Thamesmead Town 1-2 Grays Athletic - We could've got something out of it, says Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN  1-2  GRAYS ATHLETIC
Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 20^th April 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Bayliss Avenue

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon claims referee Paul Kelly was guilty of making humongous mistakes during their controversial defeat to newly-crowned champions Grays Athletic.

Thamesmead Town slipped down a place to third in the Ryman League Division One North table with 85 points, after suffering back-to-back home defeats in the past four days.

The Mead are guaranteed home advantage in the semi-finals of the play-offs on Tuesday 30 April and as things stand at the moment they will face fourth-placed Witham Town, who have collected 75 points from their 40 games.

But McMahon will be without central defender and skipper Lewis Tozer if they make it through to the final on Sunday 5 May, because he collected a controversial red-card at the end of the game.

McMahon was not impressed with the performance from Kent based referee Paul Kelly and made his feelings known inside the referee’s room after the final whistle.

An angry McMahon said afterwards: “Three points have cost us from a referee’s diabolical performance today. I’ve just gone and seen him.  I know him really well but there’s some massive, massive points in the game that if we would’ve had a referee that put in a proper performance in we would’ve done alright.”

McMahon added: “I thought first half we did really well.  It was pretty close, nip and tuck until the end and to be fair to them they scored a really good goal, I can’t knock the winner that they got.  I was quite happy with our performance and our work-rate, first half especially. I thought we were excellent.

“Sometimes decisions cost you and I think he’s made some massive ricks today.  The sending-off at the end just proved it!”

Thamesmead Town showed their class by forming a guard of honour and clapped this season’s title winners onto the sun-kissed pitch before the game, one which attracted the home club’s largest crowd of the season.

“Listen, we do things properly at the club and I like the manager Hakan (Hayrettin) and Junior Baker used to play for us.  You can’t take anything away from their achievement to be league champions in any league is brilliant and they’ve done well and it’s right that we should do it. If it’s the other way round I would hope it would happen to us.  I think they deserved the accolade we gave them before the game.”

But Thamesmead Town got off to a flying start, taking the lead after only 152 seconds.

Jay Porter swung a left-footed free-kick into the penalty area from the right and visiting goalkeeper Lamar Johnson dropped the ball under pressure and Baff Addae steered a low right-footed shot into the near corner from four-yards out to score his eighth goal of the season.

“We started really well,” said McMahon.  “Going forward we caused them problems all over the park in the first half.  We were really up for it. We worked hard. We made them make mistakes. We could’ve got another one.”

Thamesmead Town squandered an excellent chance to double their lead when goalkeeper Rob Budd plucked Jake Hall’s hanging cross out of the air and punted the ball straight down the middle of the pitch.  Thamesmead striker Rob Carter outmuscled his way past lagging defender David East and decided to place his downward header towards the far corner, which was easily gathered by Johnson to his left.

“I thought Stuart and Rob Carter looked really dangerous and strong and Rob for the first half-an-hour was unplayable,” said McMahon.  “He muscled himself in and really could’ve brought it down and slotted it. I think he’s tried to head it over the keeper and put it in but it was a good opportunity for us.”

Grays Athletic took nearly ten minutes to fashion their opening chance when striker Daniel Subuola played the ball inside to Hall whose right-footed chip from sixteen-yards was caught by Budd.

McMahon claimed the referee made his first mistake when Carter was brought down in the box by last-defender East, who slid in to bring down the hard-working 21-goal striker.

“The big decision was the penalty,” said McMahon. ”They’ve made a short back-pass and Carts is clear through and the player just pulled him down. He’s five yards out and all he needs to do is touch it across to Stuart and we score.

“For the referee just to tell me ‘he didn’t see it’, he was standing square on, is just amazing!  I could see it.  Everyone else could see it. It’s a goal and they’re down to ten-men early doors and that’s a humongous mistake.  I think my four-year-old would’ve made that decision right!”

Thamesmead Town started well and an inswinging corner from Jack Hopkins forced Johnson to stick out his raised left arm to turn the ball behind as the ball was destined to curl into the top far corner.

Grays Athletic began to edge their way back into the game and halfway through the first half Danny Kerrigan was guilty of pushing Kris Newby.  The winger swung in the resulting free-kick, which was headed away and Hall looped his header over from eight-yards.

Visiting goalkeeper Johnson, who improved as the game went on, received a huge slice of luck when his clearance bounced off the pressing Stuart Zanone and the ball spun agonisingly wide of the far post.

Another free-kick from Porter, who McMahon plucked from Dartford’s Academy in March, resulted in Lea Dawson clipping the ball to Zanone, who knocked the ball down for Dawson to crack a left-footed volley which sailed high over the crossbar.

The impressive Joao Carlos whipped in an excellent cross from the left-hand side and Newby got in front of Porter to send his volley over the Thamesmead crossbar from six-yards at the near post.

