Old Meads Show Scant Hospitality to Arthurian Visitors

Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup - Old Meadonians 2 Old Brentwoods 0

Old Meadonians showed scant hospitality to Arthurian League Old Brentwoods by brushing them aside after they’d had to travel across London to Riverside Lands because their own pitch was unplayable.

The visitors who have had a slightly worse start to their league campaign than Meads, although eager, had little to offer other than youthful endeavour. It would be nice to be able to add the second adjective ‘honest’ to that statement but that would be over-charitable as throughout they were too willing to benefit from a string of petty fouls like schoolboys taking advantage of a geriatric teacher.

The subtle hand was constantly being laid on in the air and sly obstruction calculated to give possession abounded. This behaviour has long been high on the list of footballers’ dislikes as it is non-violent and thus usually escapes the referee’s attention while still yielding unfair advantage.

However, because it distorts justice, it can lead to the law passing into hands other than the referee’s and this was why just before half time the normally stoic Simon Greening in Meads’ gaol reacted angrily to being yet again illegally baulked in the air. He was singled out for a lecture by the referee who chose not to admonish the transgressor in this tango who stood to gain very much more from his unlawful act.

It is difficult to remember Meads having dominated a first half so totally without scoring a hatful; certainly if this had been the proverbial boxing match the referee would certainly have stopped the contest to protect Brentwoods from further punishment. As it was Meads made smooth progress on either flank and a constant stream of crosses from Colin Hawkins and coach Jack Costello led to the visitors’ goal being under continuous threat yet bearing a charmed life.

In one two minute period mid-half Meads’ dynamic midfielder Will Gerrish was desperately unlucky with three rasping shots from the twenty five yards range which shaved the bar. There were ominous signs that the hosts would enter the break without reward but with ten minutes to go Costello adjusted his sights and, when his whipped corner was headed onto the bar by the timely arrival of centre back Andy Thomson, Nick Jones volleyed in the rebound.

Five minutes later Costello repeated the procedure for Thompson’s colleague at the back, Liam Palmer to head under the bar and bring a communal sigh of relief. The second half saw a relaxing of Meads throttling grip on the game as they allowed Brentwoods more of the ball but still kept the door firmly bolted at the back.

Such was the lack of penetration in the visitors’ attack that the hosts felt safe enough to blood promising youngsters Will Hardy and Dov O’Neil and give undergraduate Gabs Jones his second game of the season without endangering their lead. Andy Thompson was named MoM.

Team: S.Greening, Pointer, Thompson, Palmer, Rhone, Costello, Granville, (Hardy), Gerrish, N. Jones, Glover, (G. Jones), Hawkins, (O’Neil).

December 8, 2009