Thamesmead Town 4 Croydon 1

Saturday August 18, 2007

Thamesmead Town 4 Egham Town 1

By Mead reporter Stewart Erridge

  James Brown (left) fired Thamesmead in to the next round of the FA Cup with a quick first half hatrick at Bayliss Avenue. It took the midfielder a whole season to score four goals last year, one more than Rob Tarrent, yet against Egham, Brown bagged three in seven minutes.

  Thamesmead put on the pressure early on, with Killick unlucky not to get on the score sheet striking just wide after only a few minutes. Mead continued to create chances with good passing football, in particular Lew Watts and Pedro Knight combining well to set up Rikki Cable who's shot was blocked on the line on 20 minutes. Ten minutes later, cable had the ball in the back of the net after rounding the Egham keeper, but his run was ruled offside by the assistant referee.

The Mead found the breakthrough they'd been looking for on 34 minutes when Lee Coburn passed to the feet of Rikki Cable, who linked up with Richard Dimmock to earn a corner. Scott Mulholland floated the corner to the far post where it was met by the head of James Brown to nod the ball home in to the top corner.

Brown had the ball in the net again just three minutes later. Mulholland playing a short corner to Cable who teed up a thunderbolt shot for Brown from the edge of the box.

Brown completed his hatrick, and a fine first half the Mead, on 42 minutes when again he was found unmarked at the back post to head in a Mulholland corner.

Although Dimmock again came close to scoring, the Mead went in at the break three nil up.

It was the same story in the second half, the Mead playing good passing football which resulted in Killick being upended in the Egham box. Cable dispatched the resulting penalty home to increase the lead to four goals.

Despite being four goals down, Egham came back in to the game and enjoyed a spell of pressure, twice going close around the hour mark, with one effort forcing a fine outstretched save from Mead keeper Chris Connealy. The game then even out, with both teams going close.

Thamesmead then made three substitutions, with Dean Kearly, Curtis Williams and Sam Thomas coming on for Coburn, Dimmock and Loverige. The oncoming players worked well, with Curtis Williams unlucky to see a fine overhead kick turned wide after being played in by Sam Thomas.

Egham grabbed a consolation goal on 78 minutes, with a fine shot from the edge of the box.

Mead played out the last five minutes with just ten men as Pedro Knight was forced off the field with a leg injury. However, Thamesmead closed the game out well and can be pleased with the performance and the result, which means that Mead now face friendly rivals Whitstable Town at Bayliss Avenue in the next round of the FA Cup on September 1st.

Highlights will follow on the next edition of Thamesmead TV.

Line-up: Conneally, Watts, Tarrant, Coburn (Kearly), Loverage (Thomas), Mulholland, Knight, Killick, Brown, Cable, Dimmock (Williams). Subs not used: Kemp, Chapman.

Next match at Bayliss Avenue

Thurs 17th July 2008

Pre-season friendly

Thamesmead Town

Vs Welling United XI

K.O. 7.45PM