Three second half goals ended Sporting Club Thamesmead’s hopes of claiming the scalp of Tooting and Mitcham in their FA Vase Friday night home game.

For the first sixty-five minutes there was little to choose between the two teams however, midway through the second period the visitors broke the deadlock. Three minutes later they added a second and never really looked under threat after that. They rounded the evening off with a third in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Elvis Ifeanyi had an early chance for the hosts when heading wide from a Jamie Williams corner before Tooting had a chance on the break when Timothy Obisanya out-muscled two defenders and drew a good save out of Michael Crabbe when he double fisted it away.

Williams then had a thirty yard free kick saved comfortably by Toby McKimm, before the visitors missed a great chance when Sonny Harnett-Balkwill’s clever movement gave him a free header from Alex Filipe’s deep corner. That chance went when he chose to go for a cushioned header rather than power allowing Crabbe to make the save. George Dennis got to the bye-line and chopped back before firing a shot that was deflected into the visitors’ side netting.

Just before half time Crabbe was out quickly to block Aaron Smith-Joseph’s effort after he had been slipped through by Obisanya.

Early after the restart Ayman Dahdouh broke a tackle only to shoot wide of Crabbe’s near post before Filipe attempted to chip the Acre’s goalkeeper but also failed to hit the target. Owen Jeavons then hit a shot that McKimm saved unconventionally with his feet. Soon after, he made another good save to turn away an effort by Jeavons.

In the sixty-eighth minute, the deadlock was broken. Harnett-Balkwill had a header cleared off the line but it was recycled and he made no mistake with his second effort which flew into the net.

Three minutes later, the visitors scored again. Max Oldham’s chip took a deflection and looped over Crabbe into the back of the net.

It became even tougher for the hosts when substitute Wale Odedoyin was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes, however despite being short handed, Asad Mohamed had a shot saved easily by McKimm.
Odedoyin then returned and came close with a header that flew just over.

Oldham had a shot saved by the feet of Crabbe before referee Moises Amoes was struck by the ball for the third time in the match and had to halt play and re-start it with a drop ball. McKimm was cautioned for delaying a free kick but when he did strike it, he made it count. His pinpoint accurate strike picked out Aaron Shawa whose first touch took it across goal and allowed him to slot it past Crabbe.

Although, disappointed to lose, the step six Acre gave as good as they got for the first seventy-five percent of the tie against a step five club so should not be too despondent.

SC Thamesmead: Crabbe; Cann (Solan 75), Ifeanyi, Butler, Suttie; Geddis; Jeavons (Ikuesan 64), Williams (Curnow 70), Mohamed, Baughan (Olawale 75); Dennis (Odedoyin 65). Sub not used: None.

Goalscorers: None
Yellow card: Geddes (43 ungentlemanly conduct)
Sin bin: Odedoyin (80 to 90)

Tooting and Mitcham United: McKimm, Harnett-Balkwill, Adepoyu, Eguzoro, Filipe; Ndozid (Cheklit 54), Akano-Kouame; Dahdouh (Shawa 58), Smith-Joseph (Efambe 77), Oldham; Obisanya (Bojanov 77). Sub not used: Anderson.

Goalscorers: Harnett-Balkwill (68), Oldham (71), Shawa (90+7)
Yellow card: Adepoju (13 foul), Obisanya (76 ungentlemanly conduct), Shawa (88 foul), McKimm (90+6 delay of restart)

Referee: Moises Amoes
Assistant Referees: Adam Bel Hadj Salah and Bennett Feld

Attendance: 75

Images courtesy of Steve Blunn