Sporting Club Thamesmead 3-1 Tunbridge Wells - First and foremost I've got to look in the mirror, a part of a manager's job is to motivate his team and it was like watching a train crash, admits Tunbridge Wells boss Steve Ives

Sporting Club Thamesmead 3 – 1 Tunbridge Wells
Location	Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ
Kickoff	28/09/2026 19:45

SPORTING CLUB THAMESMEAD  3-1  TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup First Round
Monday 28 September 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Steve Ives says he has to look in the mirror and work out why his side lacked motivation after watching a train crash after his side slumped to an embarrassing defeat at tenth-tier side Sporting Club Thamesmead.

Ben Williams and Craig Penfold made NINE changes to the side that came away from Lydd Town with a 3-0 win at the weekend, as Sporting Club Thamesmead – winless at home in the League – went into this Challenge Cup First Round tie in the top four of the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table with 17 points (five wins, two draws and two defeats).

Tunbridge Wells arrived at Bayliss Avenue – which stunk of sewage before kick-off – and made five changes to their side that went down to a 2-0 defeat in Gillingham to Hollands & Blair, who are now in second-place and four points behind leaders Fisher, who have won back-to-back home games in nine-goal thrillers against Petts Wood & Holmesdale and Bearsted.

The Wells sit in the bottom five in the Premier Division table with nine points (two wins, three draws and four defeats) and their winless run away from home continued.

Sporting Club Thamesmead’s left-winger Henry Awokere scored twice past debutant visiting keeper James Poole to give the home side a deserved two-goal lead inside the opening 29 minutes.

Tunbridge Wells, who have recently switched formation to 4-2-3-1, pulled a goal back through wideman Rhys Bartlett, who notched his fourth goal of the season.

The home side booked their place in the last 32 – and a home tie against their First Division rivals FC Elmstead – when striker Andrea Carrera came off the bench to slot in his eighth goal of the season.

“How do you sum that up? I think we’ve probably been beaten by the better side to be completely honest,” admitted Ives.

“I am pretty disappointed with the performance to be honest.  It was a terrible start and didn’t get any better, did it?”

When asked about the performance of his debut goalkeeper Poole, Ives replied, “I don’t think he was directly accountable for any of the goals and I think he made a couple of good saves.  I think the third one, potentially their guy has gone in on him but I certainly won’t be picking him out for any particular criticism or praise to be honest.”

Ives added: “I just don’t think we really had any consistent momentum throughout the game, whether it was the start or the end. Credit to them for that, obviously they’ve got their tails up, they’re in good form.

“We went to watch them play Bridon Ropes the other week and took them apart (5-2, 14 September) after being 2-0 down so they’re capable of scoring goals.

“I just think goals just change people’s mentality and momentum towards the game. Their goals came early. We probably started thinking ‘oh no, not this again’ and then it just comes down to character and perseverance and perhaps a little bit of luck and we didn’t really have any of those three things, did we?”

Sporting Club Thamesmead’s joint-manager Craig Penfold added: “Very pleasing, put it that way. I thought we were superb first half, looked fitter, sharper, got on the ball, played it in right areas where it actually did drop down into the midfield areas, we got it out wide like we spoke about. I thought our wingers were high and wide, where we wanted them. It was just a very, very good 45 minutes.”

But to play so well, especially in the first half, with nine changes to the side, was very impressive.

“Yes, very. We’ve got a good squad at the minute. Everyone’s chipping in when they need to. We had a lot of young fellas playing today as well. I think three were 17–18-year-olds, so pleasing for the club to bring young players through. We actually had to make nine changes and to put a performance like that, we’ve got to give credit to the squad,” added Penfold.

“They gave us hard work, determination, grit, will, a bit of quality when it was needed. Everything mate, everything, can’t fault them.”

Thamesmead started the game on the front foot and with only left-back Ryan Solan and left-sided centre-half Patrick Geddis the only survivors from the cull, the home side were keen to make an impression.

Thamesmead created their first opening after only 70 seconds when Awokere’s driving run down the left saw him switch the play to an unmarked Owen Jeavons and the right-winger drilled his right-footed shot towards goal from 16-yards, which was palmed up two handed by Poole who caught the ball as it dropped down.

Tunbridge Wells created their first opening with 6 minutes and 26 seconds on the clock, before Thamesmead swiftly went up the other end and scored.

Firstly, Bartlett laid the ball off inside to striker Albert Osigwe, who drilled a low right-footed angled drive, which was saved low down by the impressive Michael Crabbe.

