Category: Match Reports 1s

Merton took the spoils against a typically competitive Crouch End side on a very wet and soggy Joseph Hood pitch. The game kicked off at a frantic pace with Woody dominating the ariel battle from the middle of the park and Ackers, Bosher and Snooks all causing the Vamps problems at the back. It was a matter of when, not if Merton would open the scoring and sure enough, after some half chances had gone begging it was Bosh that popped up inside the area to notch his sixth of the season. Not for the first time this year though, we failed to build on the good start and after some menacing play down the left, a Crouch End corner was headed in off the bar to send the teams in at half time on level terms. Back came Merton in the second half and it was Ackers that finished off from inside the box after Tillls had squared a cross from Snooks before Crouch End again levelled after their tricky number seven got in behind Browner to slot past Comnor. A flurry of good attacking play and poor finishing from Merton followed before Al G and Jason wrapped things up for us in the last 20 minutes for us. It was a well deserved three points with a good performance to match but we must learn to be more clinical in killing teams off if we harbour serious hopes of mounting a promotion challenge.

MOM:

Team:

Written by:James Tilley

It is now five wins from seven and and up to third place in the league for Merton after a narrow victory against a gritty Carshalton side at the hood. The game lacked the intensity of previous encounters with clear cut chances few and far between but it was Merton that dominated the opening exchanges and should have gone ahead after Ackers and Tills both spurned decent half chances in quick succession. It wasn’t long after half time break before Merton did take the lead and it was the inform Ackers that cooly lifted the ball over the keeper from a Whiteman cross that broke the deadlock. With the back four and midfield looking fairly solid it was against the run of play when Cars equalised. A long clearance eluded Rat before their left winger skipped past Browner and slotted past Angus. Merton came back strongly though and after some excellent work from Dave Hitch from left back and Ackers it was Snooks’s speculative shot from the right that squirmed past the keeper to score the winner. Jason and Manton came on to shore things up but the defence withheld some late Carshalton pressure to ensure that the points were safe. A good team performance and three points.

MOM:

Team:

Written by:James Tilley

An excellent 3-2 victory over Weirside Rangers, on Saturday, saw us leapfrog them into second place. We started the game very well, dominating possession and preventing Weirside getting into their stride, only to fall a goal behind astheir pint sized striker turned Browner and volleyed a worldy over Angus and into the top corner. Undeterred we maintained our good start and were soon level as Clappers powered in a header from a pinpoint Woody corner. We continued to push and probe and went 2-1 up after a good interchange down the right saw a low Bosher cross turned in by Ackers from the edge of the six yard box. Weirside came out stronger after half time and pushed for the equaliser but our back four kept them at bay and Angus was still only dealing with long range efforts. The game then turned. Tilley had a good goal ruled out for offside then Weirside equalised and their tails were up. They rejigged their forward line and pushed for the winner. However excellent defending continued to deny them and gave us the platform to come again. Another good move down the right allowed Bosher to move into the box and rifle a left foot winner into the roof of the net. A well deserved victory against a side who will win their fair share of games this season. The back four deserve special mention for keeping Weirside’s lively forward line out but MOTM goes to Woody for his all round performance. Dominating his man in midfield and contributing to two of the goals.A win on Saturday will ensure we maintain second place going into 2014

MOM:

Team:Angus, Graves, Clappers, Browner (Tom Rowe 46), Al G, Will Low, Woody, Tilley, Ackers, Snooks, Bosher (Manton 75)

Written by:James Tilley

Another three points, three goals and a good team performance to boot means that we finish the year in second spot in the league table and all to play for going in to 2014. With the referee running late Van’s little book of warm up drills was stretched to the limit but it clearly worked as we settled well on Bank’s excellent pitch and were quickly on the attack with the front three of Ackers, Snooks and Bosher all getting in behind the defense although none of them could force home the opener. It was left for Woody who was again excellent throughout, to pick up a Bosher pass up on the edge of the box, side step a couple of tackles before cooly finding the corner with a powerful drive. BoE then came in to the game more although the back four and Angus snuffed out everything that came their way and it wasn’t long before Tills found space down the right to find Ackers in the box with a deep cross which he dispatched clinically with a smart header in to the far corner of the net. Half time saw a personnel change with Browner coming off with a dodgy stomach from a Thursday night Brick Lane curry so Tills slotted in at centre half next to Clappers whilst Tom Rowe entered the fray on the right. Bank came out for the second period with purpose but couldn’t manufacture a clear shot on goal and with our front three still causing havoc up front it was left to Tom to smash a VanBasten esque volley back across the keeper in the net and the points were safe. Spirits were high with the points in the bag and it was back to the Hood to kick off the annual Christmas fancy dress run through Wimbledon village. We’d certainly earned it with a great end to the year and a promotion challenge to look forward to in January.

