Category: Under 10s Reports
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Merton U10s vs Claygate Royals – cup match – Sunday 9th December 2018
This was to be another hard lesson for our fast growing U10s side. Today’s curriculum was based on the importance of taking your chances to avoid paying the price of cup defeat, albeit after the agony of penalties.
The game kicked off slightly early with Constant Merton pressure in the first 5 minutes. Shots came in from Farris leading to a good early save and Rio who went narrowly wide.
Farris then played in Rio twice in quick succession and he shot just wide again. Good passing from Merton followed and the onlookers wondered if this was going to be another strong performance following good form this season so far.
Maxwell then won the ball in midfield and played through Rio who shot again and the keeper made a 3rd good save. The Claygate keeper was looking as solid as any we have seen at Joseph Hood Rec this season.
But elsewhere Claygate could not impose any control on the game and Farris made a nice turn after winning the ball on the touch line and was fouled. Merton failed to make use of the free kick and moments later it was Percy on a good run on the right and his shot was deflected for another corner for Merton. Again the ball was cleared by a belligerent defence.
Claygate had hardly entered Merton’s half after 10 minutes but suddenly they had an aimless pass forward which went straight through to Max for his first touch.
Another good run by Farris led to a cross but again Claygate made a clearance. As Claygate had a little more of the ball our defenders spent more time involved and their play in to midfield was excellent, especially from Ollie and Harry.
Dave, Louis and Joe were subbed on in midfield and Dave had an early shot which hit the stanchion. Then a good run from Joe and his shot was saved. The Claygate keeper was having a blinder.
Ollie and Harry continued as solid as ever at the back. The first shot by Claygate took 15 mins to muster and it was wide and tame. They soon forced another shot and this one was an easy save for Max.
Louis then went on a forceful run on the right and was tackled as he looked to play the ball across the Claygate box. He then linked up in midfield with Percy which led to a shot over the bar. Then another good move followed involving Dave, Louis and Joe who crossed for Dave who headed high for the Claygate keeper to save.
Another good move followed after wonderful determination from Ollie to win the ball high up-field but the move resulted in a blazed shot over the bar again. Another shot followed by Joe but this time at the keeper. It was as if Merton could control the entire field but just could not hit the target.
After another good move from Merton broke down and Claygate broke away and forced a good saving tackle from Joe who prevented a shot at the expense of a corner which was cleared by a combination of Ollie and Joe.
A good half ended goal-less with Merton on the attack through Dave and Maxwell.
As the second half kicked off Joe played a nice through ball early on to Louis who finally struck first blood for Merton in the bottom left corner. 1-0 to Merton.
No sooner had Merton scored than a mess up in defence led to a calamitous Claygate equaliser. A body blow when commanding so much of the game.
The boys redoubled their efforts. A good tackle by Louis won the ball and released Farris for a mazy run and shot wide. A pattern we had seen plenty.
Play was then stopped for a foul as Louis clipped the back of a Claygate midfielder who stayed on the ground for a few seconds.
Attack after Merton attack led to saves and misses. Good play but not the goal. The onlooking supporters were transfixed but wondered if Merton might pay the price of their profligacy?
More chances followed but Merton didn’t manage to finish them off. The tension was huge.
Percy then made a good challenge and won the ball and crossed but it was cleared yet again. More shots from Maxwell and Rio followed.
The ever calm and resilient Harry was having his usual solid game and in the next attacking move passed the ball well with Louis. The move led to a shot from Percy but another save.
Another passing move between Harry, Louis and Rio led to Maxwell having another shot which was blocked yet again.
Claygate then got a free kick on the edge of the Merton box right on the point of full time but it was blazed over. 1-1 and penalties which proceeded as follows:
Maxwell – narrow miss wide
Claygate scored 0-1
Rio scored 1-1
Claygate score 1-2
Louis shot saved 1-2
Claygate shot saved by Max 1-2
Harry shot saved brilliantly by keeper onto the post 1-2
Claygate score 1-3
Dave shot saved 1-3 and Claygate are through
The opposition manager summed up the morning nicely as he shook Neal and Roy’s hands and said “I’d hate to play your team on a great pitch.”
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Merton Under 10s vs Old Coulsdon Colts (Friendly)
25th – November 2018 – Under 10s report
There were clouds above and the sky was overcast. Today’s match was a friendly against Old Coulsdon Colts who managed to confuse everyone before kick off by arriving in the same yellow and black jackets that Merton wear. Top marks for originality, no other team have done that before.
The first half started with Merton playing from right to left. The early exchanges were fairly even; both sides were giving away the ball fairly cheaply and putting themselves under pressure. Was this Colts’ game plan? Press Merton and force them into mistakes. After 4 minutes, the ball was given away by Merton a few yards outside of their own penalty area. This was a golden invitation for Colts to attack Merton’s goal and they did. Their striker fired a shot into the top left corner of Merton’s goal. Max was unable to save it.
1 nil to Colts
Play continued to be quite disjointed and the pitch was definitely a factor. If this was a horse race, the going would be described as Good to Soft. At times, Merton did try to stick to their free-flowing pass and move style of football. They were able to create some chances.
