Old Mead’s suffer set back at hands of league high flyers
Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup Nottsborough 3 Old Meadonians 1
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Old Meadonians, last year’s semi-finalists and winners of the Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup three times in the last five years, have suffered a considerable set back by being beaten in the first round by Southern Amateur League high flyers Nottsborough, an amalgam of graduates from Nottingham University and Loughborough at Tolworth on Saturday.
This means that next season Meads will be subject to the perils of the preliminary rounds for the first time in over a dozen years. Nottsborough, at present on the crest of a wave and topping the S.A.L. Senior Division 1 unbeaten with five league wins, were well worth their victory, although it was not as comfortable as the score suggests as their visitors harried them throughout.
The Graduates, who have yet to win senior A.F.A. honours, were the hungrier for that, showing superior fitness and the pace up front to stretch Meads’ defence. The result hinged on a crucial ten-minute period at the start of the second half; Meads were caught cold and rapidly went from a healthy even contention to struggling at two down.
Meads had taken the lead only five minutes into the first half when striker Leon Smith took a clearance down the right and was through in a twinkling to chip the keeper from fifteen yards. Nottsborough’s equaliser came on thirty five minutes. A poorly defended corner was only cleared to the edge of the area from where it was rifled into the corner of the net.
The hosts second came as their striker went past two defenders on the right and pulled the ball back to accommodate a timely run from midfield. The clincher five minutes later came from a needlessly conceded free kick thirty five yards out.This was quickly taken and crossed for a virtual tap in.
Coach Paul Rumley is still insistent that the team is in transition and by the end of the season will be challenging for all three competitions in which they are still involved and, incidentally, won last year. The MoM award was given to centre back Allistair McCombe who shaded skipper Jack Costello.
Team: Sayers, Salanson, Hanley, McCombe, Jakobsson, (Quinn), Costello, Gerrish, Pointer, Rhone, Glover, L. Smith.
November 16, 2006