Thamesmead Town 1-1 Carshalton Athletic - We're nowhere near the worst side, says Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN  1-1  CARSHALTON ATHLETIC
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 23^rd November 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon says he is pretty confident of getting out of the relegation zone during their last 28 games.

The Mead remain rooted inside the bottom three in their inaugural Ryman Premier League campaign after claiming a point against basement side Carshalton Athletic.

McMahon’s men have collected only 11 points from their eighteen league games and are five points adrift of safety and one point clear of Carshalton Athletic.

The Robbins outplayed Thamesmead Town during the first half and deservedly went in at the break in the lead – courtesy of a fluke goal from Niall McManus.

But Thamesmead Town put in a much better performance during the second half and claimed a point courtesy of Danny Phillips’ fourth goal of the season.

Thamesmead Town striker Tyrus Gordon-Young will face a three-match ban in two weeks’ time after it was confirmed after the game that he was sent off by referee Rob Smith (who didn’t actually show the substitute a red-card) after he was seen pushing a Carshalton Athletic player in a melee immediately after the final whistle.

When asked whether he was happy with a point, McMahon said: “At half-time I would’ve maybe have been happy with a point, but over the second half performance we maybe could have gone and got all three.

“But first half I thought we was awful! We lacked a yard of pace, a little bit of passion. I thought we only had to lift it and we would have been fine.

“I thought we completely dominated the second half, missed a couple of good chances and I say overall with the first half performance I would have taken a point but disappointed we haven’t got all three in the end.”

Carshalton Athletic dominated the first half and their 3-5-2 formation was causing Thamesmead Town problems.  Lone target-man Mikel Suarez was isolated as his midfield team-mates failed to support him.

Suarez, who is on loan from Conference South side Tonbridge Angels, endured a frustrating afternoon and picked up a booking for a rash challenge on visiting goalkeeper Dean Snedker and committed the most fouls (five) of any of the players on the pitch.

“In the last few games we got bodies forward. We’ve brought Uche (Ibemere) in today from Dartford and he looked a little bit lost and we couldn’t get forward and Danny (Phillips) on the other side as well.  We couldn’t get nowhere near him (Suarez).

“I don’t think it was the way we were playing because we were getting the ball up to Mikel and we were just giving the ball back to them.  All we had to do was push forward and we would have been alright so that was what we changed massively at half-time and I thought it had worked quite a lot.”

Carshalton Athletic created the first opening inside the opening four minutes when striker Brendan Murphy-McVey swept the ball out to left wing-back Paris Hamilton-Downes but diminutive striker Tommy Bradford could not steer the ball past Rob Budd, who made a comfortable low save.

Carshalton Athletic skipper Adriano Moraes unleashed a left-footed drive shot from 30-yards, which deflected wide of the right-hand post, following some good play from McManus, who cut in from the right.

Thamesmead Town’s first opening of a poor first half performance arrived in the sixteenth-minute.

A sweeping move involving Jordan Hibbert and George Monger released the impressive Sean Roberts down the left. The left-back floated over a cross towards the edge of the box where Uche Ibemere’s glancing header lacked direction or power to give Snedker any problems.

Carshalton Athletic belied their bottom-of-the-table status with some attractive football - and their best chance of the first half soon followed.

Central midfielder Lewis Taylor released McManus down the right and he whipped in a cross into the penalty area where an unmarked Murphy-McVey clipped his right-footed volley sailing over the crossbar from fourteen-yards.

Taylor reached the right by-line and Thamesmead keeper Budd gathered the ball beside his near post after the former Tonbridge Angels midfielder drilled in a low centre.

A clearance from Roberts went straight to Quincy Rowe, the Carshalton Athletic central defender lashing his right-footed drive high over the bar from 30-yards.

His central defensive partner, Matt Males, then played the ball out of the Robbins’ defence and Murphy-McVey’s flicked pass fell to eight-goal striker Bradford, who stroked his first time right-footed drive harmlessly wide.

But Carshalton Athletic deservedly took the lead four minutes before half-time, but McMahon insisted Budd was not to blame.

