Month: November 2015

NAME: Marc Wilson

TEAM: Handsome (2s)

POSITION: Centre Half

BIRTH DATE: 28.03.86

BIRTH PLACE: Chertsey

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Millmead FC, Cobham Cougars

Tell us who is Marc outside of the club. What do you do, how would you describe yourself?
Away from the club, I am recently married to Thea. I am a keen runner and generally interested in fitness. I work as a bank manager, the less said about that the better.

How did you end up at Merton FC?
It was Chris Rayners fault.

What was your best moment in your MFC career till now?
Watching Ben Cook have to drink 6 pints on the bounce for consecutive infractions (6 before 6), also captaining the two’s to winning the league and reaching a cup final in the same season.

Can you remember your first game?
Ha ha, no 🙁

If you could play for a professional team, which would be it and why?
Leeds United. Only club for me.

Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?
Good solid breakfast, plenty of water and possibly a gingerbread man.

Lastly, share us your thoughts for the rest of the season?
Difficult start for the 2’s this year but we have the makings of a great squad and have started to pick up some good results. Hopefully can continue this into the new year and have a strong season.

Rapid Fire:

PLAYER OF THE SEASON SO FAR (PREMIER LEAGUE OR ANY LEAGUE): Jamie Vardy

CHILDHOOD TEAM: Leeds United

FAVOURITE TEAM OUTSIDE THE UK: Hawthorne Hawks

CHILDHOOD HERO: Tony Yeboah

FAVOURITE FOOD: Italian

FAVOURITE DRINK: Rum & Ginger

FAVOURITE BAND: One Direction

Merton 4s vs. Actonians Association
5s SAL Minor Division 1 South
Saturday 14^th November 2015

After the disappointing drubbing we received from Economicals in the AFA Cup last week (we that is best forgotten), it was back to the league campaign and the home tie against Actonians Association. Having defeating us on their home turf already this season, we knew we were in for a tough day.

There was concern that we were going to be without a referee until on the stroke of KO he finally arrived being accompanied by a brolly due to the standard British weather at this time of the year. Following a minutes silence to pay respect to the families that lost loved ones following the attacks that took place in Paris, the game was finally ready to get underway.

We lined up slightly different this week. It was clear during last weeks’ game, and other previous performances for that matter, that we were getting overpowered in the midfield and also struggling with support defensively. We decided to play a 5-3-2 formation with myself and John Gridley playing as wing backs. A number of our regulars were unavailable so we welcomes Aaron back into the mix along with Sevan Mutafyan who decided that he had spent enough time away from the game! Steve Burchell also helped us out and thanks needs to go to Clive (5s Manager) for allowing us to use him.

We starting brightly and kept out shape for the majority of the first half. We were compact and creating enough chances to stay in the game. Actonians had the better opportunity however Sam was at his best to prevent them from taking an early lead. His impressive form continued throughout the first half. The one goal that we did concede was on the counter attack after a goal kick with intercepted. 1-0 at half time.

The second period was one that the referee, and me personally, would like the forget quickly. We found ourselves 3-0 down following some good play by the visitors however we were made to finish the game of with a man less following my sending off for two bookable offences. The first was for an aerial challenge where I ‘apparently’ caught their number 17 with my studs on my way down. Following a number of incidents where this particular player over reacted it was clear that there was nothing in it however following a conversation between the player and the ref, I was brandished with my first yellow card as a result of the player saying that I caught him. Ridiculous!

My send yellow was a stupid one. The referee might have well been wearing blue and white as nothing was going out way. We were getting punished for every challenge that we made but the visitors got away with it. This included one player raising his hands to Ryan and another for taking Sam out when claiming a loose ball. Back to my second yellow that resulted in my dismissal. A decision was given against us for a silly tackle and out of frustration I kicked the ball away. The ref claimed that I kicked it ‘miles away’ however 5 second later the player had the ball in his hand ready to place the free kick.

The game finished 4-0 however with a little more work on the 5-3-2 formation I think the wins will start to come. Next week we travel to Dulwich to take on Alleyn Old Boys where nothing but a win is good enough!

FINAL SCORE: Merton 4s 0 – 4 Actonians Association 5s SCORER: None MOTM: Sam Singer-Ripley

STARTING LINE-UP: Samuel Singer-Ripley (GK), John Gridley, Glen Porter, Steve Burchell, Edward Plaistow, Chris Dodd (Sonny Kennedy), Aaron Ackerman (Ryan Burchell), Joe Plumridge, Chris Outred (Sevan Mutafyan), Dulanie Richards, Dom Plumridge.

