Tonbridge Angels 0 Chelmsford City 4 (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Tonbridge Angels 0 Chelmsford City 4

4:00pm Wednesday 13th February 2013 in Local Sport

GLENN Pennyfather wanted his entire squad to receive credit for the four-goal victory at Tonbridge Angels rather than merely his starting 11, appreciating the contributions of each member of the Clarets' playing staff as goals from Anthony Cook, Jamie Slabber, Rob Edmans and Aiden Palmer dispatched the Kent side.

Despite Dover Athletic's 3-2 victory over new favourites Welling United, City jumped above them on goal difference to go third and gain three points on leaders Salisbury City, who also lost.

But, with some of the Clarets' other rivals also losing ground, Glenn was conscious that people didn't get carried away with what was an excellent day statistically for his team.

"All we can do is maintain our own agenda, then look at the table in April," he said.

"We've got undoubted quality running through the squad - they just need to make sure they continue to work as hard or harder than the rest of the clubs around us.

"There were some strong performances from us today and it's important that we don't just see this as a victory for 11 players, it's our whole squad that won."

"We're still lots of points behind the main contenders, and we've got a lot of points to collect ourselves before we can be considered amongst them.

"At any level - and I know this from when I supported my team when I was younger - you can get too wrapped-up in the glory when you're winning, but we mustn't go over the top when we're on good form, just like I tell the players not to get too down when we're on a losing streak."

"The first half was pretty even and Tonbridge probably had more possession, although they didn't cause us too many problems.

"I think it was our second goal that really settled us down and we were hurting them in the right places with Cookie and Donovan [Simmonds] getting down the wings. Take nothing away from Tonbridge, they made it tough form us."

At right-back, Justin Miller came in for Bradley Hamilton, while Donovan Simmonds replaced Kyle Vassell wide on the left wing. David Bridges returned to the centre of midfield ahead of David Rainford and there was a place on the bench for newcomer Junior Konadu, who had joined on loan from Macclesfield Town for one month.

Tonbridge's main threat so far this season has been front man Frannie Collin, one of the division's most potent marksmen, and it was his fourth-minute turn inside which presented him with the chance to bring a great save out of young Clarets goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook. But it was the Clarets who would break the deadlock.

In the 17th minute Omer Riza supplied a ball inside from the left to Cook and he controlled his powerful, curling strike beyond custodian Worgan to make it 1-0. Other than an injury time header over from a corner by Kenny Clark, that was City's only real effort of the half, while Angels were represented by Chris Piper's half-hit effort in the 37th minute.

The hosts saw Sonny Miles stretchered off towards the end of the period but they came out and had the first attempt after the break, Collin shooting wide of the left-hand upright on the turn in the 48th minute.

Two minutes later they were further behind, Simmonds dribbling inside and supplying Slabber, who was able to direct the ball into an empty net.

Even at 2-0 the game was by no means over, but Chelmsford completed the job near the end with two more quick-fire strikes.

For the third, Riza's initial 79th-minute strike was brilliantly saved by Worgan, but the Tonbridge custodian was devastated to see Edmans well positioned to measure a header into the net from the rebound.

Four minutes later, the fourth arrived. This time Edmans turned provider, slipping the ball through to overlapping left-back Palmer who sprinted through one-on-one with Worgan and produced a composed finish to tuck it past him.

Simmonds then brought another decent intervention from Worgan deep into injury time.

"There's no better feeling than winning games for your own fans," highlighted Glenn after the game.

"We travelled in numbers again today and they're disappointed like we are when we lose, so they also have the right to share our excitement when we win."