HAWKS WING IT AGAINST TEN MEN PECKHAM

After last week's disappointing League Cup quarter final exit after extra time, Mary Phillip would be looking to her players to react and improve their league form. With several key players missing the Peckham manager had a match day squad of just 13 at her disposal. George Legg started in goal with Festus Ogunlana at right back and Fareid Yassein starting again at left back. With Adam Carrick and Ben Whittaker injured and Charlie Egleton unavailable it was down to Jacob Kemp to partner Elton Romaku in central defence. Joe Thomas and David Gabor were again the midfield duo, with Kieran Dowding, captain Nicky Meta and Camilo Andres Nieva behind the lone frontman Hamid Bangura. Tidi Barry and Patrick Keitel, the latter back from injury, were the substitutes.

With a crowd of 146 inside the Menace Arena Peckham got the game underway. There were early signs from both teams that this could be a cracking game with both defences being put under early pressure. Jacob Kemp and Elton Romaku both looked like they had played as a defensive duo as they broke the visitors' attacks down with ease. With barely eight minutes on the clock George Legg denied the visitors an opening goal with a point blank save.

Peckham lost the ball deep in the Hawkinge half allowing them to counter attack, thankfully Fareid Yassein was on hand to put it out for a throw. Winning a second throw seconds later it was taken quickly into the centre of the park. The Hawkinge midfielder sent a long ball out to the right finding his team mate who then managed to turn Elton Romaku and crossed it low into the area. The ball found his counterpart on the edge of the Peckham 6 yard box and he hit it first time towards the Peckham goal, but George Legg saved well parrying the ball away. The danger wasn’t over yet as the ball was headed back towards the goal, but again, George Legg was on hand and saved it with ease.

The quick thinking keeper then immediately released the ball with a long throw out to the right and Peckham countered winning a corner seconds later. Up stepped captain Nicky Meta to take and sent the ball deep into the Hawkinge 6 yard box. David Gabor saw an opportunity and out jumped his marker to head the ball home with ten minutes on the clock.

The visitors looked stunned but within two minutes almost equalised were it not for the outstretched leg of Joe Thomas. Hawkinge broke down the right and the ball was sent into the Menace area. It looked as though it would find their striker as he made his run into the Peckham area, but Joe Thomas just managed to get his foot to the ball which did enough to put the Hawkinge striker off and he put it out for a goal kick.

This was a warning for Peckham that their opponents should not be underestimated but it was ignored as within two minutes they were level. Winning a free kick just inside their own half, the ball was sent high into the Menace box beating Jacob Kemp who looked as though he might head clear. It found the head of the Hawkinge number 11 who headed it past George Legg at the near post. It was a disappointing and needless goal to concede.

For the neutral this was so far a very entertaining game but with the half hour mark approaching it was about to turn controversial! The visitors won a corner on the near side but before it could be taken David Gabor went down in the 6 yard box from what looked like a head butt from a Hawkinge player. A melee ensued, but it was quickly abated as the match official made his way over. Just captain Nicky Meta and Joe Thomas were called away and discussions took place between them and the referee, who then showed the Menace midfielder a straight red for alleged violent conduct! A review of camera footage after the match showed no such thing, and an appeal will surely be submitted.

Peckham would now have to see out the remaining hour or so with ten men giving the visitors a clear advantage. Mary Phillip’s team cleared the corner once it was taken, but they were now surely facing an uphill struggle. Surprisingly it was the opposite and it was the 11 men of Hawkinge who found themselves under pressure as Mary Phillip’s side took control. When the visitors did attack Peckham defended well in numbers which only frustrated their opponents more. This was evident five minutes from the break when the Hawkinge number 8 gave away a free kick in the centre. His protests were in vain and he was sent to the sin bin making it honours, even if only for ten minutes!

Peckham should have taken the lead but the crossbar came to Hawkinge’s rescue in the 42nd minute. Latching on to a ball over the top, Hamid Bangura nodded the ball past his marker before hitting it goalwards. The Hawkinge keeper was well beaten but the crossbar denied Peckham their second of the game. The game entered 6 added minutes and it was the ten men of Peckham that continued to dominate and finished the first half the stronger team.

Mary Phillip’s half time team talk would be a frustrated one, but with some positives in it for sure. With no changes during the break the visitors got the second half underway. Just under ten minutes into the second half Peckham made their first change with Patrick Keitel replacing Hamid Bangura.

Peckham continued to dominate and took the lead in the 56th minute. Camilo Andres Nieva did well to put off the Hawkinge midfielder forcing him into giving the ball away to David Gabor. The Peckham midfielder then played the perfect ball from just inside his own half out to Nicky Meta on the far side. The skipper took a couple of touches as he drove into the Hawkinge area before shooting the ball towards the far post. As two defenders backtracked to clear the ball, the power behind Nicky Meta’s shot sent the ball into the roof of the net via a deflection from the Hawkinge number five’s right boot. Mary Phillip’s team were deservedly ahead, but with an undeserved man advantage the visitors would still be a threat.

