Thamesmead Town 1 Erith & Belvedere 1

Saturday November 3, 2007

Kent Premier Division Cup - Group B

Thamesmead Town 1 Erith & Belvedere 1

By Mead reporter Stewart Erridge

On a mild afternoon at Bayliss avenue Thamesmead town faced local rivals Erith and Belvedere in the third group game of their Kent league cup defence.

The opening period of the first half was a tight affair with neither club really able to stamp any authority on the game, both teams were playing some good passing football but were unable to create any real chances on goal. Thamesmead's first shot of the game came in the eighteenth minute, Rikki Cable received the ball on the edge of the visitors box and played a good pass across the field to Robbie Tarrant, Tarrant took a touch to control but saw his effort fly just over the away teams bar.

Erith and Belvedere grabbed the lead with twenty minutes gone, when in a crowded six yard box the mead defence failed to clear their lines, the ball found Nick Smith who lashed a fine shot into the bottom right corner.

Thamesmead very nearly equalled the scoring just a few minutes later when a Robbie Tarrant free kick was met by the head of Lee Coburn, unfortunately for the Mead his header was deflected away by a Dere's defender, and the resulting corner came to nothing.

The Mead were enjoying a sustained period of pressure and playing some excellent passing football and got their just rewards with and equaliser coming from the league's top scorer so far this season Richard Dimmock. James Brown was the instigator making a great run down the left hand side of the pitch after picking up on a loose ball, Brown fired in a pin point cross to the back post where Dimmock was waiting, Dimmock out jumped to defenders and dispatched his header into the top corer past Grant Wallis in the Erith and Belvedere goal.

The Mead nearly found themselves in front late into the first half when Curtis Williams embarked on a superb run from just inside the opposition half after connecting with a pass from Scott Mulholland, Williams had far too much pace for the defence and fired in a sublime shot witch was met with an equally superb finger tip save from Wallis, turning the ball just around the post to deny Williams what would have been a fine individual goal. Erith and Belvedere themselves when close to taking a lead with a free kick in stoppage time but as the two teams headed down the tunnel the game remained level with all to play for in the second half.

Erith and Belvedere made the better the start to the second half and forced a corner with their first attack, which was cleared away by the mead defence, they were unlucky not to go ahead when a defencive error by mead captain Dean Kearley gifted them a clean shot on goal, unfortunately for them the resulting shot was just wide of the target, the Dere's also forced Woodward in the Mead goal to make a top class save diving outstretched to his left hand side.

Thamesmead came back into the game and began passing the ball around with style, Richard Dimmock forced another great save from Grant Wallis in the away goal, Scott Mulholland played the pass into Dimmock on the edge of the box, Dimmock turned and fired a volley towards the goal, Wallis was equal to the shot a made a diving catch to his right.

James Brown nearly capped a great display with a spectacular effort, looking up and seeing Wallis off his line Brown hit a shot in on goal from all of thirty yards out, the ball bouncing of the cross bar via the tips of the keepers gloves and out for a corner.

Veteran Peter Deadman replaced Pedro Knight with fifteen minutes to go, and his long ball to Richard Dimmock saw the big man win a free kick just on the edge of the box, Dimmock himself stepped up and took the kick but fired the ball just oer the bar. Curtis Williams would have the mead's last effort of the day,an excellent run and pass from Mulholland setting up Williams for a shot which he blasted over the bar, this would be the last action of the game and both teams would have to settle for a point a piece towards qualification for the quarter finals.

Thamesmead next make the journey to Deal Town on Tuesday 06th November, and will be looking for three points to guarantee safe passage from the group and a place in the last eight.

Thamsmead line up (with player ratings):

Woodward 7, Watts 7, Kearley 6 , Coburn 7 , Tarrant 6 , Brown 7 , Mulholland 7 , Knight 6 (Deadman 6 ) , Dimmock 7 , Cable 7 , Williams 7

Subs not used: Chapman, Borschescu, Conneally

Next match at Bayliss Avenue

Thurs 17th July 2008

Pre-season friendly

Thamesmead Town

Vs Welling United XI

K.O. 7.45PM