The Acre keeper launched a big kick which sailed over debutant Wells’ right-back Louis Brooks-Reed and Awokere easily cut into the box and from a tight angle steered a weak right-footed shot to beat the keeper at his near-post, to open the scoring with six minutes and 43 seconds on the clock.

Penfold said: “I think Michael’s distribution was superb, on the floor, out of his hands. We did say in the changing room when it does break down off the transition can we just go and make sure our wingers are high and wide?  I think he’s hit a beautiful 60–70-yard volley, superb, great distribution by Michael.

“It’s good to get Michael back. He’s been out injured for four or five weeks. He’s been out with his Achillies. I think he’s had problems with that before but he’s a good player to get back in. He’s fit, strong, direct and brings a bit of quality when you need it.”

Ives added: “I mean, they are just pivotal moments aren’t they.  We had a reasonable good chance, not able to capitalise. They go down the other end, a bit of a weak goal from where I was standing.

“I think Louis (Brooks-Reed), who was making his first start for us, he’s been really good for the 23s and actually thought he had a good game as he grew into it. He’s got beaten by the left-winger. He hasn’t had anyone near enough covering him, which he should’ve had and it looked like it went through James at the near post but he probably wasn’t expecting it. It was a c**p start.”

Solan often played high at right-back but Asad Mohamed caught the eye, playing in left-central midfield before operating in the number 10 role behind Thamesmead striker Jeavons, before Carrera came on for a cameo role.

“I think you hit the nail on the head there mate, he’s (Mohamed) all over the place in a good way,” said Penfold.

“He drives with the ball, he’s a presence when he does play, a solid centre midfielder, gets on the ball. We’re trying to get him to have a few less touches at the minute and get our wingers more involved in the game but I’m not going to fault him, he was superb.”

Thamesmead’s holding midfielder Henry Phillips floated a free-kick towards the edge of the penalty area where quiet attacking midfielder Frankie Baughen worked the ball to Mohamed, who drilled his right-footed drive into the side netting from the edge of the penalty area.

Phillips then fouled Jack Gallagher (Tunbridge Wells’ number 10, whereas their left-back Jack Gallacher has a ‘c’ in his surname) and Bartlett’s left-footed free-kick came out to the quiet Matthew Dunmall who laid the ball off for Conor Wilford, who drilled his right-footed angled drive across the box and past the far post.

Tunbridge Wells should have restored parity with 19:14 minutes on the clock.

GallaGher (10) played a lovely 25-yard reverse pass out to the left for talisman Regan Corke, who cut into the box, cut the ball inside Solan (who slid in and ended up on his backside) but Corke lacked quality and drilled his right-footed shot past the near-post with Crabbe to beat from six-yards.

“I think Reg put himself in to good positions throughout the evening but the finishing touch from him wasn’t quite there or when he’s rolling balls in good areas, we didn’t get on the end of it. Theres not really much more to say than that,” admitted Ives, who is never one to decline a post-match interview, no matter the result and this one lasted nearly 20 minutes.

GallaGher (10) then flicked the ball into the lively Barlett, who drilled his right-footed shot towards the far corner, only for Crabbe to dive to his right to push the ball around the post (22:08).

However, some woeful defending from holding midfielder Ollie Hyland and centre-half Wilford opened the gate and allowed Awokere to double the home side’s lead with 28 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock.

Hyland hooked the ball back from close to the half-way line and Wilford had his pocket picked by Awokere, who burst down the heart of the pitch and his initial shot was parried by Poole before the winger lashed his right-footed drive into the roof of the net.

“I’d say deserved 100%. Like I said, I thought we was dominant. I thought we were on the front foot. They had little spells in the first half but I thought we dealt with them fine, so yes, fully deserved,” added Penfold.

Ives admitted his side couldn’t motivate themselves in front of a spare crowd of 90 on a Monday night in Thamesmead in the First Round of the Challenge Cup.

Ives said: “You’re a little powerless at that point. You send the team out with some sort of direction, some sort of structure and then you kind of hope their own instincts and pride and tactical awareness and motivation kicks in.

“I would just say that we were outdone in most of the basic departments by Thamesmead for large portions of the game.

“Yes, I just think first and foremost I’ve got to look in the mirror myself because it’s a squad I assemble, it’s a game plan that I put in front of them and a part of a manger’s job is to motivate his team and I don’t think we really saw a motivated side out there and if I’m honest I’ve sort of questioned some of our ethic in other games this season.

