Folkestone Invicta 0-0 Thamesmead Town - We've got a great chance at home now, says Keith McMahon

Saturday 30th October 2010

FOLKESTONE INVICTA 0-0 THAMESMEAD TOWN
FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 30th October 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon feels his side has a great chance of progressing into the final qualifying round of the FA Trophy after playing out a bore draw against a poor Folkestone Invicta side.

Although both sides struck the woodwork in each half, this was a game to forget and anyone that are having trouble sleeping at night should order a DVD of this filmed game.

When asked if he was the happier manager, McMahon told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards: “Well, we’ve come away from home and obviously not lost, so I suppose so.

“We weren’t great but second half we were a bit better. We were forced into an injury with James Campbell but Callum McGeehan has come on and done a really good job so I’m pleased that we’ve come here and done half a job, kept a clean sheet against a Ryman Premier side, which is also difficult.

“Folkestone are a good side but apart from maybe in the first half, they haven’t really hurt us too much so we could’ve been a bit more ruthless in front of goal with a few chances we had, two or three one-on-ones in front of goal we maybe should’ve put the game to bed, but I’m pleased that we’re still there and we’ve got a great chance at home now.”

Despite being in different divisions with Folkestone Invicta being third-from-bottom in the Ryman Premier League and Thamesmead Town second in Ryman League Division One North, both sides were evenly matched and goalscoring chances and entertainment was at a premium for the crowd of 233.

Folkestone Invicta almost grabbed the lead in the 16th minute, but the woodwork saved visiting goalkeeper Sam Mott, who was later booked for picking the ball up outside of his area.

Robbie Kember hooked the ball forward and right wing-back Josh Vincent - who was making his 100th start for the club - cut inside Scot Mulholland and evaded Ashley Probets’ sliding challenge before crossing to Frankie Chappell, who rose to loop a header against the top of Mott’s left-hand post.

Thamesmead then went up the other end of the pitch and the tireless Mulholland was causing a nuisance around the Folkestone box and seconds later striker Gabrielle Momodu’s fierce angled drive was beaten out by goalkeeper Jack Delo at his near post.

McMahon was forced into making a tactical switch when he lost Campbell to a pulled calf and Callum McGeehan slotted in at right-back alongside Lewis Tozer and further up the pitch Ryan Briggs switched to right midfield with Marcus Perona inside to partner Mulholland.

Folkestone Invicta were missing the strike force of James Dryden (who is expected to return to action in three weeks time), James Everitt (suspension) and Paul Jones (who is faced with having an operation on his troublesome groin).

Thamesmead forced two successive corners (they won the corner count by three-to-one) and the ball was played back to Mulholland out on the left and he had time and space to cross low with his right-foot to find Andy Constable unmarked at the near post, but the striker turned and swept a right-footed shot wide of the post when well placed some eight-yards from goal.

A couple of chances each first half, Thamesmead looked the more likely to score during the second, but both back fours were on top throughout in a game that lacked quality where it mattered.

Mulholland picked up a loose ball and cracked a low bending effort from 30-yards, which was caught low down by the Folkestone keeper, before Constable squandered a gift from Roland Edge and slammed his shot wide of an empty goal, despite shooting from a tight angle.

Folkestone’s only second half effort was weak, and came in the 57th minute when Edge floated in a cross towards the edge of the penalty box but Simon Austin looped his only chance into Mott’s hands.

However, the best chance of the game fell to Thamesmead ten minutes later when Danny Moore sent the ball forward and this released substitute Kia Bichard through on goal but the striker went for power rather than accuracy and Delo got down to block with his legs at his near post.

Delo was the busier of the two goalkeepers and he made a fine save to prevent Lea Dawson scoring after sliding through the Folkestone defence like a knife on butter, before Bichard almost grabbed victory for McMahon’s men.

Perona played the 19-year-old behind the Folkestone defence but he slammed a fierce right-footed shot against the near post.

