Thamesmead Town 1-2 Maldon & Tiptree - We just didn't perform, admits Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN  1-2  MALDON & TIPTREE
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 8^th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon admitted his side put in a poor performance as their run of five wins on the spin came to an end against struggling Maldon & Tiptree.

The Essex visitors went into the game sitting third-from-bottom in the Ryman League Division One North table, but joint-manager Glen Knight, who played in goal for Welling United, Dover Athletic and Cray Wanderers, has assembled a lively attack minded side, with a couple of former Dartford defenders in Billy Burgess and Adam Flanagan and they deserved to come away from Bayliss Avenue with their third win of the season.

Seventh-placed Thamesmead grabbed the lead against the run of play in the nineteenth minute through a sweet strike from Chuck Duru, his second goal for the club since his move from Romford, but the best player on the pitch, Kevin McLeod, levelled for Maldon & Tiptree with a low strike from outside of the penalty box.

The turning point arrived in the 33^rd minute when Thamesmead striker Danny Penny saw his penalty saved, before the visitors’ twice hit the woodwork before half-time.

McMahon switched his formation from an open 4-3-3 to a more solid looking 4-4-2 for the second half and they almost held out for a point, but Leon Antoine pounced with only six minutes left to ensure it was a poor night for Thamesmead.

“We were poor tonight to be fair,” admitted McMahon after his side’s third league defeat of the season.

“It’s mostly one of the worst performances of the season apart from obviously Ware, but we’re quite strong squad wise as well and coming off the back of the cup runs our form’s been excellent but we didn’t deserve anything tonight.

“In the end we could’ve even nicked something but Maldon thoroughly deserved to win tonight and we just have to bounce back.”

Thamesmead Town created the first chance inside the opening two and a half minutes but Penny’s left-footed drive bounced past the far post.

But Maldon & Tiptree started to command control over an in-form Thamesmead team.

Pacy right-winger, Marcus Milner, drove a right-footed shot just past the foot of the near post before left-winger, Kevin McLeod, 31, who has made over 200 appearances for the likes of Everton, Queen’s Park Rangers, Swansea City, Colchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wycombe Wanderers impressed with excellent crossing.

McMahon said: “He’s played professional football but he’s a great player.  He shouldn’t be playing at this level.  He’s getting on a bit but he’s absolute quality.  We knew that as he was at Redbridge last year and he’s got that in his locker.”

Maldon & Tiptree went close after fifteen minutes when left-back Dave Collins drilled a low ball into the edge of the box and right-back Burgess turned and only just missed the far post.

But Thamesmead soaked up all of that pressure and grabbed a nineteenth minute lead, totally against the run of play, with a devastating counter-attack.

McLeod swung in a corner from the left which evaded everybody and was picked up on the other side of the pitch by Thamesmead midfielder Lea Dawson, who burst forward before still in his half of the pitch, drilled a delightful through ball through Maldon & Tiptree’s heart and Duru utilised his pace and drilled a powerful left-footed shot, which nestled into the bottom left-hand corner.

McMahon said: “We just didn’t start right.  We just seemed to be a little bit flat and we didn’t really do what we’ve done all year, compete and get in people’s faces.

“To be fair the goal was a great goal.  It was a great through ball from Lea Dawson and it was a tremendous finish. 

“We’ve got that in our locker, soaking up pressure and hitting teams on the break because we’ve got a lot of pace about us.”

Speaking about the pacy Duru, who formed a front three alongside Penny and Killick during the first half, before switching to the right flank for the second half, McMahon said: “He was at Romford. He’s a great player.  He played against us in the fourth game of the season and absolutely terrorised us.  He’s one of the quickest players I’ve seen.  He scored the best goal I’ve ever seen that’s got them a 2-2 draw in injury time.

“I’ve been chasing him and he’s come over.  His pace is frightening but his finish was excellent tonight.”

Thamesmead had goalkeeper Sam Mott to thank for keeping their lead intact as he tipped over McLeod’s left-footed angled drive just 56 seconds after Duru’s second goal for the club.

Bradley Killick floated in a cross from the left but an unmarked Penny rose and nodded wide of the near post before a flat-footed Thamesmead defence gifted Maldon & Tiptree a deserved 27^th minute equaliser.

McMahon wasn’t pleased with the delivery from Ashley Probets’ free-kick and Maldon & Tiptree cleared the ball away and Milner released Antoine down the left, with Thamesmead’s defence appealing for an offside flag that didn’t come from assistant Mr Roger Wells.

Antoine’s low centre from the right found its way to McLeod, who slid a low left-footed drive off the surface and past Mott to find the bottom near corner from 25-yards.

McMahon said: “We conceded a really, really sloppy goal to be honest.  We were on the attack from a free-kick, a really poor delivery, they’ve headed it clear and they’ve gone down the other end and scored.  We tried to play offside, so I’m disappointed.”

