Old Meads register first league win of season

U.C.L. Academicals 1   Old Meadonians 2

Old Meadonians registered their first league win of the season at London Colney on Saturday and in doing so condemned U.C.L. Academicals to what must be their worst start for some seasons as they prop up the table with four straight defeats.  They are really missing their central defender and defensive general Dan Chantler who has had a double hernia operation but their squad does not appear to have anywhere near its usual depth.

By contrast Meads have been coping with the inroads of a hefty injury list for six weeks now and their defence was admirably marshalled by Dan Salanson who got the man of the match award. Certainly Accies Wembley sized pitch favoured Meads’ pacy strikers Ed Glover and Albert Adomah as, even kicking into the stiff breeze, they stretched out to pull the home defence out of shape.

Before ten minutes were up Adomah had turned his man on the half-way line but the recipient of his through ball, mid-fielder Steve Kearney ran into traffic on the edge of the area.

A minute later Alex Hugh Jones headed on a long throw only for Glover to see his raking near post header brilliantly pushed onto the angle by Accies’ keeper. Ten minutes later much against the run of play the hosts demonstrated how to use local elements to their advantage as the infamous ‘Shenley Swirl’ wafted an in-swinging corner over Meads’ goalie Kris Sayers and into the far corner of the net.

On the restart the hosts were the first to draw blood and only a last ditch tackle by Ian Williamson prevented them from adding to their lead. After ten minutes pressure however, Meads equalised when skipper Jack Costello received a short corner on the right and Glover’s head made no mistake at the near post from his whipped cross. There were just eight minutes on the clock when it was Meads turn to benefit from the local jetstream. Salanson’s freekick from inside his own half on the left carried over Accies’ defence for Costello to drift in from the right and head firmly home across the keeper for the winner.

Meads: Sayers, Salanson, Butler, Williamson, Costello, McCombe, Hugh Jones, Kearney, Cope, (Lieper), Adomah, Glover.

 If you would like to be a member of this progressive and friendly club contact OMFCSlipper@aol.com or visit their web site www.omfc.co.uk

David Stanners

October 11, 2005