Ilford 1-0 Thamesmead Town - I'll offer to walk if we don't make play-off's, warns Keith McMahon

A wonder-strike from winger Tom Nyama, 26, just five minutes after the interval won the game for the Essex side, who went into the game by beating Potters Bar Town at the weekend.

The Kent side, who were without strikers Sol Patterson (ankle) and Gabriel Momondu (college), have now gone five games without a win and remain in a disappointing eleventh place  in the Ryman League Division One North table with 31 points from 22 games.

“I don’t know what to say! First half I thought we done enough, obviously we had a few missing, but I thought we dominated the first half to be fair,” said McMahon after he emerged from the dressing room after giving his side a ticking off.

“We should’ve been in front, we had some good chances again and we’re not putting the ball in the back of the net.  I thought there was only one winner.  I was quite pleased first half, except for taking chances but the second half display was the worst display I’ve ever seen!  I’ve had a chat about it, embarrassed, is one, suicidal, maybe is another.  I don’t know what my emotions are to be fair!”

McMahon added: “We’ve had a chat and I need to have a look at a few people now.  I’ve pulled them in there, we’re going to train on Thursday night at the club, all off us and we’re just to have to go through it.  They’re going to have a chance to have a think and talk to me and I will with them but that performance in the second half is not good enough at any level of football and is not certainly good enough for a team I’m putting out with the quality we’ve got in our side as well!”

The Cricklefield Stadium was not conducive to playing good football - a six-lane running track surrounding a sticky, bumpy pitch, with twelve floodlight pylons producing a dim yellow light down onto the pitch.

Thamesmead striker Andy Constable was denied by Ilford keeper Rob Budd for the first time inside the opening four minutes and at the other end Nyama whipped in a hanging cross from the left which was headed into Sam Mott’s arms by striker Adam Bolle at the near post.

Ilford went close in the 17th minute as the hosts built down the right.  Junior Appiah cut the ball back to supporting right-back Carl Paul and his first-time cross was headed away by Thamesmead skipper James Campbell only as far as Richard Simpson, who cracked a right-footed drive from the edge of the box, which whistled past the post.

Ilford midfielder Clydie Roberts showed no class when in the 20th minute he gained referee Andrew Parker’s permission to leave the field to run off the pitch to answer a call of nature behind the cover beside the long-jump pit behind the goal and once allowed back onto the field of play, he almost scored when his right-footed free-kick deflected off the wall and bounced into Mott’s hands.

Thamesmead almost broke the deadlock when Ashley Probets’ flick released Constable through on goal but Ilford keeper Budd advanced to the edge of his penalty area and made a fine block from the tall forward’s stabbed shot.

Nyama played an angled cross from the left and this cut open Danny Moore on the edge of the Thamesmead penalty area, but Appiah was denied by visiting keeper Mott, who spread his body to block the right-footed stabbed effort.

Callum McGeehan’s right-footed half-volley from 25-yards flashed past the diving Ilford keeper and also past the post before a smashed ball over the top by right-back Richard Avery released Constable and Budd made another fine block in a similar position as before on the corner of his penalty area.

Thamesmead’s best chance, however, came on the stroke of half-time - and it wasn’t even from one of their own players!

Probets’ lethal left-foot whipped the ball in from the left and Ilford’s central defender Liam Thomas - with his back to goal - hooked the ball over his head towards his own goal and a diving Budd did well to tip the ball over.

Scot Mulholland’s resulting left-wing corner was met by a bullet header at the near post by Constable, with his effort flying wide.

McMahon was forced to withdrawal injury-cursed central defender Nick Davis at half-time due to a thigh injury and opted to switch formation from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2, bringing on Joe Nwoko to partner Constable up front.

McMahon said: “Nick was playing really well.  Nick’s pulled his thigh muscle, again a blow and I feel sorry for the lad because he needs a run of games to get himself fit.  He’s an outstanding player and he’s missed a hell of a lot of football!

“All three centre halves could have come off, Richard Avery’s got a bad back, he can just about move, Danny Moore’s got a swollen knee.  They did actually stay on and played.”

Ilford took advantage of Davis’s departure, as they scored the only goal of the game, just 278 seconds into the second half.

Nyama, who later suffered from cramp in his left leg, cracked a right-footed half-volley towards the Thamesmead goal from 35-yards and the ball looped high over Mott’s head and dropped down into the centre of the net.

