The board back me 100%, insists Thamesmead boss Keith McMahon

Wednesday 26th January 2011

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon says he will bring in fresh faces to halt his side’s poor form - but insists everyone has got to stick together ahead of Cheshunt’s visit to Bayliss Avenue on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

McMahon’s men stretched their winless run to five games following their embarrassing 1-0 defeat to basement side Ilford on Monday night.

McMahon, who was priced out when cash-strapped Sittingbourne put striker Tom Bradbrook on the transfer list, said: “Finances are always an issue at our football club, we know that, there is nothing there, but there will be some faces coming in within a week.”

McMahon, who was in attendance at Park View Road to watch Erith & Belvedere lose 2-0 to VCD Athletic in the Kent League Cup last night, added: “I’ve put a lot of seven-day (approaches) in for a centre forward and there will be one arriving within a week, but you’ve got to freshen things up sometimes.

“I haven’t got bad players, I’ve got a great side. We’re missing Lea Dawson in midfield, everyone knows that, he’s a great player, but it ain’t just one player.

“There’s players in my side that teams would love, it’s just not happening for us at the moment.

“In football, you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth and the only people you’ve got to blame is yourself! I’m the manager and everyone has got to blame me, that’ what I’m here for, so I’ll take everything that’s coming my way.”

McMahon will have clear-the-air talks with his beleaguered squad on Thursday night - sending a reserve side to Faversham Town in the Kent Senior Cup - the winners of which will travel to Ramsgate in the quarter-finals.

When asked what he wants when Cheshunt visit Bayliss Avenue, McMahon replied, “I want three points! Simple as that! We’re going to work hard on Thursday. We’ve got a good side and you’ve got to believe in your belief’s, trust in your own belief’s. These things happen in football. It’s not the end of the world, even though if feels like it for me at the moment.

Thamesmead Town sit in eleventh place in the Ryman League Division One North table with 33 points from 22 games - six points behind fifth-placed side Romford, although the Essex side have four games in hand.

“People keep saying we’re playing well above our expectations,” said McMahon.

“We’re always punching above our weight. Sometimes you drop down to reality and Ilford was it.

“I’m a very ambitious manager, everyone knows that, I want to push on, I want to push on as much as the football club does, but I think we owe the football club more than we just showed on Monday night.”

McMahon has told his side to show some spirit to get out of this current loss of form.

“Overall, on the whole, we have to be realistic,” said McMahon. “We’re doing tremendous, a couple of results are going against us and this shows the mettle and shows the players that can hack it, the manager’s that can hack it, the coaches. People who (can’t can) walk away but I’m not one of those people and that ain’t going to happen.

The Mead are the smallest Kent based club in the Ryman League with average gates at Bayliss Avenue of only 60 - but McMahon insists he has boardroom backing.

McMahon, who runs the club bar, said: “They give me their 100% backing and they still will now.

“They give me everything they possibly can. We’re not that sort of club financially but they will back me. They do know I’m 120% for the football club, everybody knows that, the players know that.

“We just have to re-group and everyone has to stick together now, all the players, all the management.”

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

Thamesmead Town v Cheshunt

Ryman League Division One North

Saturday 29th January 2011

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