Polytechnic 3 Merton 0 (HT 1-0)  ISEH Senior Cup  2^nd Round

It was a pretty miserable day all round what with the dreadful news from Paris and the weather forecast but I thought it better to get out and get wet rather than just mope around. So off to Chiswick and pretty dreadful weather but their pitch is pretty good and held up well. It rained the whole game. We started pretty well with a good shape and pressed the ball well. They are a good side but we looked to play aswell, We were a little unfortunate to go 1-0 down. The ref gave them a rather generous free kick when Weasel was too strong for their man and edged him out of the way. We did not clear their free kick well and after a bit of knockabout it went in the net. The rest of the half was pretty even and we had as much of the ball as them but they were more dangerous in the final third. Second half More rain and we started slowly and they pressed hard and made it 2-0 from a slightly fortuitous mis- strike which wrong footed our keeper and dribbled into the opposite corner.  We rallied and created chances but they scored a really good goal to make it 3-0 with a move down our left cross and good finish. That was the end of the scoring and it got wetter not better. Poly are a good side and we played better than the score line would suggest. We battled to the end and played some pleasing football along the way. The Ref Tom Cannon had a good game with a sprinkling of slightly odd decisions. Not booking one of their players for calling him a retard and not booking one of their players for a bad foul right at the end. Proud of our team’s attitude and behaviour and overall performance Highlight for me was an excellent cup of tea at half time with biscuits and on reflection moping around at home should not be dismissed quite so lightly as an option.

Youth Results and some pics from the Hood.

U10s lost to Raynes Park Vale 4-0 in a game that looked a lot closer than that.

U11s had a good win beating Kew Park Rangers 8 – 1, winning their first trophy.

but U12s lost in the Cup 9 – 0 to a very strong Claygate Royals team.

U13s beat Doverhouse 8 – 0 to get through to last 8 of the League cup

but U14s lost in the league only having 10 lads 9 – 0.

[Show slideshow]

Well done to the 6s Cracking result.

Victorious 6s celebrate in the warmth of the bar after a 2-1 win at Old Wilsonians and now sit top of the league.

1s lost 3-0 at Poly great battling performance but good oppo who deserved to win but not by that much. Photos from 1s game. Really proud of the 1s effort and ability and Clappers organisation.

2s lose 2 – 0 against Carshalton

3s lose 2 – 1 against Nottsborough

4s lose 4 – 0 against Actonians .

5s lose 8 – 0 .

Match Report –07/11/2015 vs Bank of England HOME

A rare home game for the Mighty Merton Sixes on a soggy Hood outfield for a game against top of the league Bank of England.

The players arrived and got changed in the dark as the lights wasn’t working in the lovely Hood changing rooms, although electricity wasn’t issue in the first team dressing judging from the noise of the crap music being pumped out – although I think it was to rub it in!

Once the team was changed, it was down to the now infamous 5 minute quick stretch and warm up routine, this time led by Matty.

Starting line-up was as follows: Merton’s new number 1, Dazza in goal, centre half pairing of Kev (Gaffer) and Chappell, full backs of George and Quinlan. Holding midfielder was John and Ty with Matty at the top of the diamond.  Ram and Mario were on the wings with Pete up top.  Impact subs were Kyle, Dan and new boy Mo (no not Simon!).

Smithy gave the team talk and outlined the well thought out pre-match plans to the troops and off we went.

So now to the game, the first ten minutes was a cagey affair, with both teams trying to suss out the opposition (although to be fair, we were under the cosh!).  Merton defended well without causing too much attacking threat, although we looked dangerous for set pieces (more to come later!).

Unfortunately, John made a clumsy tackle on the edge of the area and the ref gave a penalty, it was tight but I think it was the right call. Up stepped Banks player to score and we were 1-0 down.

Merton struggled to get anything going, and Bank was causing problems with their midfield runners, although they were limited to half chances the Merton defence stood tall!

Eventually the pressure told and Bank scored a powerful 30 yard screamer through a crowd of players, which Darren let through his hands (sorry Darren), although no blame was attached to the stand in keeper Merton pulled there socks up and got on with it!

Then a small miracle occurred, as I said Merton looked dangerous from set pieces, a corner was floated in and John failed to connect to a header, the ball was powerfully poked home from Smithy from a yard out.  The ball just crept over the line and with goal line technology and a beep of the refs watch the goal was awarded.  It was a worldy of a goal and only left Smithy with another 9 to get to overturn a drunken bet made with Steve.

Half time came and went and the second half started, with a few changes. On came Mo and Kyle for Mario and Ram.

Merton started well with a few tough challenges being made and started to pass the ball well, we felt the tide was turning in the game.  Unfortunately with roughly 20 mins to go Bank scored again with another long range effort from the right back and we were staring defeat in the face.

With the minutes ticking by, however the new Merton sixes kept their heads up and kept on going, which is becoming a great regular occurrence!  With 10 mins left and after sustained pressure from great deliveries in the box, Chappell pocked home from a scramble and made it 3-2 – GAME ON!!

Merton looked the better team and kept pushing and every player giving 100%, which was great to see!  With a couple of minutes left Merton had another corner and a great delivery found the head/body of Quinlan at the near post and the ball crept in! 3-3 amazing scenes and Merton fans went wild!

With the opposition now shell shocked, Merton even had time to create another couple of chances which went so close from Kyle and could have won the game.

Full time blew and the final score was 3-3, a great come back! It was nice to see the heads not dropping and everyone put a shift in!

Special mention to the ref, Razor Ruddock who was very good, I thought.

MVP:

George had a great game and played his best game in a Merton shirt and grew in confidence.