MOM:

Team:Angus, Graves, Clappers, Browner (Tom Rowe 46), Al G, Will Low, Woody, Tilley, Ackers, Snooks, Bosher (Manton 75)

Written by:James Tilley

After a late pitch inspection on Saturday morning it was off to north London for our first league fixture of the year. Cooky and Jason Marsh came in for the injured Woody and Bosher but it was EBOG who came out of the blocks fasted using the big slope down the right flank to their advantage and finding space behind our back four with ease. It wasn’t long before Angus was picking the ball out of the net after we afforded their nippy number 10 too much time to set himself on the edge of the box and find the only corner of the net that was out of Angus’s reach. Not for the first time this season though we got the ball down in midfield and played our way back in to the game through the front three of Ackers, Snooks and Marshy. We came close on a couple of occasions before we found the equaliser through the in form Ackers. It was Snooks who harassed their right back in to conceding possession straight to Tills whose first time pass found our number 9 in enough space to turn and fire home powerfully from just inside the box for his fifth goal in as many games. In to the second half and our control of the game continued with a few close chances and questionable offside decisions before Marshy sprung the offside trap to cut the ball back to the edge of the box for the on rushing Tills to place a first time effort in to the far corner. We really should have extended the lead with the pick of the chances falling to Snooks, Browner and Cooky but fortunately we weren’t made to pay and after a nervy last 10 minutes where Angus and the back four were called in to action the final whistle came to confirm seven wins from seven and second place in the league consolidated. It was a good team performance and hard fought but deserved win against a well organised EBOG on what was a tricky pitch. Cooky and Marshy slotted in seamlessly demonstrating the squads strength in depth and we continue to play good football in the right areas of the pitch. On to the big one next week, away at Old Garchonians.

MOM:

Team:Angus, Graves, Clappers, Browner, Al G, Will L, Ben Cook (Manton 80), Tills (1), Snooks, Ackers (1), Jason Marsh (Whiteman 70)

Written by:James Tilley

Merton’s seven game winning run came to a disappointing end against the Bank of England on a wet and blustery day down at Tooting and Mitcham. We were slow out of the blocks giving possession away time after time and then offered them far to much time and space across the pitch. The only goal of the game came after fifteen minutes when Conor was beaten from close range by their dominant number nine. Bosher came on to replace the injured Will Low and had a great chance to level the scores with his first touch but his first time effort sailed over the bar. We then had the better of the possession and chances but lacked the cutting edge and decisiveness that has seen us climb to second in the table. We could have nicked a point in the closing stages when Boshers crisp volley almost found the top corner but it wasn’t meant to be. Take nothing away from Bank though who were much improved from the previous two encounters this season.

MOM:

Team:Conor, Al G, Graves, Brown, Dave, Cook, Tilley, Will (Bosher 20), snook, Jason M (Ivan 70), Ackers

Written by:James Tilley

After two home defeats on the 3G it was good to get back to grass and winning ways but this was as hard fought as it was welcome. Having lost our last two games and gone to all the trouble of renting and expensw of 3G it does seem that the more effort you make to play the game the less likely you are to get anything from it. Despite the long journey Norsemen is a great place to go with such good facilities and always a good competitive game. In Clappers absence Tills stepped up to captain and organise a rather makeshift team with quite a number of regulars missing from the line up. Despite that the team settled quicker than the opposition and created a number of chances. After just 3 mins Femi had a shot cleared off the line following a good passing movement. From the resultant corner Browner put a free header just wide. We created a few more chances but did not take them until 35 minutes when Jason Marsh latched on to a through ball and slotted it home. By this time Norsemen had started to get their game together and the goal signalled an end to our attacking in the game. It was not a case of ‘Parking the bus’ as being pushed back. I don’t remember us having another shot at goal after that. From then on it seemed to be a game played almost exclusively in our half and anot insignificant amount of that in our penalty area. We withstood a real onslaught from Norsemen . It was quite an aerial bombardment with Tills, Woody, Browner, Hitch and Clowesy winning a lot of headers all over the park but importantly clearing the 16 corners and even more of the excellent long throws directed into our six yard area. Norsemen also played the ball along the ground to a couple of quick forwards but our defence which was now pretty much the whole team snuffed out the danger. Sherbs chipped in with a solid performance in goal and made a couple of outstanding saves. Although Norsemen seemed to get more than their fair share of 50/50 calls from the referee nothing really dropped for them with the ball bobbling at the worst moment. But all credit to our boys who gave their all and defended magnificently. Tills put in a great shift, leading by example and organising the team in defence and everyone supported him well. To me the second half seemed to last forever so it was a little ironic that the Oppo spent a couple of minutes complaining that the ref had played a short half. It was a bitter blow for the oppo who played pretty well and gave their all but it really was not their day. But for us it was a good journey home with 3pts secured from a 1-0 away win somehow even more satisfying because it was a little fortuitous. (Pics of the game are on SAL website but as the photographer only pitched up for the last 25 mins they are all in our half and feature Sherbs in most of them.

