Kentish Football 
Wingate & Finchley 1-0 Thamesmead Town - We need to get ourselves a decent goalscorer, says McMahon
Tuesday 18th January 2011
WINGATE & FINCHLEY 1-0 THAMESMEAD TOWN
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 18th January 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Summers Lane
THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon says he wants to hear from an affordable prolific goalscorer after suffering a frustrating night in north London.
The Mead camped themselves in the Wingate & Finchley half for the final 25 minutes of an entertaining game but the hosts grabbed the points courtesy of a stunning strike from left-sided midfielder Gary Burrell as early as the fourteenth minute.
Wingate & Finchley leapfrogged over Maldon & Tiptree into third place in the Ryman League Division One North table on 41 points from 22 games, courtesy of Burrell’s ninth goal of the season, leaving a frustrated Thamesmead in eighth place, ten points behind, but with three games in hand.
Wingate & Finchley manager David Norman outfoxed McMahon before the game as he decided to leave his leading goalscorer, 14-goal Leon Smith on the bench until the final ten minutes as McMahon set his side up to cope with the striker’s attributes.
McMahon opted to start with three at the back (Nick Davis, James Campbell and Richard Avery) with Danny Moore sitting in front of them, due to right-back Raphael Momodu failing to turn up, despite being a student at nearby Middlesex University.
But the confusing formation didn’t work for the Kent side as Wingate & Finchley found holes in front of the defence often during the first half and it was only until the introduction of substitute Andy Constable after 65 minutes - and a change of formation to 4-3-3 - that saw Thamesmead camp in their opponents half of the pitch and clinical finishing would have earned the visitors a deserved point.
McMahon rued a poor first half performance from his side - a game that was excellently refereed by Kent referee Ian Crouch.
“I didn’t think we played as well as we could’ve,” he said. “We weren’t poor but just seemed to be lacking a little bit in front of goal.
“We’ve had 16 attempts on goal and only hit the target six times. We’ve had a lot of good chances and just not really hit the target.
“Wingate are a good side, we knew that from day one, but we battled a lot better in the second half but you’ve to put the ball in the back of the net and we didn’t!”
Thamesmead Town did start the game with a high tempo but striker Sol Bohner-Patterson fired over on the run and central midfielder Ryan Briggs looped a hooked shot into the keeper’s arms - Bobby Smith, who was making his first league start of the season for the north Londoners.
But Wingate & Finchley called visiting keeper Sam Mott into making a couple of smart saves as the former Ramsgate stopper dived full length to his left to turn aside Lewis Jones’ curling effort, which was heading towards the far corner, and to save low down to prevent David Laird sweeping the ball into the back of the net.
But a cracking strike from Burrell proved to be the winning goal.
Diminutive winger Josh Cooper takes all the credit for a penetrating run towards the by-line and his cut-back glanced Richard Avery’s right knee at the near post and the ball found it’s way to an unmarked Burrell who cracked a stunning left-footed drive flying past Mott to find the far corner from the corner of the penalty area.
“He got to the by-line didn’t he and pulled it and there was the danger man in the middle of the box and it’s fell to Gary on the corner of the box and to be fair to the lad it’s a great strike to beat Motty from that distance!” said McMahon.
Davis then sent a chip towards the edge of the Wingate & Finchley penalty area and Scot Mulholand’s half-volley was caught by Smith.
Jones got in behind the Thamesmead defence and his cut back from the by-line bounced off James Campbell’s chest and Mott was there to catch the ball to prevent the Thamesmead skipper from scoring an own goal in the 23rd minute.
Thamesmead should have grabbed an equaliser three minutes later when left wing-back Ashley Probets had time and space to whip in an inch-perfect cross towards the far post but right wing-back Callum McGeehan skied his volley over the bar, although he was stretching to meet the cross from the former Arsenal player.
Thamesmead keeper Mott caught Cooper’s angled chip from the right-hand side after Burrell’s corner was dealt with by his defence.
Thamesmead stung Smith’s fingers when Campbell’s free-kick was flicked on to Bohner-Patterson, who carved open a chance for Mulholland, who cracked a right-footed shot towards goal, which the keeper caught at the second attempt.
The home side should have doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when right-back Mark Weatherstone had time and space to pick out Cooper at the far post but he could only direct his header across Mott and past the post.
Wingate & Finchley squandered an excellent chance to wrap the game up before the hour-mark, as they broke after Momodu gifted the ball to the team in the final third of the Wingate & Finchley half and the hosts hit Thamesmead on the break. Davis got his body in the way of Jones’ shot and the ball fell to Cooper, whose shot flew over the bar.
