Old Mead’s Draw a Blank
Amateur Football Combination Premier Division - Old Meadonians 0 Old Aloysians 0
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For the first time this season Old Meadonians failed to trouble the scorer and so dropped two valuable points to Saturday’s visitors to Riverside Lands, third placed Old Aloysians. In the event they were lucky to get a stale performance out of the way and still not lose.
However, this does mean that Old Hamptonians, hard on their heels in second place, can once more overtake them by winning a game they have in hand. It also means that as last season there will be a shoot out as the two teams face each other twice in the run-in, with Aloysians and Bealonians waiting to profit if the front- runners falter.
The difference for Meads between last season and this is that, with a long injury list to cope with, coach Paul Rumley has had not the numbers to rotate this time round and this has increased the chance of players overstretching themselves. It was significant to see midfielder Pete Lovell limp off late on with a strained hamstring and striker Colin Hawkins favouring his hamstring in the second half. On the plus side, Ed Glover came off the bench and is improving rapidly and the prospect of keeper Kris Sayers starting light training in a week’s time and skipper Jack Costello doing the same in three week’s time is encouraging.
However, once more it was Meads’ staunchly resilient back three, led by Alastair McCombe who were the heroes as they denied the visitors more than the odd chance in either half. It was, perhaps, as well for Meads that Aloysians’ top scorers Damien Swann and Chris Thomas also seemed to have to make most of the visitors’ play in a first half when they dominated in midfield, only to be rarely allowed within range. The second half showed the benefit of riding out earlier pressure as it was Meads’ turn to take control. Chances fell like manna only to be scorned by both the usually clinical Hawkins and partner Leon Smith up front and even the defensively minded Laurie Pointer found himself in space ten yards out only to snatch and volley over.
Team: Glenn, Salanson, Hanley, McCombe, Lovell, (Glover), Hugh Jones, D. Gerrish, (K. Smith), W. Gerrish, (Rhone), Pointer, L. Smith, Hawkins.
February 21, 2007