“It’s not like it’s been disastrous from start to finish but I think tonight we’ve consciously made five changes. We tried to give a few opportunities, we’ve got a debutant in goal, we’ve got young lads playing full-backs but I still personally felt the spine of the team was good enough.”

Tunbridge Wells were without centre-halve pairing Ryan Hine (cut his fingers while at work) and Tom Penfold (broken nose), while central midfielder Rory Ward was nursing a groin strain.

Thamesmead, meanwhile, were also without two centre-halves in Riley Butler (rolled ankle) and Daniel Palfrey (work commitments).

Ives deployed Muiz Alaka into left-centre-half  and he switched a long ball out of defence out to Bartlett on the left and he cut inside Solan but lacked composure and drilled his shot over the top of the near-post when faced with Crabbe.

Tunbridge Wells pulled a goal back with 41 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock after Jeavons fouled Jack GallaGher (3) close to the half-way line.

Instead of drilling the free-kick upfield, Alaka rolled the ball to his centre-half partner Wilford, who then hit a long ball into the Thamesmead penalty area from inside the Tunbridge Wells half of the pitch.

Hyland rose to knock the ball across the penalty area, GallaGher (10) also got involved before Bartlett brought the ball down inside the box and swept his left-footed shot across the diving keeper to find the bottom far corner from eight-yards to score his fourth goal of the season and was one of very few Tunbridge Wells players who impressed today.

Ives said: “I think Rhys took it well. I’m not going to suggest it was without any passion or without any effort because that would be unfair. We just needed the ball to go in again, didn’t we really and then we would’ve seen what they were all about.  They’ve had it probably a little bit too comfortable, that’s probably the honest truth but Rhys took his goal well.”

Penfold added: “I think that was just a switch off from us really, especially second phases. We’re trying to work on them a bit, especially from corners. It seems like we deal with the first phase and then second phase we switch off a bit but it was just a lack of concentration.

“I said in the half-time team talk we will get punished for things like that, especially playing against a higher side, quality players but I thought we didn’t switch off at all in the second half, so they took it on board.”

Referee Christopher Bowdery threw Phillips in the sin-bin (46:05-48:04, before remerging with 9:22 on the clock in the second half) and awarded Tunbridge Wells with an indirect free-kick inside the Thamesmead penalty area.

Corke laid the ball short to Wilford, who drilled his first-time right-footed drive flashing just past the foot of the right-hand post (47:36).

“I think the keeper’s stranded, I don’t think he’s moved and it’s wide of the post. I’m sure when you do your post-match analysis, I don’t think it will be for the want of balls going into the 18-yard box from us but its another one that’s gone the wrong side of the post,” added Ives.

Penfold added: “I’m not going to dig the referee out. Look, it’s hard for referees, they’ve got 22 players out on the pitch they’ve got to look after and people on the sideline, especially irate managers and that, so I’m not going to dig him out.”

Both managers were asked their thoughts going into the interval.

Penfold said: “We were down to 10 men because of the sin bin so it was more can we set up two banks of four really, stay nice and compact and can they get it out wide and then can we deal with the crosses and I thought we done that superbly to be honest with you.”

Ives added: “Knowing their with 10 men for another nine minutes, we just said they’re probably going to bank up 4-4-1, We’ve just got to move the ball quickly, side to side, got to get Reg(an Corke) and Rhys as much as the ball as possible and then we’ve got to get bodies in the box.

“I felt like we tried to do that. I didn’t think it was that fluid. I didn’t think we moved the ball quick enough. We did create some chances.”

Tunbridge Wells dominated large chunks of the second half and looked like they were going to go on and level and then go on and win the tie.

They were guilty of a glaring miss (7:29) when GallaGher (10) worked the ball out to Bartlett, who whipped in a glorious cross from within the left-channel towards the back post where Corke hooked his right-footed volley over the crossbar from three-yards.

“It’s just one of those nights,” admitted Ives.

“Reg is our top goalscorer (6 goals). You kind of back him, I think across the chances he’s had tonight to score at least one, if not two, but it just didn’t happen for him. The ball was going into good areas.”

Penfold added: “We started with 10 men, obviously we just had to sit in with two banks of four really. We knew it would happen, especially when you’re playing a higher-level opposition.  They had a lot of the ball. I’d say a good 20-25 maybe 30 minutes of that second half. They put it on us but I thought we dealt with it superbly defensively.”

