An increasingly niggly contest in which the two sides cancelled each other out needed something special to decide it. 

It came in stoppage time as Mead’s top scorer Tyrus Gordon Young brilliantly headed home a Lewis Dark free kick to deservedly win the game for the home side, and keep Thamesmead’s 100% record and second place in the early Ryman One North table.

Speaking the day after the game, boss Terry Spillane admitted, “Straight after the game I was frustrated that we “only” won by one goal, but in hindsight, the more pleased about the result I am, as we had to dig deep and be patient and my god Haringey made us do that!”

“They’d certainly done their homework on us and set up to stop us, and nearly succeeded. But fair play to the boys for knuckling down and earning the points!”

In the first half that was tight with few chances, Dean Fenton should have done better early on with a header for the visitors whilst at the other end Theo Fairweather Johnson’s drive was well saved by Ashley Harris with Michael Aziaya was denied in the follow up.

Veteran striker Leroy Griffiths led the line for the visitors and it was he who was to go closest as his first half over head kick brought a fine save out of Mead keeper Andy Walker, and as the first half ended, the Mead created their best chance as Fairweather-Johnson and Jay Porter combined for Richard Butler to blaze over.

It was to be Porter’s last action as after taking a battering during the opening 45 minutes he wasn’t to return after half time being replaced by Michael Uwezu.

The Mead began the second half in similar fashion with Gordon-Young and Fairweather-Johnson combining for the latter to shoot straight at the keeper.  The home sides took a turn for the worse just past the hour, when full back Tommy Spillane’s afternoon was ended as he finished on the bottom of a heap of players after a fine challenge.

The manager’s son was in some distress that he had to be carried off, leaving his boss/father to later reflect, “it looks like he’s done his knee ligaments – he said to me after the game that he thought he heard something snap, but Carly looked at it and was pretty certain that it was “only” the ligaments.”

“He’ll definitely miss out on Tuesday (League Cup away to Dulwich) and will probably be out for a few weeks although we should know more by Thursday once the swelling’s gone down.”

The home side then missed a glorious chance as Butler then fed Fairweather-Johnson through only for the striker to fire wide, before he went agonisingly close to opening the scoring as his shot on the turn thudded against the bar.

Griffiths was then lucky not to see red as just moments after being booked he crudely left Farai Hallam in a heap and was immediately substituted some would say to save the big number nine from a red card!

Thamesmead then thought they’d broken the deadlock as a looping Butler header went over the keeper and dropped under the bar with the home players following up appealing for a goal, defenders lying in the net desperately trying to clear their lines, Mr Pope awarded Haringey the free kick much to the disgust of the Mead players.

Just as it seemed that the game would finish goalless, the home side were awarded a free kick in the final minute of normal time and from Lewis Dark’s kick, Gordon-Young found a yard of space to brilliantly angle a header over Harris and into the net to spark wild scenes of celebration in the home players and fans alike!

Thamesmead – Andy Walker, Michael Aziaya, Tommy Spillane (Mark Gorbell), Theo Fairweather-Johnson, Jack Barry, Farai Hallam, Richard Butler, Lewis Dark, Tyrus Gordon-Young, Baff Addae (Nathan Koranteng), Jay Porter (Michael Uwezu)