Old Meads Mini-Revival Brought Firmly To An End

Amateur Football Combination Premier Division: Old Meadonians 1 Bealonains 2

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Sports in Chiswick

Old Meadonians

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Old Meadonians’ mini-revival of two wins on the trot, including a five nil drubbing of league leaders Old Aloysians was firmly brought to an end by a well prepared and unbeaten Bealonians side who now lie handily fourth with enough games in hand to take them clear at the top.

This was to be a game of few chances and was certainly a six-pointer as a win for the hosts would have put them four points ahead of their visitors. It was apparent that Meads were taken by surprise by Beals’ state of readiness, when the latter showed they had the answer to Meads’ usual ploy of allowing opponents to play football in their own territory and then to break up any subsequent attacks and counter with a rapid strike.

The visitors simply refused to give the ball away cheaply and there was little the hosts could do to break the deadlock in what was a metaphoric war of attrition. True Beals were hit by a sucker punch on ten minutes when a clearing header by Luke Graham was headed on by Ed Glover into the path of the marauding Leon Smith who duly rounded the keeper. Smith was, however, otherwise kept under a close watch by his marker.

Meads could point to the fact that the first half equaliser came from a seemingly scuffed free kick which mysteriously looped over keeper Shannon Toyne. However, there could be no gainsaying the validity and justice of the goal which took Beals back into the lead. It followed a period of dominance during which the hosts chased shadows.

Meads were caught short at the back as Beals broke in force down the right. A good accurate cross was put in to the edge of the area whence it was comfortably dispatched into the corner of the net. Even the scorned chance for the hosts to level from the spot would have been an injustice to the visitors as its source was dubious. All in all, for Meads, this was a game to be put behind them but nevertheless to learn from.

Team: Toyne, Graham, Pointer, Pilcher, Palmer, Glover, (Quinn), Gerrish, Hugh Jones, (Lovell), Thompson, (Caran), Eguae, L. Smith.

November 6, 2008