Thamesmead Town 2-2 Welling United - The boys' did the club proud, says Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN  2-2  WELLING UNITED
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 26^th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon praised the battling performances from his players after they earned the club a lucrative FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round replay at Welling United on Tuesday night.

The Mead went into this game in ninth-place in the Ryman League Division One North table but the gap of two leagues was not evident on this occasion as Thamesmead matched their opponents, who are in second-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South table.

Welling United’s visit to Bayliss Avenue was a welcome boost to the home club’s coffers as the crowd of 273 was Thamesmead’s highest as a Ryman League club.

Thamesmead Town stunned their visitors’ as they broke the stalemate in controversial circumstances just 23 seconds into the second half through Theo Fairweather-Johnson, before Welling levelled when dropped striker Andy Pugh came off the bench to score his fifteenth goal of the season thanks to an error by Thamesmead keeper Sam Mott.

The Wings regained the lead when central midfielder Lee Clarke converted his seventh goal of the season, an overhead kick after Mott had initially saved his penalty with seventeen minutes remaining, but Fairweather-Johnson, 21, grabbed a deserved draw with his ninth goal of the season at the death, handed to him by an error from visiting keeper Dan Thomas.

McMahon said: “They did the club proud.  “We battled hard.  I think we kept our shape really well and we thoroughly deserved the draw.

“It was a good game.   I thought we brought them down to our level a little bit, especially pace wise, but I just felt we made it difficult for them as we have a lot of sides this year.

“I thought we were excellent and thoroughly deserved the draw.”

Welling United’s player-manager, Jamie Day, added, “I’m disappointed that we haven’t won.   We were 2-1 up with a couple of minutes to go. We should see the game out and we haven’t.

“I don’t think the pitch helped, it’s the same for both teams. 

“Obviously it’s their Cup Final so they’re going to raise their game.  Look at the second half, I don’t think they’ve had more than two shots and they’ve scored two goals so if we win 2-1 no-one says anything.”

Thamesmead were forced to swap their front pairing of Chuck Duru and Joseph Afusi as they were both cup-tied, having played for Romford and Ramsgate in this competition earlier on in the season, so Fairweather-Johnson and Bradley Killick came in and Danny Moore came in for Dean Standen, who was forced out through a hamstring injury picked up during Tuesday night’s 4-4 home draw against Waltham Abbey.

Welling United made four changes from the side that defeated in-form Boreham Wood last weekend, with Andy Sambrook, Jack Parkinson, Jordan Johnson and Ryan Dolby coming in for Loiu Fazakerley, Anthony Acheampong, Joe Healy and Pugh.

The Welling manager explained that he left Pugh on the bench to give Dolby a run-out to keep his fitness levels up.

He said: “We’ve got a squad of sixteen players and if we don’t use a couple in games like these then when they are called upon they’re not going to be fit.  We need to keep them happy as they’re not going to sit on the bench for another year so they done ok.  If we don’t give them match time when they are called upon in big games and they’re needed, they’re not going to be ready.

“I don’t think too many people can complain about team selection. We’ve changed tow players, that shouldn’t affect us getting a result at Thamesmead.”

And it was Thamesmead Town that created the game’s first chance when Killick cut in from the left and his angled right-footed drive was clipped into Thomas’ gloves at the near post after just 44 seconds.

Welling’s fans were in good voice early on and their side’s first chance arrived when Clarke released Luis Cumbers down the right and he played the ball inside to Loick Pires, who sent a left-footed shot sailing over from the corner of the penalty area.

Dolby, who played in Thamesmead’s youth ranks, could have done better in the 16^th minute when Mott dived to his left to comfortably save his scuffed left-footed shot from 20-yards after Pires’ hooked pass had initially released Cumbers down the right.

Welling lacked any tempo during a sluggish first half and Day sent a right-footed free-kick up and over the wall but the ball drifted over the top of the left-hand post from 28-yards.

