Ahead twice, pegged back twice and finishing with Andy Walker making two sensational saves in the closing stages as the Mead earned a point in a hugely enjoyable contest on a freezing cold Thamesmead Monday night.

AFC Sudbury maintained their ever increasing strangle hold at the top of Ryman One North with a hard fought three points at the SCT condemning the Mead to just our second home defeat since the end of August.

The day started badly for the home side when top scorer Tyrus Gordon-Young was ruled out as a result of his leaving the game at Romford seven days previously unconscious on a stretcher.

Just as with the Mead’s trip to Sudbury back in November, an increasing wind caused both sides huge problems and made playing any quality football all but impossible.  Sadly for the home side, just as in that November game, it was Sudbury who adapted best and in the end claimed the points.  For the Mead, it was a day that got progressively worse and was topped by the late dismissal of Farai Hallam as the centre half was penalised as he brought down Sudbury’s Blackwell as he wriggled clear.

The visitors lead at the break courtesy of Baker’s curling left footed shot flew into the corner of the Mead net with Andy Walker both unsighted and motionless.  It was tough on the Mead to go in at the break a goal behind as both teams had struggled to come to terms with the conditions and because Theo Fairweather Johnson had twice gone close.  That said however shortly before they scored Sudbury did hit the Mead bar courtesy of Baker’s thumping header after Walker had brilliantly denied Parker

Parker was to gain his revenge on the Mead stopper though midway through an intriguing second half.  Following a melee on the edge of the home box, referee Crowhurst pointed to the spot and parker duly stepped up and drilled the ball to Walker’s left as the keeper dived to his right.

Fairweather-Johnson did pull one back for the Mead quarter of an hour from time – drilling home from the edge of the box – but this time the home side couldn’t recover from a two goal deficit as they had done in each of their previous two outings and the points headed north with the visitors.

The afternoon was made even worse for the home side as Farai Hallam was sent off in the last ten minutes as he was shown a straight red card as last man, and insult was very nearly added to injury in the dying seconds as Baker thundered a shot off of the Mead’s post, but by then the damage had been done.

The Mead now face two teams in the bottom three in their next two outings (Redbridge and Wroxham respectively) knowing that maximum points are now most definitely needed to keep in touch with the race to the play offs.

THAMESMEAD – Walker, Glasgow, Porter, Gorbell (Barnwell), Hallam, Barry, Prescott (Butler), Vines, Mitchell (Blaettler), Fairweather-Johnson, Duncan

Subs – Aziaya, Tomms