Thamesmead Town 5 Faversham Town 2

Tuesday November 21, 2007

Kent Leaue Cup

Thamesmead Town 5 Faversham Town 2

By Mead reporter Stewart Erridge

On a very wet Tuesday evening Thamesmead Town took on Faversham Town in their penultimate group game of the Kent League Cup.

It was undoubtedly Faversham who made the better start to the game, taking the terrible conditions in there stride, it took Faversham just two minutes to force Chris Conneally in the mead goal into making a good diving save. Faversham would continue to threaten the Mead goal for the opening fifteen minutes, never really allowing Thamesmead into the game, they went close to scoring on numerous occasions and if it wasn't for the fine form of Conneally and some off target finishing, they could well have put the game out of Thamesmead's reach before the Mead had even managed to get a shot in on goal.

Totally against the run of play it would be Thamesmead who opened the scoring, Rikki Cable picked the ball up on the left and made a run into the box, Scott Davenport in the Faversham goal slid down to Cables feet, but Cable was able to keep the ball turn inside the keeper a slot the ball home into the bottom right corner.

Favesham grabbed a well deserved equaliser ten minutes later, the ball was played into the box from the corner flag and it fell to the feet of Micheal Cook on the edge of the box, Cook initially missed his kick but would not make the same mistake twice and fired home through a crowded penalty area to level the game. Thamesmead again had to weather a good period from the Faversham attack, Conneally making a world class save to tip over a free kick from twenty five yards out, but Faversham couldn't get another goal before the break and Thamesmead were lucky to be heading down the tunnel with the scores level.

The saying goes football is a game of two halves, and if there ever was an example to prove the old proverb right it was this one. Thamesmead came out for the second half with the bit between their teeth and set about attacking the visitors goal immediately. Winning a corner within the opening minutes it would be Robbie Tarrant who went across to take and amazingly his corner found its way straight into the goal beating the keeper at the near post to give Thamesmead the lead.

Faversham levelled the scores with their first forward play of the second half, ten minutes in, after making a run down the let hand side the cross was put into the box towards their forward who found himself out jumped by Mead defender Lee Coburn, Coburn got a good head on the ball but unfortunately for him his header found the back of the net.

Thamesmead replied instantly to restore their lead, young Lawrence Collins crossing the ball in from the right to Rikki Cable who left his marker standing to grab his second goal of the game, with a trademark Cable finish. Mead were now in control of the game and the conditions were improving.

Lee Dawson came on for Pedro Knight and it would be the substitute who grabbed Thamesmead's forth goal. Rikki Cable collected the ball on the left hand side of the pitch and put in a fine cross, Dawson out jumped the defence to meet the ball and nod home to put the game out of Faversham's reach.

Thamesmead's fifth goal also came from a header, this time it was captain James Brown who jumped the highest to head home from another pin point Robbie Tarrant corner.

Keith McMahon brought on Curtis Williams and Peter Deadman for the excellent Robbie Tarrant and Lee Coburn and Williams could have grabbed Thamesmead a sixth shortly after, picking the ball up midway inside the away teams half , Williams set out on a fine run cutting through the visitors defence like a hot knife through butter. He made his way into the box but managed to fire his shot straight at the advancing keeper, the ball bounced out to Scott Mulholland but Mulholland put his shot just over the bar, but it would be Thamesmead's night and when the referee blew up for time the cup holders could again look forward to a place in the competitions quarter finals.

Thamesmead's next game is away at Lordswood in the Kent Senior Trophy on Saturday 24th November and after this fine second half performance they can go into the game confident of a good result

Thamsmead line up (with player ratings):

Conneally 8, Watts 7, L.Collins 8, Brown 7, Chapman 7, Coburn 7 (Deadman 7), Mulholland 7, Knight 7 (Dawson 7), Dimmock 7, Cable 8, Tarrant 7 (Williams 7)

Subs not used: Kearley 

Next match at Bayliss Avenue

Thurs 17th July 2008

Pre-season friendly

Thamesmead Town

Vs Welling United XI

K.O. 7.45PM