Newsletter w/c 27.09.21

Fixtures for Saturday 2nd October 2021

Selection

Match Reports

Old Meadonians 0 – 1 Wandsworth Borough

Meads firsts went into the match against Wandsworth Borough off the back of a hard fought win in their previous game.

A sloppy pass presented the opposition with an opportunity which they seized upon to take the lead early in the game. Mike had to come off in the first half after a clash of heads left the centre half with an injury to his eye.

Meads played some impressive football and managed to get into good positions, but lacked conviction in the final third. A couple of free kicks were plucked out of the air by the borough goalkeeper as the team failed to create any clear goal scoring opportunities from open play.

Meads’ best chance came in the second half when a goal bound header was brilliantly saved by the borough goal keeper. Meads received a couple of harsh red cards late in the game and the match finished 1-0 to borough in a tight game with few chances.

Old Hamptonians II 4-1 Old Meadonians II

Saturday saw Old Hamptonians second team host Old Meadonians second team in the first round of the AFA Intermediate Cup. After Meads’ first win of the season last Saturday the boys were keen to carry on their winning ways against a team who sit 8^th in the league above and are yet to get any points on the board.

The day didn’t get off to the best start as WIG Ben Jermain showed up half an hour late with the kit, making it a quick change and a rush over to the pitch side for a shorter than hoped, but still decent, warm up.

Blood pumping and both teams ready to go, Hamptonians took kick off and tried to set the pace of the game by dropping deep and looking for long balls to their big man up top. Meads dealt with the threat well in the first half, winning the ball back often and breaking with the best chances coming through Phil McNicholas on the left wing. Unfortunately, Meads didn’t create enough clear-cut chances and after some sloppy marking from the second ball of a corner, one of Hamptonians centre backs sliced a shot into the top left corner at the back post. With Meads pressing for the equaliser and a lot of the game being played in the Hamptonians half, the WIG himself played a poor back pass which was intercepted on the halfway line, beginning a quick Hamptonians counterattack ending with the ball in the back of the Meads net. Half time, 2-0.

The second half played out much the same but with Meads pushing on to close the deficit. Although this meant Meads had a lot more chances, they were also more open at the back and after some poor marking, this time from a free kick out wide, Hamptonians big man up top took a cross on his chest and smashed home a volley from just inside the box. Meads continued to push and, on another day, easily could have been right back in the game if not for some good saves and clearances. There was one more goal in the game for Hamptonians and a consolation for Meads. Final score, 4-1.

Credit to the boys for not giving up and credit to Phil for getting a well-deserved goal. All focus on the league now and getting back to Division 1.

Old Meadonians 3s – No Report Received

Old Meadonians 4s – No Report Received

Old Meadonians 5s – No Report Received

OMFC6 vs WOK6

A ground that I have found myself on the losing side of one too many times was the venue for our 2nd league game of the season against Woking, the weather conditions were fair and the pitches were like carpet in comparison to what we’re used to.

Prior to the game starting, I noticed that the Wokingians players weren’t the same ugly bunch of wrongen’s that we played last year, who were well organised yet very physical, so didn’t really know what to expect from this fresh faced lot?

We found that they definitely weren’t cut from the same cloth!

Our opening 5 minutes were probably the worst I’ve seen from us throughout the whole of preseason, we just didn’t look very settled.

Within ten minutes we conceded a sloppy goal where we were relying on an offside call which never came, the striker got between our 2 centre backs and shot from a tight angle only for the ball to come off Andy and into the back of the net. (Andy’s first own goal of the season) LOL..

We tried picking up the pace and hit a few balls off the break but the end product wasn’t there.

Jak, who was playing in his last game before departing to Barbados hits a shot which narrowly goes over the bar.

We were then fortunately gifted a goal by Wokings keeper who tried playing a short pass which Dean was hot on, his presence enabled him to intercept their left backs pass which he duly drilled into the back of the net from about 30 yards before the keeper could get back into position.

1-1.

We looked more settled after we had scored but we were forced to make an early substitution as TK had tweaked his calf, which doesn’t bode well for his 24HR charity walk next week, Taku on and now playing as a lone wolf.

Simeon was finding it hard to impact the game from the left wing as he wasn’t getting much service down that side and young Henri was itching to come on, so I rang some more changes and on came Carlitos and Henri.  

Dave Maher, making his long awaited debut of the season just before his Mrs pops a sprog, manages to dink a little ball over the top to Taku, who brings it down, out muscles the centre back and then passes it into the back of the net, 2-1 meads.

Half time.

I decided to keep the team as it was going back into the second half, we capitalise on the majority of possession but our finishing isn’t quite on point.

Dean comes off for a quick breather and to stop the blood gushing from an open wound on his knee, Simeon back on, this time at right mid.

Literally within 10 seconds of being back on the pitch, Sim has hit the back of the net, following a lofty cross Henri puts into the box which Andy manages to keep in play, 3-1 Meados.

The remainder of the match was rather eventless other than another rather dubious offside call on Carlitos, Woking never really looked like they would penetrate our defence in the second half.

A comfortable win and a nice send off for the Big Guy who played a blinder.

MOM: Jak Jackson

DOD Jacob Cubitt (v Harsh)

Old Meadonians 7s – No Report Received

Old Meadonians 8s – No Report Received

Old Meadonians Sat Vets – No Report Received