Thamesmead Town came from behind to record their first win in five games as Ellis Brown’s glorious late goal sealed the points against a resolute Ware side in Ryman North.
After the visitors scored with the game’s first attack, Paul Vines thought he’d levelled almost immediately as he headed home debut making keeper Ollie Bowles’ long clearance only for referee Butcher to make the first of a number of interesting decisions by ruling out the goal. Vines though wasn’t to be denied and on the stroke of half time rolled home his 20th goal of the season from the spot after Brown had been fouled.
The home side had the better of the second half with Alex Teniola and Joe Vines both going close before Brownie’s moment of brilliance as he cut in from the right to strike a wicked swerving drive into to net. The visitors, who are still anxiously glancing over their shoulders at the wrong end of the table, threw everything into trying to get a point with their best chance falling to Appiah who drew the very best out of Bowles who spread himself brilliantly to block.
Mead boss Tommy Warrilow was naturally delighted. “I thought we were the better team,” he told us, “we made hard work of it, but kept knocking and knocking and got our just desserts in the end! We’ve stopped the rot and we just have to make sure that we take it into next month and have a good February now.”
“I thought it was going to be a frustrating game as there was nothing wrong with the goal (that was disallowed) and then after that I thought we could have had a penalty you do start to think but we’ve cracked on and Ellis have come up with a bit of quality after he’d had a quiet game, and I’m pleased for him but overall delighted that we’ve got three points.”
Ware took the lead with their first attack when Smith slid the ball wide of the advancing Bowles from a long ball meaning that the keeper’s first main task was to pick the ball out of his net. Paul Vines then appeared to head home his 20th goal of the season when he beat a defender to a long clearance, but the official had other ideas. With Ware sitting deeper and deeper, the Mead kept probing, and were eventually rewarded when Vines did net his 20th of the season albeit from the spot. He coolly sent keeper Behcet the wrong way from the spot after Brown had been fouled. It could even have been better for the Mead before the break as Teniola’s header from Ellis Green’s corner brought a smart save out of Behcet as the keeper grabbed the ball from under the bar.
The second period was a tale of the Mead probing and Ware looking to catch the home side on the break. Alex headed over from Jay Porter’s cross before Joe Vines headed over Green’s corner. The Mead finally went in front ten minutes from time when Brown cut inside from the right to fire home with ten minutes left. The ball swerved viciously in front of the keeper who actually looked wrong footed as the shot came in.
Ware desperately looked for an equalizer and almost immediately Bowles made a brilliant spreading block to deny Appiah as he raced clear. The Mead goal had a narrow escape as the ball flashed across the face of goal before Rose headed over from a second corner in quick succession after the first one had resulted in a great scramble.
The Mead almost cemented the win in stoppage time when Porter’s late drive fizzed past the post but shortly after the victory was sealed with the final whistle and the Mead’s first win in five games.
THE MEAD – Ollie Bowles, Harvey Brand, Nathan Simpson, Bode Anidugbe, Leon Smith, Joe Vines, Ellis Green, Ellis Brown, Paul Vines, Alex Teniola (Jermiah Efe), Jay Porter
Subs – Michael Ademiluyi, Laurent Mendy, Temidayo Santana