Category: Match Reports 2s

Old Owens 2nd XI 1 – 1 Merton 2nd XI
Old Owens win 6-5 on penalties.

Merton suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss against an Old Owens side several divisions above them, denying them a famous win/cupset/insert giant killing metaphor here.

With 12 brave players making the trip outside(!) the m25 to Potters Bar for this fixture, Merton immediately made use of their relative unfamiliarity by taking the unusual step of not warming up with a football. No pre game intelligence (or a football) at all…until the referee gave us a ball with 5 mins before kick off. The best laid plans…

Despite (or because) of this Owens started the stronger, moving the ball well and threatening from wide positions and set pieces. Sherbs had already plucked a couple of dangerous crosses from the heads of opposing players before another whipped cross just failed to be turned in at the near post.

After weathering this initial pressure, Merton began to grow into the game and slowly began to force Owens back. Jason started to get some joy holding up the ball in his lone forward role and the midfield began to get on the ball as a result. Mike, Andy and Darcy in the middle began to find Joe and Alex on the wings. As Merton grew into the game, the chances began to come. First a great channel ball from fullback Clowesy brought a throw in near the corner flag and neatly worked to pick out Alex at the back post. Despite a great leap the ball just went over the crossbar.

More half-chances at both ends came as the half continued, with Mike Stone volleying wide from the edge of the area after great work from Alex and Darcy. A brilliant crossfield diagonal from Alex almost saw Dan K in behind on the opposite wing before being cut back to Darcy but Merton couldn’t quite find the finish. At the other end the back four of clowesy cookie pearcy and connor was soaking up everything Owens could throw at them.

Then, just before half time Merton took the lead. Great work down the left saw the ball worked into the area and to Alex’s feet. As time seemed to stand still suddenly Darcy’s voice could be heard saying “hit it, son”, and Alex duly delivered, striking the ball inside the keeper’s near post. 1-0. Darcy claimed all the credit for his prophetic advice.

Merton survived until half time without any serious alarms and at the half time team talk Merton felt the game was there for the taking.

The second half saw Old Owens start fast, determined to reassert themselves against their upstart visitors. With Merton struggling again to get out of their half, chances began to flow for the home team, with the post coming first to the rescue and then a series of last ditch tackles. However, just as Merton seemed to have weathered the storm an equaliser came. Andy helped a clearance on the edge of the area and as more Merton players closed down the shot from the edge of the area a scuffed, sliced effort dribbled through towards Sherbs. Merton fatally relaxed as the spin on the ball took it away from goal and an Owens player benefited from a lucky ricochet as Sherbs just beat him to the loose ball, walking the ball over the line for 1-1. Gutting.

Worse almost followed as Owens hit the crossbar from close range following a cut back from the right, and then Sherbs pulled off a blinding save, tipping a shot at full stretch round the post.

Merton rallied, and with just a few minutes to play they almost snatched the winner. Dan closed down the opposing fullback, and his block found Joe Grew running in on goal twenty yards out with just the onrushing keeper to beat. Said Keeper did well to block Joe’s attempted lob and force the ball wide, but the chance was still alive with 2 Merton plauers screaming for a cross. The cross came in; Darcy got the faintest of touches from his head, forcing Dan to readjust and the ball them fell to Andy who stabbed wide from 12 yards. Merton saw out the rest of the game without alarm and the decision was made to go straight to pens.

It all started so well. Sherbs saved the first penalty of the shootout and very nearly the third. Merton converted penalties 1 to 4, and had their fifth kick to win the tie. Jason stepped up as the rest of the team looked on, only for his penalty to be saved by the keeper to his right. Three more successful penalties followed leaving Dan K having to score to take the shootout to an eight penalty. He did not, blazing over with a poor effort, and that was it.

So a great team effort (everyone played well and worked their socks off) but in the end there was nothing to show for it. We go again next week.

Motm – Cookie (marshalled the defence superby and slotted his pen)

Dotm – Jason edged Dan to the award for the missed pen

Merton Res 4 Oldsmiths Res 2

Scorers Willgoss (2) Cibwabwa (2)

Lofty demanded Team Handsome 2.0 make Joseph Hood a fortress. The 2s delivered. But it wasn’t that simple.

