McMahon takes positives from opening week

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon hopes his side don’t concede any more 90^th minute goals, having suffered that fate against Ware and Potters Bar Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Mead fell to a last minute 2-1 defeat at much fancied side Ware in their first ever Ryman League Division One North game and Potters Bar grabbed a 1-1 draw at the end of a very dull game at Bayliss Avenue last night.

Pedro Knight’s volley had woke up the crowd of just 89 that had braved the wet conditions to give the Kent League double winners the lead, seven minutes from time, but Shane Mangodza, who had just headed wide from two-yards, was on hand to grab the Hertfordshire visitors a deserved point.

Thamesmead Town welcome Great Wakering Rovers to Bayliss Avenue on Saturday before making the short trip through the tunnel to Aveley on Bank Holiday Monday.

“Tough games, Great Wakering I’ve seen, a big powerful side, they’re going to be tough,” warned McMahon, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk last night.

“I’ve watched them the other week and Aveley have had two wins out of two.

“We’re full of confidence, we’re good enough to go and best sides at the moment. We’ve got our first point and that’s the plus side, we’re off and running and going forward.”

McMahon was happy that a crowd of just 89 turned up to see their first ever home game as a Ryman League club.

He said: “The England game (was on Sky) and it was chucking it down all game so it’s still up on what we had on last years average (as a Kent League club).

“The crowds will come in, if they do, they do. I think if we keep playing well and hopefully start winning a few games a few more people will come to watch.”

But McMahon doesn’t want his side to concede more 90^th minute goals and calls for his side to focus from first whistle to last.

“We kept it really tight for the first 60-70 minutes, which we knew we had to,” said McMahon.

“On Saturday (at Ware) some of the lads thought we just had to turn up and play or normal way and win but you don’t.

“We had to keep solid tonight (against Potters Bar), limited them to chances, obviously we were limited chances as well (but) they done a good job on us.

“But we kept patient, scored our goal, we made the changes at the right time, changed the way we played, scored our goal and there’s a lot of positives out of that.”

Visit Thamesmead Town’s website:  www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

Thamesmead Town v Great Wakering Rovers
Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 23^rd August 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Bayliss Avenue, London SE28 8NJ