Meads Save Their Bacon Against Danes

Amateur Football Combination Premier Division Old Danes 0 Old Meadonians 1

Old Meadonians continued their task of mopping up league points in a thoroughly dissatisfying match at the Shamrock Club Acton on Tuesday evening with a side depleted by injuries to both first and second choice keepers, centre back Ian Williamson and striker Ed Glover.

The only crumb of comfort was that Meads emerged from a parody of a game played on a pitch more suited to a ploughing match with three points, but only by the skin of their teeth as the uncompromising hosts Danes agricultural methods almost caused an upset. . The more skilful footballing side by far, the visitors were reduced to the level of bottom club Danes by a surface of hummocks topped with a verdant six inch growth of grass on which the ball bobbled from pinnacle to pinnacle giving Meads’ strikers no chance of using their pace.

It was fitting that the only goal of the match came on thirty minutes when skipper Jack Costello dipped a forty-yard free kick over the keeper. No need to use the pitch there! The only other first half chance fell to Colin Hawkins who was foiled by a good save.

The second half saw the mixture as before with the Danes’ keeper standing up well to deny Costello in a one on one before, in the last twenty minutes, the hosts put on a power play which had their guests reeling and holding till the final whistle.

Danes missed three good chances which might be blamed on the pitch but since they obviously connived to produce a travesty of a surface, not even cutting the grass, it is difficult to have any sympathy for them if they go down.

Meads: Greening, McGuinness, Hanley, Wapshott, Costello, Pointon, (Bond), Kearney,Leiper, Rhone, Bowring, (Cope), Hawkins.

If you feel you would like to be a member of this progressive and friendly club visit their web site www.omfc.co.uk

David Stanners

April 22, 2005