Greens Lose To First Half Strike

Looking to get back to winning ways, the Greens made two changes to the side which has lost at leaders Needham Market last weekend as Olu Akinsanya and Joey Abbs returned to the side.
Thamesmead were also forced into a change before kick off with keeper Rob Budd pulling out injured during the warm up with Vincente Manaset taking over in goal.

The hosts started the game brightly, delivering a number of balls into the area, while Akinsanya setup Sharman, only for Manaset to come out and block the midfielder. Thamesmead’s first real effort came after seventeen minutes, when following a throw-in, the ball was played into the area only for Gordon-Young to put over with just Warren to beat. The game started to even out, with few clear opportunities before the Mead scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the 34th minute, when Derek Duncan moved into the middle of the pitch to fire an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out. Both sides had chances to add to the score in the final five minutes of the half however Palmer put wide with an angled shot, before Sharman headed behind. Up the other end, Gordon-Young managed to get in front of Gent to receive a forward ball, with Warren coming out to again deny.

Thamesmead had the better of the second halves play, and could have increased their lead with the opening attack, only for Gordon-Young to fire over having again received a long throughball. As the game continued, Duncan had a freekick deflect off the wall onto the bar before Butler fired over from distance and Uweze put wide. Midway through the half, Soham made a double tactical change, but within minutes Gordon-Young again received a forward ball to put wide from the edge of the area. Clear chances for the Greens in the opening half an hour had been limited until Stanley collected Ofori-Gyasi’s layoff with Manaset tipping over the Captain’s shot on the turn. Into the final ten minutes, Uweze managed to rise above everybody to get a head onto a freekick which Warren did well to tip around the post, while Anidugbe worked his way into the area from the left to deliver a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Following good build up play between Akinsanya and Sharman, the ball was played into the area for Stanley, with Manaset coming off his line to deny the striker, injuring himself in the process. Troare then powered a shot wide from distance before the visitors had striker Tyrus Gordon-Young sent off in the final minute of the game after picking up his second yellow card, having earlier been cautioned for a foul, for kicking the ball away.

Soham Town Rangers
T. Warren, A. Luque, W. Goddard (K. Ofori-Gyasi 64), R. Sharman, J. Gent, M. Bromwich, O. Akinsanya, M. Hall (V. Torres 64), A. Palmer, L. Stanley, J. Abbs (D. Brown 86)
Unused: L. Monk, S. Spencer

Thamesmead Town
V. Manaset, B. Traore, A. Probets, J. Hopkins (K. Asante 71), F. Hallam, G. Benner, M. Spencer, R. Butler, T. Gordon-Young, M. Uweze (R. Carter 89), D. Duncan (B. Anidugbe 80)
Unused: R. Budd

Score: (0-1) 0-1

Goals
STRFC: None
TTFC: D. Duncan (34)

Yellow Cards
STRFC: None
TTFC: T. Gordon-Young (Foul 67, Kicking ball away 89), M. Uweze (Time wasting 89)

Red Cards
STRFC: None
TTFC: T. Gordon-Young (Second yellow card 89)

Attendance: 96