Angels deserve play-off chance
Tonbridge
Tonbridge manager Steve McKimm is desperate to see his team secure the play-off place their efforts deserve. Angels have gone from relegation battlers to promotion contenders in a year and tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm) head to last season’s Ryman League Premier Division runnersup Hendon. Angels ended Easter in third after beating Canvey 2-0 last Saturday before losing 2-1 at play-off rivals Dulwich on Monday. McKimm said: “Everyone would love to finish second or third and get a home draw in the play-offs but I just want to make that top five. “At Christmas the talk was to keep going but now we’re that close to touching it. The players have worked so hard, I would feel for them if we didn’t cement our place. “There’s a lot of hard work still to do, a lot of good teams on our tail but we’ve got ourselves in a good positon and we have to believe.” Centre-halves Sonny Miles (shoulder) and Jerrome Sobers (groin) are doubts for Hendon after going off injured at Dulwich. Hendon, beaten by Margate in last season’s play-off final, are 17th but on a 10-game unbeaten run under long-serving boss Gary McCann. McKimm said: “They had a tough start this season with injuries and suspensions but for all the bad stuff that happened, to go 10 games unbeaten in this league is a great achievement. “We’ll need to be 100% on our game because I know Gary, how he works and what his teams are capable of.” Miles volleyed Angels in front against Canvey on his 250th appearance last weekend, with Sobers completing victory before half-time after Nathan Elder’s header hit the bar. Angels were caught cold at playoff rivals Dulwich, two down inside 10 minutes after twice giving the ball away. Luke Allen replied on 70 minutes but Hamlet held on. McKimm said: “You can’t give Dulwich, or any team, a two-goal start and expect to come back. “We gave the ball away unopposed in bad areas and they punished us. “If the ball had gone from A to B, they wouldn’t have scored.” Transfer deadline day looked set to pass yesterday (Thursday) without Tonbridge adding to their squad.