It looked like it might be for a while. A cross-field ball bounced up for Wilgo on the edge of the area, 12 yards from the touchline. His half-volley arced from right to left over the goalkeeper and into the side netting. 1-0. Wilgo bagged his second when the Oldsmiths keeper found him in space outside the area minutes later. Merton’s skipper advanced, sat the keeper down and knocked it into an empty net. 2-0. Half-time.

It was more of the same to start the second half, with Merton’s back four an outstanding unit and Sherbs an assured presence in goal. With the tireless, selfless running of Tom Benham up front and James Laughton and Elz menacing on either wing, the 2s looked dangerous every time they broke forward. Tom’s hustle in particular was vital to his team’s superiority. And so it proved, with the best team goal of the day.

Wilgo won the ball from an Oldsmiths break and set James away down the right. His cross made its way via Tom to Elz, who cut in to beat two defenders before firing home with confidence. 3-0.

Then came the nerves: Oldsmiths who had already won their first league game were not going to give up easily and battled all the way. Their determination paid off and at 3-1the away side were back in it. Sherbs made his outstanding save of the day at his near post to counter an Oldsmiths break down the left; he and his defence threw themselves in front of plenty more as the game ticked into the final half hour, but could do little about a powerful header from a corner with 15 minutes to go. 3-2.

More chances came Merton’s way as the game became stretched. Tom was unlucky not to score at least one. Then, with 10 left, the Laughton-Elz combo – who lit up the match whenever they were on the ball – combined again for Merton’s fourth, with Alberto playing the telling ball in for Elz’s second. 4-2. A result all worked hard for. Particularly the manager.

“I ached from about 30 minutes in, but the smile is big now,” said Lofty afterwards. “Great to bounce back from last week.”

Lofty had an outstanding game in midfield and organising and managing the team. Wilgo deserved his ‘Man Most Handsome’ award for his on field leadership alone, never mind the two goals.

A rather strange game this for a number of reasons. It started in the usual way with our 12 selected becoming 10 with one cry off and one missing en route. Otherwise a strong looking team.  I missed the first 20 mins of the game as I went to collect the extra player and got back to find we had eleven and were 1-0 down to a dodgy penalty but otherwise were holding our own against a strong Carshalton side. We got to half time only 1 down and had the wind with us in the second half. Despite plans and exhortations at half time Merton started the second half sleepwalking and conceded a pen almost straight away. 2-0 then the game took a curious turn with Merton unashamedly playing the long ball over the top against a somewhat slow back four and scoring three goals (Will T 2 and Dom) in about 10 mins to take a surprising lead. 3-2 could have become 4-2 but the ref disallowed a goal for offside always tricky with no linos and a nailed on penalty when Will T was through for his hat trick. A screamer from about 25yds brought Cars their equaliser which in all fairness was the correct result. Cars were a good side with a lot of movement and it has to be said the pitch was in great condition and made me very envious. The ref took far too many decisions without ever being in control of the game. The 2s need to win a few games soon or we are down and out.

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Merton Res 0 Actonians Assoc Res 3  (HT 0-1)

We managed to get the game played but only by dint of booking the 3G surface at Tooting and Mitcham and then by kicking off at 5pm. This cost us a few players but with the 3s being washed out at King Georges we had a full compliment with the welcome addition of Will Taylor back from Sydney for the rest of the season. It was a good game but on a fast 3G surface it discouraged any measured football with Merton especially playing a fast and furious game. Actonians were a strong well organised side and deserved their win. They went ahead on 25 mins when a miscommunication at the backallowed the free kick in at th far post.. Strangely although Actonians had the majority of play the two best chances fell to Oli who was played through but could not finish and their Keeper made a couple of really good saves. Their second half dominance deserved two more goals and the final score of 3-0 was not totally unfair. The game was played in a pretty good spirit and it was a nice to watch. For our part Connor Murphy had another outstanding game, Pearcey put in another solid performance and Robin in midfield looked a class act. Will Taylor, Oli and Dq worked well upfront but they were feeding off crumbs. There are enough games left for us to pull out of this relegation position but we need to turn this round pretty quick. Whilst we are pretty good at now at getting are kit on we still have not quite mastered taking it off and there are some miscreants. Shirts should be the right way round (Name and shame  – Oli/22 and Robin /4) and socks are still seem to be a mystery. So put in laundry bag the right way rouund, stretched out and individually, resisting all temptation to tie them together or put one inside the other.  Simple !!! 