GallaCher (3) was in space and put in a cross towards the edge of the Thamesmead box where GallaGher (10) stabbed the ball back for Dunmall to drill his right-footed drive towards goal from 22-yards, which was comfortably saved by Crabbe.

Tunbridge Wells should have levelled proceedings with 19:53 when Hyland drilled a sublime long ball out of his own half, which split open Solan and Geddis to put Corke through on goal but his right-footed angled drive brough the very best out of Crabbe, diving to his right to push around the post.

“Good save, good hand.  Difficult. You see it once from 50-yards away. I can’t really comment whether he should do better. You’re through one-on-one, worked the goalkeeper and it looked like a good save, so let’s leave that there until I get to watch it again,” said Ives.

Penfold added: “He’s pulled off a few good saves tonight. We’ve just said to him in the huddle at the end, he made some very, very good saves. Good for his confidence, he made some very good saves. I wouldn’t say he kept us in the game at all but he made some big saves at big moments.”

GallaCher (3) delivered a deep cross which was brought down by Hyland, who easily cut inside Solan and his left-footed shot from 20-yards arrowed just over the top of the far post at the half-way point.

Sporting Club Thamesmead, meanwhile, were a threat on the counter-attack and Mohamed (now playing as a number 10) slipped a pass through to Jeavons, whose right-footed angled drive was comfortable saved by Poole (23:40).

Awokere’s final act of the game was to release Jeavons in behind Hyland but he lacked quality and composure inside the Wells penalty area and placed his left-footed shot past the near-post when he only had Poole to beat.

“I thought we were superb defensively second half. It was more can we get it when we did break, can we get it forward and then can we work off a few scraps and I think that’s what happened with the third goal,” added Penfold.

“I think Owen’s legs had gone by them, the amount of running, the amount of grass he must’ve covered tonight – unbelievable. But that’s what you get with Owen. I mean he would run through a brick wall for you and you want players like that.”

Thamesmead did well to hang on to their lead and they started to spring back into life during the final 10 minutes and Ives was alarmed with the lack of strength-in-depth of his squad against a lower tier side.

“Yes, I wouldn’t disagree with that. I felt Thamesmead had something to hang onto and that seemed to be their main concern, which I don’t blame them, so it meant we did have a lot of territory.

“I’m looking at the clock, I’m looking at the bench. I’m thinking some of the boys if it hasn’t happened for them in 60-70 minutes, it’s only fair to give some of the other lads’ a chance. I guess if I’m going to be reflective without watching it back, probably the substitutions knocked our momentum maybe.

“I certainly felt Thamesmead certainly had a renewal, a little bit more of a lifeline and they certainly causing us problems again.”

They killed the game off by scoring a well-worked third goal, with 42 minutes and 10 seconds on the clock.

Sub Ronnie Suttie threw the ball down the line, Carrera’s back-heal sent Mohamed down the left before the number six cut into the penalty area and his shot was parried by Poole.  The ball then fell to Carrera, who placed his clinical left-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner.

Carrera has still a long way to go to nudge striker Josh Patrick off the top of the rankings at Sporting Club Thamesmead.

“The goat. I don’t really know what to say about him. Like you’ve just said he’s scored eight goals. How many appearances? Six. Don’t get me wrong, he brings a lot of quality to the team. He’s a good lad to have around. That little bit of composure in front of goal that we might’ve missed last season, maybe, but he just seems like he’s in the right place at the right time at the minute, so hats off to him.”

Ives admitted: “I mean, I’s circumstantial for me really, like we’re 2-1 down. It doesn’t make much odds to the game really.

“By that point, the boys are saying that he’s gone in on James but if he did that should’ve have counted but on the overall scheme of things, it didn’t really matter. It was just the cherry on the cake for them. Just capped off a bit of a depressing night here.”

There was still time for Carrera to play a left-footed pass in behind Alaka and sub right-winger Abdou Jobe (who is deaf) cut onto his left-foot inside the Tunbridge Wells penalty area before drilling his shot over the crossbar.

“Team work, effort, work rate, quality when it was needed, just a good team performance mate to be honest with you, just a good team performance,” added Penfold.

Lordswood (19 points from eight games) sit at the top of the First Division table, while the four play-off sides are Rochester United (19 points from 10 games), Hythe Town (18 points from six), Sporting Club Thamesmead (17 points from nine) and Croydon (15 points from eight).