Solid Thamesmead ventured forward and created a couple of half-chances towards the half-hour mark of a tactical stalemate.

Welling defender Ben Martin was guilty of making an off-the-ball offence on the edge of the penalty box after Scot Mulholland floated in a cross from deep and Mulholland stepped up and tried to place the resulting free-kick towards the bottom corner, but his right-footed free-kick deflected just wide.

Ashley Probets’ resulting right-wing corner was half cleared by Dolby at the near post, but he was relieved when Fairweather-Johnson blasted a right-footed shot over the bar.

Probets’ put in some useful deliveries with his left-foot and Thamesmead should have done better when Lea Dawson flicked the ball across goal and Lewis Tozer hooked shot from a tight angle was plucked out of the air by Thomas at the near post.

Welling United finally upped the tempo towards the end of a dire first half and the game’s first real chance came in the 36^th minute.

Day flicked the ball into Pires, whose left-footed half-volley from just inside the penalty area, brought a fine diving save out of Mott, low to his left.

And within a minute, Pires turned provider for Clarke, whose right-footed half-volley on the angle sailed across Mott and whistled past the far post.

Thamesmead swarmed around Clarke at any given opportunity and a trio of players forced the highly-rated play-maker into making a mistake on the very edge of the Welling penalty area and Killick teed up a chance for Danny Penny, but the hard-working lone forward, had to stretch and in doing so his left-footed shot sailed wide of the post.

McMahon was pleased that his players listened to his instructions to win their personal battles all over the park.

He said: “Our plan was just get in at half-time with a clean sheet.  If we get one, we get one.  Let’s do our jobs, go with players’.  We done some homework and a bit of tactics and we tried to implement it and we cancelled them out quite well and I thought we done alright so that was the idea, to get in at half-time with at least a clean-sheet, maybe nick a goal and take it from there.”

McMahon heaped plenty of praise for Lea Dawson, who at the age of 20 is the midfield engine room.

He said of the contracted player: “I thought we were excellent, our back four was excellent, but I know a scout was here from Brighton & Hove Albion but if you’re anyone that wants a battling midfielder that’s box-to-box that wears his heart on his sleeve and will run through a wall then Lea Dawson, who we’ve got in our side and he’s the best player I’ve seen.

“He’s battled with Lee Clarke, he’s battled with them all in there.  He’s very strong and I wouldn’t be surprised he pops up and nods on in on Tuesday.”

The game desperately needed to spark into life and Thamesmead did just that as they scored in controversial circumstances after just 23 seconds into the second half.

Fairweather-Johnson appeared to be yards’ offside when he was put through on goal following Dawson’s low pass, in-between Sambrook and Parkinson, but Fairweather-Johnson swept a low right-footed shot across Thomas and the ball trickled into the bottom right-hand corner.

McMahon admitted his side got lucky.

“It was a great team talk at half-time obviously,” he said.  “Yes, it looked well offside to me!  I’ve got to be honest!  I weren’t in line but if I was on the other side I wouldn’t be happy.

“I was just about to shout out before the ball was played into him to hold the line because he looked offside, but he went through but Theo’s finished it well and maybe the keeper could’ve done better with that as well?

“It was a perfect start, maybe too early.  I wouldn’t mind if it was 23 seconds towards the end but 1-0 up and it was a good start for us.”

McMahon added: “I thought we deserved it because we battled hard.  We done well for the first half.  As I said to the lads’, going forward we could hurt them.  It looked like if any side could’ve taken the lead, it could be us.

“I don’t know if Welling were a little flat today, especially the first half. I think their tempo was a little bit slow.  We said to the lads’ ‘this could be our day today, if we kept solid and kept our shape.”

Day added: “For me, it looked ten-yards offside but the linesman (Mike Chisholm) hasn’t given it.  There’s not much the referee can do unless he overrules him and that’s not really going to happen.  Disappointed because you can see where we are on the pitch it was offside but they gave it and I suppose the positive thing is we responded and took the lead.”

