Back In Black(heath)

Before last week’s morale-boosting home league win over Tenterden Town, Peckham Town had been on a bit of a skid. Five league games had yielded just one goal and two points, the only bright spot in that run being the 5-3 away win to Greenway Aces in the second round of the Bill Manklow Inter Regional Challenge Cup. So there was much to look forward to in today’s third round encounter.

A decent travelling contingent made the short hop across to south east London for the 130 kick off, boosted by a contingent from Germany. Dortmund and Munich are roughly 600 and 1,000 kilometres respectively from the Menace Arena, but word of Peckham Town had spread that far and the Menace Ultras were delighted to welcome Zab and Pätte to their ranks. Cup runs are so often about the collective journey rather than the destination, and it’s great when those journeys stop in new places and pick up new and old friends.

Those About To Rock

A fair reaction when the Menace teamsheet dropped would have been “that’s a side that’s never played together before – and probably never will again”. But this was not Peckham treating the Cup with disdain; rather injuries, suspensions and unavailability forced manager Mary Philips’s hand.

Nunes continued in goal and Meta was again asked to fill in at left back. At right back, Ales Cap was a late replacement for Michael Desta who was injured in the warm-up. The centra back pairing was Hassan Omar and midfielder Joe Thomas, returning to the club having left in the Summer. A regular midfield three of Agyemang, Barry and Kemp started behind a makeshift front three of Mendes centrally supported by Camilo Andres Nieva and David Gabor wide left and right.

Shoot To Thrill

Inspired perhaps by their Teutonic guests Peckham started the game with the volume turned up to 11, a display of heavy metal football for the ages. Pinning back Long Lane, they looked like they’d score with every attack, and indeed were ahead with just six minutes gone. Camilo Andres Nieva worked space on the left, sent a fine cross into the six yard box and Evaristo Mendes rose well to head home – making it three goals in two games for the Peckham striker.

For the next half hour it was all one way traffic, save for a moment on 15 minutes when Joe Thomas was lucky to escape with a yellow card for stopping Long Lane’s break – the foul occurring in the Long Lane half probably saved him from an early bath. That aside, it’s no exaggeration to say that Peckham could have made it six. The keeper made a fingertip save from a Mendes lob on ten minutes and then a moment later the ball somehow didn’t cross the line from a goalmouth scramble. Mendes did get the ball in the net again on 20, only for it to be ruled out for something or other. Agyemang tested the keeper with two good drives from distance, and Kemp had two great opportunities to score but was similarly foiled by the stopper.

Thunderstruck

It was hugely against the run of play therefore when the hosts won, and converted, a penalty with three minutes to go in the half. Long Lane were allowed to play out too easily, and a ball into the box down the Peckham left drew a rash challenge from Hassan Omar. The referee correctly pointed to the spot, Nunes guessed wrong, and Long Lane were level at 1-1.

Any hopes that the Menace would start the second half with the same vigour that they had the first were soon dashed, as the visitors struggled to regain the initiative. Instead, Long Lane dominated possession and territory and while they were by no means carving out the volume and quality of chances that Peckham had, they were in control of the game and looked more like scoring – while Peckham increasingly looked like they were running out of ideas.

That said, Long Lane’s second, when it came, was a soft goal. Bobbles and missed clearances combined to allow the ball to drift across the Peckham area, and a weak shot from some 12 yards out somehow squirmed under Nunes to put the hosts 2-1 ahead.

Peckham didn’t create much from there, and again ended the game with a man sent off, James Armes challenge on 76 minutes deemed worthy of a red.

It’s A Long Way To The Top

And so, Peckham’s cup hopes are over for another season. Focus can now return to the league and to building on the Tenterden win, with a view to climbing back towards the top of the table. Two away games, against Snodland Town Reserves and Minster, precede a Christmas cracker at home to Snodland on the 22nd. With just five points covering Sporting Club Thamesmead reserves in sixth to Kent United in thirteenth, how these three games go could define whether the second half of the season sees Peckham pushing upwards targeting the promotion spots, or being sucked down into a relegation battle.

The team would love your support, home or away. Maybe we can’t promise a win, but we can always guarantee a good time. Famously, Menace Life Aint Easy – but it is the way I wanna rock ‘n’ roll.

Peckham Town: Nunes; Cap, Meta, Omar, Thomas; Kemp, Agyemang, Barry; Gabor, Mendes, Nieva. Subs: Armes (for Barry), Bah (for Meta), Llumigusin (for Nieva)