With driving rain making conditions difficult, Folkestone upped the tempo in the final ten minutes but neither side could break the stalemate and fans that travel to Bayliss Avenue for the replay will be hoping for a more entertaining Kent derby on Tuesday night.

Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley cut a disappointed figure when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk inside his office afterwards.

“They’re lower league, to be fair they’re near the top of their league and we’re near the bottom of ours so I suppose there’s not much to choose between the two teams,” he said.

“The team we’re putting out at the moment, I don’t think it’s good enough. I don’t think it’s a Ryman Premier team. That’s not disrespecting the players we’ve got, it’s starting to show now in the last two or three games.”

Reflecting on his weak bench, Cugley replied: “There’s nothing we can do about it, not for the next couple of weeks really so we’ve just got to keep plugging away and do the best we can between that period.”

Speaking about the game, the Folkestone boss continued: “I don’t think they were going to score, did you? I didn’t see them scoring!

“I thought, first half, we did look like we might do something so its’ a fair result in the end. Either side didn’t hurt each other enough did they? There was not enough quality really.”

McMahon reflected on the game and said: “Listen, Cup games are difficult for both sides. They’re struggling a bit for confidence and we’re doing ok, but we’re a League below them. There’s not many places between us if you worked it out that way, but I think you’ve seen today we can match a good side.

“Folkestone have got some good players, you can see that, Simon Austin’s a good player, Frankie Chappell at the back, they’ve got some really good players and they played well.

“But give us some credit today, we battled. For the first 20-30 minutes we struggled a little bit but we’ve matched them up and second half we came through it and we were a lot more stronger than them maybe and we’re a bit disappointed we ain’t won the game but listen they’re a good side and they’re not going to have any problems I don’t think.”

But McMahon is delighted with his side stretching their unbeaten run to ten games, games that included the likes of East Thurrock, Heybridge Swifts, Folkestone today and Margate.

He said: “There’s some big sides that we’ve played against and we’ve just shown how small the club is that we can compete.

“I’m pleased with that but disappointed that we’ve took them to a replay but over the moon that we’ve come here and shown we’ve can match it with a Ryman Premier side.”

Folkestone boss Cugley was asked whether he’ll be making any changes for Tuesday night’s replay at Bayliss Avenue.

He replied: “I don’t think there’s much to choose between the two sides to be fair. We can’t change ours much. We can’t change it at all really so maybe we’ll look at a different system really, I don’t know.

“We’ve tried so many systems and different things over the last few weeks just to try and get something out of our players but they worked hard, no complaints with their effort, but lacking in quality.”

When asked what his best system was, Cugley replied, “I don’t know! I used to know but it’s working with the players we’ve got really to be fair. We need to play a system to suit the players we’ve got at the moment.

“We’ve tried so many different things and until we get Jonsey (Paul Jones) and Dryden and James Everitt and people like that back it’s going to be a bit different.”

Cugley warned that this tie could go all the way to penalties on Tuesday night - nine-man Thamesmead needed extra time to win away to Heybridge Swifts in the last round after playing out another bore draw at home in the first match.

“Looking at that (game today), it could well do,” said Cugley. “Maybe we can have the penalties first and do it that way?!”

“Both sides worked hard but both sides lacked any sort of quality in the final third.”

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Roland Edge (Luke Webb 65), Michael Everitt, Robbie Kember (Olly Bartrum 77), Simon Austin, Peter Williams, Darren Smith.

Subs: Niall Jackson, Jamie Bates, Dennigan Tyson.

Booked: Robbie Kember 72

Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Marcus Perona, Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, James Campbell (Callum McGeehan 28), Lewis Tozer, Scot Mulholland, Lea Dawson, Andy Constable (Alex Tiesse 88), Gabrielle Momodu (Kia Bichard 55), Ryan Briggs.

Subs: Ben Wilson, Joe Bailey

Booked: Sam Mott 80

Attendance: 233

Referee: Mr Adrian Oldershaw (Brentwood, Essex)

Assistants: Mr Jim Pope (Braintree) & Mr Steve Connor (Great Notley, Essex)