Old Meads' Pick Up After Indifferent Start In League

Amateur Football Alliance Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup - Old Meadonians 3 Old Uffingtonians 1

This is a dangerous period for Old Meadonians who, having recently been involved in the three cups they enter, and had an indifferent start to their league campaign, find themselves, although with a game in hand, dangling lower than the middle of the table and in need of a ‘pick me up’ in the form of easy league pickings.

In facing Parkfield who are only two places above them but have already taken six points off second and third placed Parmiterians and Honourable Artillery Company, Meads have no such luck and rather a stern challenge this coming week.

It’s not all gloom and doom, however, as Meads are treading a fine sprouting green carpet of recovery after putting together three cup performances of increasing quality, albeit against modest but nonetheless aspiring opposition. Their defence, whilst not being profligate, has not been totally watertight and has tightened up considerably and striker Colin Hawkins is adjusting well to his loss of pace and is contributing admirably to the input of his in form partner, Ed Glover.

The main thrust of their drive has come from midfield where star turn, Will Gerrish, has shown he has the energy to break up attacks before they develop and enough left to make timely surging runs that open up opportunities in the stile of a latterday Bryan Robson. Saturday saw Meads as near back to their imperious best, as dammit is to swearing, as, putting the motto, ‘attack is the best form of defence’ into practice, they seized an early grip on the game by having Hawkins and Glover, closely supported by the pacy Peter Eguae, up front and the three goals they eventually scored might well have been double that before half time.

As it is they settled for one scored after ten minutes following good work by Glover and Gerrish, the latter playing the ball over the top for Eguae to outpace the cover and make no mistake from just inside the area. The second half had no silver lining for the visitors such was Meads’ impetus and fifteen minutes in Glover headed on a long throw and Gerrish’s sweet volley brooked no answer.

Ten minutes later the hosts threw a lifeline vaguely in Uffingtonians’ direction by allowing a long ball to thread across their area where it was stabbed in at the far post. They then had to withstand ten minutes of extreme pressure before Hawkins put paid to it by volleying in Eguae’s cross. Gerrish was named MoM.

Team: S. Greening, Pointer, Palmer, Thompson, Rhone, Jones, Gerrish, Costello, Eguae, Hawkins, Glover, (Granville).

November 25, 2009