Penalties Relinquish Old Mead's Grip on Cup

Amateur Football Alliance Middlesex and Essex Senior Cup - Old Meadonians 1 Polytechnic 1 aet

Holders, Old Meadonians relinquished their grip on the A.F.A. Middlesex and Essex Senior Cup, or rather had their grip prised open by a Polytechnic side eager to avenge a series of defeats at the hands of their near neighbours over the last four years.

It has to be said that on this occasion Meads’ coaches may played into their visitors’ hands by taking a gamble in their starting line-up. With three regular midfielders out injured they chose not to strengthen that area but to put three up front, thus weakening the midfield further. Not only did this overcrowd their attack but it seemed to make it easier for Poly to defend and then to play their way through Meads’ understaffed midfield.

To compound matters further, this was the day on which all three of the hosts’ strikers chose to have an off day, once more failing to trouble the scorer. Meads took the lead after half an hour when Henrik Jakobssson volleyed in a headed clearance from the edge of the area and almost immediately could have increased their lead Kevin Smith was just too high with another volley.

Five minutes later Poly were level when slack defensive play gave the ball away for it to be fed into the area and Kris Sayers, returning from injury, was given a chance.

Throughout the second half Poly looked the more likely to score as they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession as Meads appeared only too willing to be levered off the ball.

During extra time still Poly had thee edge missing two good chances to Meads’ one. They got their reward when their hosts failed to find the net with their first three penalty attempts after Sayers had saved Poly’s second effort.

Team: Sayers, Salanson, Hanley, Pointer, Jakobsson, (McGuinness), McCombe, Rhone, Glover, (Bond), K. Smith, (D. Smith), Hawkins, L. Smith.

March 6, 2007