Old Mead’s Suffer First Defeat of Season
Amateur Football Combination Premier Division : Hamptonians 3 Old Meadonians 2
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Old Meadonians suffered their first defeat of the season at Hampton on Saturday but can take heart, firstly, that this was more at the hands of a lenient referee, who turned down three good shouts for penalties, than those of their hosts; secondly new signing from Norwich United, Richard Pilcher, had a dream debut at the back and finally skipper, Jack Costello, came off the bench to take a further step towards match fitness.
Striker Colin Hawkins’ first start of the season brought a flashback of genius when, on twenty minutes, his explosive fifteen yard volley found the top corner of the net. Meads could then have been given a comfort zone if the referee had interpreted the laws justly. Five minutes before half time the Hampton keeper advanced outside the area to meet Leon Smith and when Smith got the better of him pulled Smith down.
The referee’s answer to this most blatant professional foul was to administer what was little more than a finger wagging in a yellow card. This and another deflationary event when, in the first of three penalty shouts Hawkins was brought down, contributed to the visitors going behind within twenty minutes of the restart, both goals coming from indecision at the back.
Costello came on for Luke Graham who had been struggling with flu and was immediately unlucky with a free kick from just outside the area but Meads retook the lead when a second free kick, this time taken nicely by Hawkins was diverted into the net by a defender.
Even then Meads could have put the result beyond doubt as Ed Glover stole in on the far post to see his effort go just wide but it was to their utter disbelief that, with only two minutes to go, keeper Shannon Toyne pawed the ball away from an oncoming attacker and they saw the referee, from fully forty yards away, awarding the points from the spot.
Team: Toyne, Graham, (Caran), Pointer, Pilcher, Thompson, (Costello), Lloyd, Glover, Hawkins, Smith, Richards.
September 23, 2008