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Tonbridge midfielder Tom Parkinson is a man on a mission this season.
The 29-year-old is desperate to prove himself at National League South level and help Angels battle it out in the top half of the table at the same time.
Parkinson made only his third league start of the season during Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Hemel Hempstead.
“For me it’s a test playing at this level because I’ve never done it before,” he said.
“I want to test myself and prove to myself, the team and the gaffer that I can play at this level.
“The games I’ve played I’ve been happy but I know if I can get fitter then my performances will get better.
“Players a bit wiser on the pitch, they’re fitter and stronger and the quality is better in National South.
“There are some good teams in the Isthmian as well. It is a better level but I wouldn’t say it’s streets ahead. There are a lot of Isthmian players that have come up to National South in the last month that have done really well for clubs.
“The biggest difference is that teams are ruthless, if they get a chance they score. At the Isthmian, not all the time do the strikers put the ball in the back of the net.
“It’s nice going to new grounds, playing against different teams and different players when you are so used to playing the same teams and knowing who you are up against. It’s nice and hopefully I can stay at this level for as long as possible now.”
It’s a big season for Parkinson, who picked up an injury in Tonbridge’s FA Cup opener and most recently has been sidelined by flu.
“It’s been a bit stop-start,” he admitted. “I got injured at Farnborough in the first game and had two weeks off, came back and we didn’t have a game, then I had the flu last week and didn’t get out of bed for four days.
“It was actually only the third time I’ve played in the league this year. With more games I will get fitter and stronger. I don’t think I’ve played badly but the fitter I get then I can do a good job.”
Parkinson is keen to put Tonbridge’s home form right. They’ve picked up impressive away wins at Chelmsford and Ebbsfleet already this season – but are winless at Longmead from four attempts.
The midfielder is unsure why but is confident they can turn it around, starting with Tuesday night’s home clash against Concord.
“It was the other way around last year, we couldn’t win away from home and our home record was good,” he said.
“If we knew why then we’d love to change it. Maybe teams come at us away from home but I don’t know. For me it’s 11 v 11, it may be a mental thing - I don’t know - but it’s something we’ve got to correct.
“We’ve had a couple of hefty defeats but we haven’t disgraced ourselves in any games and we’ve proved with the wins that we’ve got that we can match the better sides in the league.
“It’s about consistency and if we win one, lose one, then you’re not going to be in the play-offs or around the top half of the league.
“It’s something we’ve got to address as a squad and be consistent week in, week out. If we can give a 7/10 every week then I think we’ll win more than we lose. It’s still early days but the sooner we start picking up form the better.”
Saturday’s defeat to Hemel was bitter-sweet for Parkinson. He scored the Angels’ opener but the conceded a spot-kick minutes later, albeit he felt it was a harsh call from referee Aji Ajibola.
“You’re always happy to score, the ball just dropped down and luckily enough it dropped down to me,” he said. “Whoever scores it doesn’t really matter as it was all about trying to get the three points and we didn’t get that. It’s nice to score but it didn’t count for anything.
“It was me who gave the penalty away but I got there before him and the player kicked the back of my leg and has gone over.
“The referee gave the penalty straight away and the linesman said he didn’t see it, I’ll look at it again but at the time I didn’t think it was a penalty.
“We’re disappointed because it’s another home game we haven’t won. It’s something we’ve got to look at when teams put bodies behind the ball and we have to break them down.
“I don’t think we played badly, it’s just fine lines, but we’ve got to be a bit better at home.”
