Thamesmead Town 3-0 Welling United - We'll make sure we'll get it right, vows Welling boss Jamie Day

THAMESMEAD TOWN  3-0  WELLING UNITED
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 18^th July 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

WELLING UNITED manager Jamie Day refused to panic after his side were humbled by neighbours Thamesmead Town.

Both clubs celebrated glorious campaigns last year as Welling United clinched the Conference South title and Thamesmead Town won promotion via the Ryman League Division One North play-offs after finishing a record best third place.

But Thamesmead Town won their first pre-season match at the third attempt in a game reduced to 80 minutes due to a power supply problem at Bayliss Avenue.

After a goal-less first half, Baff Addae produced a 30-yard screamer into the top right-hand corner to give Thamesmead Town the lead, before Theo Fairweather-Johnson and substitute Jon Main scored against the club that released them at the end of the season.

“I thought first half we played really well,” said Day, 33, who didn’t play due to an Achilles injury picked up during the 1-1 draw at Conference South Tonbridge Angels on Tuesday night.

“The passing was good, the movement was very good. I thought defensively we were sound. I don’t think they had a shot in the first half so I’m pleased with the first half performance.

“Second half, when you make so many changes it probably has an effect on the game.  We had five lads’ under the age of eighteen out and we needed to do that.  I’m taking nothing away from Thamesmead, but we needed to see if our youngsters are good enough to go into the first team.

“I thought two of the goals could’ve been dealt with. I thought the first goal was a good goal and you can’t do nothing about it.

“I’m not panicking. I’m not overly worried at the minute.  I don’t like getting beat and people will look at it and think we should’ve won tonight from an outside point of view, but we got what we needed to get out of it.

“I don’t like losing. As long as we get everyone fit and ready to go on the 10^th August that’s the priority.”

Thamesmead Town manager Keith McMahon missed the game due to a well-deserved holiday.

But assistant manager Steve Wait was pleased with the performance from the men in green, but refused to jump up and down off the roof-tops after beating a Conference Premier club.

“Three-nil flattered us really to be fair,” said Wait.  “I don’t think we was massively on top to say that we outplayed them.  We weren’t 3-0 worthy winners. One or two-nil maybe.

“I’m sure they’re not going to worry too much about the result tonight. If they had beat us 3-0 we wouldn’t have worried too much either.  We’ll just take the positives that we done well and try and put right what we didn’t.”

Wait was pleased that two former Welling players got on the scoresheet against their former club.

“I’m sure they’re both pleased. They took their goals well. Whether or not Theo would’ve made it if he would’ve stayed there I’m not sure, but it’s a plus for us to have them both so we’re pleased to have them.”

Welling United created the first chance of the game inside the opening four minutes when right-back Loui Fazakerley drilled a cross into the penalty area for striker Kurtis Guthrie to flick wide.

Thamesmead Town’s play-off hero, goalkeeper Rob Budd, produced a fine save when he rose his arms high above his head to palm over Callum Webb’s drilled left-footed shot from sixteen-yards after the diminutive winger allowed Jake Gallagher’s low pass run across his body before going for goal.

Guthrie’s trickery saw him turn Thamesmead skipper Lewis Tozer inside the box and managed to get a low shot away, which was comfortably saved by Budd at his near post, despite the striker being under pressure from Calum McGeehan’s sliding challenge.

Thamesmead Town had to wait until the half-hour mark for their first opening.

Chris Edwards whipped in a corner from the left towards the far post and McGeehan rose to send his header wide of the near post from close in.

It then became clear that the game was to be reduced to 40 minutes each way as referee Mr Constantine Hatzidakis was concerned that the game wouldn’t finish in natural light, owing to only one or two bulbs working in each of the four floodlight pylons.

“I didn’t realise there was a problem with the lights, nobody told me,” admitted Wait.

“When the lights did come on they didn’t all come on. As you see upstairs in the top half of the stand they took all the tiles up and it might be something to do with that.  They might’ve done something with the cable.  I’m sure they’ll put it right.”

When asked about the shortened game, Day replied, “Doesn’t matter to me!  Pre-season serves a purpose of getting everyone fit, everyone match fit for the 10^th August.”

Thamesmead Town went close, however, five minutes before the break when Edwards whipped a right-footed free-kick over the wall which sailed over Welling United keeper David Hughes and landed on top of the roof of the net.

