Eight Straight Wins For Old Meads

Amateur Football Combination Premier Division: Old Meadonians 3 Dorkinians 0

Old Meadonians made it straight eight wins on the run at the expense of visitors Riverside Lands, promotees, Dorkinians who failed to heed Rudyard Kipling’s warning about keeping ones head, to leave the field at the final whistle noisily blaming every one but themselves for what was, partially at least, a self-induced defeat.

Whether they expected a more cordial welcome from their hosts was never ascertained but, while they obviously hadn’t gained promotion without ability, they failed to display much on Saturday. The other portion of their misfortune was inflicted on them by their hosts who, following well known football lore, built their house on firm ground by maintaining a strong defence, ably marshalled by twin towers Will Gerrish and Aidan Chapman and underpinned by adventurous wing backs Jack Costello and Charlie Cain.

While Meads’ front runners, Craig Jones and Nick Wilson benefitted little in the way of breaks, their pace kept Dorks’ defence at full stretch and they and Meads’ mid-shipmen harried the visitors for the team to take a debilitating grip on possession which dashed Dorkinians’ hopes. On ten minutes Jones showed why he is such an asset by cutting in from the left and gathering himself calmly to slide the ball past the onrushing keeper into the far corner.

On the stroke of half-time, not to be left out, Wilson copied this move from the right only to hit the far post. The second half saw the visitors increasingly calling on the referee to intercede on their behalf but in vain as their hosts turned the screw. Midway through the half Dorks’ keeper sliced a clearance and lurking Ed Glover mastered the spinning ball and beat the keeper to put Meads two up. The hosts’ third was again generated by constant pressure. This time the Dorks’ keeper’s miss-kick was met by Wilson’s header from just outside the area which looped over him into the empty net.

Charlie Cain was named MoM.

Squad: Robinson, Costello, Gerrish, Chapman, Cain, Shea, Gowers, Bright (Mace), C. Jones, Wilson, Richardson (Glover), Sub. Pointer.

March 15, 2016