The goal sparked Welling United into life and Day swung in a corner from the left and Pires headed down and past the far post in the 52^nd minute, as did Luis Cumbers, as he made space for himself inside the Thamesmead penalty area.

But the introduction of Pugh had the desired effect as the striker equalised in the 62^nd minute, much to the relief of the visiting supporters’.

Day released the striker with a raking pass with the outside of his right boot and Pugh unleashed a low right-footed drive from 30-yards, which on another day would have been comfortably gathered by a diving Mott, but the goalkeeper inexcusably allowed the ball to flash underneath his diving body and the ball nestled into the bottom far corner.

Day said: “He’s had a good strike.  They’ll probably feel the keeper should’ve done better with it but he’s (Pugh) quality and he can score.”

Speaking about Pugh, McMahon said: “When you’ve got someone with his ability, I think his movement is excellent. I don’t think he’s the quickest centre forward in their league, maybe, or the strongest, but he’s definitely, having seen him a couple of times, very intelligent and he knows where the goal is and he’s on a great rich run of form. 

“He’s had a bit of luck as well as Sam should’ve saved it.  He’s (Pugh) picked it up very deep and he’s hit a decent strike. Again, Sam’s going to be well disappointed.  Ninety-nine times out of one hundred he just picks them up and he’s gone down early maybe and it’s gone underneath his body but I can’t knock Sam.  He’s the best goalkeeper in our level by a distance. 

“He made one very good save in the first half and at 2-1 he’s come out and made a good block and he’s saved a penalty again.  He’s saved two from Clarkey, he’s saved one in pre-season and he’s a bit unlucky to be honest.  A good finish from Clarkey to be fair to him but Sam deserved a little bit more for that.”

With the chant of “Dodgy keeper” still ringing in his ears, Mott was relieved not to be beaten in the same corner as Pires unleashed another angled drive, albeit from closer distance, which flashed across him and past the far post.

Undeterred by their set-back, Thamesmead once again ventured forward and menace Fairweather-Johnson flashed an angled left-footed drive across Thomas (who is on loan from AFC Bournemouth) and wide of the far post, despite a last-ditch sliding challenge from Welling right-back Sambrook.

The game’s turning point arrived in the 71^st minute when Thamesmead skipper Tozer was involved in key moments at both ends of the pitch.

Probets’ swung in an excellent corner from the right towards the near post where the unmarked Tozer planted a header over from just three-yards out and Welling swiftly attacked and Tozer brought down Day just inside the penalty area after Cumbers knocked the ball down.

Referee Mr David Rock pointed to the spot and Clarke stepped up and his right-footed penalty brought a fine save diving save to his right by Mott but the Thamesmead defence didn’t react in time and Clarke’s overhead follow-up nestled into the bottom right-hand corner of the net in the 73^rd minute.

Reflecting on that crazy minute, Day said: “We don’t mark on the set-play and the lad (Tozer) gets a free header.

“It was a penalty!  It was a foul in the box and obviously Clarkey’s done well to score the rebound and we’ve gone 2-1 up and we should see the game out and obviously we haven’t!”

McMahon said: “Football’s got turning points in it and you look at that.  We’ve been working on set-plays and we’re very good at them and Ashley’s whipped a great ball in and it only has to hit Lew on the head and he’s put a bit too much on it and we could’ve scored and they’ve gone straight up the other end.  I thought maybe a couple of minutes before the goal we panicked a little bit for the first time in the game and struggled to clear our lines a little bit.

“Tozer’s dived in and Jamie’s nicked it and it’s a pen and there’s not much we can do about it.  That’s football!  The lads’ showed tremendous character to keep going. We could’ve got our heads down.  We’re 2-1 down against a Conference South side and they’ve could’ve got another one but we didn’t.   We kept our shape and we did look dangerous going forward.”