McManus picked up the ball out on the left and a couple of step-overs dazzled right-back Jack Hopkins before he whipped in a left-footed cross 30-yards from goal.  The ball sailed over Budd’s head and arrowed into the top far corner of the net.

McMahon said: “Listen, the way the ball dropped down, it dropped between three of us and he’s just shanked a cross really and it’s gone in! He’s whipped it and it’s gone over Buddy’s head and that’s what happens sometimes.

“We mostly needed a kick up the arse that we needed.”

When asked whether his keeper was at fault, McMahon replied: “Not at all! It was just a freak lob over his head. He couldn’t have done nothing about it and I think if you watch the video back you’ll see it.

“He just hit a lucky cross and it’s dropped over his head so it’s one of those things. We had to regroup and that was the main chance they might have had in the first half.”

Thamesmead Town’s only shot on target arrived on the stroke of half-time when central midfielder Hibbert whipped his right-footed free-kick over the wall from 35-yards and visiting keeper Snedker made a comfortable catch.

McMahon summed up the first half perfectly when he admitted: “It was a lacklustre first half performance from us and we can’t do that but second half I thought it was a lot better.”

McMahon added: “The last month we have been excellent and we didn’t show that first half, but in the second half, we did.

“As much as I had a go at them at half-time, I just said to them afterwards I’m gutted that we didn’t get three points. I think it’s a missed opportunity but I’m pleased with their response. That’s what we’ve got to keep going.  We have improved, we keep the ball well and we’ve had a couple of great chances in the second half and we should have got a few more goals.”

Thamesmead Town came out with much more urgency and desire in the second half and put Carshalton Athletic on the back foot.

But Carshalton Athletic almost doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half when Murphy-McVey’s right-footed drive from 25-yards was pushed over the bar by Budd’s outstretched right-hand.

Carshalton Athletic weathered the early storm and the game turned into a midfield battle.

Murphy-McVey floated in a corner from the left and Taylor’s glancing header sailed harmlessly wide of the far post.

Thamesmead Town linked up well down the left with Roberts, Ibemere and Chris Saunders and Hibbert cut inside before drilling a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which forced Snedker to make a comfortable low save at his near post in the 63^rd minute.

Thamesmead Town continue to press and George Monger took a touch before sweeping a left-footed curling shot from 25-yards, which forced Snedker to dive low to his right to make the save to prevent the ball nestling into the bottom far corner.

But Thamesmead Town deservedly equalised with 74 minutes on the clock after Suarez was brought down a yard outside of the box by a bookable challenge from Rowe.

The ball was placed a yard outside of the Carshalton Athletic penalty area inside the D and Hibbert drilled his right-footed free-kick around the wall and Snedker dived to his left to make a fine block but Phillips pounced and steered the ball into the middle of the goal.

McMahon said: “I thought their goalkeeper looked quite good to be fair. I think he looked quite lively, he was comfortable.

“Jordan’s hit a great free-kick, he’s parried it and it could have been any one of three and Danny Phillips, I think, nodded it in.”

Carshalton Athletic almost undone all of Thamesmead’s hard work to get into the game when McManus wriggled his way through on goal but slid his left-footed shot just wide of the foot of the near post only 87 seconds after the equaliser.

Hibbert pumped a free-kick forward which was flicked on by Suarez but Junior Baker could not apply the finish as he ghosted in behind the defence at the far post.

A Carshalton throw from substitute Sean O’Toole was cleared out to Taylor, who dragged his right-footed shot wide of the left-hand post.

Both sides had chances to win the game during a desperate final ten minutes.

Carshalton Athletic were also rewarded a free-kick inside the D, just inches from the edge of the box, but Taylor’s driven right-footed free-kick bounced off the wall before sailing just wide of the right-hand post.

Thamesmead Town had a chance to seal a morale-boosting victory when industry down the right from substitute Theo Fairweather-Johnson saw him retain possession under pressure before cutting the ball back to Hopkins, who whipped in a first time cross with his right foot.

