Thamesmead Town edge closer to the top five

Compared to other weekends in March today was relativley warm, coats cast aside and the sun shone at Bayliss Avenue on two teams prepared to give their all which produced a thriller off a game! Thamemsmead wanting to win to reach the play off positions. Waltham Abbey, needing a win to pull them out of the relegation zone. With he chariman announcing a freeze on season tickets for next season. Spectators were rewarded with seven well worked goals! and if it hadn't been for Thamesmead's goalkeeper spectators could have seen eight goals and a four all draw!! Today was a great advert for grass roots, non league football

Match Report from Thamnesmead Town FC

Thamesmead took advantage of Cray Wanderers inactivity to edge to within four points of the Play Off places following a pulsating seven goal thriller as they edged out Waltham Abbey.

After a quiet start, The Mead took the lead on 24 minutes when Harrison cut in from the right before firing in off the left post from the edge of the box.  Waltham then took the lead by scoring twice in three minutes through Christian Assambolonga, who showed why he’s got League club’s chasing his signature.

 The Mead were level though before half time as Vinesy powered home Harrion’s cross with a fine header that rocketed into the net.

 The Mead took the lead for a second time when Gazi connected with a clearance (after Tommy Spillanes cross had only been half cleared) and his shot flew into the bottom corner through the crowd past an unsighted keeper.

The lead was extended ten minutes into the half when Vinesy expertly headed home Lee Prescott’s corner – making room for himself and steering a header home before Assembolonga completed his trick with 24 minutes left as he beat Walks to a left wing cross.
 
The visitors should have been reduced to ten men when Tom Wood clearly knocked the ball away from Tyrus with his hand as the Mead substitute so very nearly managed to get away from the Abbey defender.  But incredibly neither referee or either assistant saw the offense that near enough everyone else in the ground did!

Walks then redeemed his earlier error by pulling off a brilliant save away to his left to deny sub Yemi Adelani with a full length tip round the post, before the hat-trick hero turned villain in the closing stages.  As the 90 minutes elapsed, Assambolonga incredibly (especially when you consider his earlier lethalness in front of goal) somehow contrived to shoot wide from only three yards out with the Mead goal at his mercy!

That’s four wins in a row now for the Mead which takes us (for 24 hours at least before Cray host Soham) to within four points of the Play Off places as the Final Countdown begins in earnest with eight games of an intriguing season left.

Thamesmead – Walker, Dauit, Spillane, Pinto, Barry, Butler, Carnegie, Prescott, Vines (Hopkins), Fairweather-Johnson (Gordon-Young), Porter (Prince)

Subs – Jude, Gorbell