Percy had a shot that went wide after 9 minutes.
Play was halted temporarily after a couple of canine pitch invaders literally ran circles around players from both teams before one of them marked his territory in the Colts goal. Enough said. Then their owner sheepishly called them off the pitch allowing the game to re-commence. Possession was still being turned over which made for an entertaining game for the neutral. After some good approach work, Faris had a shot blocked.
With 12 minutes gone, Harry, who was having an outstanding game, made three successive good tackles in the space of 1 minute. There was also good defensive work from Ollie and Joe.
After 13 minutes, some good link up play for Merton. Rio to Faris. Faris to Rio. Rio ends his run with a shot across to the right side of the goal that was wide of the post. Then it was Colts turn to exert some pressure as they had a succession of corners. 15 minutes played, Harry made two decisive tackles and then a great pass through to Maxwell who was now racing away towards the Colts goal. When he arrived at the edge of the penalty area he struck a powerful shot to the bottom right of the goal. It went in!
1 all.
Merton were now in the ascendancy; more chances were being created by them. There was some good work in midfield by Louis and Percy.
23 minutes on the clock; good work on the right by Joe, a nice stepover and then a cross. Percy connected on the half volley and smashed it into the top left corner of the Colts goal.
2-1 to Merton!
Not long afterwards the ref blew for half-time.
The second half started with Merton kicking left to right and uphill. Colts started the second half with increased intensity and started to apply pressure again. During the 4th minute, Colts won a tackle outside of Merton penalty area and launched an attack. Their striker hit his shot into the top right corner of Merton’s goal. It went in!
2 all.
8 minutes in, Maxwell controls the ball from a Colts goal kick and heads towards goal. He spots Joe on the overlap and makes the pass. Joe shoots and hits the side netting.
11 mins played, Colts launch an attack resulting in a low shot to the bottom left of Merton’s goal. Max could only parry, the follow up shot was put wide by Colts. That was a close one!
13 minutes, Rio wins a tackle in midfield and threads a fine pass through to Maxwell who is now advancing to the Colts goal. He strikes a fierce shot to the bottom right corner of the goal. You don’t stop those! It’s in.
3-2 to Merton!
14 minutes gone. If ever there was a time to consolidate a lead, this was it. In years to come all of the boys will learn more about ‘game management’ and ‘seeing a game out’. Today there was none of that. Within a minute of Merton’s third goal and the Fortnite inspired goal celebrations, Colts were bearing down on Merton’s goal and Max could do nothing to stop the shot when it came. Boom. Top right corner and in it went.
3 all
Disappointed at immediately conceding, Merton went in search of another goal. After 16 minutes, a Dave corner resulted in Max hooking the ball just wide.
18 minutes gone, another Dave corner; Rio has the chance this time. His shot was saved.
In the last five minutes, more pressure on the Colts goal from Merton, more chances created but unfortunately no more goals.
The referee blew for the end of the game.
Dave was awarded the Man of the Match.
Well done again, boys!
Let’s keep it going for Match Day 12.
Author: Mike Pitt
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Merton U10s Vs Woking U10s – Sunday 11th November 2018
Another stunning Sunday morning greeted the Merton Under 10s after 24 hours of solid downpours and we were up against Woking U10s. With it being the 11th of November and Remembrance Sunday we held a minute’s silence at the start, which was observed impeccably by the poppy-clad teams.
The home team kicked off downhill towards the car park as has been the norm of late. Maxwell showed some good early form with his running and direct play. Harry found Farris who passed to Louis who crossed for Farris and the shot was blocked. Good early signs for Merton.
Maxwell made a mazy run and couldn’t quite squeeze ball across for Joe or Louis. He was showing great strength to win the ball and play across midfield but too many moves broke down.
After 8 mins Woking had not made a foray into the Merton third of the pitch. Some passes went astray as a sticky pitch took time for the boys to adjust to.
Maxwell was repeatedly winning the ball when he dropped into midfield but resulting moves were not quite bringing home the goal. A corner was taken short with Harry and Louis working in tandem to round a defender and pull back to Maxwell who narrowly shot wide. Another chance for Merton gone begging. Not one of those days surely?!
Farris took aim and narrowly missed a long range drive and then from the restart made a good run on left but could not find Louis with his pass as the ball was cut out. The resulting corner ended up with Louis who was awkwardly positioned and could only push it wide of goal.
Woking made a rare move into the Merton area and a weak shot was no match for Max in goal who took his first touch after 15 mins.
There then followed a lovely bit of wing play from Ollie who stepped out of defence and this led to a shot from close range by Percy. Another just wide. Stu shared that he had been duped into agreeing a deal with Percy such that if he got a hat-trick he would get a reward in the form of some highly age-inappropriate console game. High incentive indeed! At this point Stu felt his money was safe and shouted across the Percy that he only needed to get 2 goals to trigger the deal. Betting on a live market of course somehow alters the market as we were about to find out.
