Tonbridge Angels 0 Leatherhead 2
KEEN Angels supporter Robert Chick was the club’s ‘gaffer for the day’ for the team’s final league game of the season against Leatherhead.
Robert stood in the dugout with his fellow manager Steve McKimm and helped to give the team talk at half-time.
He and his father Bernard are well known to Angels supporters and Bernard is planning to launch a disability club based at the Longmead ground, offering various sporting activities.
McKimm described Rob’s contribution as ‘fantastic, out there geeing the boys up’, and added: ‘I bet he’d say the same as me, it’s hard to gee them up when they’re down in the dumps.
‘But it was brilliant, a great experience for him I hope, and maybe we’ll do another one.’
The winner was decided by a prize draw, with proceeds going towards the playing budget.
McKimm was forced to trim three players from his senior squad because of financial difficulties.
His first-choice team also suffered several serious injuries including captain Tom Parkinson, who only came back for the last three games after suffering an injury in September.
Summing up the campaign McKimm said: ‘It’s a deflating end to a very disappointing season, and I’m not just listening to the fans when I say that. We haven’t done enough at the right times.’
Having missed out on the play-offs by just a point last season, Angels were consigned to an 11th place finish in the Bostik League Premier.
He added: ‘This has probably been as tough as my first season, when I had no players at all.
‘We have competed against the teams above us, but against the ones below us we fell short.’
Veteran striker Nathan Elder was unable to find the target in his last game for the Angels as an inconsistent season for the home side ended in defeat by the Tanners.
Having joined the club three years ago, initially on a month’s loan from Dover Athletic, the burly forward has made 142 starts for the club and scored 65 goals, placing him in the top 20 all-time marksmen for the club.
There was little to play for with either team, and the Angels finish their campaign in 11th place in the Bostik League Premier.
Elder had two decent opportunities around the half-hour mark, he and Joe Turner forcing a double save from Leatherhead goalkeeper Emmanuel Agboola.
From the resulting corner Elder had the ball in the net but his effort was disallowed for pushing.
Leatherhead took the lead in the 41st minute with Tom Derry neatly converting Nathan Wood’s cross past Angels keeper Jonny Henly.
Four minutes after the restart Derry was through on goal again but Henly brought him down in the area, though he made amends by saving the spot-kick.
At the other end Liam Smith forced a great save from Agboola but it was the visitors who doubled their advantage in the 61st minute with a defence-splitting move that ended with Dan Gallagher getting the vital touch.
The home side continued to look for the breakthrough but it was the sixth-placed visitors who always looked the likelier to score, using both flanks to good advantage.
At the end-of-season awards dinner it was announced that the club President, Rob Steele, had decided to step down and his place would be taken by former Chairman Steve Churcher.
PICTURE: THUMBS UP: Robert Chick cheers on his beloved Angels from the touchline as ‘gaffer for the day’ PHOTO: David Couldridge
END OF SEASON AWARDS
Men’s 1st XI:
Manager’s Player of the Year: Joe Turner
Players’ Player of the Year: Joe Turner
Supporters’ Player of the Year: Joe Turner
Leading scorer: Alex Akrofi (19 Goals)
Ladies:
Manager’s Player of the Year: Becky Jarvis
Players’ Player of the Year: Becky Janes
Leading scorer: Becky Janes (31 goals)
