Amateur Football Combination Premier Division

Enfield Old Grammarians 0 Old Meadonians 4

Following their narrow escape last week, when they squeaked through to the final of the A.F.A. Senior Cup with a one nil win in a rather drab match, Old Meadonians were back, not quite to their sparkling best, but certainly showing themselves capable of heartening the management with an all-round team effort in comfortably beating mid-table Enfield Old Grammarians who were far too welcoming and could have been three down at half time as chances in one on ones to Jack Costello and Craig Jones weren’t cashed in.

First Costello’s brilliant diagonal run from right to left on fifteen minutes outwitted the off-side trap and put him in on the keeper who then grabbed the ball when it was taken too close. It was another five minutes before, this time Craig Jones took the ball past the keeper only to find the angle too narrow and hit the side netting. On the half hour Meads found their A.F.A. Senior Cup Final and league run-in further jeopardised when Jack Costello limped off having torn a calf muscle to be replaced by Ed Glover. However, with five minutes to the break the visitors were rewarded as second team striker Nick Wilson robbed a dozy defender on the left and provided Jones with a tap in to put them in one up.

The interval discussion revolved round the fact that the half chances would continue to be offered and now would be snapped up and thus tactics would not change. This is what eventually transpired, to the relief of the management, as with twenty five minutes to go Craig Jones’ pace took him clear through the middle to slot past the oncoming goalie. Five minutes later Ed Glover headed on a corner from the right and Jack Holmes volleyed in at the far post. With five minutes to the final whistle came the best of the bunch: Jordan Mace put in a deep cross and Wilson rose between two defenders to power in a header. In true Meads’ tradition joint coaches Rory Vermeulen and Paul Rumley blooded newcomer, sixteen year old Charles Orchard with five minutes as sub and named the thrusting youngsters, Nick Wilson and Jake Gowers joint MoM.
Squad: Robinson, Mace, Gerrish, Goode, Quinn, Holmes, Costello, Gowers, Shea, Wilson, C. Jones, Orchard, Glover,

March 19, 2015