Thamesmead Town 4-1 Heybridge Swifts - Sometimes you have to pinch yourself, says Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN 4-1 HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 29^th January 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon admits he needs to pinch himself after his side outclassed their fellow play-off chasers Heybridge Swifts to move into fourth-place in the table with his club’s resources.





The Mead moved within thirteen points of runaway leaders Maldon & Tiptree – who visit Bayliss Avenue on Saturday – with this victory and when asked whether his side can go on to clinch the title, McMahon said: “I don’t know. We’re thirteen points behind Maldon, we play them Saturday. It’s a long way off. There’s some great sides in this league, Grays, even Heybridge. There’s some sides below us on a good run as well.

”We’ve just got to keep winning. We’re not saying no, we’re quite realistic here anyway. 

”As I said to you before a play-off position for us would be a dream standard. We’ve shown tonight we can but it’s a hell of a long way off.  If we put another seven wins together, who knows where we are?  I can’t see it happening if I’m honest with you.  We’ve got to be realistic. We’ve just got to hang on in there. If we keep winning, see what happens.”

Thamesmead Town are now unbeaten in all competitions in seven games and being in the top four with nineteen games remaining is a fantastic achievement for this little club.

When asked if he can believe his position in the table, McMahon replied, “No. Not at all! I can with the squad we’ve got, not as a club. No one gives this club much credit. We get low games, some people laugh.  Even when we get into the League Cup semi-final I don’t think it’s the best team in it for the League because of the crowds we get – it’s not our fault but people come around to watch us will see that we’re a decent side and we play some good stuff.

”Sometimes you have to pinch yourself with the year we’re having, but we’ve done it through hard work. We’ve worked hard as a whole club, not just the players or the management, the committee work really hard here as well and we deserve every success we get.

”We’re just enjoying it whilst it’s here. We’ve established ourselves as a Ryman League club now, this is our fifth year in it now. We’re edging closer, why not? Other clubs have done it, why can’t we?”

The Essex side arrived at a wet and blustery Bayliss Avenue sitting in third-place in the Ryman League Division One North table, but they were played off the park by an excellent Thamesmead Town side, who were denied third-place after Aveley’s victory at Tilbury.

Stuart Zanone scored his 29^th goal of his season (20 of them coming for Kent League side Rochester United) to give Thamesmead Town the lead halfway through the first half, before Baff Addae scored the first of his two goals.

Thamesmead Town were denied a third when Heybridge Swifts’ left-back Danny Barber headed against his own post, before the visitors’ pulled a flattering goal back through Michael Cheek’s deflected shot six minutes into the second half.

The home side squandered numerous chances before their third goal finally arrived, courtesy of central defender Lewis Tozer’s first goal of the season, a bullet header following a corner, before Addae rolled home the fourth.

McMahon added: “We was excellent. Anyone who had come and watched, from start to finish I thought we were tremendous, one of our better performances to be honest.

”I think the score flattered them a little bit. We were super defensively and going forward we looked a threat every time we went forward. I thought we were going to score. We won our battles and we’re super tonight. We deserved that.”

Heybridge Swifts created the first chance inside the opening six minutes when right-back Terrence Amass looped his throw into the edge of the box and striker Cheek turned to stroke a weak left-footed shot from sixteen-yards, which Thamesmead keeper Rob Budd saved comfortably low to his right.

A ball over the top of the Heybridge Swifts defence by James Donovan – who alongside Tozer was immense – was brought under control by Rob Carter, but he failed to get any power to his half-volley as the ball dropped over his shoulder and visiting keeper Nick Eyre gathered the rolling ball.

Thamesmead Town squandered an excellent chance to open the scoring when Carter picked up the loose ball from Jack Hopkins’ throw, fed Addae down the right and his low centre was dummied by Carter at the near post and Zanone’s right-footed stroked shot at the far post was blocked by Eyre.

But Zanone’s disappointment didn’t last long, because his quality strike gave Thamesmead Town a deserved 22^nd minute lead.

Ashley Probets, who has scored 13 goals from left-back, whipped in a free-kick from distance into the Heybridge penalty box and Eyre inexplicably dropped the ball and the ball came out to Zanone, who smashed his powerful right-footed drive into the top right-hand corner from ten-yards.

McMahon said: “We had 12 great chances.  I said to you before we’re a team at the moment with the firepower that we’ve got we can score goals. 

”Before Stuart scored we had a great chance.  I think Rob’s had a chance, but Stuart’s finish was great and then Baff scored two. I felt sorry for Rob Carter. I thought he was absolutely outstanding tonight and deserved a goal or two and the others have got them. It’s well pleasing to score four goals at home.”