Welling threatened to ensure the game was put beyond Thamesmead’s reach and Mott made a fine near-post block to deny Pugh from scoring with a shot on the turn.

Thamesmead’s chances of getting back into the game appeared lost when Noel sent a left-footed free-kick from 25-yards narrowly over the crossbar with only seven minutes remaining.

But with time ticking away, McMahon made one final bold substitution and he threw four men forward and he was rewarded as Fairweather-Johnson snatched a deserved draw with 46:24 on the clock.

Mott pumped the ball upfield and Tozer (who was deployed as an emergency target-man) won his aerial challenge on the edge of the box and the ball bounced across the penalty area to Fairweather-Johnson, who lashed a right-footed drive goalwards, the ball bouncing off Thomas’ body at the near post and looping into the top near corner to the delight of the Thamesmead bench and proud small band of followers.

McMahon said: “A great tactical move again weren’t it?!  I made a substitution, we went four up front, we needed a goal!

“It’s like Sam’s goal!  I would say nine times out of ten their goalkeeper mostly saves it. It’s bounced in front and he’s pushed it up and we’ve scored, that’s football!”

McMahon praised his two-goal hero, saying, “Theo’s goal record is excellent for us.  He’s a very good player. Frustrating at times but good players’ are like that.  He gives us something.  We’ve had two forward players today that are cup-tied that would’ve been in and added even more firepower but Bradley and Theo have done well and Danny Penny has gone through the pain barrier for us for sixteen minutes and David Noel came on and done really well.”

A disappointed Day added: “Dan knows he should’ve stopped it.  It’s bounced over him but it evens itself out.  At Dover at home, last minute, he saves us and we could’ve lost the game so I’m disappointed and he’s disappointed but we move on to Tuesday and I think with us playing at home will benefit us.  The pitch will benefit us and hopefully we can get through to the next round.”

Day feels home advantage will count at Park View Road on Tuesday night.

He said: “For them today playing at their ground it’s their Cup Final so they’re going to raise their game and I would expect that.  I’d be disappointed if they didn’t, but for us now we should’ve won and we haven’t.   Now we’re at home on Tuesday, we obviously need to do the job and finish it off.”

McMahon’s men deserved a chance to play the Wings at Park View Road for a place in the First Round of The FA Carlsberg Trophy for the very first time in the club’s history.

He said: “We thoroughly deserved the draw.  We matched them and we’ve worked hard, that’s all we done, we worked hard.

“You’ve got to give them credit, they’re a good, good side and I like them. It was a good game to watch.  Even Welling will say we didn’t kick them off the park.  We tried to play a bit when we did.  They didn’t kick us off the park and I thought the referee had an excellent game as well so I think for the neutral it was a great game.

“It was a great game for the club.  It showed we can stage a game like this.  When the ground’s full, or has a crowd, it’s got a good atmosphere here and hopefully the Welling supporters’ will give us a bit of credit and say we’re not a bad side.  I’d like to think when Welling are away they might come to watch us?  We could do with their support!”

Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Jack Hopkins (Cory Walters-Wright 89), Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Scot Mulholland, Lea Dawson, Danny Penny (David Noel 63), Bradley Killick, Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Dan Wells 90).
Subs: Jake Burman, Adam Woodward

Goals: Theo Fairweather-Johnson 46, 90

Welling United: Dan Thomas, Andy Sambrook, Jack Obersteller, Jamie Day, Jack Parkinson, Ben Martin, Jordan Johnson (Joe Healy 77), Luis Cumbers (Tamer Tuna 86), Ryan Dolby (Andy Pugh 58), Loick Pires.
Subs: Ben Davisson, Anthony Acheampong.

Goals: Andy Pugh 62, Lee Clarke 73

Attendance: 273
Referee: Mr David Rock (Hertford, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) & Mr Mike Chisholm (Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire)