Joy Turns to Heartbreak For Mead's Debutant Charlie Kimpton

Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup: Old Salvatorians 0 Old Meadonians 3

Old Meadonians sailed through the first round of the Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup at the expense of Old Salvatoriansat their salubrious home in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Salvos at present struggling just above the trap door in the division below.

However, while the 3-0 win was in fact the comfortable margin it looks, it does not tell the whole story, especially for youngster Charlie Kimpton, promoted to the bench from the reserves to score almost immediately he came on, on his debut, but having to go off to casualty where he was diagnosed as having a double fracture to his leg needing a five week convalescence period.

From the beginning Meads' approach work was exemplary as they carved the home defence open at will and, if their finishing had matched this, they could well have been four up by the interval.

Even by the twentieth minute the normally clinical Ryan Bright had been beaten to the punch in two ‘one on ones' by the alert home goalie and Stuart Holt showed too much of the ball to the home keeper to have his spot kick saved. The latter opportunity came via a conventional method: the eager to atone Bright was set free on the right by Ed Glover's quick free kick and, having weaved his way down the bye line, had his pull back blocked by a defender's hand. Any pay to play defender who thinks he has been hard done by, by such a decision, should recall a photo in the sports section of the Guardian taken at the end of last season during a club international European cup game and a clip from last Saturday's MoTD. Both of these record defenders stretching out their legs to block a shot inside the penalty area. Both defenders have their hands and arms firmly clasped behind their backs totally out of harm's way, a practice which has to be copied in the Grass Roots game. It should also be noted that our referees should be more inclined to severity when arms are flourished by either side in the area especially when blocking a shot or centre. Thus Meads had to wait for their first till just on the break when Bright weaved down the goal line from the right to cut the ball back for raptor Ed Glover to fly in from the left and bury it in the bottom corner at the far post.

HT 0-1

The visitors were about to make heavier work of the second half but even so within five minutes of the restart put open water between themselves and pursuit when the tireless Glover forced the home keeper to fluff his lines and profited gratefully from a narrow angle.

Five minutes later Kimpton came on and, in a fateful ten minute cameo, a further five minutes later had taken his chance to put the game safe from inside the area, only to limp off after five minutes more to complete a sadly ephemeral flowering. It was understandable in the circumstances that the steam went out of Mead efforts following this event but they kept control to see themselves home.

The post match briefing was also naturally low key but the management applauded a thoroughly professionally attained win. Ed Glover was pipped to the MoM award by John Shea's solid defensive performance which gave Meads a good launch pad.

November 4, 2017