Thamesmead Town 1-1 AFC Hornchurch - Play-offs are still on the horizon for us, says Thamesmead Town boss Terry Spillane

Thamesmead Town 1 – 1 AFC Hornchurch
Location	Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ
Kickoff	21/12/2015 19:45

THAMESMEAD TOWN  1-1  AFC HORNCHURCH
Ryman League Division One North
Monday 21^st December 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Terry Spillane says he wants his side to get some momentum going to make a push towards the play-offs during their second half of the season.

The Mead climbed up two places into tenth-place in the Ryman League Division One North table on 38 points from 23 games following their draw against third-placed AFC Hornchurch at Bayliss Avenue tonight.

But Jimmy McFarlane’s side completely dominated a one-sided first half as good goalkeeping from Andy Walker and a post somehow kept the score blank at the break.

Thamesmead Town grabbed the lead through Paul Vines’ sixth goal for the club, before the Essex side claimed a point through Leon McKenzie’s last-gasp headed equaliser.

“At the end of the day, disappointed,” said Spillane after his side’s fourth league draw of the season.

“They scored in what the 95^th minute, so we were saying there we don’t know where those six minutes have come from but obviously I’m not happy about that!

“In saying that, the first half, to be fair, we came second best by a long way.  We were very fortunate to go in - I thought - 0-0 at half-time.  We told the players that. We had a discussion shall we say with the players and we saw the reaction in the second half.

“I said to them after the game it was a great reaction but I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because we should be turning up for games like this as we did in the second half rather than the first.

“We had a great win (over Bury Town) on Saturday. We had a little chat last week with the team. If we can get maximum points out of these two games it puts us right in it, right in the mix, but four points we would’ve taken. It’s a good four points out of the two games.

“We beat Bury who have been on a great run, an amazing run, and Hornchurch have big money and one of the favourites so it’s bitter sweet at the moment simply because of the two different aspects of the game.

“The first half we weren’t at the races. We weren’t even first to the third ball, let alone the first or second and then the second half I thought we completely turned it round.

“I wouldn’t say we deserved to win the game because they had chances in the first half but at the end of it to go down to a goal in the 96^th minute is hugely disappointing.”

AFC Hornchurch set the tone for the entire first half when they called Mead keeper Walker into making a good save after only 32 seconds.

Central midfielder Joey May released David Knight through on goal and the right-sided attacker was to be denied his 20^th goal of the season as his left-footed shot from 20-yards was palmed away by Walker’s outstretched right-hand.

When asked about why he felt his side started on the back foot, Spillane replied: “They play a long ball don’t they? They play 4-3-3 which caught us on the hop a little bit.  We were setting up for them to be 4-4-2, which is like they normally play but I understand they’re not doing that now since they’ve re-signed Leon McKenzie.

“Their centre back, Paul Goodacre, I dare say he is, if not the best, one of the best centre halves in the league and they’re good at what they do.

“They put the balls in the right areas, put you under pressure and they get results out of it.”

Walker played a short pass to holding midfielder Jack Barry, but the former Romford captain’s clearance struck the advancing George Purcell, and dropped on top of the roof of the net from 20-yards inside eight minutes.

May floated in a cross from the right towards the far post where his central defensive partner Elliot Styles thumped his header against the crossbar, although referee Dele Sotimirin spotted a push on his marker.

The Urchins went close again after 12 minutes when Alex Bentley played the ball into Purcell’s feet, who released Knight down the left and he cut the ball back to Bentley, who swept the ball out to an unmarked Purcell on the other side of the penalty area.  He hit a first time drive with his left-foot from 20-yards, which flashed just past the foot of the near post.

Walker made a comfortable save as AFC Hornchurch’s dominance continued.

May played the ball up to McKenzie, who flicked a header back to Knight to stroke his right-footed drive bouncing into Walker’s hands from 25-yards.