Thamesmead squandered an excellent chance to snatch the lead again, missing a penalty just six minutes later.

Penny was brought down by Flanagan and referee Mr Simeon Potter pointed to the spot.

But Penny got up and smashed his left-footed penalty just right to centre and visiting keeper Darren Behcett stuck out his right leg to block.

“At one-all we’ve had a penalty that we’ve missed, the turning point,” bemoaned McMahon.  “It just summed our first half up to be honest.”

Maldon & Tiptree first hit the crossbar in the 39^th minute when central midfielder Leo Townrow played in striker Sos Yao through on goal but his left-footed curling shot crashed against the crossbar and away to safety.

McLeod then swung in another excellent cross from the left but Townrow rose to plant his header over despite being left unmarked at the far post.

Thamesmead received the rub of the green on the stroke of half-time when Milner’s right-footed curler from 25-yards took a huge deflection and clipped the far post.

McMahon’s tactical switch at the interval ensured the second half was a tighter affair with both side’s cancelling each other out.

He said: “Second half I thought we were a little bit better.  It was more even, I don’t think there was loads of chances either way.  We both had half chances. We’ve had a great chance to go 2-1 up, a minute before they’ve scored.”

The first chance of the second half came in the final sixteen minutes when Mott punched away McLeod’s in-swinging corner from the left and Yao smashed a shot from outside of the penalty box, which bounced off Mott and only just missed the foot of the post by inches.

Maldon & Tiptree continued to press and McLeod played Townrow in behind the Thamesmead defence but he was denied a goal from the corner of the six-yard box by Mott’s strong left foot at the near post.

There was no complaints when Maldon & Tiptree sealed a deserved victory with six minutes remaining, and once again it came from McLeod’s delivery.  The away side won the corner count nine-to-three, although Thamesmead’s three corner kicks came inside stoppage time at the end of the game.

McLeod’s left-footed inswinging corner from the left was met by a towering header by Paul Shave, which looped towards goal and Antoine applied the finish on the turn just two yards from goal.

McMahon added: “I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to say it was going to happen but we’ve had such a great run and we’ve played really, really well (in those games prior to tonight).

“Hopefully this is a blip and we go down to Needham Market on Saturday and get a result there then we’re back on track.

“We’ve still got games in hand, we’re right up there so we only have to win one of them.  Tonight would have been handy but we just have to plod along.  I’m not going to say we’re going to win the league but if we can keep hanging in there we’ll be alright.

“But it’s all about, with us, our shape, our discipline and our work-rate and all three were missing tonight and we got out battled I thought and we lost our shape.

“Three or four players didn’t perform so a team like us can’t afford that and the lads know that, I don’t have to tell them.  I didn’t say too much after the game.  I didn’t go mad.

“I’ve got no problems with the result whatsoever.  I don’t think we deserved the win.  Football at this level, if you don’t perform, you don’t win and they deserve their victory.

“It had nothing to do with Maldon’s position.  I know all about Maldon.   I know Glen (Knight) really well.  They’ve got some quality players in that side.  They’ve mostly got a bigger budget than us.  He (Glen) was happy with a win. He was under a bit of pressure, they needed to win to be honest.

“They’ve got a lot of players’ that have played at a lot higher standard than us.  They won’t stay there (near the bottom of the league).  They’ve got games in hand themselves.  I went to watch them last week.  I always knew it would be a tough game but it was a game I did think we could win but we just didn’t perform.”

McMahon signed striker former Gillingham and Ramsgate Nigeria-born striker Joseph Afusi, 28, last night, bringing him on for a late cameo.

“He’s come on tonight but to be fair to the lad he didn’t show us what he can do,” said the Mead boss.

“We played against Ramsgate in pre-season and he was a bit of a handful.  He’s been at Gillingham with Andy Hessenthaler and played professional football in Switzerland, so he just adds a bit more strength in depth to our squad and gives us options.”

Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Jack Hopkins, Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Scot Mulholland (Dean Standen 63), Lea Dawson, Danny Penny (Joseph Afusi 76), Bradley Killick (Theo Fairweather-Johnson 90), Chuck Duru.
Subs: Jake Burman, Cory Walters-Wright

Goal: Chuck Duru 19

Booked: Lewis Tozer 34, James Donovan 41, Danny Moore 52

Maldon & Tiptree: Darren Behcett, Billy Burgess, Dave Collins, Paul Shave, Adam Flanagan, Ian Cousins, Marcus Milner, Leo Townrow, Leon Antoine, Sos Yao (Jack Stevenson 90), Kevin McLeod (Joe Pearson 86).
Subs: Ollie Berquez, James Abbott

Goals: Kevin McLeod 27, Leon Antoine 84

Booked: Adam Flanagan 66, Billy Burgess 76, Kevin McLeod 85, Paul Shave 87, Marcus Miller 89

Attendance: 39
Referee: Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Hilary Achegen (London SW2) & Mr Roger Wells (Coulsdon, Surrey)