Thamesmead Town’s unbeaten start to the season came to a shuddering halt at the Brentwood Arena as the effects of a hectic start to the season caught up with Tommy Warrilow’s squad.
“That simply wasn’t good enough!” said a very upset Mead boss after the game.  “We had to make a triple substitution to try and change things, but that really wasn’t good enough.  Right at this moment, I do feel as though some of the players have cheated me and their team-mates today!”

After the two titanic battles with Guernsey in the previous seven days, it was possibly always going to be a difficult afternoon at the Brentwood Arena, but few could have imagined just how poor an afternoon the visitors were going to have.

Take nothing away from the hosts who took their opportunity to record their first win of the season, but it was clear that the efforts put into the two Cup ties with Guernsey had taken their toll.

The Mead started brightly enough as Bode Anidugbe was denied by a brilliant save from home keeper Moore after being rolled in by Cristain Nanetti and from the resulting corner the same player’s scissors kick was cleared over the bar as it headed goalwards.  The home side’s first real chance fell to Cavalier who beat Andy Walker to the punch as the Mead stopper tried to clear a free kick only to head over before on the stroke of half time, the home side took the lead.

A pacy attack down the Brentwood left found too much space and as the ball came into the box, Nathan Simpson was adjudged to have fouled Reynolds and Referee Hancock pointed to the spot.  The Brentwood striker dusted himself down and drilled the ball past Walker and into the net – no repeat of the Mead keeper’s midweek heroics sadly!

The Mead made a slow start after the break with Hall coming close to doubling the lead only to shoot wide before Tommy made a triple change on the hour with Adrian Stone, Richard Butler and Jack Mahoney all being brought on to try and liven things up, and for a while it seemed to work.  Nanetti had a low drive that Moore pushed out before substitute Mahoney tested the keeper at the foot of his right post.

The Mead’s afternoon though did take another turn between the two chances as first Lewis Knight went down with an injury before Anidugbe was left hobbling after a tremendous blocking tackle on Freeman.  Both players continued but both were clearly struggling – Knight indeed was forced off in stoppage time, leaving the visitors to play the additional nine minutes with ten men.

The game was decided eight minutes from time when Walker failed to collect a corner and Alexander was on hand to sweep the ball home as the defense watched on.  Not even a fine late block from the Thamesmead keeper to deny Reynolds a second was any comfort for the visitors who on the day were well beaten and saw the unbeaten start to the season disappear!

It truly was a disappointing end to one of the most fantastic week’s in Thamesmead’s history.

BRENTWOOD TOWN – Lewis Moore, Brendan Cavalier, Luke Foster, Sam Owusu (Mathias Bakare 81), Janel Alexander, Joseph Oseyemi, Marcus Milner
(Harrison Georgiou 75), Matt Hall (Shad Ngandu 75), Charlie Georgiou, Lamar Reynolds, Andy Freeman

Subs – Arthur Gonclaves and Ben Sampayo

THAMESMEAD TOWN – Andy Walker, Fraser Walker (Richard Butler 60), Nathan Simpson, Giannoulis Fakinos (Jack Mahoney 60), Lewis Knight, Joe Denny, Bode Anidugbe, Luke Coleman (Adrian Stone 60), Paul Vines, Cristain Nanetti, Jay Porter

Subs – Steve Springett and Tyler McCarthy