Thamesmead Town 2-3 Brentwood Town Thamesmead experienced a very frustrating night in a defeat against league leaders Brentwood, in a well contested match at Bayliss Avenue.

The Ryman League 1 leaders gained two early corners and wasted opportunities up against a resolute Thamesmead defence.

It was Thamesmead who tought they broke the deadlock on 14 minutes after a free kick in the Brentwood half reached the feet of James Brown on the edge of the area. He had time to turn and place the ball through to Peter Smith who fired home, only for the linesman to raise his flag and disallow the effort.

A scrappy game ensued, with Brentwood continuing to miss time and again, with Lee Coburn and captain Peter Deadman in particular clearing up superbly at the back.

Thamesmead never got the ball down to play their usual passing football, instead opting for long balls over defence, in an attempt to play in the three forwards of Grant, Cable and Dimmock.

It was a tactic that nearly paid off on 37 minutes as Dimmock looked up on the halfway line with the ball at his feet, he noticed Cables run forward. With ease, he lofted the ball over the last defender on the right of the Brentwood defence, to play Cable in on goal. Cable made space past a backtracking defender, to curl a shot to the far top corner of the goal that was surely going past the outstretched Billy McMahon in goal, only to take a deflection from a defender for a corner.

The move spurred Thamesmead on and six minutes later, the work rate was rewarded. Smith received a throw from the right and found himself in time on the edge of the area to unleash a low and hard shot that would open the scoring and send Thamesmead in to the dressing room at half time with the lead.

Mead showed their intent from the second half whistle. Cable, menacing and jinking in to attack, played in Peter Smith who shot just over.

Brentwood would hit back immediately and threaten with pace going forward. Mead had to clear their lines on 49 minutes as a scramble in the area resulted in a clearance that only reached Stanley Shirwin, who's awkward shot hit the ground before shaving the crossbar.

Just two minutes later, the equaliser arrived. James Brown gave the ball away in the middle of the pitch and Brentwoods quick three man move resulted in a shot that Conneally couldn't gather in the Mead goal and for Shirwin to fire home from close range.

Disaster struck on 57 minutes as Conneally was left to deal with a one on one situation with Stteve Wareham baring down on his goal. As Wareham knocked the ball on, Conneally dived at his feet, only to bring down the forward. Referee Venamore took his time in awarding a penalty, which looked a harsh decision.

Danny Glazier stepped up to dispatch the ball to the opposite side of Conneally to give Brentwood the lead.

Mead picked themselves up from the disappointment to come close to the equaliser from the restart. Dimmock playing in Cable out wide on the left who sprinted to the byline, crossed the ball back to Grant who looked as if he would get to the ball and fire goal bound, only to be beaten for pace for once by defender Wilson.

Mead would go 3-1 down on 60 minutes after a free kick given away by Thamesmead reached the treatening Shirwin to blast the ball net bound.

The young Bradley Killick came on for Grant shortly after the goal and almost made an immediate impact when he turned and shot on a sixpence in the middle of the Brentwood area for his shot to hit the bottom of the post.

Referee Venamore, who was a constant irritant to free flowing football all night in a game that was never nasty, was agin in the middle of the action. Killick looked to have scored under conciderable pressure from the Brentwood defence. Yet, somehow, Venamore saw Killick commit an offence that nobody else could see and the goal was cancelled out.

Richard Dimmock, who had performed well all night, gave Thamesmead hope on 75 minutes. His composed free kick curled past the assembled wall in to the top left of McMahons goal, who could only stand rooted to his line as the ball hit the net.

Thamesmead threw everything they could at Brentwood in the closing stages, but to no avail.

A hardworking performance against the league leaders, who Thamesmead more than matched for most of the game. However, a frustrating night as officials did not make themselves popular at Bayliss Avenue in this defeat.

Thamesmead line-up: Chris Conneally, Curtis Williams, Peter Deadman (Danny Moore 76), James Brown, Lewis Towzer, Lee Coburn, Peter Smith, Rob Tarrent, Richard Dimmock, Rikki Cable, Harbingi Grant (Bradley Killick 60) .

Unused subs: Watts, Dawson, Hicks Yellow cards: Rikki Cable, Ricardo Dimmock, James Brown