McMahon added: “Stuart’s had a chance but then he showed his character. It didn’t upset him and he’s absolutely hit one like a rocket about two minutes later!  He was good tonight. I was looking for a response from Stuart. He had a bad neck on Saturday, but still played for us. He needed a goal or so and he looked a constant threat going forward. His pace and his strength was great.”

Thamesmead Town eased into a 2-0 lead within four minutes when Hopkins advanced towards the by-line and played over a low cross, which found Zanone at the far post and he laid the ball off for Addae to stroke a left-footed shot into the corner of the net.

McMahon described the goal as “another good bit of football,” from his side.

He added: “Baff is another player who needed a bit of a better performance than maybe Saturday.  I had a little word with him. I was thinking about making a change tonight but I’ve gone with him with his pace and he’s responded excellently. He scored. It was a good finish with his left-foot – both of them were – and he could have had three or four to be honest tonight. He was a constant threat.”

Zanone was put through on goal and was denied by Eyre, who went to ground but made a fine block with his right-foot, before Zanone drove the follow-up wide of the near post.

Heybridge central midfielder Taylor Hastings played the ball over the top of the Thamesmead defence to put Luke Callandar through on goal but the division’s leading goalscorer sent his angled drive over the stand roof from 22-yards.

When asked what his thoughts were during the half-time interval, McMahon said: “We could have had three in the end just before half-time. I said keep doing what we’re doing.  I thought they struggled defensively. It was to weather the storm. I thought they’d come at us a little bit and don’t panic!

”I thought we’ll pick them off, just carry on with what we’re doing because we were that good in the first half.”

Heybridge Swifts should have been facing a mountain to climb within 44 seconds of the second half.

Sean Roberts freed Addae down the left and the striker reached the by-line before wrapping his foot around the ball to whip in an excellent cross towards the far post and Barber received a slice of good fortune because his powerful header smashed against the top of his near post.

McMahon said: “Baff’s done excellent. He’s got to the by-line and put a great cross in and he’s headed it against his own bar.”

Heybridge Swifts keeper Eyre was forced into making a smart low save to his right to deny the impressive Carter scoring with a left-footed curler after he cut in to the box from the right-hand side.

McMahon was full of praise for Carter, who gave former Dartford left-back Barber a torrid time.

”I said they’d struggle with a bit of pace and we said (to Rob) to go a little bit wider and he did and we found his feet and we didn’t need to go in behind. It was a windy night. We played to his feet and he went past him (Barber) at will, I think, every time and he looked a real threat and that’s how our fourth goal came.”

The relieved men in black and white stripes had the audacity to pull a flattering goal back within the opening six minutes of the second half.

Reece Morgan laid the ball off to Cheek, who was given time and space to drill a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which took a deflection off Probets to leave Budd flat-footed.  The former Ilford keeper was moving to his left, but could only look on in despair as the ball rolled past him to his right and found the corner of his goal.

McMahon added: “He’s had a shot and it’s hit Ashley and it was a tame shot and it’s wrong-footed Rob, but we’ve responded brilliantly and we’ve gone up the other end and created another great chance. 

”The old Thamesmead side maybe (would have let in a second), but this side is quite resilient and we’ve got great defenders and we can normally soak up pressure so I wasn’t panicking too much especially as we were creating a lot of chances as well. It’s different if they’re having a lot of chances but I can’t remember them having a chance to get an equaliser.

”I think it wobbled us for a couple of minutes but we gathered our composure and kept our shape and went back on the offensive.”

That goal lifted Heybridge Swifts’ spirits for around five minutes and they should have done much better with their one and only corner in the 53^rd minute.

Amass decided not to swing in his corner from the left but opted to cut the ball back to winger Solomon Ofori, who was given time and space to crack a right-footed drive over the bar from 25-yards.

Another chance followed during a good spell when Cheek put Ofori, who slid in to poke his shot across Budd, which sailed wide of the far post.

But Thamesmead Town distinguished any lingering hopes of any unlikely fight-back by dominating the last 35 minutes of the game.

Carter laid the ball off to Zanone, who was denied by quick thinking goalkeeping by Eyre, who rushed off his line to make a fine block when the striker only had the keeper to beat.

Thamesmead’s attacking play grew even more frustrating for McMahon after they squandered numerous chances after the hour mark.

Probets threw the ball down the line for Addae to wriggle his way towards the by-line, before whipping in another cross, but Carter’s header hung in the air and Amass was on hand to hack the ball away as it dropped on to his foot.

Central midfielder Roberts then sent a left-footed drive screaming past the left-hand post from 25-yards, before Zanone didn’t produce the finish and allowed Eyre to smother at his feet after Carter cut the ball back after destroying Barber down the right.

