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Tonbridge Angels sign former Maidstone United and Margate striker Jake Embery

Tonbridge hope Jake Embery could be the man to get them firing in front of goal.

Angels have signed the former Maidstone striker who had a brief spell on Horsham’s books after leaving Margate.

Jake Embery in action for Margate this season Picture: Andy Jones
Jake Embery in action for Margate this season Picture: Andy Jones

He’s been training with Steve McKimm’s side for the past month and made his debut as a late substitute in the goalless draw with St Albans on Tuesday night.

Embery was a prolific scorer with Herne Bay before joining hometown club Maidstone, where injuries restricted his involvement.

He scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup for Margate this season, including an outrageous strike from the halfway line, as has been seen as a natural goalscorer ever since his youth football days.

“He’ll be given opportunities to show what he can do,” said McKimm, whose side visit Slough this Saturday.

“He can certainly score goals and if we get him doing that here, hopefully it will prompt the other forwards to put the ball in the net as well.

He’s been training with us for a month. He went down to Horsham, while continuing to train with us, but he didn’t get a look-in there.

"We gave him 15 minutes at the end on Tuesday and he did well.”

Tonbridge were the better side against National South high-fliers St Albans - they just couldn’t score.

“I had a call from their manager, Ian Allinson, on Wednesday morning and he said we did well and probably deserved more than a point," said McKimm.

“I think we did but it’s nice to hear that from someone of Ian’s ilk who has been in the game a lot longer than me.

“I take that as a positive that we as a management team and players must be doing something right - we’re just missing that vital ingredient.

“We’re creating chances, we’re getting balls in the box, it’s just not running for us at the minute, but we won’t stop trying.

Tonbridge Angels manager Steve McKimm Picture: Dave Couldridge
Tonbridge Angels manager Steve McKimm Picture: Dave Couldridge

“Anything negative from outside the changing room doesn’t affect us because I know how hard the players are trying and you can’t do any more than that.

"Putting the ball in the back of the net isn’t as easy as people think but we continue to work extremely hard to change these results from one point into three.

“Managers have certain ways of playing and you go through spells when things don’t work and you go through spells when everything you touch turns to gold.

"We’ll keep to our philosophy and you’d like to think things will change for us.

Tonbridge have landed a plum FA Trophy third-round tie at home to Torquay after Joe Turner secured a 1-0 win at Canvey Island last weekend.

The Gulls finished runners up in the National League last season, losing the play-off final to Hartlepool on penalties, and have decorated manager Gary Johnson at the helm.

The tie takes place at Longmead on December 18. “It’s a fantastic draw,” said McKimm.

“They’re a well-followed club, a former Football League club, they reached the play-off final last season and they’re a very good side.

"Gary Johnson’s a fantastic manager who’s been everywhere. He managed Latvia and was Yeovil manager when I was at Gravesend.

"He had a fantastic team there with players who went on to play in the Football League.

"He’s very good at what he does - you don’t manage the clubs he has if you can’t do your job. It’ll be good to come up against him. I respect him but I also want to beat him.”

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