Kentish Football 
Brentwood Town 1-1 Thamesmead Town - We came here to make us hard to beat, says Mead boss McMahon
Wednesday 24th August 2011
BRENTWOOD TOWN 1-1 THAMESMEAD TOWNRyman League Division One North
Wednesday 24th August 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Mill Field
THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon hailed his side’s battling qualities after they grabbed a last-gasp equaliser to come away from last season’s Ryman League Division One North play-off finalists with a hard-fought point.
A crowd of only 35 watched this awful bore draw at Aveley’s Mill Field ground, owing to the Essex club’s pitch and floodlighting issues at the Brentwood Arena.
Brentwood went into the game on the back of an opening day 2-0 defeat at Tilbury, whilst Thamesmead suffered a 4-0 defeat to Heybridge Swifts at Bayliss Avenue.
In a game of two goals, seven bookings and little else, Dean Standen’s hooked volley, which was timed at 48:52 at the end of the second half, cancelled out Brentwood’s Jose Espinosa’s header in first half stoppage time.
Thamesmead Town president, Albert Panting, summed up the entire affair when he said, “what can you write about this game?” Thankfully, McMahon spoke for over eight minutes afterwards, and said he was pleased with his side’s defensive display.
“It was a bit of a battle really, wasn’t it?,” said McMahon afterwards. “There weren’t many chances for neither side. I think it had nil-nil written all over it!
“We came here to make us hard to beat after Saturday’s defeat. We played a lot better first half Saturday than our result proved for us but tonight, first half, we put in a really good shift and I thought there was nothing between us.
“Brentwood are a really good side, they’re going to be in the play-off’s with the players they’ve got here.
“There was nothing in it. We switched off right in the last minute (of the first half) and they scored and basically we weren’t feeling sorry for ourselves but we thought we done enough to come in at nil-nil. The first plan was to keep a clean sheet in the first 45 minutes.”
McMahon added: “Second half, I just told them, again to be tight and wait for our chances to come and it didn’t look like it was coming at either end. Right at the end there we changed it a little bit and I threw Deano up and we’ve nicked one in the last minute.
“I thought we deserved a draw to be fair. I thought we came away from home and we’ve worked really, really hard.”
Goalkeeper, Sam Mott was recalled after missing the Heybridge game after he attended his sister’s wedding at the weekend, and Brentwood stopper Elliot Justham, were not tested.
McMahon said: “They’ve not had loads of chances. I can’t remember Sam having a shot to save to be honest – and I can’t remember their goalkeeper having a shot to save. I think it was two fairly evenly matched sides. We both tried to play a little bit.”
Thamesmead striker, David Noel, who was plucked out of Sunday League football, ballooned a left-footed free-kick from 30-yards inside the opening five minutes.
Brentwood midfielder Leon Fisher flashed a left-footed half-volley wide from 35-yards after he initially combined with midfield general Elvis Balic.
Brentwood almost provided some excitement in the 35th minute. Ryan O’Rawe’s throw was picked up by Dean Green, who spurt into the penalty area and drilled a right-footed shot towards the near post, but Mott took the safety first option of punching the ball around the post for a corner.
Thamesmead striker, Rikki Cable, who along with Noel were too isolated as Thamesmead didn’t use the big pitch to their advantage, picked the ball up and cut in from the right but his left-footed drive bounced wide of the post.
McMahon explained why his side lacked width.
“Saturday we played with a lot of width and we got done through the middle,” he said. “I knew how strong they (Brentwood) were and how they would set up, which was to stay really strong through the middle of the park.
“We changed our shape and it seemed to work. We came here to get off with a point at least. We normally come to win but at the beginning of the season you need to get a point on the board - and we needed it.
“We’ve had a difficult start, Heybridge and tonight. A defeat here and we’d be sitting at the bottom of the league. We needed a point to get us up and running. We’ve done the job, we’ve gone to the 94th minute and have grounded out a result.”
But it was Brentwood who broke the stalemate, with 46:25 on the clock.
Fisher, who was lurking on the edge of the box, played in James Love in behind the Thamesmead defence and he floated in a cross from the right and an unmarked Espinosa glanced his header into the left corner, leaving Mott rooted to the spot.
“We’ve had the ball at the back and we haven’t cleared our lines properly,” bemoaned McMahon.
“The ball has hit a lucky ricochet, Dean Standen was square footed and they’ve put a cross in and the fella’s got front near post.
“Disappointed with the last minute of the first half, they’ll be disappointed with the last minute of the second half.”