The three defenders getting on the score sheet and showing the strikers how its done was pleasing!

This week, though I am going to give it to Mr Merton – Martin Quinlan.  He had a great game and was on the scoresheet for the equaliser and left everything on the pitch! Well played!

Next week, away to our bogey side Old Wilsonians 8 let’s hope we can keep the undefeated league run going!

Written by SMITHY

Economicals 4s vs. Merton 4s
AFA Minor Cup, First Round Round
Saturday 7^th November 2015
by Mike Tod

Courtesy of their sole victory of the season, Merton were through to the first round proper of the AFA Cup, and Saturday’s assignment was to make that count against the New Malden-based Economicals.

Yet the venue of this away fixture had been very much up in the air owing to poor weather in the week, and on Friday it was decided the game would be played on a 3G pitch at the Kings Sports Ground in Chiswick. Just for some added irony, the pitch was literally next door to the scene of the previous week’s surrender of a three-goal lead.

It was also the scene of some great football prior to that though, and the men from the Hood were hoping to draw from it. Insider information hinted that the Economicals were going to be a tough proposition, but having seen the efforts of Salford City in the FA Cup the night before, anything was possible.

A strong starting line-up had Dulanie and Dom upfront, with the midfield loaded up with Mike Elgar and Jake in the middle, along with Chris’s Outred and Dodd on either side. The back four was made up of Glen, Saffer Mike, gaffer Ed and the returning John Gridley.

A strong XI, but not as strong as the element a lost coin toss pitted them against – wind. After a minute’s silence, the game was underway, and it immediately became clear what a slog it would be with such a potent headwind. Clearances were coming back like boomerangs, passes were coming to a standstill, and the Economicals, well – they simply swarmed the Yellows.

But Merton are a determined bunch, and for all the intense pressure they faced, they kept a lid on things for the first 10 minutes. In fact, the first real chance of the game was carved out by Dom, whose thunderous shot from just outside the box looked in for all money, before being tipped onto the bar.

But that was when the tide really turned, and, my goodness, was it grisly. Around 15 minutes in, an innocuous through ball from the left caused a bit of miscommunication in defence, and the Economicals striker was clean through. His finish was clinical and they had the breakthrough.

1-0.

Close your eyes for a minute. Open them. 3-0. That was how it felt for a hapless Merton, although the two goals that followed were of the highest order. One, a left-footed curler nestling in the top corner, and the other a bullet from outside the box.

Merton were shattered, but the encouragement levels went up. They knew they’d have the wind at their backs for the second period, but they couldn’t let this slip anymore. The tackles flew in, the passes were kept along the deck, and, for a brief passage of play, they looked a better side.

But still, they just couldn’t escape their half of the field in the face of both the relentless breeze and the relentless opponents, and the fourth carried an air of inevitability about it. And it came to pass too, a speculative shot catching Sam out of position. Then, a minute later, came the fifth – the result of a poor back pass by Saffer Mike. And then came the sixth – again, a sublime finish.

It was the stuff of horrors, and there were still 10 minutes to go until the break. Luckily, Merton held out without further damage, but 6-0 meant it was a quiet half time chat.

A couple of changes were made, but the most significant of all was a change in strategy. It was decided that a high line would be the best approach for the second half, and almost straight away, it was vindicated as the Economicals speedy number seven was caught offside looking to make a break for it.

It was actually to be the theme for much of the second period. An increasingly confident Merton defence squeezed up as one, and time after time the referee obliged, with the home side seemingly unable to adapt the timing of their runs. It was brilliant to watch, and had the added advantage of minimising the gap between the Yellow defensive line and the midfield.

Yet even with this new disciplined shape, there was to be little on attack. It wasn’t anything like the backs-to-the-wall stuff in the first half, but, despite the change in sides, there was still only one team who looked like scoring. Glen cleared one off the line, as did Chris Outred, and there were a couple of good tackles in the box.

Most notably though, Sam was absolutely superb. Not only was he making inspired saves, but his work as a sweeper was excellent, as he commandingly came off his line to claim any nagging through balls. All in all, it was a collective exhibition by the defence, and the greatest compliment that could be paid was that a team who were 6-0 up had become genuinely frustrated.

It was thus a bit harsh on them when the seventh goal eventually did go in; a well-worked move which was nicely finished off. But for the remaining 10 minutes Merton were solid once again, and at the other end substitute Alex did ever so well to create a chance for himself which just snuck past the right-hand post.

It was a spiriting end to what had had the potential to be a crushing afternoon. By the time the final whistle blew, Merton were actually in the ascendancy, and thus marched off the pitch with their heads held high. Yes, it had been a mauling. But once again, there were genuine positives to be taken, and with the league now the only order of business remaining, the belief will be there that these can be translated into points.

FINAL SCORE: Economicals 4s 7 – 0 Merton 4s SCORERS: None MOTM: Chris Outred

STARTING LINE-UP: Sam Singer-Ripley(GK), John Gridley, Mike Todt, Glen Porter, Edward Plaistow, Michael Elgar (Alex Carver), Chris Dodd, Jake Hewitt, Chris Outred, Dom Plumridge, Dulanie Richards.