Peckham continued to put the pressure on their opponents and Patrick Keitel had a great chance to double the lead in the 67th minute. Kieren Dowding won the ball over on the far side which then fell to the Peckham striker who swiftly turned his man and headed towards goal. He took one touch with his left then shot with his right but he never really struck the ball well enough to trouble the Hawkinge keeper.

Three minutes later and it was Kieran Dowding that had a chance to score after Hawkinge took a short goal kick. Closing down the defender he blocked an attempt to clear, leaving a possible one on one with the keeper. Unfortunately the ball had too much on it and the keeper was quickly out to collect it before the Peckham winger could get a shot away at goal

Mary Phillip then made her second change in the 69th minute, captain Nicky Meta making way for Tidi Barry. More controversy followed when George Legg went into the officials book in the 77th minute. As Hawkinge attacked the Peckham goal, the Menace stopper had no option but to leave his area to intercept on the near side. It was a precision tackle and the ball deflected out for what everyone thought, including the visitors bench, would be a Peckham throw. The official saw otherwise and awarded a free kick and brandished a yellow card George Legg’s way! A truly bizarre decision.

It didn’t stop there, Peckham defended the free kick well, Jacob Kemp heading clear but the ball then hit the official as it left the 18 yard box. A drop ball was awarded in favour of the visitors, despite Peckham having the last touch of the ball. The ball was put out for a corner following the restart, and George Legg then did well to get a punch on the ball before it was headed wide for a goal kick!

There was still more controversy to follow after Elton Romaku gave away a free kick a few minutes later. It wasn’t so much the free kick or the manner in which it was given away, but what followed after. The Hawkinge man was injured and left the field on the far side, he was then substituted, but not long after was waved back on the field by the official. The game continued and no one was any the wiser that the visitors now had 12 men on the field! It was only after another incident when a Hawkinge player received a head injury the error was spotted. It was in fact Nicky Meta in the dug out who brought it to the assistants attention as Hawkinge were about to take another free kick. Realising the error the visiting bench called the earlier substituted player off the field before the kick was taken. You really couldn’t make it up!

The game now entered added time and there would be a few minutes for sure, but no one imagined it would be quite as much as there actually was. With four added minutes Nicky Meta returned to the action, replacing Elton Romaku, surely it would be over soon. The game continued, Peckham had a throw on the far side which Fareid Yassein threw towards Tidi Barry. The midfielder looked to have won his header fair and square but a free kick was given. Hawkinge played the ball forward in search of a late equaliser and managed to switch it over to the near side, the cross went in but was headed over the Peckham goal!

The game was well into the 8th added minute as George Leg took a short goal kick out to Festus Ogunlana who immediately had two Hawkinge players close him down. As he tried to kick the ball away from the danger a late challenge came in and although the Peckham right back avoided any contact, a free kick Peckham’s way should surely have been awarded. The game continued and the full back’s pass just found Camilo Andres Nieva ahead of him who tried to clear it up field. It took a deflection off a Hawkinge player which took the sting out of it but it still managed to find Patrick Keitel just inside the Hawking half. He looked to have won the ball but the official deemed his challenge a foul and awarded a free kick.

Still the game continued and the ball was pumped deep into the Peckham area. It found a Hawkinge head and looked like it would go out for a goal kick but another Hawkinge player kept it in and played it out to the far side and possibly away from danger. Into the 9th added minute now, which nobody could fathom how the official had found such time with no significant stoppages during the second half.

The ball was immediately played back into the Peckham 6 yard area where there were a further two Hawkinge players unmarked. It fell to their number 16 who took a touch and powered it home! It was a cruel end to the game for Mary Phillip’s team who despite playing for well over an hour with ten men, were by far the better team on the day. With 10 added minutes played the official finally brought the game to a close, but where that amount of added time came from is anyone’s guess. Hawkinge will have felt extremely lucky at getting a point from the game in which Peckham dominated for long periods.

However despite the result feeling like a loss, it is another vital point. Every Peckham player gave their all after the red card and should all have been awarded the King of the Match award, but it was given, just, to David Gabor. Next week Peckham travel down to Tenterden for the first time, again searching for another three points on the road.

Peckham Town FC. (4-2-3-1): George Legg; Festus Ogunlana, Jacob Kemp, Elton Romaku , Fareid Yassein; David Gabor, Joe Thomas; Camilo Andres Nieva, Nicky Meta (c), Kieran Dowding; Hamid Bangura.
Subs. Patrick Keitel (on for Hamid Bangura), Tidi Barry (on for Nicky Meta) & Nicky Meta (back on for Elton Romaku).