McMahon’s side should have doubled their lead in the 34^th minute when good play down the left from Addae saw him slide the ball inside to Zanone, who was brought down by Hall some 26-yards from goal.

Faced with a four-man wall, Zanone opted against blasting the ball towards goal, instead he curled a weakly-hit free-kick around the wall and Johnson easily gathered to prevent the ball creeping into the bottom right-hand corner.

McMahon said: “Stuart’s got the best strike in this league. He can really hit the ball. If you could see in training or you saw his goal against Needham Market last week. 

“When you’re 20-yards out it’s one of the hardest techniques to get the ball up and over the wall or around the wall.  Chris Edwards has scored some free-kicks like that but he wasn’t on the pitch and I asked Stuart to have a proper strike and see what he could do and he didn’t and it was disappointing. It was a comfortable save and it was a missed opportunity.”

Grays Athletic’s best chance of the first half arrived in the 41^st minute.

They played their way out of trouble at the back and Leon Lalite played an excellent diagonal ball sailing over to Carlos on the left, who brought the high ball down under control before cutting across the penalty area before turning and cracking a right-footed drive towards the near post, but Budd stuck up his left arm to turn behind.

Referee Mr Kelly made the most embarrassing decision of the season when he gifted Grays Athletic a penalty inside injury-time – despite Thamesmead midfielder Kerrigan clearly winning the ball when he slid in to cleanly tackled Carlos just inside the box.

Even Grays Athletic’s manager Hakan Hayrettin turned towards McMahon to admit the decision was “embarrassing.”

However, justice was done because Budd dived to his left to block Jack West’s left-footed penalty, which was heading towards the bottom right-hand corner.

It would have been cruel on Thamesmead Town had the ball found the back of the net because Mead were the better side during the first half.

McMahon said: “Listen, Danny’s made a great tackle, the ball’s gone off. The referee’s pointed to the spot and their manager came up to me before the penalty and apologised and said that’s embarrassing!

“I’ve just gone to see the referee and he said upon reflection it weren’t a penalty. He said players reaction, which if he did that all game I think he would’ve made some different decisions, but it was a bit of a farcical decision.

“I don’t think anyone, anywhere would’ve thought (it was a penalty), even people driving over the flyover would’ve seen he caught the ball but he done it and to be fair Rob’s made a decent save.  You could say justice done.”

McMahon was clearly pleased with his side’s first-half performance.

“I thought our midfield three (Sean Roberts, Dawson and Kerrigan) were outstanding today.  I thought we really worked hard.  They’ve got two very good wingers, Kris Newby and Joao Carlos are very tricky players.”

Grays Athletic clearly came out with a different mind-set for the second half and winger Newby hooked a speculative right-footed volley sailing harmlessly over the crossbar and towards the clubhouse from 30-yards.

But McMahon admitted his side produced comical defending when they gifted their visitors’ a 56^th minute equaliser.

The Mead were awarded a free-kick inside Grays’ half and Hopkins struck a poorly hit right-footed free-kick which went straight to Carlos, ten yards away.

The talented Portuguese winger picked the ball up and sprinted forward with the ball and once approaching the edge of the box he laid the ball off to Jared Small.  The substitute was denied by Budd, who made a fine block, but Small slotted the rebound into the bottom left-hand corner, despite the keeper’s attempts to make a second save beside the post.

McMahon said: “Their goal came from a mistake by us, otherwise I don’t think they would’ve scored.

“It was a comedy of errors!  Jack’s miss-hit the free-kick and he’s kicked it at the geezer whose ten-yards away. Then he’s fell over and the blokes run through.  Rob’s made the save and again he still could’ve got back and cleared it off the line but he didn’t’ and he’s slotted it away, so I’m disappointed, but sometimes we’re our own worst enemy.  We’ve defended well this year and defended well as a side but it wasn’t our greatest moment.”

Grays were denied a second in the 63^rd minute when Newby showed Zanone how to take a free-kick 22-yards from goal.  Newby opted for power than placement, with a right-footed free-kick and Budd did well to see the ball through a crowd of players to dive to his right to push the ball away to safety.

McMahon added: “It was a great save. It was a great strike. We was talking about Stuart earlier. He put his foot through it and Rob’s made a very, very good save and we defended well for the second ball as well.

“I thought if anyone, we had the momentum to go on and win it but again the goal they scored sort of dampened us a little bit and it seemed we weren’t getting the right decisions.”

Thamesmead created an opening within a minute when Addae hit a right-footed curler from eighteen-yards, which sailed past the far post, but former Thamesmead central defender Junior Baker provided a shield to protect Johnson’s goal.

Newby opted to play the ball sideways in the 75^th minute to left-back Lee Flynn, who took the ball forwards before sliding a left-footed drive across Budd and past the far post from 30-yards.

Another chance came the Essex side’s way five minutes later when Thamesmead Town were hanging on.