McMahon added: “It’s a worldy goal!  I don’t think he knew anything about it to be fair!  I don’t think he looked where he shot, he kicked it and it’s flown in!  I can’t blame my goalkeeper, he’s eight-yards out in the right position and it’s just dropped right over his head!”

Thamesmead almost levelled when Raphael Momondu’s angled pass found Probets, who cut inside right-back Carl Paul and sent a drive with his weaker right-foot sailing over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Ilford brought a diving save out of Mott in the 62nd minute after substitute Derek Hawtin made progress down the right and his centre was dummied in the middle by Bolle and Nyama’s left-footed drive forced Mott to dive to his right to save.

Five minutes later Nyama cut inside Momondu before lashing a right-footed drive just over the Thamesmead crossbar.

Thamesmead rallied towards the end of the game with their best chance arriving with five minutes left when Avery’s hanging cross from the right touch-line found Probets at the far post and his bullet header was tipped over by Budd.

And from Probets’ corner from the right, an unmarked Constable really should have found the target when he was found at the far post, but he sent his header wide of the near post.

McMahon said: “Where we are in the league, you’ve got to come and get results but we can’t buy a point or a goal so it doesn’t matter where you go, we couldn’t go over Danson Park on a Sunday and get a goal!”

But McMahon promises to get things right and will call his players in for training and will send his reserve side to Faversham Town on Thursday to play a Kent Senior Cup tie.

“A part of being a good side and a good manager is you put it right and you bounce back,” said McMahon.

“It’s easy to manage and it’s easy to coach when you’re winning and the good ones come through when you’re losing.  It’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to go back to the drawing board and we’ll sort things out and ruffle a few feathers and come back Saturday, hopefully flying.”

McMahon added: “No-one’s going to Faversham.  No-one at all’s going to Faversham.  I’m not!  The reserve team manager will take the game and it’s not out of disrespect to anyone at Faversham.  They’re a great club.  I’ll ring Justin (Luchford) tomorrow and tell him I’m not coming.  

“We’ve got major problems and you’ve just seen it and Thursday we will send a side and it will be a good side as well.  Faversham will do the same and hopefully they’ll (my reserve side) play a lot better than we did tonight.

“But my job is sorting out this team and I’ve got to do it and Thursday, I’ve got to pull myself down, I’m working away as well and I’ll get back and try and get us ready for Saturday.”

McMahon added: “We have to just re-group and everyone has to stick together now, all the players, all the management, we’ve got to get behind shut doors, have a little heart-to-heart, punch up, kiss each other, what ever it takes to get ourselves back to where it’s got to be and that’s Thursday night.

“There’s going to be some deep thinking, big talking and we’ll go back to basics to get us where we are.”

Thamesmead are six points behind fifth-placed Romford, who now have four games in hand over the Kent side, and McMahon threatened to quit at the end of the season if he’s side do not qualify for the play-off lottery.

“We’ll get it right.  If we don’t, I won’t be here next year! Without a doubt, I won‘t be!” he said.

“I’ve got a side good enough, I think, to get into the play-off’s and if we don’t, I’ve let the club down so I’ll offer to walk.  It’s as simple as that!

“I will give everything I can and so will these players - I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe we could get there!”

Ilford:  Rob Budd, Carl Paul, Karl Blake, Richard Simpson, Liam Thomas, Jan Skomiezki, Junior Appiah, Clydie Roberts, Adam Bolle, Sham Darr (Derek Hawtin 57), Tom Nyama (Rufridh Kay 81).

Subs:  Andreas Pilides, Jerry Lyons.

Goal:  Tom Nyama 50

Booked:  Clydie Roberts 26

Thamesmead Town:  Sam Mott, Richard Avery, Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, James Campbell, Nick Davis (Joe Nwoko 46), Scot Mulholland, Marcus Perona (Ryan Briggs 70), Raphael Momondu, Andy Constable, Callum McGeehan.

Subs:  Alfie Munday, Adriano Lawson, Keith McMahon.

Attendance:  61

Referee: Mr Andrew Parker (Stanford-le-hope, Essex)

Assistants: Mr Nick Pavitt (Southend, Essex) & Mr Adam Miller (Southend, Essex)