MOM:

Team:Sherbs (GK) Michael Lynch, Browner, Hitch, Clowesy, Pat Manton, Tills (Capt), Woody , Femi, Jason Marsh, Vanny, Subs (Rolled) Jase Thomas, Dan Whiteman

Written by:James Tilley

It was a case of two points dropped in the end after an entertaining goalless draw and all round good performance in Finchley which just lacked the killer goal. The pitch was in fine condition after the weeks downpour plus the sun was out for a change. The first half was a scrappy affair with both teams looking to play direct on the narrow pitch and it was Ackers that had the first sight of goal after a menacing run from Snooks but his first time shot evaded the far post with the keeper beaten. Finchley were their typically combative selfs and the midfield battle was fairly even come the half time whistle. In to the second half and as the game grew older we looked more and more likely to break the deadlock with the back five providing the foundations for a wave of attacks usually resulting in excellent deliveries in to the box from Van or Snooks. A Tills header was superbly saved, Ackers was unlucky with a couple of snap shots and Boshers first touch almost resulted in a top corner special. Finchley were still a threat on the break but the chances kept coming our way when Snooks almost found the far corner of the net after a jinxing run and Tills could only find the keeper with the last kick of the game. So it’s four points from six after back to back north London trips and with Crouch End away next week we must take the performances in to next week and maximum points to maintain the promotion challenge.

MOM:

Team:Sherbs, Graves, Clappers, Browner, Al G, Manton (Bosher 70), Tilley, Woody, Snooks, Van (Whiteman 75), Ackers

Written by:James Tilley

Six goals and a convincing all round display on our return to the Hood ensured that top spot in division two was retained with all to play for in the promotion stakes with six games to play. With the pitch in fairly good condition after the recent and now cyclical monsoon season it was the men in yellow that settled quickest and once Matty Bosher had finally sprung the offside trap set by a consistently high and square EBOG back four he cooly rounded the keeper to put us one up after 20 minutes. Number two wasn’t far behind after a well delivered ball from captain Clappers again found Bosh in aches of space and again he made no mistake in converting. It was nothing less than we deserved although the game really should have been over as a contest before half time as Bosh squandered two more golden chances and wasteful final deliveries in to the box meant that we couldn’t add to the score line.

Fortunately we didn’t have to wait for long after the break as an Al G volley and Clappers bullet header from respective Whiteman and Van corners put us four to the good. Van then found Tills’s head with a pinpoint cross for the fifth and Woody danced past the keeper to roll home the sixth from the tightest of angles. It was a very encouraging performance with some excellent displays all over the pitch. Six more tough games to go with Broomfield up next.

MOM:

Team: Arthurs, Graves, Clappers (Manton 65), Brown, Al G, Tills, Woody, Snooks, Van, Whiteman, Bosher (Ackers 60)

Written by: James Tilley

This was billed as a top of the table battle but it fell rather short of the mark. With a few key players missing Merton was completely out played and in the end overrun by a very good Old Garchonians side who are in their second season of SAL football and still unbeaten. The first team are however trophyless only because they leave them in the pub after the celebrations. We held them at bay for the first twenty minutes but we never coped with their excellent passing and movement and never really tested them at the back. They went ahead on twenty minutes with a fluid move down the left with the Left winger and finished well. The second came pretty much the same way and the third was agreat volley. 3-0 down at half time and game over. I wish it had been. But we had a reorganisation reshuffle and harsh words and came out battling for the second half and got into the game. A little late and not for long. We hit the bar and had one cleared off the line then when they cleared upfield Rat got outpaced and another card as the last man and we were down to 10 men and were then comprehensively outpassed and run ragged. It was a long way to go to suffer this and still a long way to go and a lot of work if we want promotion. The ref and his assistants did well but it was not a difficult game. Old Garchonians are a new club and their teams are all doing well. Their firsts were an excellent committed well organised side who will be promoted and will do well in Division 1. We have to play them again at the Hood on April 26th and we may need to get something from that game so we will have to put on a much better performance.

MOM:

Team:Sherbs (GK), Richard Egglestone, Gravesy, Clappers (Capt), Al G, Will Lowe, Pat Manton, Ivan, Bosh, Ackers, Michael Lynch, Chris Rayner, Denis,

Written by:Max Herbert