Wait said: “I said to the lads at half-time, the main thing for me was we didn’t concede. I wasn’t particularly happy with the way we were playing in the first half. I thought the ball retention wasn’t very good. We gave it away and played too long and that’s why we changed it at half-time. We went back to 4-4-2 and I thought we was a lot better then.”

Thamesmead Town made five changes at the break, whilst Welling United made six and Day gave some of his younger players a run-out.

Wait’s tactical switch back to 4-4-2 for the second half paid dividends as the men in green were clinical in front of goal.

A brilliant goal out of nothing gave Thamesmead Town the lead with only 94 seconds gone.

Addae collected the ball some 30-yards from goal and cracked a right-footed shot on the turn, which screamed past a stranded Hughes to find the top right-hand corner.

Wait said: “Fabulous strike!  He’s got it in his locker! Just cut his little tricks out and be more positive is what we keep banging on to him.  He’s frustrating because he loses the ball but he’s very, very skilful and he’s got that in his locker. He proved it last season and hopefully he can carry on this season doing it for us.”

Day added: “A great goal!  They didn’t have a shot up until then so the lad’s done exceptionally well. He cut inside and put it in the top corner!  It doesn’t matter what level you’re playing in, it’s a great finish. It’s just the way our luck is going at the minute with people playing against us.”

Welling’s finishing needs to be worked on during their three morning training sessions ahead of their Conference Premier campaign, which gets underway at Welsh giants Wrexham on 10 August.

Substitute striker Ross Lafayette blasted a left-footed shot wide of the far post after substitute right-back Barney Williams played the ball over the top of the Thamesmead defence.

Thamesmead Town doubled their lead nine minutes into the second half when winger Fairweather-Johnson gave Day a reminder of his goalscoring prowess.

Addae wriggled his way to the left by-line and clipped the ball back towards the near post where substitute striker Rob Carter’s header crashed down against the crossbar and Fairweather-Johnson reacted swiftly to nod the ball over the keeper into the roof of the net.

Wait says there is plenty of competition up front at Bayliss Avenue going into the new season.

He said: “Rob’s a handful up front.  We’ve got so many forwards here now. The two lads here last year I was happy with and Keith was happy with but when players like Shaggy (Michael Power) and Mainy come along you can’t turn them down. You have to bring them in and see what happens. They’re all vying for two spots really so it’s up to them so they’ve got to keep working hard and see how we go.”

Day admitted that he will keep tabs on his former player and wishes him well during his second spell at Bayliss Avenue.

He said: “Obviously I’m pleased for Theo. He’s a great lad. He was fantastic for us last year. I’m disappointed that we couldn’t keep him and that was partly the club and my fault as well.

“Hopefully he has a good season here and I want him to do well and we’ll keep tabs on him.

“First goal, we got back and defended a kick from the keeper but I think it’s looped of one of the defenders and Theo reacted quickest in the box and he’s scored, which he’s very pleased about!”

Thamesmead Town gave former Bromley and Maidenhead United skipper John Scarborough a 40 minute run-out in the second half and he joined an attack which broke down and with him out of position this gave the Wings an ideal chance to break away.

With men in green chasing back, Malacki Hudson released Malik Ouani through on goal but he lost composure when he only had Budd to beat and drilled a left-footed shot sailing over the crossbar.

Wait said Scarborough will add competition to Tozer and James Donovan, who were prominent figures at the heart of defence last season.

“Keith brought John in for his experience I think. I believe he’s been captain at Bromley and Maidenhead, a very experienced player but to be quite honest with Tozer and Donovan last year they were our main pair all the time.  There was no pressure on either of them. Bringing someone like John in will have them looking over their shoulder and know they both have to perform every week if they’re selected in front of him.   How it is at the moment is we’re giving them games and seeing how they all go.”

Fairweather-Johnson then cracked a speculative left-footed half volley dipping over the bar from 30-yards.

Main was introduced into the action and he issued his former employers a warning when he turned inside the penalty area and his left-footed drive was palmed behind by Hughes at his near post after Scarborough stroked the ball towards the far post following a corner.

Lafayette danced past Budd’s desperate dive for the ball inside Thamesmead’s penalty area and was denied by the agile keeper who recovered to make a fine block as the striker tried to score from a tight angle.

Webb was desperately unlucky not to bring Welling United back into the game following a slick, one-touch three-man move, when he unleashed a powerful right-footed drive from 25-yards, which crashed down off the underside of the crossbar and assistant referee Valentine Anekwe spotted that the ball had not bounced over the line.

Budd launched a big kick down the middle of the pitch which glanced off Hafeez Sansui’s head, but Main stroked his right-footed shot straight at Hughes.

