Some sides look forward to the FA Cup and the success that it can bring to the club.
For some reason however Thamesmead Town aren’t one of those as in the clubs 45 year history they have got further than the Third Qualifying Round and sadly on the outskirts of Reigate, The Mead’s Cup Curse struck again as the club crashed out of this season’s FA Cup after losing 2-1 to Ryman One South side South Park at their first hurdle again!
Despite taking an early lead through Stuart Zanone’s first goal of the season, the Mead’s joy was short lived as five minutes later the home side took advantage of some slack defending to score from a corner, before in first half stoppage time a defensive blunder let the home side in for what proved to be the winner.
The Mead dominated the second half possession without really troubling the home defense, and it was only the late introduction of substitute’s Adem Ramadan and Rashid Kamara gave Thamesmead any impetus, and in the closing stages Lewis Tozer and Sean Roberts both went close but not close enough.
It was a hugely disappointing afternoon for Thamesmead who started so incredibly brightly and had Roberts stinging keeper James Wastell’s hand’s from distance in the opening minutes as Thamesmead were all over their hosts closing down players all over the pitch. It was little surprise that the visitors took the lead on 18 minutes and was a direct result of the harrying and closing down – Roberts won possession fed Zanone and the striker beat Wastell with a low drive from the edge of the box.
But why is it when a side scores they seem so likely to conceded? Sadly for the Mead that’s exactly what happened five minutes later when from a left wing corner Kieran Lavery flicked on for South Park skipper Dan Guscott to power home a header at the back post.
Lavery then sent a free header wide before the Mead regained some composure and again Roberts was denied from distance by Wastell before Rob Carter just couldn’t reach an Ashley Probets free kick as the first half headed towards its conclusion. And it was to be disastrous end to the half for the Mead. A Michael Spencer back pass was picked off by Chris Smith who squared the ball for Joe Jackson to tap home and the Mead were behind.
The second half began with the home side consolidating their position and the Mead struggling to get back into the game. The introduction of Kamara gave the visitors a missing spark and indeed within a couple of minutes of his introduction, the sub had combined with Roberts to curl a shot over and past a stationary keeper but sadly inches past the right post.
Mead keeper Rob Budd then did well to keep out a shot from Smith before skipper Lewis Tozer turned up as an outside right and from his cross Gordon-Young’s overhead went wide. Incidentally Tozer needed treatment as he crashed in the boards and thankfully was able to return.
The closest the Mead came to forcing a replay came in the last five minutes when Kamara, Gordon-Young and sub Ramadan combined and it was Ramadan’s flick that beat Wastell but also beat the left hand post, and so the Mead’s interest in the Cup was over. It could have been even worse as in the last minute from a rare South Park break, Budd produced a fine save to deny Jack MacLeod but was indebted to Spencer to hack clear.
And so another year goes by and yet again the Mead look on to the adventures others enjoy in the FA Cup. Results elsewhere mean the Mead now don’t play midweek and so next up is a game against Ryman One North leaders Needham Market on Non League Day next weekend.
SOUTH PARK – Wastell, O’Sullivan (David 36), Hatfield, Ayling, Guscott, Standford (Burgess 72), Higgins, Smith (MacLeod 65), Lavery, Smith, Jackson
THE MEAD – Budd, Spencer, Probets, Hopkins, Tozer, Butler, Roberts, Glover (Kamara 68), Gordon-Young, Zanone (Ramadan 81), Carter
Subs not used – Murphy, Aziaya, James
Referee – Mr Brown
Assistants – Mr Simpson & Mr Senior