Thamesmead’s first shot on target finally arrived in the 58th minute – although you can’t really class Scot Mulholland’s scuffed right-footed effort from 25-yards, which apologetically rolled into Justham’s gloves, a worthwhile chance at goal.
McMahon revealed afterwards that he withdrew left wing-back Ashley Probets just before the hour mark as a precautionary measure.
“He’s just come back from a cruciate knee ligament operation through the summer and he just felt a bit tight,” said McMahon.
“We’ve got him back real early and it’s more of a precaution. We don’t want him missing the whole season. Hopefully he’ll be alright. He really worked hard for us, made some challenges and a game like that was maybe a bit too early for him, but he’s come through it, he’s done an hour and he’s done really well.”
The poor quality on shot was evident when Brentwood forced a free-kick but Fisher’s left-footed effort from 30-yards ballooned high over Mott’s crossbar.
With central defenders Lewis Tozer and James Donovan immense at the heart of the Thamesmead defence, Brentwood almost played themselves in with a minute to go.
When asked who he would award man-of-the-match, McMahon replied, “I wouldn’t take it away from Lewis Tozer, who was absolutely immense, closely followed by James Donovan. They’re building a great partnership. We missed Lew last year all though injury and it showed. Loads of higher league clubs have come in for him but he’s not interested. He’s got loyalty to us and we showed him some loyalty getting him his operation last year and he’s stuck by us. He’s a proper club man.”
Green played a ball over the top of the pair from inside the Brentwood half and Tozer was penalised for bringing down Fisher, and became the seventh player to be booked, but Fisher stepped up and arrowed the resulting free-kick just over the crossbar.
Thamesmead had one final chance and they grabbed an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game.
McMahon urged Standen to leave his position on the half-way line to make a presence inside the Brentwood penalty area and it was to become a crucial decision.
Mulholland floated in a free-kick into the penalty area and an unmarked Standen caressed a right-footed flicked volley across Justham to find the far corner from 15-yards.
It was a timely time to score Thamesmead’s first league goal of the new season, as Colchester based referee, John Magill blew the final whistle just 41 seconds later.
McMahon said: “I asked Scot to put it in and I told Dean Standen to go forward. He was sitting on the half-way line. We needed to get a goal so he went forward and he got on the end of it.
“It just shows desire until the end. The game’s not over until the final whistle goes. Either keeper didn’t have a save to make, but for a manager it was mostly a good game because it was quite tactical and it was a lot going on.”
McMahon added: “It’s a shame there wasn’t another minute left as we could’ve nicked a winner. Listen, you come to a place like this against Brentwood, they’re a good side. To get a point, we’re up and running and we can build from there.”
Hopefully the return fixture at Bayliss Avenue on 31 December will bring out the very best of these two sides.
“I think we respected each other as well, that we both could score goals. I thought first half we could hit them on the break and the second half it was just a midfield battle and I was pleased with that,” added McMahon, whose side travel to Great Wakering Rovers on Saturday, before welcoming Romford to Bayliss Avenue next Monday (3pm).
“We needed that game. Thamesmead sides have always been here to battle. Towards the end of last year people were saying we’ve lost that battling feeling and tonight we had it.
“We kept our discipline at the back – we were absolutely outstanding.
“I’m over the moon with that. It’s a start. It’s a point on the board and we can move on from here.”
Brentwood Town: Elliott Justham, Ryan O’Rawe, Ted Llewllyn, Richard Ketchell, Darren Blewitt, Elvis Balic, James Love, Leon Fisher, Jose Espinosa (Emmanuel Osei 73), Dean Green, Ryan Edgar.
Subs: Luke Krull, Clyde Roberts, Andrew Tomlinson, Leon Antoine.
Goal: Jose Espinosa 45
Booked: Elvis Balic 45, Dean Green 67, Darren Blewitt 90
Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Alfie Munday (Theo Fairweather-Johnson 73), Ashley Probets (Danny Moore 53), Dean Standen, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Scot Mulholland, Lea Dawson, David Noel, Rikki Cable (Bradley Killick 82), Callum Macgeehan.
Subs: Danny Bezant, Jake Burman.
Goal: Dean Standen 90
Booked: Scot Mulholland 41, David Noel 62, Dean Standen 76, Lewis Tozer 88
Attendance: 35
Referee: Mr John Magill (Colchester, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Andrew Lansdon (Wivenhoe, Essex) & Mr Stuart Cheek (Ilford, Essex)
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