Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders discusses an injury-hit campaign at Longmead that included nine different centre-back partnerships

Jay Saunders says it’s been a frustrating season for Tonbridge Angels.

They finished 14th in National League South after a 2-2 draw with St Albans last weekend.

Angels were five places and 12 points worse off than in Saunders’ first year at the club.

He’d hoped to kick on and push for the play-offs and felt he had the players to do it.

But he couldn’t get them on the pitch.

“The easiest way to describe this season is frustrating because when we had everyone available we’d give anyone a game,” said Saunders.

“Unfortunately it didn’t happen often enough.

“We went through it this week and we had nine different centre-back partnerships due to injuries.

“Only four players played over 30 games - everyone else was under 30 due to injuries - and that kind of tells you where we’re at. We just never had that consistency you need.

“The one that summed it up was Nathan Odokonyero.

“He’d scored nine goals in 13 games and we’d managed to keep him on loan from Ebbsfleet until the end of the season.

“Then he goes over on his hand at Hampton and has to have an operation, so we played the last month of the season without a forward. That’s just the way the season was.

“In the 12 or 13 years I’ve been managing, it’s probably the worst run I’ve ever known with injuries.

“I remember going to Weymouth with no forwards and our wingers out and getting a draw.

“The following week we played Bath at home and had the forwards back but the whole backline was out.

“There was a Saturday morning a month or so back when Nathan rang me and said he’d injured his ankle training at Ebbsfleet and couldn’t play.

“Ten minutes later, Sean Shields called and had been up all night with a wisdom tooth and couldn’t play.

“I don’t want to whinge and make excuses but