Thamesmead Town took full advantage of Monday Night Football as they returned to the top of Ryman One North (albeit just for 24 hours) by completing the double over Witham Town in a game that mirrored the two sides first meeting just two weeks ago in Essex.

This time however it was a little too close in the end for boss Terry Spillane as a 90th strike from Ryan Charles made the scoreline a lot closer than it perhaps should have been. The home side had raced into a three goal lead courtesy of two headers from Tyrus Gordon Young and a Richard Butler penalty. The Mead had a couple of chances early after the break before the visitors scrambled one back from a corner and then added a second at the death to give the final score a rather flattering respect as far as the visitors were concerned.

The home side began in confident mood and from an early Derek Duncan corner Marc Gorbell got in a fine header which was scrambled to safety off the line, whilst from Witham’s first decent attack Lewis Godbold flashed a driven ball across the face of goal.

On 20 minutes, the Mead had loud penalty appeals waved aside when Tyrus Gordon-Young raced clear only for Lance Akins to appear to impede the Thamesmead number nine only for referee Bishop to wave the appeals away.

It only though delayed the home side by ten minutes however as just past the half hour, Thamesmead deservedly took the lead. A brilliant ball in from the left from Jay Porter, was magnificently headed home by a diving Tyrus for his first goal in seven games and his third of the season already.

The lead was doubled just five minutes later as Baff Addae battled well on the edge and as he tried to shoot the ball ricocheted to substitute Richard Butler (on for the injured Duncan) who’s run on goal was crudely stopped by keeper Jason Baker who this time gave referee Bishop no option but to point to the spot with the keeper perhaps lucky to escape a card – either yellow or red. Anyway, Butler duly picked himself up and drilled the penalty home for his fourth goal of the season sending the keeper the wrong way.

Tyrus’ fourth of the season followed on the stroke of half time as he took advantage of some suicidal defending on the stroke of half time. A delightful ball was played forward by Ibrahim Kargbo – who had a fine first start for the Mead in midfield – and as Eamon Payne tried to head it back to keeper Baker, Tyrus nipped in to head the ball over the stranded keeper and into the unguarded net.

The second half began as the first with the Mead dominant. Tyrus should have completed his hat trick as he raced clear leaving Cocklin in his wake, but just as he round Baker he was forced a fraction wide and could only toe poke the ball into the side netting. Theo Fairweather-Johnson was next to test Baker but this time the keeper made a fine block with his legs.

With the Mead coasting and with just 16 minutes left, Witham were handed an unexpected lifeline as following a corner, Gorbell got his angles all wrong and only succeeded in heading the ball into his own net. The visitors then enjoyed a period of possession but really didn’t test Arron Ormond until stoppage time when a sensational drive from Ryan Charles flew into the top corner of the net as Witham reduced the score-line to a somewhat flattering one as far as the visitors were concerned/

Indeed the game ended on a sour note when one of the Witham coaching staff threw a ball into the face of Mead sub Michael Uwezu which sparked a confrontation which referee Bishop ended by blowing the final whistle, with the three points that for 24 hours at least took Thamesmead back to the top of the Ryman One North table.

The Mead now head back to Sussex at the weekend on the Road to Wembley to face Ryman South side Worthing and a place in the Second Qualifying Round…

Thamesmead – Omand, Aziaya, Porter, Dark, Gorbell, Hallam, Kargbo, Duncan (Butler), Gordon-Young, Addae (Fairweather-Johnson), Spencer (Anidugbe)

Subs – Everitt & Uwezu