Flynn clipped the ball into the box and Budd came off his line to challenge Small and did well to nick the ball away.  The loose ball was hit on a hooked-volley by substitute Joe Sweeney, who skied the ball over when it appeared easier to score.

Budd turned his ankle and needed treatment and was clearly in pain – but he could do nothing about Grays Athletic’s winner in the 89^th minute.

A slick three-man, one-touch passing move down the left resulted in Flynn being freed down the left and he cut the ball back to Carlos, who drilled a stunning left-footed angled drive across Budd to find the far corner to score his fourteenth-goal of the season. 

“That’s the f****** Grays I know,” shouted Hayrettin as he celebrated a world-class goal suited to a much higher level of football.

McMahon said: “Rob’s just turned his ankle. He’s come out and the geezer fell on his ankle and he’s turned it. There was nothing in it.  It didn’t make a difference with the winning goal.

“Listen, the goal for them, they were over the moon.  I thought we had two chances to clear it, a little bit of talking and Danny Kerrigan could’ve brought it down and he’s just headed it to the centre forward. 

“They played some good, one-touch football down our left and it’s dropped. It’s a great strike. It just summed the day up with what’s gone on with us.

“I thought we battled and all of a sudden we’re 2-1 down, but they’ve got that in their locker, that’s why they’re league champions so I can’t grumble about their winning goal. It was a great goal!”

Thamesmead Town finished the game with ten-men after Porter whipped in a free-kick towards the edge of the Grays penalty area.  Tozer and Hall competed for the ball and referee Mr Kelly immediately took his red-card out of his pocket and showed it to Tozer.

McMahon revealed afterwards that Tozer had allegedly stamped on Hall – but if that was the case then Grays’ players would have reacted to such an incident – but there was no such reaction from the men in blue.

When asked his thoughts on the incident, McMahon replied: “You tell me?!  I’ve just gone and spoken to the referee and he’s adamant.

“Straight after the game I went to speak to their 15 (Hall) and I asked him what it was about.”

McMahon claimed: “We had a free-kick, it was a long punt in and a lot of bodies and it looked like their player defended Lew and I thought he (the referee) was blowing for a penalty.  I thought he pulled him down and as he’s come down on Lew’s feet and the ref’s given him a straight red.

“He (the referee) basically said that he’s (Tozer) stamped on him (Hall).

“I was speaking to the 15 after the game and he’s told me that as he’s come down he’s fell on Lew’s boots.

“You sit there and went what’s the referee seen?  Normally for sending-off decisions you look at the players’ response and if someone deliberately stamped on somebody there’s normally a riot, especially when there’s about ten players standing around him.

“The referee told me the ball was in the air and everyone was looking at the ball, so if you look at the players’ reaction, even the player he reckoned that he reckoned it happened to, he didn’t jump up and wanted to do anything.”

There was disappointment around Bayliss Avenue at the final whistle following their tenth league defeat of the season (fifth at home), especially after Maldon & Tiptree’s 3-3 draw against Tilbury took the Essex outfit into second place, level on points, but with a game in hand.

McMahon said: “Grays are a good side. I’m not going to take nothing away from them.  I was just pleased, especially in the first half. I thought we worked really well. We passed the ball and could have got something out of it.

“Sometimes your expectations can run away with you a little bit and sometimes you have to pinch yourself and think where you are.  Maldon drew today; Aveley lost and we could’ve cemented second place today, but we haven’t.  We’ve dropped to third but they’ve got two very difficult games, Brentwood away and Wroxham away.  We go to Harlow (next Saturday).

“I think only goal-difference guarantees us third-place now as well so it’s home advantage in the play-offs. We have to take a lot of positives out of that performance, the work-rate, the togetherness.”

McMahon hopes someone in the crowd has video evidence on the Tozer/Hall incident - or the skipper will miss any potential play-off final because red-cards kick in two weeks after the offence.

McMahon added: “I’m hoping, if he does (have to serve a suspension) we’ll deal with it. I’m hoping someone might’ve videoed it and we’ll appeal it.  The referee has made a humungous mistake!”

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Jay Porter, Danny Kerrigan, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Sean Roberts, Lea Dawson, Stuart Zanone, Rob Carter, Baff Addae (Chris Edwards 73).
Subs: Richard Butler, Richard Stevens, Danny Moore, Brian Lee
 
Goal: Baff Addae 3

Booked: Lewis Tozer 63

Sent Off: Lewis Tozer 90

Grays Athletic: Lamar Johnson, Craig Pope, Lee Flynn, Junior Baker, David East (Ryan Kirby 14), Leon Lalite, Jake Hall, Kris Newby (Joe Sweeney 82), Jack West, Daniel Subuola (Jared Small 47), Joao Carlos.
Subs: David Bunce, Luke Marshall

Goals: Jared Small 56, Joao Carlos 89

Booked: Craig Pope 60

Attendance: 121
Referee: Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade)
Assistants: Mr Chris Bull (Crawley, West Sussex) & Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley)