6th March Merton 5 - 2 Old Actonians (League) (Home) Scorers: Meggs T 3, Orabator 2 Report:
27th February (Double Header) Merton 0 - 0 Old Wilsonians (League) (Home) Merton 0 - 1 Old Wilsonians (League) (Away) Report:
20th February (Double Header) Merton 0 - 1 Old Actonians (League) (Away) Merton 3 - 3 Old Actonians (League) (Away) Scorers: Murphy C, Murphy J, McHugh Report:
13th February Merton 2 - 2 Alleyn Old Boys (League) (Home) Scorers: Meggs T, Murphy J Report:
6th February Merton 1 - 2 Carshalton (League) (Home) Scorer: Report:
12th December Merton 5 - 1 Old Wilsonians (League) (Home) Scorers: Report:
5th December Merton 4 - 2 South Bank Cuaco (League) (Home) Scorers: Report:
21st November Merton 0 - 3 BB Eagles (League) (Away) Report:
14th November Merton 2 - 3 Old Finchleians (League) (Home) Scorers: Nott, McHue Report: Christmas came improbably early for Old Finchleians in the cup Saturday as a benevolent Merton 6s came bearing gifts but left spitting bile. How so? On a day taken straight from the Perfect Storm film set ( Pat M, ironically dressed like a trawlerman, was a delightful shoe in for the role of George Clooney skippering his crew to oblivion), many were surprised that the game was not only playable but the pitch was in mint condition. The only thing missing was an opposition. Some 20 minutes after official kick-off time, they finally mustered a team. But by then, the referee had long-since cancelled procedures and awarded the match to the home side. Mass debate. Against the better judgement of some (and in hindsight, all) Merton relented and decided to play the game anyway. All began quite evenly and sedately with a format that saw both teams take it in turns to come close to breaking the deadlock but it was Finchleians’ panicky two goalmouth scramble clearances shading it in Merton’s early favour. But as the first half progressed so Merton increasingly became stretched and gaps began appearing as the home defence moved up ever slower after clearing its lines and the front two became increasingly isolated. And so it was Old (very young actually) Finchleians that cantered to a two goal gifted lead and were now brazenly looking to steal more gifts out of Santa’s sack. But the game was not entirely up as a great through ball from Rob was latched onto by Tom and down he went as the keeper challenged. With the ensuing penalty expertly dispatched by Mr Nott, the home side were back in the (sack) race at half time. As a second half progressed and Merton looking less and less likely to even proceedings, so Finchleians went 3-1 up with a marvellous solo effort by their best (but badly wired) player. In a growing undercurrent of malice that had surfaced once late in the first half, so the game turned to a Darker Side that had nothing to do with the dwindling light. If Finchleians’ increasingly overall dominance wasn’t enough for them, several, and the above-mentioned flawed individual in particular, decided it was time to show themselves in their true light - arrogant, spoilt, nasty little brats who demanded every decision should belong to them and, god forbid, no one should deem to tackle them. Flawed boy even sobbed! Just how Merton contained themselves and the match didn’t spill over into another film set – A Clockwork Orange – is commendable. And so it was an aggrieved Merton that now pressed in the latter stages for some sort of footballing revenge. A corner by Big Rob found its way back to him and his low arrowing strike into the box went off Dan and into the net. Que a final few frantic minutes that had Finchleians on the ropes but, alas, not on the canvas.7th November Merton 3 - 0 South Bank Cuaco (League) (Away) Scorers: Report:
31st October Merton 0 - 2 Old Aloysians (Cup) (Away) Report:
24th October Merton 5 - 0 Bank of England (League) (Away) Scorers: Quinlan 2, Figgins, T Meggs, F Murphy Report:
17th October Merton 1 - 3 Old Actonians (League) (Away) Scorer: Quinlan Report: The 6th team lost this away fixture but the game was contested all the way.Martin Quinlan scored for us after 20 mins and up to then we were enjoying a fair share of the game though we were having to defend a lot against a lively Actonion front line.We continued to play up the hill and into the wind hoping that we could go in at half time with an increased lead this not to be.The second half saw us start brightly and we had some good spells but they did not last long enough to make a difference we missed a penalty for the 2nd week on the trot and we are now looking for a new man to take the spot kicks as both Gridley and I have retired from this particular duty.the younger leggs of our oppo were beginning to tell as they had more and more chances but for Figgins the score could havebeen a lot worse and for me he was our man of the match. Pat M
10th October Merton 2 - 3 Alleyn Old Boys (League) (Away) Scorers: Quinlan, Orabator Report:
3rd October Merton 1 - 1 Old Wilsonians (League) (Away) Scorer: T Meggs Report:
26th September Merton 1 - 5 Lloyds TSB 8 (League) (Home) Scorer: Figgins Report: If 94 minutes in the season’s opener against Lloyds 9s were enough to break the spirit of a below-par Merton 6s, 68 minutes was the required time Lloyds 8s took to do exactly the same last Saturday. A spirited 1-1 turned into a seemingly 1-5 mauling in the space of just 20 end-game minutes as another heat-sapping day played out a pitch that resembled green cracked concrete did little to boost the home side’s morale. In the end, it was a case of fitter kids against creaking men. You know the opposition is getting soooooo much younger when most of them have to be bottle-fed and changed at half time. There were also complains of no Alphabetti Spaghetti and Ribena sippy-cups for tea. So it was that the tables emphatically turned as Merton, also lacking their signature fox-like guile, failed to capture a pesky bunny-like Lloyds who skipped to a more than flattering final scoreline. Until then, the home team had stifled lively but naive opponents with Fergus Murphy and goalkeeper Steve Figgins the standout performers for an hour. Unfortunately, a handful their team mates failed to live up to their example and, looking to have spent the previous night sipping Rohypnol-laced cocktails, were clearly several paces short of the required tempo. That meant there were only fleeting moments of keep ball from a home side that frequently squandered possession up field. Merton went behind on around the 20 minute mark, undone by an uncharacteristic lapse of concentration allowing a Lloyds attacker to slip in between defenders to head just wide of Figgins’ flailing fingers. But the hosts were not undone. Just minutes later a powerful high punt from the keeper’s hands bounced once, twice, three times and into the opponent’s net as a melee of floundering yellow, green and blue shirts failed to make the merest of contacts. A first for a Merton goalminder from his own penalty area? As the second half painfully ticked by so Merton’s pace became more laboured. With 60 minutes passed, an injured Graham Coombes, and a wilting Nigel Taylor soon after, made way for stouter reinforcements. The latter’s replacement, Matt Hanwell, looked to be the catalyst for a revival and within minutes of his arrival, Merton were now the pressing side. And with it, the game seemed to turn on one moment: a golden Merton opportunity squandered by striker Craig to give us an unlikely lead, became our downfall. A stung and reenergise Lloyds immediately found a third and fourth gear and sped to an irrepressible, if overly flattering victory. The 6s can at least take heart that they’ve probably played the best two teams in the league. Growing match fitness and confidence will count for much when they next meet. Most amusing moment of the match? John Gridley’s wonderfully under hit 40-yard pass-back to our keeper that Usain Bolt wearing a turbo-charged backpack would never-ever have reached. Although the ensuing chance was squandered, it didn’t stop our John sounding blaming the keeper for not reading the pass but also not positioning himself 15 yards outside his area in anticipation. Priceless.
