Play-off hopes boosted

Tonbridge boss Jay Saunders hopes taking a point from runaway leaders Ebbsfleet will make his players believe they can reach the play-offs.

Surprise package Angels are just two points outside the top seven in National League South after an excellent campaign. They’ve taken four points off champions-elect Ebbsfleet after a 1-1 draw at Longmead last weekend, a result Saunders believes should do wonders for their confidence.

“I don’t take a lot from it and I don’t think as a management team we do, I think for the players it’s good,” reflected Saunders. ”Before the game, everyone outside is thinking ‘league leaders, free hit, big crowd, good day out’ and I said that I believe we can get a result against them.

“When you go in at half-time and say we need to do this, this and this. For them to go out and do it, gives them the belief that we can do it. It’s good for them so they’ll take a lot of confidence.

“We were having a laugh about it the other night and (midfielder) Devonte Aransibia said ‘I think we can do it, I think we can make play-offs’, and I was ‘yeah, believe it’. There’s no point in saying we can’t. We’re as good as anything in the league on our day but it will be hard.”

Tonbridge can go level with Havant if they win at Westleigh Park this Saturday. They’ve got eight games left to make the top seven.

“We go to Havant, host Hungerford and then play Oxford next,” said Saunders. “They’re three massive games.” Tonbridge lost 4-3 at Ramsgate in the Kent Senior Cup Quarterfinal on Tuesday. Jordan Greenidge, Fyn Rutherford and Tommy Wood with a penalty got the goals.