Hornchurch left-back Jed Chouman found himself on the corner of the Thamesmead penalty area and cut inside his man to crack a right-footed dipping shot straight at the busy Walker.

The impressive May released Purcell down the left channel and he reached the by-line but Walker got down low to his left to cut out the centre as Thamesmead Town’s right-back Ben Glasgow struggled against such talent.

Spillane said: “They’ve still got players from when they were in the Conference, they’ve had two relegations and they’ve still kept hold of a lot of those players, players like George Purcell, he’s a Conference player, isn’t he?”

May swung in Hornchurch’s first corner of the game in the 25^th minute, which was headed back straight to him and he whipped in another cross, which was looped over at the near post by McKenzie.

Walker made a comfortable catch when Styles met Bentley’s cross from the left with a downward header and the keeper made a smart low save on the half-hour mark.

McKenzie swept the ball out to right-back Billy Coyne, who was given acres of space to whip in a cross into the penalty area and Walker dived low to his right to hold onto the ball to prevent Knight scoring from a downward header from 16-yards.

“Without a doubt, he’s been doing that all season, he’s been brilliant,” Spillane said of Walker.

“He’s the best goalkeeper, not in our division, he’s the best goalkeeper in the league in my eyes and I think he’s proved that over the season.”

Purcell once again bombed on to reach the left by-line and he floated over a cross towards the far post which was destined to be planted into the net by Knight – but Thamesmead left-back Jay Porter rose with him and did enough to ensure the striker glanced his header past the post from six-yards.

Thamesmead Town received a big slice of luck in the 38^th minute.

Purcell stepped up and powered his left-footed driven free-kick from 28-yards which screamed across a stranded Walker, who was relieved to see the ball smack off the far post.

Spillane called it “an unbelievable strike!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ball hit that hard! Literally no-one in the ground moved. He’s just smashed it and before we know it, it bounced down off the post!

“He’s one of the players in this division, he’s head and shoulders above everyone else.”

Former Thamesmead Town goalkeeper Sam Mott was a spectator during the entire first half, but the home side created their only first half opening with 42 minutes on the clock.

Glasgow played the ball inside to right-sided midfielder Lee Prescott, who cracked a speculative right-footed drive from 35-yards, which deflected off Chouman and sailed past the right-hand post for the home side’s third corner.

May then released Purcell down the left and he whipped in a cross into the Mead box and Knight cut the ball onto his left foot and skied his shot over the bar from 16-yards.

Purcell then cut inside Glasgow again and his right-footed drive from 20-yards rammed down Walker’s throat after receiving another pass from May.

Despite all at Hornchurch dominance and chances, Thamesmead, somehow, went in at the break still on level terms.

“Nil-nil, somehow, we’re still in it,” admitted Spillane.

“Luck, fortune’s on our side tonight. It hasn’t been in previous games, I can tell you that but that’s exactly what I said to them.

“We’ve been lucky to come in at 0-0. We’re lucky that we’ve got another 45 minutes to go and put that performance right and that’s exactly what we’ve done and credit to the boys.”

Walker pulled off a great save to frustrate Hornchurch inside the opening four minutes of the second half.

Purcell whipped in a quality low cross from the left through the corridor of uncertainty for Knight to hit a first time shot towards the bottom corner from six-yards, but Walker dived low to his left to push the ball around the post.

“Again, we can talk about Walks for hours, that’s what he does and that’s what we’ve come to expect, a great save,” replied Spillane.

But the introduction of midfielder Butler from the subs bench after 51 minutes had the desired effect as Thamesmead Town lifted themselves and created some decent chances of their own.

“Buts has been out of the side for a while now, he’s been on the bench, so he had a little bit to prove maybe but he’s good at what he does,” said Spillane.

“He moves things on and he gets tackles in and puts balls in the right areas and he’s very competitive, which is what changed our competitiveness, which was non-existent in the first half.”

