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Reaction from Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders after 3-1 home defeat by local rivals Maidstone United

Jay Saunders said Tonbridge were hurting after their Boxing Day defeat by Maidstone.

The match was finely poised at 1-1 after Angels wing-back Liam Vincent cancelled out George Fowler’s second-minute opener for the visitors.

Angels centre-back Jamie Fielding tries to cut out an Antony Papadopoulos cross. Picture: Steve Terrell
Angels centre-back Jamie Fielding tries to cut out an Antony Papadopoulos cross. Picture: Steve Terrell

But a mistake in midfield by Jeremy Santos was ruthlessly punished as an Aaron Blair wonder strike restored Maidstone’s lead with 12 minutes left.

Matt Bentley completed a 3-1 win in added time but it was that second goal that made the difference.

“It’ll hurt the players and it hurts us as a management group that we’ve just switched off,” said boss Saunders.

“If they make 10 passes and put it in the top corner, fine, but we’ve given the ball away in a stupid area.

“Santos knows that, and that’s probably why he doesn’t start every week, because I need reliability and I haven’t got that today. He gives the ball away and they go and score. That’s the fine margins in the game.”

Saunders was equally frustrated with Maidstone’s opener, which came after just 68 seconds.

But Tonbridge cleared their heads and levelled before half-time thanks to Vincent, although he suffered a dead leg in the process and had to go off after the break.

“It’s so unlike us,” said Saunders.

“Defensively we’ve been really good this year.

“It comes from the kick-off, Ronny Nelson’s too deep, they flick it, they get the throw-in, it’s just a quick throw and we switch off.

“It’s so poor from us. I thought for the next 10 minutes we struggled - you could see it affected us - and then I thought we grew into it and deservedly got our equaliser.

Tonbridge wing-back Crossley Lema prepares to challenge Maidstone substitute Shaq Coulthirst. Picture: Steve Terrell.
Tonbridge wing-back Crossley Lema prepares to challenge Maidstone substitute Shaq Coulthirst. Picture: Steve Terrell.

“We played some decent stuff and were starting to ask questions and we go in at half-time deservedly level because I thought that was a well-worked goal.”

A draw was looking likely before Stones top scorer Blair showed his class after picking up the ball out on the left and firing into the top corner from 25 yards.

Saunders said: “It’s a tough one to take because at 1-1, you’re thinking, ‘OK’. It looked to me like it was going to be a 1-1 game.

Report: Tonbridge 1-3 Maidstone

“I didn’t see a lot in it and then we give the ball away and, to be fair, Blair’s on fire for them.

“If you’re brutally honest, maybe they’ve just got those players who can hurt you in those key areas when they get those chances, which we lack, but that’s probably where we’re at as clubs,so I fully understand that.

“I’m not being derogatory about my players. I love every one of them.

“We probably can’t shop at the same shops but that’s understandable and that’s football.

“It’s no different to going to Boreham Wood last week, probably even more so than Maidstone, but that is the way football is, so we work with what we’ve got.

Tonbridge defender Ethan Sutcliffe looks to deny Sol Wanjau-Smith as team-mate Jamie Fielding looks on. Picture: Steve Terrell
Tonbridge defender Ethan Sutcliffe looks to deny Sol Wanjau-Smith as team-mate Jamie Fielding looks on. Picture: Steve Terrell

“That’s not me blaming anything, it’s just if you’ve got those sorts of players, the Aaron Blairs, it’s hard for us.

“But I look at our front boys, I thought Harry Ottaway was outstanding and Trevan Robinson tried his socks off.

“It’s never through desire or lack of effort, it’s just sometimes a little bit of quality.

“Blair hasn’t had bundles to do but when he got that opportunity from us giving the ball away, it’s a great finish from the lad.”

Tonbridge remain 10th in National League South, five points off the play-offs with a game in hand, after just a second home defeat of the season.

Maidstone climb to third after maintaining their unbeaten away record.

Saunders said: “We’re in a good place. At the start of the season, I saw loads of things online that we’ll be one of the favourites to be down there.

“If we’d won today we’d be a point behind Maidstone with a game in hand, so it’s no shame where we are.”

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