Peckham Have The Best Of A 1-1 Draw

On the corners. In the supermarkets. At the water coolers. In the bars. All they are talking about is The Race For Eighth.

It’s fair to say that this hasn’t been the strong end to the season that the Menace faithful had hoped it would be. At the start of March, Peckham had 40% of their games still to play, the majority of them at home, and could realistically plot a way to a comfortable top half finish. But a record since of played six, lost four, drawn one, won one, at an aggregate score of 8-16, has largely put paid to such lofty aspirations. Still, Peckham Town could just about creep into the top half. The clubhouse leaders for eighth place at the start of day were Cuxton, who have set a benchmark of 42 points having played all 30 of their league games. Today’s visitors Tenterden Town began the day a point back in ninth, with 41 points from 27 games. Peckham sat in tenth, six points back from Tenterden but having played one game fewer. A win today therefore, especially if it also put a dent into the relative goal difference (currently 13 in the visitors’ favour), would go some way to propelling the Menace towards the top half.

This game was, in short, the very definition of a six pointer!

The thing about six pointers is that both sides can’t lose – although if ever two sides had the form to bring that about then it might have been these two. Tenterden came into the game in even worse nick than the home side, having chalked up five straight losses and shipping nine goals in the last two games as they went down 4-3 and 5-0 away to Bexley and Kent United respectively. That said, Tenterden have been a goalscoring threat up front all season; they beat Peckham 4-3 in the final game before the Christmas break, and boast two strikers in double figures for League goals in Nathan Light (14) and Reece Blyth (10).

Peckham finding a line up to play to their strengths

Peckham lined up in a 4-2-3-1 that has become their go-to in recent weeks and that looks to bring out the best in the injury-hit options they have available to them. There was an element of the makeshift to the back four still, with Joe Thomas filling-in at left back rather than his preferred central midfield slot. But Gamester in goal, regular right back Raymond Agyemang and centre backs Duah Danso and Yassein were all in natural positions to them. Ahead a defensive midfield destroyer/creator pairing of Tarrant and Michael Agyemang looked well balanced, while the wide threat of Camilo Andres Nieva and Rashane Wilson was supplemented by Nicky Meta playing the ten role behind Chris Weber.

It felt like a side that on paper was as well balanced as could be and that perhaps solved some of the problems seen in recent weeks and months. Two healthy recognized centre backs at the heart of the defence. A complimentary pair of centre mids ahead, that would hopefully create opportunities for Michael Agyemang to display his range of passing. Nicky Meta played further forward where his creative ability could do more damage. Pace and penetration wide on the flanks. And even a decent array of subs to refresh and change things up if needed.

Now Peckham just needed to put theory into practice.

Nieva a lively threat, but half ends goalless

The teams took to the field behind birthday girl Hayley and through a crowd of high-five seeking young fans. (The referee tried to get in on that action but was left hanging by one seven year old, who has clearly learned the right way to behave from someone, somewhere). Tenterden began the game playing uphill and in truth toiled for much of the half as the hosts enjoyed the best of the territory and possession, albeit that clear-cut chances were at a premium.

Much of Peckham’s first half threat came down their left, as Nieva regularly found space to pick up the ball and run at his full back. He created a good opportunity on the eighth minute, cutting inside and fizzing a pass across the edge of the box that was met by the onrushing Chris Weber – unfortunately the ball bobbled up as the striker took his shot and the effort skied over the bar. His next real effort on 20 minutes Weber made for himself, surging to the byline and sending a high rasping shot on target, but the Tenterden keeper was behind it. A few minutes later Raymond Agyemang threatened from the opposite flank, turning his full back one way then the other before his vicious right foot shot was tipped over.

Peckham threatened from set pieces too. Tarrant should have worked the keeper when given a free header centrally on 18 minutes. And then on 40 minutes came the best chance of the half: this time Michael Agyemang found himself unmarked on the penalty spot, and his flicked header towards the back post was diverted on target by Rashane Wilson a few yards out, only for the visiting keeper to get across and claw the ball away.

The half ended with the away side’s first chance, a bobbling, deflected shot from outside the box turned around the post by Gamester.

Peckham eventually break through, but are denied at the last

The half wasn’t five minutes old before Michael Agyemang had twice shown his class with two defence-splitting balls from deep. The second of these sent Nieva behind the defence; his cut back found Meta whose shot was cleared off the line by a scrambling defender into the grateful arms of his beaten goalkeeper. Soon after Nieva, who had put 90 minutes running into 60, was replaced by Bah, and the substitute had two opportunities to open the scoring as Peckham worked more chances in the box. Both were wasted – one tamely saved, the other skied over – and shortly afterwards the Menace spurned their best chance yet as Chris Weber’s penalty, awarded for handball after a cross by Nicky Meta, was saved low to his right by the Tenterden keeper.

It had begun to look like Peckham would not score if they played all night. I had in fact resigned myself to not seeing the home side get a goal, and I proved to be right – my trip to the gents was greeted by a deafening roar. Correctly surmising this was nothing to do with me and that Peckham had taken the lead, I was able through the Wonder That Is Dave’s Twitter Coverage to see that a cross from the left by Kemp had been flicked on by a defender to Nicky Meta standing a few yards from the edge of six yard box. The captain hit the dropping ball first time low into the opposite corner to put his side in front.

Having been at pains to push the pace all through the afternoon, Peckham now looked to slow things down. It was an approach that seemed understandable to all bar the referee, who harshly showed Hassan Omar a second yellow card for time wasting (his first having come for a foul on the edge of the box a few minutes after he entered the fray), making this father even more proud of his son’s pre-game snub to officialdom. The dismissal was to prove costly for Peckham, as Tenterden exploited space at the back post from a 90+4th minute corner to head home an equalizer. Peckham tried hard to win it again, but could not fashion an opening.

Peckham stay in tenth with three home games left

The draw sees Tenterden Town climb into the coveted eighth place spot, level on points but ahead of Cuxton on goal difference. Peckham Town stay tenth, six points behind both with three games remaining. It’s hard to see them catching Tenterden, who still have two games to play, but amassing seven points from their remaining three games will see them overhaul Cuxton to claim ninth.

218 fans were there to witness today’s match, a mark that’s sure to be beaten in all three outstanding home games. So come down on Saturday 4th, Bank Holiday Monday 6th and Saturday 11th to catch the Menace play Stansfeld O&B, Minster and Ashford and be a part of the only conversation that matters.

Because on the station platforms. In the lifts. At the markets. Down the pub. All they are talking about is the Race For Ninth.

Peckham Town: Gamester; R.Agyemang, Thomas, Yassein, Duah Danso; Tarrant, M.Agyemang; Wilson, Nieva, Meta; Weber. Subs: Kemp (for Tarrant), Bah (for Nieva), Hassan (for R.Agyemang), Romaku (for Weber), Ofori (for Wilson)