Thamesmead Town 1-3 Folkestone Invicta - A few of my players have let down the club, fumes Mead boss

Tuesday 02nd November 2010

THAMESMEAD TOWN 1-3 FOLKESTONE INVICTA
FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 2nd November 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley heaped praise on the returning Roy Guiver as his contribution booked a trip to Blue Square Bet South side Eastleigh in the final qualifying round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

The visitors’ improved their game following their poor showing during the goal-less bore draw at Cheriton Road at the weekend and deservedly progressed, banking a much-needed £3,000 in prize money.

Midfielder Darren Smith lead the way with two fine strikes, and they were sandwiched in by Guiver’s goalscoring return - and even Simon Austin had a first half penalty saved.

Disappointing Thamesmead, meanwhile, grabbed a last-gasp consolation, through debutant striker Bradley Spice, who came off the bench for the last half-hour.

A good following from Folkestone ensured tonight’s crowd of 87 was the home side’s largest crowd of the season - and the away contingent were delighted that their side ended Thamesmead’s impressive ten-match unbeaten run, winning this Second Qualifying Round replay comfortably.

Cugley, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after emerging from the dressing room, was pleased that his side’s trip to Bayliss Avenue proved enjoyable.

“There was a bit of spirit about us and a bit of go about us to be fair to the players, they did well,” he said.

“I pushed Edgy (Roland Edge) to the back and I thought he had a super game there and he got the lads’ at the back nice and sorted early on and Roy Guiver done well up front and that was pleasing.”

Praising two-goal hero Smith, the Folkestone boss added: “That’s what he’s good at, popping up there. His second was a class finish, a class goal. He done what we wanted. Kembs (Robbie Kember) and Micheal Everitt worked hard stopping them playing in midfield.

“It was one of those days when everything came off for you!”

But Guiver was the player that impressed Cugley the most.

“He’s sort of half-related to me (he lives with my step daughter) so it was a bit of a gamble to bring him back in,” he said.

“I don’t like to put him under too much pressure to play and I think he’s done brilliantly tonight. He’s made two and scored one and gave them a penalty so at least he gets his name in the paper!”

Cugley added: “He signed for us earlier in the year. I don’t like to push it but I think he’s fallen out with Deal a bit at the moment and I’ve been desperate for somebody up there who can at least put themselves about.

“I think we can play good football but sometimes you still have to have the option of somebody up there who can hold it up and make things happen and he done that for us.”

But the home side started the game with a high tempo and they took the game to their Ryman Premier League opponents and the lower-league side went close through Lewis Tozer after the first of many excellent deliveries from left-back Ashley Probets.

But Folkestone Invicta took an eleventh minute lead - against the run of play at the time - and from that moment they never looked back.

A fine pass from Guiver released Smith through on goal and as goalkeeper Sam Mott advanced off his line and went to ground, the midfielder rolled the ball across the former Ramsgate keeper and caressed the foot of the far post before crossing the line, before Austin could apply the poacher’s touch.

Guiver, who has been turning out for Kent League side Deal Town on a dual-registration this season, almost returned the favour following a mazy run from Smith, but his right-footed shot sailed over the crossbar.

Folkestone Invicta were awarded a 25th minute penalty by Essex referee Mr Adrian Oldershaw after Tozer was adjudged to have blocked Austin’s fierce drive with his hand.

Austin picked himself up from the ground and struck a hard and low penalty with his right-foot but Mott pulled off an excellent diving save to his right to turn the ball around the post.

Thamesmead had penalty shouts turned down when Josh Vincent challenged Andy Constable in the box, but the striker kept hold of the ball and he cut the ball back to Probets and visiting goalkeeper Jack Delo pounced onto the ball after Lea Dawson flicked the ball towards goal.

But Folkestone doubled their lead just two minutes before the break.

A header from Robbie Kember across the penalty area found it’s way to Guiver, who was left unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, and the striker unleashed a rasping right-footed drive, which flew past Mott with interest, leaving the home side with an uphill task.

With their manager’s words still fresh in the players’ minds, Folkestone almost increased their lead further - just 10 seconds into the second half.

Attacking left wing-back Josh Burchell stole the ball off Callum McGeehan and Guiver’s shot on the turn bounced once into Mott’s arms.

Marcus Perona then squandered an excellent chance to bring Thamesmead back into the game, but he swept his shot wide following a left-wing move involving Kai Bichard and Scot Mulholland.

Mott kept Thamesmead in the game in the 51st minute as Folkestone almost scored from an unlikely source.

The impressive Smith played an excellent through ball through the heart of the defence, picking out an energetic run from central defender Liam Friend, who only had the goalkeeper to beat, but Mott spread himself to make the block and Friend fired the rebound past the far post.

Folkestone wrapped up their comfortable win in the 63rd minute, following a controversial decision from one of the assistants to penalise Perona for handball inside the Folkestone half.

This decision proved costly for the hosts as Roland Edge sent the ball forward and Guiver flicked the ball on for Smith to crack a stunning right-footed volley, which powered it’s way into the roof of the net.

Content with their lead, Folkestone were happy to sit back and this invited Thamesmead to create some decent chances of their own during the final 25 minutes.

The strike partnership of Constable and Kai Bichard (who missed a couple of decent chances to win the game on Saturday) was not working so on came Spice to partner Bichard for a while.

Spice’s industry down the left saw him cut the ball back to central midfielder Lea Dawson, unfortunately he blasted the ball high over the bar when left unmarked when well placed.

An even better chance arrived in the 71st minute when Probets’ left-footed free-kick picked out Bicard and his cut back was whipped back into the box by Perona but the unmarked Tozer glanced his header into Delo’s arms just six-yards from goal at the near post.

Delo then made a low save to his left to prevent Perona’s deflected hooked shot finding the back of the net following Mulholland’s centre.

Thamesmead did have a goal chalked off for offside with nine minutes remaining when Probets applied the finishing touch to a Spice centre.

Probets then whipped in yet another excellent delivery with his left-foot but Tozer’s back-header sailed agonisingly past the post.

Silence greeted Thamesmead’s last-gasp consolation when Guiver blotted his copy book for bringing down McGeehan and Spice sent Delo the wrong way with a clinical right-footed penalty, but by then it was too little too late.

Cugley said: “Their keeper made a good save (from Austin’s penalty) and Roy Guiver was a bit tired, brought their lad down to give a penalty away in the last minute.”

Reflecting on a good job well done, Cugley added: “The pitch is quite nice to be fair, there’s good people here and it was a good win.

“They’re doing well in their league and we did what we didn’t do on Saturday. We didn’t look a league above them and that’s not disrespectful to them, we did today. I thought we dominated the game from start to finish.”

Thamesmead Town manager Keith McMahon, meanwhile, admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that his side were “appalling.”

“Yes, we were absolutely appalling,” he said. “We’ve missed a few chances tonight but we just defended awful as a team today.

“A few players left us down and we’ve paid the price. Fair play to them, I hope Folkestone do well, they came here and they were consistent and deserved to win.

“I don’t think we gave them much of an opposition to be fair today. I thought we were appalling and we didn’t show ourselves as a Ryman North side.

“I just think a few people let us down as a team tonight. We’re all about work-rate, playing together as a side all eleven plus the subs and tonight a few players let us down.”

McMahon felt his side lacked the desire to cause a Cup upset.

He said: “We started fairly brightly, we had a couple of chances across the edge of the box where we didn’t seem to have any desire to score in the last third, which I can’t really take.

“I thought Ashley Probets put a couple of great balls in and we didn’t get on the end of them.

“As well as they took their goals, I thought a lot of them were mistakes. We’ve had a couple of great (second half) chances and didn’t score.”

McMahon felt his side were given a second chance following Austin’s first half penalty miss and that should have been the kick-start they needed to fight back.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty to be fair,” explained the Mead boss. “Again the fella was offside and it’s hit Tozer on the hand. He’s not raised his hand, he’s not stuck his hand out and Motty’s made a tremendous save again and you’re sitting here thinking ‘hold on, this is the turning point. It may liven us up?’

“You look at games and things like that are turning points but the players have got to take that initiative and build on that but we didn’t tonight.

“Normally, as a team, I defend every one of the lads but tonight a few players have let us and the club down and it was a big game for us and we’ve not performed.”

When asked what he thought the problem was, McMahon answered, “I don’t know! Whether we took it for granted or we just came here with the wrong attitude, I don’t know.

“Young Callum McGeehan was struggling before the kick-off to even kick a ball and we were that depleted with James Campbell missing and he’s played through the pain barrier today with desire and he’s done alright and a couple of others have just had off-days and when you have a couple with off-days it effects the whole team.”

Both clubs would have liked to have walked away with the £3,000 in prize money.

A disappointed McMahon said: “I feel sorry for some of the lads’ and the club as well as obviously it meant a lot financially to us as well, but over the two legs maybe we shaded the first game and they definitely deserved to win the second so good luck to them.”

Folkestone boss Cugley added: “That helps to pay the wages so that’s great, that’s what we want and will keep the team together.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Eastleigh in the next round, he said: “We’re not silly, we expect them to be odds-on-favourites but we go there with nothing to lose and we’ll enjoy it.”

Thamesmead Town: Sam Mott, Marcus Perona, Ashley Probets, Danny Moore, Callum McGeehan, Lewis Tozer, Scot Mulholland, Lea Dawson, Andy Constable (Raphael Momodu 61), Kai Bichard (Ben Wilson 76), Ryan Briggs (Bradley Spice 61).

Subs: Gabriel Momodu, Joe Bailey.

Goals: Bradley Spice 90 (pen)

Booked: Scot Mulholland 36

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell (Luke Webb 85), Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Roland Edge, Micheal Everitt, Robbie Kember (Olly Bartrum 87), Simon Austin (Peter Williams 82), Roy Guiver, Darren Smith.

Subs: Niall Jackson, Dennigan Tyson.

Goals: Darren Smith 11, 59, Roy Guiver 43

Booked: Frankie Chappell 64

Attendance: 87

Referee: Mr Adrian Oldershaw (Brentwood, Essex)

Assistants: Mr Chris Dodd (Eltham, London SE9) & Mr Mohammad Reza Nazari (Earlsfield, London SW18)