A freak goal from Regent full back Russell Malton condemned Thamesmead Town to their third defeat in their last four Ryman North matches and left Terry Spillane’s side 14th in the table – 9 points of the prized Play Off places, albeit with up to as many as five games in hand on the teams above them!
Yet again, this was a game dominated by the weather, and yet again the Mead were slow out of the blocks albeit on a very heavy and bobbly pitch. Early on the Mead were grateful to a fine goal line clearance from Jack Barry as Luke Read threatened to convert Malton’s cross, before on the quarter hour, Read was allowed to run across the box from the right before cutting inside, rounding Walker and rolling the ball into the net.
The goal kick started the Mead… and how! Restored to the starting League line up, Tyrus Gordon-Young picked the ball up just inside the Brightlingsea half down the right before running at the home defense, and as they back pedalled, the Mead’s top scorer let fly from fully 30 yards and the ball flew past keeper Ollie Bowles like an exocet missile to draw the teams level.
The equaliser rocked the home side back on their heels and the Mead upped their game and went looking for a second. The closest they came was on the stroke of half time. A long ball was played forward which home defender Josh Gould tried to shepherd out for a goal kick. However, Gould hadnt bargained for the tenacity of Gordon-Young, and the Mead striker manged to hook the ball back across the face of goal only for Paul Vines to be denied what would have been a tap in by some desperate last ditch defending.
At half time, Terry Spillane made two changes which made the Mead look more balanced and more purposeful, with Richard Butler and Marc Gorbell replacing Jose Figura and Lewis Dark, with Barry assuming a central midfield role.
Indeed, with Barry now pushed on, it allowed the Mead skipper Derek Duncan to get more involved in the game going forward. And it was from one of Duncan’s surging runs that Jay Porter burst through the inside left channel only to be denied by a fabulous block from home keeper Bowles.
There were a couple of occasions when the Mead back line was stretched but with Gorbell now alongside Farai Hallam, the visitors defense allowed the home side few chances. Sadly though there were equally as few chances at the other end, although Vines was desperately unlucky to see an assistants flag waving as he raced away, whilst on a seperate occasion, the left post and the flag denied another Mead attack.
Just as it appeared that the Mead were going to bring home a point, disaster struck as Malton’s deep cross got caught on a gust of a strong wing that had been swirling around the whole afternoon, flew over a bemused Walker into the corner of the net.
Shortly after the final whistle went and the home side celebrated winning seven of their last nine League games since the Mead had triumphed at North Road in the FA Trophy back in early October. You have to give the home side credit for their run which has taken them to within ouching distance of the Play Off places, whilst at the same time hoping that the Mead can embark on such a run sonner rather than later…
THE MEAD – Walker, Glasgow, Porter, Dark (Butler), Barry, Hallam, Figura (Gorbell), Duncan, Gordon-Young, Vines, Prescott
Subs – Spillane, Tomms, Fairweather-Johnson