opportunities to break quickly at the right time and the Angels had no answer. It worked so well. Tonbridge rarely got near their goal and on the rare occasions that they did, it was generally through high balls which the visitors' defenders headed clear like swatting flies. The tactics of high crossing every time betrayed either tactical naivety or the fact that the manager had not done his homework on a team which, although low in their league, came with the reputation of being 'difficult to beat' as the programme notes revealed, and it clearly showed as the Angels played right into their hands.

[@tn12gaffer]

This is the best opportunity we are gonna get to get far in the FA CUP and we absuloutely bottled it and cracked under the pressure of the record breaking fans who I’ll be suprised if they come back. Our defence were non existent and we need to try something different instead of whipping in the same cross everytime knowing that their 2 centre backs will clean them up every time. I come every week and will continue to, hopefully we don’t waste another opportunity like this if we get it next year. Up the angels 💙

[@stevenvigar5869]

As a squad we're not a bad outfit. Maybe a change of shape might do the trick on occasions. From a personal point of view, I think we lack an understanding attacking and it all looks too predictable.

[@ka536-e1g]

They were just better than us. They had a big defence and we had no solutions to the problem

[@stevenvigar5869]

​@ka536-e1g Thry did their homework on us and executed it perfectly

[@jonathancrowhurst9321]

A huge opportunity missed by the club today. A record 3000 at the game, lots of kids, families excited to be at the ground and the team blew it. It’s not just the loss, it’s the manner of the defeat. To essentially lose 4-0 to a club in the league below (and 16th!) is a really poor effort. Team showed a lack of heart and bottle today - Harborough wanted it more and showed more aggression.

[@ka536-e1g]

@@jonathancrowhurst9321 you are right. When I heard them announce the attendance that was when it hit home how bad a loss this was.

[@ka536-e1g]

On watching the highlights on BBC, it's even worse than I thought.