Meads Motor on

AFA Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup Old Meadonians 5 Old Owens 1

Old Owens are handily placed in the premier division of the Southern Amateur League, with four games in hand on the leaders, having lost just twice this season. Their reputation came ahead of them to Riverside Lands for Saturday’s quarter final A.F.A. Middlesex and Essex Senior Cup clash with Old Meadonians but by half-time this was in tatters, torn to pieces by the hosts who took control from the opening whistle, camped in the visitors’ half, throttled any attempt to break the strangle-hold and crammed in four superb goals to give the game some real meaning.

For coaches Paul Rumley and Rory Vermeulen this was most satisfying as it was their pre-match session with blackboard in the changing room that set the stage for a scintillating display of power football. The basis for Meads dominance was a non-stop display by the centre mid-field trio Danny Bond, Steve Kearney and Kevin Quinn who rightly received joint man of the match awards. Wingbacks skipper Jack Costello and Barry McGuinness provided a stream of telling crosses to pile on the pressure.

Striker Colin Hawkins opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, latching onto a ball through the middle and hammering home from twenty yards. Within five minutes Kearney steamed through the middle and, although the keeper blocked his first effort, bundled in the rebound to make it two. Before half-time the rout was complete as first Hawkins chested down a cross from the right and volleyed from fifteen yards and

co-striker Ed Glover headed in a cross from the left. The second half was a slight anticlimax although Meads continued to dominate proceedings. With twenty minutes to go a throw out by keeper Dave Needham deputising for injured Kris Sayers was nicked by an attentive attacker and the ball lobbed home. Meads repaid this impudence by retaliating when Bond put Quinn through to round the keeper.

Team: Needham, Salanson, Hanley, Williamson, Costello, Kearney, Bond, Quinn, McGuinness, (Rhone), Hawkins, Glover, (Pointon).

If you feel you would like to be a member of this progressive and friendly club why not visit their website www.omfc.co.uk

David Stanners

February 3, 2005