Old Meads Pile On The Pressure

Amateur Football Combination Premier Division: Old Hamptonians 1 Old Meadonians 3

For the second week running Old Meadonians had to hoist storm warning cones foretelling slightly worse than choppy weather ahead if they continue to play in the disjointed manner of their last two games: last week they were two down at half time and, with ten men swept their visitors off the pitch with a four goal blast in the second period. This Saturday the score-line goes nowhere near telling the full story; The hosts, league champions, Old Hamptonians, created more chances than Meads but failed to convert more than one and even that one was donated by a defence that was temporarily but totally AWOL.

Meads, relying on the thrust provided by front runners, Craig Jones and Nick Wilson and Ryan Bright in mid-field, after initial reconnoitring by both sides, ran the hosts ragged to be three up at the change over. The visitors’ pace up front not only succeeded in preventing Hampton from playing a high line at the back but also stifled their attempts to connect their defence with their front runners. Even during Meads’ domination, when the hosts did have short periods of possession they showed their mettle and once in Meads’ penalty area were dangerously difficult to manage when on the ball, the constant call from the visitors’ technical area being, “No foul”, a warning against impetuousness.

However, more importantly, Hampton continually fluffed their lines when the moment came to pull the trigger. In contrast, Meads were to be three up before the hosts knew it, with a twenty minute burst taking advantage of sustained pressure in the latter part of the first half. The visitors’ first came from a classic route one move when Mike Richards headed on keeper Simon Greening’s drop kick and Wilson’s pace put him through to beat the oncoming keeper from fifteen yards. The second came not much more than a minute later when Bright, who was tormenting the Hampton defence was helped to the ground in the area and got up to score the spot kick.

Five minutes before half time it was three when workaholic John Shea put the ball over a square defence for Wilson to lob the keeper. Hence it was over generous when, with a minute to go to half-time, Meads gave the hosts centre-back a free header and a mini-lifeline. In the second half there was a total reversal of roles as the hosts took the game to Meads, penned them in for prolonged periods, showed how to play joined up football, by building carefully from deep, to give their visitors a truly torrid time for the last half hour of the match. At this point it was encouraging to see deputising keeper, Simon Greening making timely interventions to bolster a creaking defence. It was also now that the thinking spectator might have wondered why Meads hadn’t taken advantage of the rolling sub league rule to bring back the mercurial Craig Jones who had come off just after half time and who has been known to take advantage of tiring defences, coming back on in the dying minutes, having had time to recharge his batteries.

In the end it was not quite a case of all's well that ends well, but three points in the bag and time available to put things right. Ryan Bright was named MoM for his intricate work holding the ball up in mid-field.

Squad:Greening, Costello, Chapman, Britnor, Cain, Gowers, Bright, Richards, Shea, Wilson, Jones, Glover, Pointer, Harrison.

October 11, 2016