The ball was knocked down by Suarez and Phillips stroked a left-footed shot straight at Snedker, who made a comfortable save.

Carshalton Athletic had another dangerous looking free-kick, this time on the edge of the D, but the wall did its job and blocked Taylor’s right-footed driven free-kick for another corner.

Reflecting on the late flurry of chances, McMahon said: “Three points would do both of us a favour but again I felt we had the best chances.

“They had two free-kicks at the end of the game, one of them was a complete dive! Again we keep getting them at this level now. It’s creeping down in this level and it’s getting sad. It was a complete dive but Buddy hasn’t had to make a save on either of them.

“At the other end Junior’s missed a great chance and he’s had one kicked off the line and we could have had a few chances so the second half performance was a little bit more what we’re about.”

McMahon wasn’t aware at the time that Gordon-Young was sent-off for his push after the final whistle.

The Mead boss said the incident was “handbags.”

But he claimed: “Their (player) has spat in Theo’s face when we scored and the lino saw it as well.  Theo (Fairweather-Johnson) obviously weren’t happy and it caused a (melee) and at the end there he’s tried to do it again as he’s walked past so it infuriates people.

“Tyrus (Gordon-Young) might have over-reacted but he’s only pulled him, pushed him away. There’s nothing to it, there was no punches thrown.

“If I’m honest with you, we need that at the moment, showing a bit of passion. I haven’t got any issues, there’s been no ill-discipline. Someone’s been spat in the face and they’re showing a little bit of passion that he cares. So if that’s what it needs to keep sparking us, we’ll take anything at the moment. I don’t have an issue with it.”

Thamesmead Town have picked up four points from their last two league games and welcome Hampton & Richmond Borough to Bayliss Avenue on Tuesday night.

The Beavers climbed up to seventeenth-place in the table following their 2-1 win at Billericay Town today.  The Middlesex outfit are eight points clear of The Mead.

“We’re starting to pick points up,” said McMahon.  “We wanted the three today, which would have taken us closer to Enfield and that. I don’t know how they got on today, we’ll find out in a little while.

“We’ve got a home game on Tuesday. We’re starting to turn the corner now and we’ve started to get a settled side. We just need a few results and I think we’ll be fine.

“We’re nowhere near the worst side in this league. We’ve shown against Bognor and Hornchurch how well we can play and we showed that against Harrow Borough (in our 2-1 win there last weekend).”

McMahon had set his side a 40 points target to ensure they will be playing Ryman Premier League football again next season.

“We’ve just got to keep our head afloat, keep in contact,” said McMahon, whose side have won only one of their nine league home games this season.

“There’s five or six teams only six points (ahead of us) and that’s not much at this level. We’ve played top 12 sides already and we’re starting to play a few sides around us and we’re getting points so that’s all we’ve got to look at.

“We’re pretty confident we’ll get out of it.”

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Sean Roberts, Jordan Hibbert, Lewis Tozer, Junior Baker, Chris Saunders, Danny Phillips, Mikel Suarez, Uche Ibemere (Theo Fairweather-Johnson 68), George Monger (Tyrus Gordon-Young 85).
Subs: Richard Butler, Daniel Ailey, Adam Ramadan

Goal: Danny Phillips 74

Booked: Mikel Suarez 24, Sean Roberts 90

Sent Off:  Tyrus Gordon-Young 90

Carshalton Athletic: Dean Snedker, Bobby Price (Alex Addei 77), Paris Hamilton-Downes, Matt Males, Quincy Rowe, Adriano Moraes, Tommy Bradford, Simon Mensah (Sean O’Toole 75), Brendan Murphy-McVey (Matt Reece 66), Lewis Taylor, Niall McManus.
Subs: Jordan Wilson, Kieran Woodley

Goal: Niall McManus 41

Booked: Quincy Rowe 73, Lewis Taylor 89

Attendance: 87
Referee: Mr Rob Smith (Letchworth, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Grant Mathias (Enfield, Middlesex) & Mr Lee Grimsey (Stevenage, Hertfordshire)