Kentish Football 
Before Christmas we were beating the sides around the top, says Mead boss Keith McMahon
Tuesday 15th March 2011
THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon says he wants his side to replicate their early season form when high-flying Needham Market visit Bayliss Avenue tonight, writes Stephen McCartney.
The Mead were real play-off contenders before Christmas but a loss of form and belief sent the club crashing down the Ryman League Division One North table to a disappointing fourteenth place, with only one win in twelve since the turn of the year.
“We went through a bad run and to be honest,” said McMahon. “The last few games, we’ve started to play a lot, lot better, a lot like our old selves.
“On Saturday, at Harlow, I thought we got our hunger and our fight back and a coupe of sloppy mistakes when we switched off basically cost us the points but at one-all there looked like only one winner.
“We’ve had a few injuries, which is not making any excuses, they’re slowly starting to come back.
“We’ve been a bit unfortunate. When you’re struggling sometimes things don’t go your own way. We just need a little bit of luck and the fight that we maybe showed on Saturday and against Ramsgate to push on.”
Suffolk side Needham Market are presently sitting in second place in the table, five points behind East Thurrock United, and McMahon is expecting an exciting game.
“I think it’s going to be a good, attacking game to be honest,” he predicted.
“We played them first game of the season and we lost 3-1, but it was a lot closer than that.
“They’re a very, very, good strong side, exceptionally going forward. They’ve got a lot of experience in people like Kevin Horlock but I‘m expecting a very tough game.
“Hopefully the lads will rise to the occasion and put in a good performance. Hopefully we can attack them and get something from the game.”
Four weeks ago Thamesmead capitulated at Potters Bar, crashing to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat on a wet night in Hertfordshire - and McMahon demands that his side seek revenge when the two sides meet at Bayliss Avenue on Saturday.
“I guarantee we ain’t going to play like that again,” he insisted.
“It’s one of those things. We’re a side at the moment where confidence is a little low. We’re starting to build again but when we concede goals our heads go a bit and we have a wobble. We need a few of the experienced lads to rally together. We’ve got them back, hopefully now, and we’re strengthening a bit in our squad and hopefully we should be able to get a result.”
But McMahon added: “Tonight’s the big game. It’s a game you want to play against, teams that are at the top of the table, good sides, strong sides and you want to see how far away you are. You want to see how strong you are.
“Before Christmas we were beating the sides around the top and competing. After Christmas, with the weather, we’ve been struggling so I want to finish the season on a high.”
Visit Thamesmead Town’s website: www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk
Thamesmead Town v Needham Market
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 15th March 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd