Old Meads' Six Point Lead At Top Of The Table

AFC Premier Division: Old Meadonians 2, Honourable Artillery Company 1

Old Meadonians opened up a six point lead at the top of the table with another three hard fought for points, making it six wins on the trot, after beating resilient visitors to Riverside Lands, mid table Honourable Artillery Company, with the deciding goal in the dying minutes on Saturday.

Conditions could not have been worse, with an unyielding pitch covered with a layer of muddy slurry, playing more like an ice rink than the grassy expanse of Wembley Stadium. Yet, despite having, into the bargain, to contend with the tail end of an Atlantic gale which kept the ball in a frisky state of disobedience, both sides attempted to play good controlled football, giving good value for money, with Meads, taking greater advantage of the conditions to shade possession and therefore ultimately deserve the spoils.

Meads, without speedy striker Ed Glover and with John Shea filling in for absent right back Jack Costello, also had Nick Jones back in mid-field and welcomed long term casualty Lawrie Pointer back to the bench, faced the wind in the first half and persevered with Craig Jones causing the visitors trouble on the left with Simon Richardson shouldering the majority of the spade work up front.

With the wind behind them after the interval Meads tightened their grip on the game and took a deserved lead when a right wing corner was only half for John Shea to score from ten yards with an overhead kick. Tired legs began to take their toll and both defences looked vulnerable on the break. However it was the visitors who equalized with ten minutes to go. Five minutes later the hosts were rescued by Man of the Match, Ryan Bright who raced onto an enormous clearance by keeper Garry Robinson, kept his cool to round thee visitors’ goalie and score inside the far post.

Squad: Robinson, Shea, Gerrish, Chapman, Cain, Mace (Ly), Gowers, N. Jones, Bright, C. Jones, Richardson (Boynton), Sub, Pointer, not used.

February 23, 2016