The referee played 46:04 in the second half and former Herne Bay player McGeehan – who started in the heart of defence before playing the second half in the middle of the park – struck a right-footed piledriver from 35-yards, which screamed wide of the post.

However, Thamesmead Town were gifted a third goal only 14 seconds later when Hughes’ quick goal kick went to Webb, who inexplicably gave the ball to Main who accepted the gift and slotted a right-footed shot past Hughes to score his second goal of pre-season.

Wait has high hopes for the former VCD Athletic, Cray Wanderers, Tonbridge Angels, AFC Wimbledon and Welling United hit-man.

“It’s a great signing,” he said.  “If your goalscoring then that’s brilliant for us. He’s up and running. That’s the beauty like someone like Mainy. He could have an off night and in the next game he’ll be chomping at the bit and probably get you two or three. That’s brilliant for us!”

Day said: “The third goal, we’re trying to pass and play and mistakes are going to happen and this is the time to get those mistakes out.

“I think Callum had a good game tonight and showed why he’s been at Arsenal and I thought the majority of the game his passing was excellent.

“It’s just the one time he gets caught on it and it goes to Mainy and you know in the box Mainy is going to score.

“Again for me, a fantastic player for us, a great character in the dressing room. Hopefully he does well for Thamesmead this season.”

Day wasn’t concerned with tonight’s defeat and said: “It’s nice to win games, don’t get me wrong, it breads a bit of confidence when you win games but we won nine out of ten last year and after about five or six (league) games we were near the bottom of the table so we’ve got to look at the positives and keep everyone confident.

“I’m happy with the way we’re playing at the minute so we just need to be tighter defensively as a group, not blaming defenders as a team.

“I thought we had enough chances throughout the whole game. That for me was the disappointing thing. Our end product wasn’t good enough, either our final pass or our final shot wasn’t at the level we want it to be at.

“It’s pre-season and we’ll go away and work on it in training. It’s still early doors. We’ve only had three weeks of pre-season gone. We’ll make sure we get it right.

“I think it’s more of a worry if we wasn’t creating chances.  It’s nothing to worry about.”

When asked what he wants to improve on, Day replied, “Our finishing, for one!  You’ve got two new centre halves so it takes time to gel in to the team and the whole back four to gel so that’s something that we have to work on.  It doesn’t happen overnight so they’re the two areas that we’ll look to work on before 10 August.

“The priority for us is the 10^th August and we need to make sure that we’re ready.”

Day hopes his supporters don’t over-react following this shock result.

“You’ll always get supporters that start panicking and start moaning about get beat,” he said.

“I don’t like losing, but we have to get what we want out of it and we did that in patches tonight. We conceded three sloppy goals, or two sloppy goals and that needs to be looked at but we don’t need to start panicking just yet!”

Wait took plenty of positives from their shock three-goal victory against a club that are two leagues above them.

“It’s very pleasing,” he said. “Keith will have a nice night on his holiday so I’ll tell him I’ve done his job for him!  We’ve just got to move on now nice and positive, three goals. We were struggling to score on Tuesday (against Sittingbourne) and now we’ve got three so it’s great!

“I don’t think we were heads and shoulders above Welling tonight. We done really well but there’s lots of positives. A clean sheet is the most important thing against a Conference side. It’s made it for us and hopefully that will bode well for the season. It will give the lads plenty of confidence and take it from there.”

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Sean Roberts, Calum McGeehan, Lewis Tozer (John Scarborough 41), Ross Lover (James Donovan 46), Chris Edwards (Baff Addae 41), Stanley Muguo (Jon Main 63), Daniel Ailey (Stuart Zanone 41), Michael Power (Rob Carter 41), Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Richard Stevens 63).

Goals: Baff Addae 42, Theo Fairweather-Johnson 49, Jon Main 80

Booked:  Daniel Ailey 25, Theo Fairweather-Johnson 39

Welling United: David Hughes, Loui Fazakerley (Barney Williams 41), Jack Obersteller (Joe Obersteller 41), Jake Gallagher, Doug Berqvist (Hafeez Sansui 76), Blaine Hudson (Fraser Franks 41), Joe Healy (Malacki Hudson 41), Lee Clarke (Malik Ouani 41), Kiernan Hughes-Mason (Ryan Flack 68), Kurtis Guthrie (Ross Lafayette 41), Callum Webb.

Attendance: 93
Referee: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis (Bromley)
Assistants: Mr Freddie Collins (Beckenham) & Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley)