Thamesmead Town 2-0 Redhill - The pressure was on us to win, says Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN 2-0  REDHILL
The FA Cup with Budweiser First Qualifying Round
Saturday 14^th September 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon says he was under pressure to knock Redhill out of The FA Cup.

The Mead went into the game sitting in the bottom two in the Ryman Premier League table with four points from their opening nine games.

They faced a Redhill side who arrived at Bayliss Avenue in 12^th place in Ryman League Division One South, having collected 11 points from their first eight league games, having clinched promotion as Sussex County League runners-up last season.

But Redhill’s chances of causing an upset in this First Qualifying Round tie all but vanished when lone striker Richmond Kissi, who scored 23 goals for Kent League double winners Erith & Belvedere last season, was sent-off for a rash challenge on Lewis Tozer after 32 minutes.

McMahon asked for patience from his side and they delivered the goods during the second half when strikers Tyrus Gordon and Jon Main (penalty) scored in a six minute spell to earn the club £3,000 in welcomed prize money from The Football Association.

“I’m pleased with the win,” said McMahon after his side’s second win in ten games following promotion as Ryman League Division One North play-off winners.

“First half I thought we were poor. We lacked a bit of passion, desire and quality to be fair and I weren’t happy!

“I went a bit mad at half-time and we got the lads back to what they were meant to do and I thought the second half was very comfortable and it could have been some more.

“I was just pleased with the way we kept our shape and the way we played with a bit of pace and it took a little bit of passion from Tyrus (Gordon) and the quality of Danny Phillips.

“Tyrus was unplayable for twenty minutes before he had to go off injured (with a dead leg) and that’s got us through. It was pretty comfortable by the end.”

Redhill produced a sweeping move which saw Tre Mitford play the ball forward to Niall Egan, who released Kissi down the right channel, but Thamesmead Town keeper Rob Budd dived low to his right to gather the low centre inside the opening seven minutes.

Thamesmead Town’s first chance arrived in the fifteenth minute when Main drilled a fierce right-footed drive from 20-yards, which was initially parried by Chris Duffy, before the visiting keeper gathered the loose ball before Theo Fairweather-Johnson could pounce.

McMahon threatened to make an early substitution when the sub boards were prepared by physio Alan Woodward as McMahon was clearly unhappy with the performance of his left-back Antone Douglas and was ready to bring on Danny Moore.

“I go and do homework and I give people a job to do and a plan, they’ve got to do it, it’s not Sunday morning football,” explained McMahon, who kept Douglas on for 90 minutes.

“He didn’t do what I asked him to do and if people ain’t going to listen to you, if people want to play their own game, then they’re not for me.  We need to stick together.

“If they’re not going to listen and will answer back then I will make changes. We had a little chat (during half-time) and he’s done his job and straight away it’s sorted out.”

Referee Adam Crysell produced a straight red-card to Kissi, who claimed as he walked off the pitch, “I’ve kicked the ball onto his knee,” following his rash challenge on Tozer some 30-yards from the Mead goal as the pair tussled for possession.

McMahon said: “I don’t think he’s meant to do it but it was still a high, rash challenge. 

"It’s a tough one really because the laws of the game, it’s a sending off.  I don’t think there was any malice in the tackle. He didn’t mean to do it and he’s caught Lew. It’s quite nasty to be fair, he’s ripped his sock and he’s got a nasty gash down his leg but it’s a tough one. It’s one of those when you’re on the opposing team it’s hard to take but he’s got a lot of passion and he’s gone for the ball. It’s obviously a red card.”

Redhill’s chances vanished after they lost their four-goal striker and McMahon said: “He’s lively. He’s not a bad player. He didn’t cause us any problems for the 30-odd minutes he was on but when the team’s main striker goes off, it’s going to benefit you.

“When teams go down to ten men, it sometimes makes the game difficult and it’s hard to break down because they put a lot of bodies behind the ball anyway, which made it difficult.”

Redhill’s tactics were to play for a draw and McMahon added: “That’s the way they play. I saw them on Tuesday and they made it hard.

“No disrespect, but it had to be about us today and we didn’t play to any plan or shape that we was meant to do in the first half.

“We said our performances over the year haven’t been bad, we’ve been punished by mistakes, but we’ve put the work-rate in. Today we didn’t in the first half.   The second half we came out and we’ve had a decent response.”

Thamesmead created another chance in the 38^th minute when Sean Roberts skipped past Egan down the left before playing the ball outside to Gordon, who cut on to his right foot before curling a low right-footed shot which Duffy saved low to his right.

But McMahon was clearly unhappy with his side’s poor first half performance against a poor Redhill side that went into the game on the back of a 2-1 win at home to Faversham Town in midweek.

He said: “I let them know what they were doing wrong!  I said you can’t pussyfoot around now.  I’ll always praise players when they’re doing well and when they’re not I tell them they’re not doing well.

“We said we needed to put a bit more passion and match Lewis Tozer, our skipper, what he’s been like all year and Sean Roberts and Jack Hopkins. Everyone needs to step up to the plate and I felt we just needed to get on the ball, play with a bit more pace, get the ball wide and stretch them and we will get chances and be patient and don’t knock 50-50 balls, play the ball to feet and the quality will come through.

“We said we needed to get Danny Phillips on the ball and straight away we did and the quality was there.”

Thamesmead Town should have broken the stalemate 48 seconds into the second half.  The men in green sprayed the ball around the middle third of the pitch before Roberts’ diagonal pass found Gordon unmarked and his right-footed drive from 25-yards flashed just past the foot of the near post.

Thamesmead Town went agonisingly close to scoring when Main turned and stroked a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which was caught by Duffy to his right. 

However, the keeper spilt the ball and was relieved to see the ball bounce off the foot of the post before he gathered just in the nick of time as Danny Phillips was ready to punish sloppiness.

“I thought the goalkeeper made a couple of outstanding saves to be fair,” said McMahon.

“Mainy’s instinct is that he shoots. People look at him and go why did you sign Jon Main? He’s finished and you’re laughing!

“Forwards that are naturally goalscorers will get you goals at any level and he gives us a little bit of room and he’s got a decent shot. The keeper’s made a save and it’s hit the post and it’s got stuck on the line and Danny Phillips tried to follow it up.

“It was just a time of being patient. I didn’t think it was going to be one of those days. I just thought if we were patient we will get the goals and we did.”

Thamesmead Town, who were not allowed to play on-loan from Dartford pair Jay Porter and Uche Ibemere so they wouldn't be cup-tied, upped their desire after the hour mark and Phillips, Gordon and Main combined further up the pitch before Fairweather-Johnson put right-back Jack Hopkins through.

Hopkins took a touch inside the penalty area and cut the ball back towards the near post and Redhill keeper Duffy spread himself to thwart Fairweather-Johnson and Main lashed his right-footed shot high over the bar and into the car park from the rebound.

McMahon said: “We was well on top then and we’re stretching them. We were getting the ball out wide and going at them with pace and it was all in their half and Jack’s put a great ball in space.  He didn’t try to pick someone out. It’s fell to Theo and he’s absolutely drilled it and the keeper’s made a great save.”

Redhill substitute Matt Robinson wasted a decent opportunity when his right-footed shot on the turn from fifteen-yards sailed over the crossbar after the ball came out to him after Sam Robinson’s throw was headed across goal to him – but Michael Maher’s side failed to create a shot on target.

But defensive-minded Redhill’s resilience finally caved in when Thamesmead Town deservedly broke the stalemate after 63 minutes when they finished off a sweeping move.

Main picked the ball up inside Redhill’s half and played the ball to Phillips, the driving force in Thamesmead’s midfield.

Phillips, who joined the club from Cray Wanderers on the eve of the new season, played the ball outside to Gordon, who took a touch before drilling a right-footed shot into the top near corner from ten-yards, assisted by the keeper’s outstretched left hand.

It was Gordon’s first goal of the season for The Mead, having returned from a loan spell with VCD Athletic, where he scored three goals for Tony Russell’s highflyers in Ryman League Division One North.

McMahon sold striker Stuart Zanone to VCD Athletic for an undisclosed fee last night after the striker turned down a move to another Ryman League Division One North side Thurrock on Thursday night after he failed to agree terms with the Essex club.

“I don’t think the keeper saw it, if I’m being honest,” said McMahon.

“Tyrus’ won the header and it’s dropped down to Theo and Mainy and Danny’s put him in.

“Tyrus’ has got a lot of pace and power and he’s just come back off on loan from VCD when he needed to get a bit of confidence. He’s started the first few games (for us) and when he’s on top and on his form he’s unplayable. He just needs the belief.

“He’s got an unbelievable shot on him. He’s gone through and I’m sitting there and I thought don’t go to the keeper for a one-on-one, hit it because he’s got an unbelievable shot on him and the keeper’s got some sort of hand to it but he’s never saving that – it’s a great finish!”

Thamesmead Town created another chance half-way through the half when Phillips released Gordon, whose left-footed chip from 25-yards sailed over the advancing Duffy and drifted across goal and dropped the wrong side of the far post and Redhill survived.

But man-of-the-match Gordon ensured his side reached the next round when he chased a lost cause to help Thamesmead Town double their lead in the 69^th minute.

Tozer clipped the ball forward and the ball sailed over Redhill right-back Bradley Duke and the ball seemed destined to bounce out for a goal-kick.

But Gordon put pressure on Duke and his persistence paid off on the by-line as he won the ball, lost the ball, regained it again before he was brought down by Duke and the referee pointed to the spot.

McMahon added: “He showed at that time when he was on fire that he’s unplayable. He works hard, he’s so strong and he’s got the ball and the blokes brought him down for a pen. It was a pen. There was no doubts about that!”

Redhill keeper Duffy dived to his left and got his hand to Main’s right-footed penalty, but the shot had enough on it to roll into the bottom right-hand corner for the star-striker’s third goal for the club.

“Mainy stepped up and I think the goalkeeper got a hand to it but he doesn’t miss them. It’s another goal, three goals in four starts for us,” added McMahon.

McMahon admitted it’s great to see the former VCD Athletic, Cray Wanderers, Tonbridge Angels, AFC Wimbledon and Welling United striker on the scoresheet.

“Listen, a lot of people have wrote Jon off and people around me here as well.

“When I signed him people said what are you doing? He’s finished, he’s a has-been. 

“Mainy will score goals. He’s not going to out sprint people from the halfway line like he used to. He’s had two horrific injuries and this is what people are forgetting. 

“A lot of people have given up what he’s done. He’s played for AFC Wimbledon in the league, he’s been a professional footballer. He’s won non-league player-of-the-year and he’s scored goals for wherever he’s gone.

“He’s come and trained, pre-season, he’s been brilliant. Alright, he liked a holiday in the last month or so but his attitude has been brilliant and some people have to look at that.

“He won’t run people down but he scores goals in the box. He got a great goal against Dulwich in the week, he’s scored today. He will score goals at this level if we can get him the ball and we’ll score goals.

“If you’re a centre half and you look at our team sheet and you’ll see Jon Main and you’ll go “wow! They’ve got Main in their side!”

“He’ll score goals and if he can stay fit and his performances are good, he’ll score 15-20 goals this year without a doubt.”

McMahon explained why he subbed Main immediately after scoring the penalty.

“We’ve subbed him before,” he said.   “I subbed him because I thought he done a shift.

“Tyrus was being such a menace and unplayable and wanted to get him through the middle because if we got him in through the middle before he went off I thought he would get a couple more and that’s the reason why we was bringing Mainy off.”

Redhill clearly hadn’t done their homework on Thamesmead Town and their management staff claimed McMahon was wasting time when he called over the referee to the touchline as he was about to bring substitute Daniel Ailey, 24, on for the final ten minutes.

McMahon said: “He can’t hear. It’s difficult at the end there when you bring him on and you’re calling the ref over and they think you’re wasting time.

“It just shows everybody, it doesn’t matter what disability you’ve got, you can play at a level and if there was a disabled England side he’s got to play! Someone’s got to get him and play him up front. He’s good enough to play at that level, he’s quick and he’s a smashing lad and they’re the lads you want around you. He will run through a wall for me if I asked him.”

When asked how he communicates with the striker, McMahon said; “We text each other. It’s difficult on the pitch. In training he can slightly hear with a hearing aid, so you pull him aside. As you’ve seen Tozer is shouting at him and you forget and that’s why you have to speak to the referee. If he goes clear through on goal and he’s offside and he doesn’t hear the whistle, which he won’t, you can’t book him!

“Daniel should be able to play football, because he’s deaf and dumb makes no difference because it’s all about ability - and he’s got ability.

“We don’t look at it any different on a game. You’ve got to speak slowly and try to explain. He’s such an intelligent lad that he does understand.  It’s not his first year playing football and he’s doing something that he loves and I have to take my hat off to him.

“He’s an inspiration to us all and the lads’ know that and the lads’ love him. If he keeps working and trying, with the slight disabilities that he’s got, then there’s no reason why any person should put on under performances to what he’s doing.”

McMahon added: “He’s a role model to a lot of people.  Whatever you want to set yourself in life as well as football it doesn’t matter what impairments you’ve got.  He’s got over it and for me it’s outstanding the way he does things. To see him week in, week out, three times a week like we do, a lot of people have looked at him and make them give an extra 10% because we do mention it and so does he.

“We don’t make any special cases for him. He’ll still get a going over like anyone else. It makes no difference sometimes but he understands.

“You hear this all over, it doesn’t matter what language you talk, football is football and it talks its own language and he understands.  He’s an inspiration.”

Redhill were poor throughout and Sam Robinson’s chip released half-time substitute Gavin Gordon (a four goal striker) down the left but poor control let him down inside the box and all he could do was stick out his left leg and poke the ball behind for a goal-kick.

Thamesmead substitute Rob Carter drove a right-footed shot wide of the near post from 20-yards towards the end of the game.

McMahon was pleased with their first home win – and only their second clean sheet of the season – after three defeats on the bounce.

“The pleasing thing was just the desire at the end when you’ve got people like Lewis Tozer running out in the last minute and diving in front and taking a ball fully in the face to keep a clean sheet – that’s what we’re all about and that’s why a few of the others need to step up to the mark and put their necks on the line.

“Pleased with that (clean sheet). We didn’t expect that. They’re not a bad side so I’m happy with that and we just need to take that confidence.

“It’s out first win at home and we had a load of wins last year. We just need to enjoy it. The money for the club is decent. We just need to get a good draw and go as far as we can.  We need to build on that because we’ve got such a tough away game next Saturday against Wealdstone.”

With Thamesmead Town struggling to come to terms with life in the Ryman Premier League, this could have so easily been a cup upset - in front of the club's lowest crowd of the season.

McMahon agreed, saying: “In The FA Cup, the levels unless it’s two or three at the beginning is nothing. They were up for it, it’s their cup final.  We go and play teams in a higher level and you’ve got nothing to lose.  They raise their game.  They’ve come here and the facilities here are first class now and it lifts you.

“It was a tricky game for us because we’ve had a few defeats and you’re not asking questions but the pressure was on us to win.

“Someone said to me in the week there’s no pressure on the game. There’s more pressure on the game when you’re not winning, you’re expected to win this.”

When asked who he wants to play in the Second Qualifying Round on 28 September, McMahon replied: “Anyone at home as normal!  You want a home draw don’t you? You want someone who you think you can beat, a league below would be nice, a league below that, even better.”

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Antone Douglas, Dean Pennant, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Sean Roberts, Danny Phillips (Daniel Ailey 80), Tyrus Gordon (Rob Carter 77), Jon Main (Michael Power 69), Theo Fairweather-Johnson.
Subs: John Scarborough, Danny Moore, Richard Butler, Daniel Cardanini

Goals: Tyrus Gordon 63, Jon Main 69 (penalty)

Booked: Dean Pennant 27, Danny Phillips 56

Redhill: Chris Duffy, Bradley Duke, Sean Kelly, Ryan Briggs, Jon Difford, Jon Boswell, Niall Egan (Matt Robinson 61), Sam Robinson, Richmond Kissi, Tre Mitford (Gavin Gordon 46), Joe Bingham (Chris Gregson 70).
Subs: Leyton Regan, Joshua Bonnett, Gustavo Sousa-Mota, Johan Bernal

Booked: Sam Robinson 81

Sent Off: Richmond Kissi 32

Attendance: 51
Referee: Mr Adam Crysell (Braintree, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Tony King (Romford, Essex) & Mr Stephen Tate (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex)