Thamesmead Town 1-2 Ashford Town - Injuries mount up for Ashford

THAMESMEAD TOWN 1-2 ASHFORD TOWN
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 5^th August 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

ASHFORD TOWN boss Steve Lovell faces a selection nightmare for his side’s final pre-season friendly against Tonbridge Angels on Saturday, after four of his players picked up niggling injuries tonight.

Danny Lye (thigh strain), Jimmy Elford (knee), Anthony Browne (hamstring) and Bradley Spice (hamstring) were all forced off during this pre-season friendly against a Thamesmead Town side that’s preparing for it’s first ever Ryman League campaign.

With a goalkeeping injury curse currently at the club, Lovell handed former Gillingham and Welling United stopper Darren Ibrahim a chance to stake his claim in time of the Nuts & Bolts Ryman League Division One South opener against Walton Casuals on Saturday week.

“I’ve known him since he’s time at Gillingham. I had him in the Gillingham youth side and he was a good keeper then,” Lovell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“Obviously, he hasn’t played for a while but he’s come in and he’s done quite well.

“He made a couple of saves and commanded his area very well, so he’ll come in straight with us and hopefully we can keep hold of him and he can be a valuable acquisition for us.

“I’m going to sign him tonight and make sure he’s with us, particularly with us, the more goalkeeper’s we’ve got, the better, I think.”

Thamesmead Town, playing their ninth pre-season friendly, dominated the first half, but somehow went in at the break on level terms.

Ibrahim was called into action inside the opening four minutes, saving low at the foot of his near post, after Mead striker Rikki Cable cut inside Lye after a move involving Pedro Knight and Scot Mulholland, the home side’s play-maker in midfield.

Ashford striker Mark Lovell cut the ball back to Ryan Briggs, but the midfielder dragged his left-footed shot past the far post.

But Thamesmead took control of the game and a delightful chipped pass from midfielder James Brown should have been finished off by Cable, who drilled his left-footed shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

Ashford almost scored on the counter attack but Mead goalkeeper Chris Conneally did well to prevent Spice scoring with a left-footed angled drive when through on goal.

Ibrahim was relieved to see Herbingi Grant’s right-footed angled drive roll agonisingly past the far post in what was the home side’s best chance after 13 minutes, which brought slick passing from Thamesmead, involving man-of-the-match Mulholland and Brown.

Ibrahim made a flying save to prevent substitute Nick Smith from scoring with a long-range right-footed effort but they almost paid the price as the visiting side almost scored on the break with nine first half minutes remaining.

Lovell skipped past Mead central defender Lee Coburn through on goal but he was thwarted by a fine save from Conneally. The ball then rolled to Charlie Glyde who spurned the follow up by lifting the ball just over the crossbar and into the mesh fencing at the clubhouse end.

What Thamesmead will need to learn quickly is that teams will punish you at the higher level and it was a surprise when Ashford broke the deadlock inside the opening six minutes of the second half.

Nick Smith had a couple of early second half chances, as did Cable, who curled a low shot just past the foot of the near post.

Thamesmead were, however, undone by a deep right-footed cross in front of the away dug-out on the right-hand side by Elford.

The former Hastings United right-back whipped in a deep, hanging cross, which was met by a towering, powerful header from Mark Lovell, which flew across Conneally and landed nicely in the bottom far corner of the net.

But Thamesmead, who added the Kent League Challenge Shield to the sideboard at the weekend, to go with the Kent League title and Kent Senior Trophy that they won last season, quickly, and deservedly levelled seven minutes later.

Mulholland was sent charging through on goal, following a delicate through ball from Richard Dimmock, who had played a one-two, and Mulholland’s left-footed angled chip sailed over Ibrahim, who could only fingertip the ball into the roof of his net.

Mulholland played in Nick Smith, but his 67^th minute strike was ruled-out, due to offside and within a minute Conneally was tested when substitute Andy Doerr drilled a shot towards the near-post.

Lovell’s right-footed rasping shot from thirty-yards brought a save from Mead’s goalkeeper as the visitors turned the screw.

But a controversial winner finally arrived for Ashford with thirteen minutes left.

Mitchell Sherwood whipped in a cross from the right by-line and this was met by a header from Lovell across goal and Doerr, who appeared to be offside, stabbed the ball over the line from close in.

Manager Steve Lovell, who credited the goal to his son Mark, was pleased that the game was entertaining for the 49 spectators.

“Decent game, quite entertaining, both ends,” he said. “Chances at both ends and a good work-out, I think, for both teams.”

Speaking about the positives, Lovell said: “Mitchell Sherwood’s done well, the back four looked quite good, nothing really went through us. Mark, again, getting a couple, looked as though we could get a few more goals as well.

“With Jimmy Bottle coming back to form, Mitchell Sherwood, everybody, everybody looked quite decent.

“We’re still not there and we’ve got another ten days to get it right. (We’ve got) another game (at home) on Saturday against Tonbridge Angels, which will be a very tough game again. That’s if I can put a team out with all the injuries I keep picking up, but hopefully we’ll be fine.”

Thamesmead Town manager Keith McMahon, whose side welcome Whitstable Town (Thursday) and Dartford (Saturday) was disappointed to lose to a controversial goal.

“We’ve got out the game what we put in,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “A bit disappointed with the two goals we conceded at the end, obviously, one was a bad, bad mistake by the Lino, but you take the positives.

“When you’ve got sixteen players you look at the overall thing and we played alright tonight.”

Speaking about Lovell’s/Doerr’s winner, McMahon added: “I know it was offside! Even the referee told me it was. The lino made a mistake.

“But the ball’s come fifty yards into the box. We should have dealt with it. Chris (Conneally) has called and got it wrong, just a mistake. The guy didn’t need to touch it, it was going in anyway.”

Looking ahead to the visits from Whitstable and Dartford, McMahon is fine tuning his side in time for their Ryman League Division One North debut, and a trip to favourites Ware.

“We need to iron out a few silly mistakes but as the lads’ said in there, we tend to be dropping off for the last 10-15 minutes when we’re making a lot of subs,” explained McMahon.

“Results don’t matter in pre-season but you’d like to win where you deserve to win and tonight’s match I thought we did, even though Ashford are a decent side. They can play a bit of football but first half they didn’t really get near us.

“We played a lot of football and hurt them and really should have taken our chances. We could have been two or three nil up before they even scored.”

Thamesmead Town: Chris Conneally, Lew Watts (Curtis Williams 67), Danny Moore (Junior Baker 67), James Brown, Dean Kearley, Lee Coburn, Scot Mulholland, Pedro Knight (Richard Dimmock 56), Herbingi Grant (Nick Smith 29), Rikki Cable, Rob Tarrant (Peter Smith 45).

Goal: Scot Mulholland 58

Ashford Town: Darren Ibrahim, Jimmy Elford (John Ralph 56), Danny Lye (Anthony Hogg 42), Lee Hockey, Sean Ray, Ryan Briggs (James Humphreys 67), Anthony Browne (Jimmy Bottle 50), Charlie Glyde, Mark Lovell, Bradley Spice (Andy Doerr 63), Mitchell Sherwood.
Sub: Jamie Riley.

Goals: Mark Lovell 51, Andy Doerr 77

Attendance: 49
Referee: Mr Kevin Welsh (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Micky Dunne (Erith) & Mr A Hill