The Mead should have opened the scoring when Vines outmuscled central defender Nathan Cooper down the left and cut the ball back to strike partner Theo Fairweather-Johnson, who stroked his right-footed shot towards the bottom left-hand corner from 18-yards, forcing Mott to dive to his right to make his first save of the game.

“He puts that anywhere else, it’s a goal, isn’t it?” said Spillane.

“Vinsey’s collected it, done well, he got his arms across the full-back and managed to pull the ball back and normally that hits the back of the net, the form Theo’s in at the moment.

“Unfortunately for us it just got under his feet a little bit. I think he just couldn’t get it out from under his feet enough. Luckily enough for them, Motty was in the right place.”

AFC Hornchurch felt they had scored when Derek Duncan gifted the ball to McKenzie inside the Mead box and he cut the ball across the face of goal only for Cooper to steer his shot just past the foot of the near post.

Mott was called into action on the hour-mark, parrying the ball to his left as Fairweather-Johnson’s right-footed shot on the turn from the right-hand corner of the box issued a warning.

And Mott made another similar save at his near post only 86 seconds later as Fairweather-Johnson hit an angled drive from similar range after Butler threaded a pass through to him.

“He made a couple of saves, that’s what I’m saying, the second half we were more than even with them in my opinion,” said Spillane.

“We’ve out-played them in the second half.  They’ve had chances but we’ve had chances as well.

“Theo’s had two good chances that he’s created himself on the turn. I’m a bit disappointed because Motty’s pushed both of them away and we haven’t followed it in so to speak but that’s football.”

Purcell with 28 goals already this season, then cut into the box but his left-footed drive sailed over the crossbar from 20-yards.

Thamesmead Town called Mott into making another save before they grabbed the lead after 66 minutes from the resulting corner.

Porter went on a 20-yard run with the ball before hitting a left-footed drive towards the far corner from 30-yards, forcing Mott to dive low to his left to tip the ball around the post.

“Jay’s got that in his locker,” added Spillane.

“He’s been playing out of his skin at the minute. We’ve put him on a contract this week so we’re well pleased with that.

“We want him to do that more often. In the first half especially he was pushed back, he spent the whole half defending, where as in the second half we changed our shape a little bit, which meant he could get on a little bit further and that was the end result.”

Duncan swung in the resulting corner from the right and Vines peeled off his marker to direct his downward header across a crowd of players to find the far corner of the net from eight-yards.

Spillane was full of praise for Vines’ hard work.

He said: “I thought in the second half he’s worked his nuts off! He gives you that.

“Unfortunately it ain’t no surprise to anyone reading this to see that Paul Vines has scored because that’s what he does in big games, he gets goals - with his only chance!

“His work-rate - and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. I certainly didn’t give him enough credit when I signed him.  I knew he worked hard but not as hard as what he does.

“He’s first to the game, he’s first to training and he works really hard and if you give Paul Vines a chance like that in a game generally it ends up with that result.”

The goal stunned AFC Hornchurch and it took them nearly ten minutes to create another chance.

“We played well, didn’t we?” said Spillane.

“We got on the front foot and we played well. We put them on the back foot. We didn’t give them any time on the ball. We competed a lot more than we did in the first half and that’s what we’ve got. We’re a good side, we’re a good team and hopefully we’ll start going up the league now. We’ve got games in hand, I’d rather have the points.

“But don’t underestimate us! Teams that underestimate us will come unstuck.”

Bentley swung in a cross from the left and McKenzie glanced his header across goal and just past the far post from 12-yards.

Bentley won his foul a free-kick after Duncan’s foul and Purcell powered his left-footed free-kick into the car park from 30-yards.

Purcell then brought the ball down under control with his chest before a defence splitting pass put McKenzie through on goal but the striker dragged his shot across Walker and past the far post.

“We thought that was the last chance. They had another chance after that, someone’s smashed it just wide and George Purcell hit one over the bar. We’re thinking it was game over then.”