But Thamesmead remained on the front foot and their deserved third goal arrived in the 65^th minute – with a headed goal that any central defender would be proud off.

Goalkeeper Budd was heard to demand that his team-mates were ruthless in front of goal before Probets’ out-swinging corner came in from the left and Tozer met the ball with a bullet header, which flew into the roof of the net from 12-yards.

”I thought we needed the third,” admitted McMahon. “We kept missing chance after chance after chance and I’m thinking we needed to bury one of these (chances) and then the skipper’s popped up with a great powerful header from a corner and it’s taken the pressure off and we’ve just gone on again.”

It was the first goal scored by a central defender this season, but McMahon said he doesn’t mind.

He said: “Listen, when you’ve got someone like Ashley who puts deliveries in to the box and Chris Edwards when he’s playing, the centre halves should get more. Lea Dawson has got ten and he’s exceptional in the air.

”He’s got on the end of it and it’s a great header! They should score more but as long as they keep defending as they did tonight all season I’ve got no fuss because we’re doing well. It’s good to see him score.”

And just like London Red Buses in this part of the world, another goal soon followed.

Lea Dawson released Carter down the right, the big and powerful striker cut inside and cut the ball across the face of goal for Addae to sweep the ball underneath the keeper’s body and over the line from four-yards.

McMahon said: ”He’s come in. It should have fell to Stuart and Baff’s come in late after Rob’s done a great job before and it’s gone underneath the keeper’s body, but it weren’t a mistake. He was about four-yards out. He could’ve held it and he’s side-footed it in and that has completely killed the game off and showed the dominance.”

Yet another cut-back from Carter set up Addae’s hat-trick chance, but the keeper blocked the stabbed shot low to his right.

Zanone then latched onto Addae’s pass but scuffed his shot to allow Eyre to make a comfortable save low to his right at his near post.

Probets then got in to the act when he picked up the ball near to the half-way line, burst forward 40-yards before unleashing a left-footed drive, which bounced into the keeper’s gloves.

And Zanone then cut in from the by-line before poking his shot past Eyre, the ball bouncing off the foot of the near post from a tight angle, inside the final ten minutes of a one-sided game.

Roberts was beaten by a pacy run from Callandar, whose powerful right-footed angled drive from a tight angle was pushed away by Budd, who swiftly rose his hands above his head, before the striker brought down Barber’s ball into the box and flashed his right-footed drive wide from 20-yards.

Heybridge Swifts skipper, Lee Kersey was booked for a sliding challenge on Zanone, who blasted the resulting free-kick just over the bar with the last kick of the game.

When asked what pleased him the most tonight, McMahon said: “The attitude. I think the attitude from start to finish. We wanted it. We knew we could get to third place. We knew we needed a win to put us about them with a game in hand. 

”I think the work-rate of the front three was outstanding. I said that at half-time. If the three of them work really hard they could win us the game and we done that really well.”

McMahon added: ”Our shape and our discipline. We didn’t have a booking again. That’s tremendous against a side that’s third. We’re competitive but we’ve just gone on about our job in a professional manner and done it well and I thought we were excellent as a whole side.”

Thamesmead welcome league leaders Maldon & Tiptree to Bayliss Avenue on Saturday and McMahon’s men go into the game on cloud nine.

McMahon said: ”It’s a long way to go. We’re not getting carried away. We’ve had a chat around Christmas and we said we needed to put a run together. We’ve won every game since Boxing Day and we’ve put ourselves in a good position and we have to keep going.

”A lot can happen. We’ve got a massive test on Saturday against Maldon. They’re a good side but if we play like we did tonight we’ll give them one hell of a game.”
 
Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Ashley Probets, Danny Kerrigan, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Sean Roberts (Aleem Sesay 85), Lea Dawson, Stuart Zanone, Rob Carter (Adriano Lawson 86), Baff Addae (Chris Edwards 80).
Subs: Richard Butler, Arlie Desanges

Goals: Stuart Zanone 22, Baff Addae 27, 68, Lewis Tozer 65

Heybridge Swifts: Nick Eyre, Terrence Amass (Hussein Isa 81), Danny Barber, Taylor Hastings, Jonathen Brogden (Lauris Coggin 66), Lee Kersey, Ben Newson, Reece Morgan, Luke Callandar, Michael Cheek, Solomon Ofori (Russell Malton 75).
Subs: Shane Stamp, Adam Brotherton

Goal: Michael Cheek 51

Booked:  Luke Callandar 72, Lee Kersey 90

Attendance: 52
Referee: Mr Olivier Roquez (London E14)
Assistants: Mr Matthew Hopton (Southwark, London SE1) & Mr James Broughton (Deptford, London SE8)