Thamesmead Town came from behind to dramatically grab a share of the points in a thrilling game on Saturday.

Keith McMahon and his side denied league leaders AFC Sudbury their 100% record as a stunning injury time equaliser from Tyrus Gordon-Young salvaged the Mead a point in a rollercoaster contest which saw the lead change hands three times.

With the Mead 2-3 behind going into four minutes of stoppage time, Stuart Zanone and sub Lesley Thompson combined to play in Tyrus who coolly lobbed the ball over home keeper Alex Archer to secure the point that the Mead’s efforts deserved.

Speaking after the game, the Gaffer was obviously delighted with the point. He told the TTFC website, “At the beginning of the game coming here to a team unbeaten of course we’d have taken a point. But on reflection, we’ve gone a goal down early… yes we’ve come back and were 2-1 up at half time but it should have been 4-1 as we’ve missed two great chances – 2-1 at half time and we were very comfortable.”

“We gave away a very sloppy goal at 2-2, and even though their guy’s hit a great strike to put them back in front we still allowed him far too much room as we went to sleep for 20 minutes.”

“We recovered though and weren’t given a blatant penalty when Stuart was flattened – and I really think that both teams deserve so much credit for coming up with a cracker that was spoiled so much by the officials.”

“The assistant in front of us wouldn’t answer us, he laughed at us and then spoke to us like we were an absolute piece of rubbish I think it’s a disgrace and makes a mockery of Respect.”

“But we’ve done well to bite our lips and come back into the game ever so well, and Tyrus got a great finish at the end!”

It was a nightmare start for the Mead as Ollie Hughes put the home side ahead with a downward header that ended up stuck in the left hand stanchion of the Meads net with keeper Rob Budd motionless.

Yet within five minutes from the Mead’s first corner (taken by Ashley Probets) Ryan Henshaw inexplicably sliced the ball into his own net to level things up after only 7 minutes.

With the visitors growing visibly in confidence, the Mead took the lead midway through the half with an absolute stunner. Gordon-Young battled down the left and as the home side failed to clear, Murphy despatched a 25 yard drive with interest into the top corner of the home net.

The Mead then spurned two great chances to extend the lead as first Zanone shot across the face of goal and the Gordon-Young got on the end of a three on two break but dragged his shot wide.

After the break the home side upped the tempo yet inside the first three minutes, it was Thamesmead who had loud penalty appeals waved away as Zanone was unceremoniously taken out by Laurence Yiga. Referee Marin though wasn’t interested and waved away the protests.

Sudbury took advantage of this let off and levelled on 55 minutes – Payton Swatman crossed from the right and Jake Reed’s diving header made it 2-2 before, on 59 minutes, Lee Flynn’s magnificent curling shot flew into the top corner of the Mead net to put the League leaders back in front.

The Mead were at this stage rocking as the home side upped their tempo even further – firstly Hughes was brilliantly denied by Budd before Ryan Clarke headed a cross from sub Ayrton Coley wide and then as a Flynn free kick caused chaos in the box, Craig Pope somehow prodded the ball wide from almost on the goal line.

Finally the Mead were able to restart their own game and from another Probets free kick Farai Hallam couldn’t keep the header down as he cleared the crossbar.

Then, just as the referee had signalled four minutes of stoppage time and it seemed the Mead would return from Suffolk empty handed, up stepped Tyrus to get on the end of a pass from sub Leslie Thompson and net his second goal of the season by firing the ball over home keeper Alex Archer and into the net to spark wild scenes of celebration for those wearing green.

And that obviously included a delighted manager, “If we’d have lost I would have been gutted and I thought we fully deserved to get something out of the game for the way we played first half.”

“To score three goals away from home we should really have won – against a side like Sudbury I’m really quite happy with the way things went.”

“Another tough game Tuesday night against Waltham Abbey at the SCT – they’ll come round the M25 having won three out of three and our tough start continues as we knew it would.”

“But if we win at home that will be eight points from our first four games – two points a game wins you the League – so we’ve just got to keep the unbeaten run going – but I’m expecting a very tough game as we know that they’re very good going forward . But we’re at home and must make that count.”

AFC SUDBURY – Archer, Pope. Flynn, Shinn, Henshaw, Yiga, Maxwell, Clarke (Kerridge 89), Hughes (Baker 78), Reed, Swatman (Coley 66)

MEAD – Budd, Hopkins, Probets, Butler (Glover 64), Tozer, Hallam, Roberts, Murphy (Thompson 87), Gordon-Young, Zanone, Ramadan (Carter 69)