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Unusually the weather in north London was better than South London. As you know in the South we get lots more sunshine and it is several degrees warmer but not this Saturday and whilst the Hood was unequivocally unplayable EBOG was on. Although as we travelled slowly round the M25 news came in of the 1s postponement we felt increasingly concerned that our game would be called off but no the game was on their pitches were playable. They were very boggy however and it was a credit to both teams that we had such a good game to watch with both teams trying to play. The bad news was that our ref was being assessed and this may be why our game had linos whilst EBOG 1s playing and losing 4-0 to CEV did not. We had played EBOG a few weeks ago at WCE and drawn 3-3 and they had shown themselves to be a pretty good and organised side. The game was pretty even although EBOG had the best of the chances. Mustard came the closest to scoring when he got first to the near post cross and put a bullet header just wide and out for a corner to our immense relief. Sherbs saved well when their forward was through and acrobatically from a header. Mustard cleared off the line from a great header from one of their many corners.  The only other feature of the first half was DQ being flagged offside a record number of times which not unreasonably he attributed to advancing years. Firstly the linos and also that the lino did not understand that the greying DQ could still have such blinding pace. We started the second half with some optimism as we had the wind to help.  It was in fact a pretty even second half with Sherbs continuing to keep them out and us getting forward better, We had three good shouts for a pens but not given although the lino gave one only to overruled by the ref. They had the ball in the net from a great move in the last five mins but the flagging lino came to our rescue for what looked like a good goal. A draw was affair result and all of our boys put in a great shift. The back Four with a changing cast Joe/Clowesy /Mustard/Connor/ Pearcey /Liam were outstanding and Sherbs deserved his unanimous man of the match vote. The talk in the dressing room before the game was that no one could remember us ever having a goalless draw (or a clean sheet probably) so next week DQ was suggesting we should remember that we have not spanked anyone 5 or 6 for a long time. Or more realistically we have not beaten anyone for a while. The ref and his linos did agood job and EBOGs hospitality and welcome was appreciated. They had some good signs up in the changing rooms that we could learn from.

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2s Report  30^th Jan

Polytechnic Res (0) 4,  Merton Res  (1)  1

Poly is one of the jewels of the SAL and It is always good to go there. Particularly on this day with the sun shining and playing on their top pitch which looked pretty good. And Poly usually play good passing football with a good attitude.

Poly, top of the table, unsurprisingly dominated Merton (bottom of the table) but the only surprising thing was that kicking into the wind ad up the hill we went into half time a goal to the good. We defended resolutely but Poly squandered some good chances and their final ball let them down. We scored against the run of play when we were awarded a penalty for a block from a well struck Jason Thomas shot. Chris Rayner took it and scored comfortably. So with the wind and down hill for the second half meant that we might get something from the game but that was not to be and our luck was out. Poor defending cost us dearly. They equalised from the spot which we disputed but it had come from poor defending and a wrestling match. Who fouled who and inside or outside but I was not surprised at the award. This had a devastating impact on us. We conceded a sloppy second goal when we switched off. At 2-1 down we had a little rally and Jase got a good shot away but it was straight at the keeper. The third goal was a header from a cross which held up in the wind and the fourth looked well off side. With DQ having been injured early on and our sub used we ran out of steam and heart and it was not unfair that Poly got all the points. Merton’s man of the match was Ryan Gresty and there was a good performance from Seb and Joe. Thanks to the lads from the 3s who stepped up helped us out. Mustard had a particularly good performance and now looks like a full back. Eggy had to do a predator as a punishment for being late but he downed it with ease. So a disappointing score in the end but not a bad day.

Team: Sherbs (GK), Eggy, Paercey, Joe Griff, Mustard, Ryan G, Chris Rayner, Wilgo, DQ (Sub Seb), Jase,  Denys