And when Styles was holding his head in his hands in agony after flashing a right-footed drive just past the foot of the far post from 20-yards, it seemed that Thamesmead Town were holding out for a shock victory.

But Spillane blamed poor marking as May was given an opportunity to retrieve the ball down the left channel and cut the ball back to an unmarked Bentley.

He floated in one last cross into the Thamesmead Town box and an unmarked McKenzie glanced his header across Walker to find the bottom far corner from 12-yards, leaving Spillane swallowing a bitter pill.

“To keep two of what I call two of the top strikers (Purcell and Knight) quiet in the game for 90 minutes is something to be proud off,” said the Mead boss.

“Unfortunately, they’ve got another striker whose played a bit, I know all about Leon, I gave him his debut when he was 15 and he’s come back to haunt me tonight and that’s football.

“Walks is a bit disappointed with himself that he didn’t save that one at the end but from where I was standing that was right in the corner and there’s no way he was going to get that but that’s the kind of guy he is, he wants to keep clean sheets as much as he can.

“From somewhere the referee’s got six minutes. The ball’s gone over on the left wing out there and no-one’s going to close him down. If we close him down it makes him rush, who knows what happens but the player over here, I’m not going to name him, I’ve had a go at him in there.  He’s just stopped and let him put a cross in, which you can’t do at this level. If it’s 100 minutes or 110 minutes you’ve got to keep going. For that split second there we’ve stopped and it’s cost us two points.”

The goal was timed at 50:19. Referee Dele Sotimirin blew the final whistle on 51:28.

Thamesmead Town are now only six points adrift of fifth-placed side Cheshunt at the half way point.

“We’ve got a massive January, we’ve got nine games in January, same as everyone else. Hopefully we just keep plodding on and hopefully we’ll be there,” said Spillane.

“Our target is the play-offs. I make no secret with that and it’s still on the horizon for us.”

Playing on Monday nights has been the right decision for Thamesmead Town because 133 fans came out to watch this game.

“First and foremost I’d like to thank them because they have supported us from the start of the season, even away from home we’re getting a following,” said Spillane.

“Just stick with us! It does make a difference when the boys come off and they do see some green and white scarves around the ground. It does make a difference all be it small in number it makes a difference for us getting more fans through the gate then we’re doing something right.

“We try to play football. It ain’t always possible. It’s all about results but we do try to play football.  I think the supporters here realise that 99.9% of the games that have been over here and away our boys put a shift in. We ain’t always pretty but we always put in a shift. We don’t always win but you always get your money’s worth when you watch Thamesmead.”

Spillane wants his side to keep their momentum going, having bagged seven points from their last three games.

He said: “It’s hard to keep that momentum going and what I’m looking forward to is us getting some momentum going because we had a terrible November, a half decent December and we need a good January and a good February and who knows where it takes us.  All I’ll say it won’t be for the want of trying.

“We’ve got a good side. We’ve got some good players here, so I’m looking forward to the run-in.”

Thamesmead Town: Andy Walker, Ben Glasgow, Jay Porter, Farai Hallam, Jack Barry, Marc Gorbell, Lee Prescott, Derek Duncan (Michael Aziaya, Paul Vines, Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Tommy Spillane 90), Shoma Barnwell (Richard Butler 51).
Subs: Elliot Usher, Max Ovenden

Goal: Paul Vines 66

AFC Hornchurch: Sam Mott, Billy Coyne, Jed Chouman, Joey May, Nathan Cooper, Paul Goodacre, David Knight (Calvin Poku 84), Elliot Styles, Leon McKenzie, George Purcell, Alex Bentley.
Subs: Dave Collis, Charlie Dove, Abs Thompson

Goal: Leon McKenzie 90

Attendance: 133
Referee: Mr Dele Sotimirin (Stratford, London E21)
Assistants: Mr David Joseph (Forest Hill, London SE23) & Mr Kennedy Kikulwe (East Ham, London E6)