Thamesmead should have done better when presented with a good chance from a set-piece soon after.
Probets touched the ball to Mulholland, who floated a cross into the penalty area and McGeehan peeled away from his marker but sent his header into Smith’s grateful arms.
Thamesmead were grateful to Mott again as he came rushing off his line to block Jones’ shot after the striker cut in from the right, before McMahon made a tactical switch in the 66th minute and replaced Ryan Briggs with Andy Constable. He changed formation to 4-3-3 with Constable joining Bohner-Patterson and Momodo up front, pushing Moore on the right-hand side of midfield and this move increased the tempo and urgency from his players.
Constable’s introduction almost paid dividends when he met Probet’s cross from the left with a header, but this was also not going to beat Gavin King’s replacement.
The home side soaked up the pressure and were more than happy to hit Thamesmead on the break. McGeehan gifted possession away to Mark Henry in the home side’s half of the field and his excellent diagonal pass released Laird on the counter attack and his angled drive was blocked by Mott and Richard Avery nipped in front of Jones to clear the ball away at the far post.
Mulholland’s free-kick was knocked down by McGeehan and Momodu swept a left-footed shot across Smith and also agonisingly past the foot of the far post as players from both sides ghosted in. It was going to be one of those nights!
It was one way traffic but Thamesmead just couldn’t find the decisive moment in front of goal and Wingate & Finchley almost grabbed a second on the counter attack again when substitute Ahmet Rifat beat the offside trap, rounded the advancing Mott, but his shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line at the near post by a sliding Campbell.
Mott came up for a last-gasp Probets’ corner, but somehow the ball stayed out following a goal-mouth scramble and the final whistle brought bewilderment from the Thamesmead faithful - how did they lose this game?
McMahon added: “It could have been 5-4 or five-all, with the amount of chances.
“We’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net. If you don’t you don’t get any points and it’s disappointing. We worked really hard in the second half. We threw everything we could at them and I thought we deserved a draw.”
McMahon revealed he is trawling the transfer market for a prolific striker, although admitted he may be priced out.
When asked what he was thinking as his side didn’t capitalise on their pressure, McMahon replied, “What you’re thinking I you want a chance and you’ve got to take it.”
He added: “Sol up front is unplayable when he’s got the ball and Gabs, the ball’s dropping to him in goalscoring situations and they’re not finishing them. Sometimes it happens that way with forwards, they go through a dry spell, they’re both doing it together.
“If you look at them as a spectator you’d go ‘wow, what great two players they are!’ because they’ve got pace, they’re strong, people are bouncing off them but they can’t get the final ball into the back of the net at the moment.
“We need to get ourselves - which we haven’t got the money - a decent goalscorer. Believe me, I’m trying, we’ve got four good forwards here but we need to be proven. I said to the lads in there, at the moment I’ve got to try and make sure I do the best thing for the club and try and keep us in the play-off’s and the objective to get promoted but if that means bringing in players to try and do that then I will do.
“But it’s difficult to try and get a centre forward in this level because we ain’t got the money. They’ve got someone like Leon Smith on the bench and he’s one of the best centre forwards in the league and I’d love to have him but I doubt we can afford him so we’ve got to keep looking so if there’s any forwards out there that fancy playing and don’t want much money but can bang in a load of goals, get in touch!”
Some Thamesmead players were seen arguing amongst themselves at the final whistle and McMahon said: “There’s a few arguments between themselves but only out of frustration. It’s what you really want to see but second half they showed the passion we needed to have, which we lacked in the first half. Hopefully they can take that anger now onto Saturday (when we travel to play Grays Athletic).”
Wingate & Finchley: Bobby Smith, Mark Weatherstone, Paul Wright, Joe O’Brien, Daniel Nielson, Ajet Shehu, Josh Cooper, Mark Henry (Medi Abalimba 73), Lewis Jones (Leon Smith 80), David Laird, Gary Burrell (Ahmet Rifat 68).
Subs: Ola Williams, Chris Chase.
Goal: Gary Burrell 14
Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Nick Davis, Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, James Campbell, Richard Avery, Scot Mulholland, Ryan Briggs (Andy Constable 66), Sol Bohner-Patterson (Joe Nwoko 85), Gabriel Momodu, Calum McGeehan.
Subs: Alfie Munday, Raphael Momodu, Peter Deadman.
Booked: Sam Mott 43
Attendance: 62
Referee: Mr Ian Crouch (Orpington)
Assistants: Mr James Garratt (Blackheath, London SE3) & Mr Chris Dodd (Eltham, London SE9)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd