Old Meadonians Buckle Down

Amateur Football Alliance Premier Division ; Old Meadonians 2 UCL Academicals 0

Following their stumble out of the blocks last week, Old Meadonians buckled down to the task of reasserting themselves by showing their mettle to visitors and old foes, UCL Academicals, at Riverside Lands on Saturday.

The Accies who, as their full name might suggest, are one of the more cultured teams in the A.F.C., have languished mysteriously in the division below Meads for five years but, newly promoted, showed they’d lost none of their skills in a hard fought match. The trouble for the visitors was that their hosts and adversaries still had memories of their own halcyon noughties when, more often than not, when faced by determined Meads, things ended in tears for the Accies, simply because Meads exploited their ‘Achilles Heel’, the careful build-up from deep in their own half which invariably gave their opponents time and ample opportunity to adjust to the point of threat and close doors further up field.

Thus it was to be on Saturday as Meads could afford to allow the visitors to keep the ball in their own half while still harrying them into mistakes when the time came to make a penetrating pass or even gamble! Supposedly, Meads were underpowered, with sharpshooter Craig Jones absent with a niggle and walking wounded centre-back Will Gerrish helping out manager Luke Graham in the technical area. However, the versatile John Shea stepped up to lead the line with broad shoulders, with pacy Nick Wilson supplying the thrust along side him up front. Laurie Pointer moved sideways into the centre of the back four to help form the core of a solid defence with Matt Britner which eventually led to the man behind them, Gary Robinson, being shielded from having to make other than routine saves.

That meant that the job of snapping at heels and ensuring that the Accies play-makers never had time to dwell on the ball was safe in the capable hands of Meads mid-fielders. Of Meads’ engine room artificers it seemed that effervescent Ryan Bright was always free to forsake his defensive duties and support Shea and Wilson, Ed Glover could track back to snuff out breaks and rely on his raw pace to frighten defenders from deep, and only the yeoman-like Jake Gowers had to eschew most of his constructive designs and become a thorn in the side of any opponent who had the ball. This left playmaker supreme and ‘MoM’ Jack Costello free to boss the game which he did, back at his imperious and industrious best. Hence, after the managers had ushered an over-vociferous member of the fifth estate back to the press box, they could be heard issuing cogent and intelligible instructions to willing players which meant that, although the Accies had around 60% of possession they never represented a danger to their hosts and were put under the cosh by the speed with which their hosts could convert defence into attack.

Meads’ first goal came after twenty minutes when left back Charlie Cain had his throw played back to him by Bright, skipped past a tackle and crossed for Wilson to control the ball and net at the far post. There was clear water between Meads and pursuit on the hour when Wilson’s pace took him clear on the right and his cross was swept into the roof of the net by Aaron Glover, on for his namesake Ed and the best the visitors could manage ten minutes from the final whistle was a goal instantly flagged for off-side.

Squad: Robinson, Campbell, Pointer, Britner, Cain, Costello, Bright, Gowers, Wilson, E. Glover, (A. Glover), Shea, Subs unused: Quinn, Kemp.

September 21, 2016