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There were a lot of factors that conspired to try and spoil Saturday for me. First of all it was away at Old Stationers a trip from Merton that fills me with as much gloom as it probably does  for them coming to us. So that meant a trip round the M25. We left early, glad we did as there was an accident firstly on the A3 and then a 45 minute standstill on the M25 at Heathrow. So we arrived late with all the kit balls etc after everyone else. Then there was the weather. A real gusting blustery wind that was blowing straight down the pitch to make it a game of two halves. Then there was the Oppo who adjusted to the conditions better than us. We won the toss and had the wind in the first half. But we did not make enough of it and at half time a one goal advantage never seemed enough. We only had a really good goal from Femi to show for a lot of possession. He picked up a good pass on the left wing took it the by line and beat the defender and slid it past the keeper. In fairness they played pretty well in the first half against the wind and adapted to the conditions better. They equalised 10 mins into the second half and went ahead soon after when the Ref gave them a penalty. The Ref also contributed to spoiling the day. It was not an easy game for him to referee but I doubt if even he thought he did OK. Whilst he got the two big decisions wrong that happens. It is why he got them wrong he needs to think about. He was a young man with a long career ahead of him, who needs to learn from this experience that he that he must enforce the rules of the game. If he doesn’t then he makes a rod for his own back and will disappoint a lot of honest teams on Saturdays in the future and wont enjoy himself. He failed to award a goal when we equalised in the last seconds of the game. He was the only person who did not think the ball had crossed the line. He apologised after but that does not really get you there does it. What was really good and sustained me was the way our lads took it. Great spirit and  camaraderie in the bar after when Connor was deservedly man most handsome. But honourable mentions for some good looking boys, Joe Griffin, Femi and Clowesy. So we left with no points a slight feeling of injustice but our heads held high as we had shown respect and upheld the spirit of the SAL.

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I thought I would go along and watch this as it was at least dry underfoot. I hate mud and it had been switched to 3G in Feltham. You might be able to change the ground but you cant change the weather it was bitterly cold and there were gale force gusts blowing across the pitch. Sherbs insulated himself against the cold with 4 goal keepers tops because that is all there was. The 2s were a little depleted and thanks to six of the 3s who stepped up and helped out. HAC looked a good well organised team and they were. We started pretty well and had two good chances but HAC went into the lead when the first of a number of rather generously awarded free kicks was swung into the box. DQ showed what a danger he is in any penalty area when he sliced his clearance unstoppably into the roof of the net. Still 5 mins later and DQ latched on to a through ball and tickled it past their Keeper, 1 -1 and that is how it stayed until half time. They took the lead early in the second half from a quickly taken free kick and made it 3-1 with a really good free kick from edge of the box. 4-1 was rifled home after Sherbs had made a rather good save. DQ popped up again outrunning their defence to make it 4-2 and then missed a golden chance to head home from a great Oli Ross free kick. A couple more generous free kicks and 6-2 was the final score. Oli Ross was outstanding in midfield and Wilgo worked his socks off. Neal D marshalled the defence well and they were never comfortable when DQ was in their box. Nor where we when he was in ours. But too many absentees on a regular basis is killing our season yet again. So thanks to the 3s who all put in a very creditable shift and to HAC who thoroughly deserved their win and good luck in the competition.

Reserves report 31/10/15

Merton Res 1,   Polytechnic Res. 2   (H-T 1-1)

It was always going to be a difficult game as we knew Poly were a strong side currently topping our division. Although the scoreline looks close the win was decisive with Poly having the better of the game. From the start they settled better and had pace and movement upfront and through the middle with a solid defence. They were, as you would expect a well organised outfit. However with Paul Pearce and Joe Griiffin as centre backs and Eggy and Connor at full backs they found it difficult to break us down. They opened the scoring after 30 mins when a slightly dubiously awarded free kick was swung into the area and Sherbs, our keeper, lost it. 1-0 and I blame the parents. This actually galvanised us and we pressed but we did not seem to create much but a free kick of ours resulted in a push on Jase and Oli Ross stepped up and equalised from the spot. The events are caught conclusively and quite brilliantly by our improving resident camera man. . (H-T 1-1) The second half continued much as the first, although we had a good spell at the beginning of the second half but did not capitalise on it. Both sides found it difficult to penetrate and our defence was doing well under pressure but after about 70 mins a really good passing movement cross and finish resulted in Poly’s winning goal. It was a good game to watch and although the ref (Patrick Griffin) arrived late and compensated by leaving early and came in for affair amount of on field criticism I thought he did pretty well. Paul Pearce’s display at the back earned him the ‘Man most handsome’ award from Team Handsome and the dubious delight of taking Cherbs home for the week. Merton now need to get a consistent side out and dig in for some points. Poly looked a very good team and their club with their 1s top of Senior Div 1 are thriving which is good to see.