After the win away at Stansfeld O&B on Thursday mathematically secured Premier Division football for another season at the Menace Arena, Mary Phillip would be looking for another performance from her players at home against Tenterden Town FC. The visitors would be hoping to secure their status in this league also, while Peckham were looking to finish as high as possible.

With a strong match day squad of 16, George Legg returned in goal and Elton Romaku started at left back. Togba Tarpeh kept
his starting place at right back and Ben Whittaker partnered Adam Carrick in the centre of defence. Joe Thomas started in midfield alongside Kevin Dance with captain David Gabor just behind the front three of Kieran Dowding, Patrick Keitel and Camilo Andres Nieva. Nicky Meta returned from illness to start on the bench alongside Fareid Yassein, Festus Ogunlana, Hamid Bangura and Samuel Adu Gyamfi.

With a bumper crowd of 171 inside the Menace Arena, boosted by superfan Finn's birthday party, Peckham got the game underway and went on the offensive. Winning a free kick some 40 yards from the visitor's goal, Elton Romaku sent a long ball deep into the visitors six yard box. Adam Carrick attempted to challenge the keeper but was adjudged to have fouled him and a free kick was given. The Menace defender fell awkwardly but
after some treatment was fine to continue.

The visitors were then forced into an early change, their number 10 limping off in the 9th minute after picking up a knock in an earlier challenge. A minute later and the visitors had their first real chance from a free kick 20 yards from goal after a late challenge from Togba Tarpeh, one that earned him a yellow card for his troubles. The free kick found its way through the Peckham wall but thankfully George Legg was on hand to make a save at his near post in the 11th minute.

Four minutes later, Peckham were awarded another free kick in a similar position. Captain
David Gabor opted to go for goal but his effort never really troubled the visitors keeper and he
gathered the ball with ease.

The opening goal came two minutes later after Peckham lost the ball deep inside the Tenteden half. The visitors countered but Peckham managed to clear their lines only for the ball to be played back into their 18 yard box. Ben Whittaker attempted to clear as he back
peddled but it only fell as far as the visitors number eleven on the edge of the Menace area. He hit it first time leaving George Legg rooted to the spot as it sailed past him at his near post.

Seventeen minutes played and one down, and after being in the same position on Thursday night, it was far too early for Peckham to hit the panic button just yet. But it went from bad to worse five minutes later as Mary Phillip was then forced into making an early change after Togba Tarpeh took a knock and gingerly left the field with a back injury, Fareid Yassein his replacement.

Peckham went looking for the equaliser and should have had a penalty on 34 minutes as Camilo Andres Nieva went down in the area. Patrick Keitel did well to turn his man and get a shot away from 8 yards forcing the keeper to fumble a save which then fell to the Peckham winger 6 yards from goal. As he pulled the trigger he looked to have had his standing leg taken away leaving him in a crumpled
heap on the ground. Despite the protest from the Peckham bench, players and supporters the official awarded a corner kick!

Kieran Dowding sent the ball high into the area and Ben Whittaker headed goalwards but the keeper made an easy save. It then went from bad to worse four minutes from time as the visitors scored a second goal! Again Peckham failed to clear their lines and their number 9 powered it home from just inside the Peckham area. Despite George Legg diving towards
the ball it beat him at the near post leaving the back four blaming one another!

The visitors had so far deserved their lead as they looked better organised in the middle of the park. Four added minutes were played and the official brought the first half to an end.
Time for two very different half time team talks, Mary Phillip would be trying to convince her players there was a way back into the game.

With no further changes during the break the visitors kicked off the second half. Joe Thomas found himself going into the officials book on 52 minutes after one foul too many, and a minute later Mary Phillip made her second change. Hamid Bangura came on to replace Patrick Keitel in an attempt to get back into the game.

Tenterden then had a great chance to get a third goal, shooting just inches wide of the Peckham goal a minute later. Camilo Andres Nieva then had the ball in the back of the net in the 57th minute only for the assistant on the far side to raise his flag for offside.

Two minutes later and Adam Carrick had a great chance to get one back for Peckham from a short corner. Elton Romaku took it quickly to Camilo Andres Nieva who dinked the
ball into the 6 yard area, Adam Carrick rose to head it home but got it all wrong and the ball sailed high and wide of the visitors goal.

It then went from bad to worse for the Peckham defender when the official sent him to the sin bin for using some choice language after he disagreed with an earlier decision that could probably be heard at the other end of Dulwich Park!

Not for the first time this season, being a man down seemed to spring some life into Peckham and they started to put the visitors under pressure. Kevin Dance almost pulled a goal back in the 66th minute were it not for the
desperate lunge from the Tenterden captain's gravity defying outstretched leg denying him from seven yards.

Mary Phillip’s team continued to search for a way back in to the game but Camilo Andres Nieva found himself going into the officials book in the 69th minute for a dive. It was harsh as it did look like he
had been caught by the Tenterden defender, but the exaggerated fall would not have helped his cause.

Then with just over 15 minutes remaining, and as Adam Carrick re-joined the game, David Gabor almost made the breakthrough for Peckham. Turning his marker on the edge of the ‘D’ he curled the ball towards the goal, missing the top right hand corner by a whisker!

The goal did eventually come for Peckham after they were awarded two penalties in the space of a minute after the Tenterden defence finally buckled! The first came after Kevin Dance spotted the run of Kieran Dowding and played an inch perfect ball into the visitors area. The Peckham winger ran on to collect the ball, took a touch to go round the advancing keeper who caught his trailing leg and sent him crashing to the ground. The official had no
hesitation in pointing to the spot and had no option than to book the keeper as well, with some asking for a red card, questioning whether the 'keeper had made a genuine challenge for the ball or had deliberately brought him down.

Up stepped Hamid Bangura to take and he hit it straight down the middle of the goal. The keeper dived to his right and looked beaten but the ball hit his trailing leg and fell to a fellow defender. He failed to clear the ball and it found Camilo Andres Nieva some 6 yards from goal. The Peckham winger turned his man and was then dragged to the ground right in front of the official who immediately pointed to the spot once again.

This time the responsibility would fall to the Peckham winger, he calmly stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way slotting the ball home at the near post making it 2-1 to the visitors with 13 minutes remaining.

Mary Phillip’s side continued to search for an equaliser but the visitors dug deep and defended well. Frustratingly they opted to waste as much time as they could get away with, despite calls from the home contingent for the official to take action against certain offenders!

Peckham’s third change came in the 89th minute as Elton Romaku made way for Festus Ogunlana. It wasn’t enough and after
four added minutes the game was over.

A disappointing result, especially after the win in the week, but with so many games played of late, there were clearly some tired legs amongst Mary Phillip’s squad. Peckham drop back into the bottom half of the table and attention now turns to Wednesday evening's match as Halls AFC travel to the Menace
Arena one place above the Peckham and two points ahead. Let the battle for eighth commence!

Peckham Town FC (4-2-3-1): George Legg; Togba Tarpeh, Ben Whittaker, Adam Carrick, Elton Romaku; Joe Thomas, Kevin Dance; Camilo Andres Nieva, David Gabor ©, Kieran Dowding; Patrick Keitel. Subs: Fareid Yassein (on for Togba Tarpeh), Hamid Bangura (on for Patrick Keitel) & Festus Ogunlana
(on for Elton Romaku), Nicky Meta (unused) & Samuel Adu Gyamfi (unused)