The Acre lost to FC Elmstead in the Invitation Charity Cup Final 3-1 at Sheppey United’s Holm Park in May and the two sides meet in the next round.

“It will be nice to run that back. When that happened me and Ben were away so it was a bit gutting to be away, but I mean what can you do about it?

“It will be nice to re-run it and hopefully come away with a win.”

The Acre are without a game until their trip to Dartford to play Halls Athletic on Wednesday 14 October.

“It’s a bit gutting to go into a bit of a break with the bit of form we’re in really. Morale is high, the team is in a good place but we’ll just try and train twice next week.  Get the boys to do their own little bit, hopefully between today and Friday, give them a weekend off and next week, we’ll be back in Tuesday and Thursday.

“We just want the boys to progress. The whole club wants to progress, Anything better than (a top 10 finish) last season is a progression. We’ve built a good squad, with good foundations and a good nucleus in it at the minute.

“I don’t want to speak too much. It’s so early in the season. But like I say, a progression is more or less what we’re looking for from last season.

“We’ve got a mixed squad age wise so it is good for us to have a big squad. Those other (older) boys it’s hard for them to expect them to play 90 minutes on a Saturday and come down here and play against a Step Five team in the Cup on Monday.

“It was more getting other people in who we wanted to get in and injuries at the moment are adding up, so just pleasing we’ve got a good squad, so it’s pleasing to use every one and be able to rely on that squad.”

Tunbridge Wells return to Culverden Stadium on Saturday, welcoming Jake Goodman’s Phoenix Sports, a side that have climbed up to eighth-place (13 points, four wins, one draw and five defeats).

“I think Phoenix are always tough. I think after a poor start, I’m pretty sure they’re above us now. We’re unbeaten at home in the League – lost to Kingstonian in The FA Cup – but other than that we’re unbeaten at home, so it’s really important the way our form is at the moment that we continue that.

“We’re going to have to show a bit more resilience and a little bit more passion to defending our own goal that we’ve served up tonight, I would say.”

A point a game – and a sorry defeat to a lower-league side – is evidence of a relegation scrap. There are only 34 League games in this division this season.

Beneath them in the pecking order are Larkfield & New Hythe (nine points from 10 games), Beckenham Town (eight points from nine), Petts Wood & Holmesdale (seven points from seven) and Erith & Belvedere (three points from eight).

“Nine league games now and a point a game is not going to be good enough to do anything than struggle,” admitted Ives.

“I think it’s way too early to say you’re in a relegation scrap but I do think you kind of now start to see the lie of the land. You start to see what teams are about and I guess if I’m being brutally honest with us, it’s difficult to see that many teams worse than us to be completely honest.

“We’re playing 4-2-3-1 today, which is something we changed after Sutton. We thought we were too open in transition but I think there comes a point when you’ve got to stop looking at formations.

“What am I targeting? Do you know what? I’d love a couple of clean-sheets. That’s what I’d love but somethings got to turn for that to happen because right now, alright we have won three games, but we’ve let eight goals in now in our last three games and we’ve only scored four.  There’s no points at stake tonight but it’s a cup that we probably, should’ve gone further in than this.”

Sporting Club Thamesmead: Michael Crabbe, Joaldo Cravid, Ryan Solan, Henry Phillips (Lewis Cann 72), Elvis Ifeanyi, Patrick Geddis, Henry Awokere (Ronnie Suttie 72), Asad Mohamed, George Dennis (Alfie Curnow 64), Frankie Baughen (Abdou Jobe 72), Owen Jeavons (Andrea Carrera 81).

Goals: Henry Awokere 7, 29, Andrea Carrera 87

Booked:  Craig Penfold 45 (joint-manager)

Temporary Dismissal: Henry Phillips 45

Tunbridge Wells: James Poole, Louis Brooks-Reed, Jack Gallacher, Ollie Hyland, Conor Wilford (Daika Montague 79), Muiz Alaka, Rhys Bartlett, Matthew Dunmall (Bradley Austin 72), Albert Osigwe (Hayden Marshall 72), Jack Gallagher (Owen Punselie 65), Reegan Corke.
Sub: Lennon Minihane

Goal: Rhys Bartlett 42

Attendance: 90
Referee: Mr Christopher Bowdery
Assistants: Mr Tarik Guernane & Mr Kasper Crittenden-Wedge

Match Duration:
First Half: 48:04
Second Half: 51:54