Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders hopeful of making at least one new signing before FA Cup tie at Haringey Borough
07:04, 14 September 2023
Manager Jay Saunders expects to see a performance from Tonbridge in the FA Cup.
Angels are off to Isthmian Premier club Haringey Borough in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday (3pm).
The visitors have a point to prove after losing 3-0 at home to Taunton in National League South last weekend.
Saunders hopes to have at least one new signing available and should welcome back skipper Scott Wagstaff, Joe Boachie and Jernade Meade, although Lewis Gard remains 50/50.
Depleted Angels lost 4-0 to lower-league Binfield at this stage last year but there are no excuses for a repeat.
“It’s important we go to Haringey and get a win,” said Saunders.
“Last year we went to Binfield with a lot of injuries and deservedly got beat with the team we had out.
“We’ll have players back this weekend and hopefully at least one new body, so there are no excuses.
“We’ve got to go there and put in a performance to win the game.
“That’s not to say it will be easy.
“I’ve been to Haringey in the last few years with Margate - we beat them in the semi-finals of the League Cup - and it’s a tough place to go.
“They’ve got one of the older 3G pitches and the crowd get behind them there and they’ve got some good individuals.
“You always want to player a lower-league team, which we’ve got.
“Ideally you’d love it to be at home but we’ve got to go there and do everything we can to get through.
“The club have never said we have to do this or that in the FA Cup.
“I don’t think you can, where it’s so unpredictable.
“But everyone knows what a good FA Cup run can do, both financially and putting the club on the map.
“When we went out last year, a lot of people said it was typical Tonbridge. We’ve got to try and change that.”
Ruben Soares-Junior hit the post inside two minutes against Taunton last weekend.
But mistakes were punished as Angels failed to score at home for the fourth time in five matches.
Saunders said: “The three goals we conceded were very poor, no doubt about it.
“We started well but we’ve got an issue at the moment where we can’t score goals at home.
“It’s something we’ve got to put right and we’re working hard to do that.
“If Ruben’s one after two minutes goes in, it’s a different game but we just can’t seem to take our chances at the moment.
“One goal in five home games is not good enough.
“We had players missing but that’s no excuse.
“The team we had out there was good enough to win the game.”
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