Amateur Football Combination Premier Division

Old Minchendenians 2 Old Meadonians 1

Old Meadonians’ brief reign on top of the table of Damselfly duration was brought to an end by champions Old Minchendenians at Southgate on Saturday who, after an initial twenty minute push by Meads in which they could well have been two up when, first Jack Costello hit the underside of the bar from twenty yards and Craig Jones fired into the side-netting from a narrow angle, were the better organised for the duration of the game, showing that they were determined to hold on to the premiership for a third year running.

Meads’ problems began when fifteen minutes in speedy winger Ed Glover, in only his second start this season limped off clutching his hamstring and with the pace of Matt Allen unavailable on the bench midfield schemer Jake Gowers came on, a square-ish replacement to fit a round hole.

However, from then on the hosts out-thought their guests and on the half hour reaped reward with their resilient striker Tim Chenery, back from illness, doing the honours. Just two minutes after the interval Meads were hit by a double whammy when first of all a callow referee’s assistant seemed to be pressured into flagging for a phantom foul on the right wing and then Minches’ Callum Ferrand seemed to come back from an offside position to get the last touch to notch, un-flagged, the hosts’ second.

This wrong was not assuaged when the referee admitted later that he could have blown for the offside. Meads could only huff and puff for the rest of the game, getting their consolation with two minutes to go through a Craig Jones right foot rocket into the far top corner.

Squad: Robinson, Mace, McCombe, O’Sullivan, Mantel, Costello, Gerrish, Chapman, Glover, Bright, C. Jones, Gowers, Smith.

October 4, 2013