Within moments there was a scramble in the Woking goal-mouth which led to 3 attempts and blocks then Dave popped up to put the ball in to the bottom corner. 1-0. At last some reward for their dominance.
Now Merton were starting to tick and passing became more fluid leading to another shot wide. Harry’s passing was spot on and he and Ollie were working very well at the back. Rio was also on and shwoing good endevaour with his eager running on and off the ball.
Another lovely move involving Ollie, Percy and Dave led to a great through ball and smoothe dinked finish for Maxwell. Aguero would have been proud of that one. 2-0 on 20 mins.
Then a lovely run from mid field was made by Rio which resulted in another shot and miss wide. We had seen a lot of these.
Percy then made a darting run with the ball and shot and hit the post. Did he have any chance of the prize he craved?
His next act was to put the ball out for Woking’s first corner. Nothing came of it and Merton moved upfield to work the ball between Dave and Percy resulting in another shot from Maxwell, nestling this time in the bottom corner of the net. 3-0 on the stroke of half time.
The second half got underway and some early Woking pressure won their second corner but to no avail.
Louis and Farris played a tight 1-2 and then repeated the act which led to a cross and clearance. Then Rio played in Louis who made another cross but the resulting shot was saved. This was followed by 2 powerful runs by Farris, both resulting in shots wide.
Dave then won the ball in mid-field and played Joe in for a lovely finish in the far corner 4-0.
Percy, desperate to get in on the act worked his way through to goal and his shot was blocked. Stu’s money looked safe. But not for long!
A subsequent corner led to Dave taking a powerful shot which was parried into the path of the ever industrious Percy who smashed it home. 5-0 and the game looked very much won. Neal spoke to the Woking manager to suggest they bring on an extra player.
There followed a lovely ball over the top to Percy who took a sweet touch, turned and shot in to the bottom corner. With the main match in no doubt the tension sourced from the bet between father and son. 6-0 but if Percy got another it was time to cash in his chips.
He was now on a mission and another mazy run and shot resulted but no score.
Woking had their first meaningful shot for some time and Max made a good save as it was headed for the top corner.
Then Louis made a great run and cut inside the defender and played Percy in who passed to Joe. Over the line it went from Joe again and now 7-0.
As quick as a flash Maxwell had his hat-trick and with a fine shot from 15 yards into the top corner for 8-0. Had Alan Partridge been watching he might well have said “Boom! Pick THAT out!”
Neal said another player can be added by Woking so it was now 9 vs 7.
Louis and Farris created some lovely interplay between them and Louis crossed for Rio who clipped it over top of bar. No more goals today though as the referee, who had a fine game, blew the final whistle. 8-0 it finished and the boys marched off happy, Percy ready to collect his winnings.
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Merton Under 10s vs Raynes Park Vale FC
4TH – November 2018 – Under 10s report
There were clouds in the sky but the temperature was milder than you would expect for a November Sunday morning at Joseph Hood Rec. Ideal conditions for football. Today’s opponents were Raynes Park Vale FC making this a local derby. A lot of the players were known to each other because of school and Saturday teams. As well as the points, local bragging rights were at stake. Maxwell was playing against the team he played for last year.
In the first half, Merton were kicking right to left. The game got off to a scrappy start, possession was turned over by both teams fairly cheaply in the early exchanges. Merton had a couple of shots in the first few minutes but nothing to write home about. When the game settled into a pattern, Merton began to dominate possession. Dave was particularly effective in this period, on one run down the left he skipped passed a couple of challenges and put in a powerful cross to the Raynes Park penalty area. Their keeper could only parry the cross. The ball landed at the feet of Maxwell who smashed it into the roof of the net from close distance. Eleven minutes gone.
1 nil to Merton
Merton were in control and created quite a few chances that should have led to more goals. On another run, Dave dribbled around 3 players had a shot that was saved by the Raynes Park’s keeper. Maxwell went close with another shot, Louis did too. The second goal eluded Merton. At the other end, Harry Lake ( For Raynes Park) forced Max into a fine save and reminded Merton that they would not have everything their own way.
With 16 minutes gone, Merton wasted a couple of opportunities to clear their lines which allowed Sonny ( For Raynes Park) to break through from midfield and bare down on Merton’s goal. He struck his shot to the bottom right hand corner. It went in.
1 all. Game on!
Raynes Park’s goal lifted them and they were now getting more opportunities in front of goal. Merton were also creating chances and had goal attempts during the 21st, 23rd and 24th minutes of the first half. Raynes Park also went close with a shot that was just over the bar after good chest control and an improvised volley from Harry Dean. The score remained 1 all and the referee blew for half- time.
For the second half, Merton were kicking left to right and uphill. Merton definitely like kicking uphill at Joseph Hood and long may that continue. Within 2 minutes of the re-start Maxwell dispossessed a Raynes Park player and then launched an exquisite lob over Raynes Park’s keeper. For a split second, there was silence as players and spectators tracked the flight of the ball. It came down in the bottom right of the goal. An excellent finish!
2-1 to Merton
This was a good period of the match for Merton as they showed that they can play exciting pass and move football. This was exactly how the third goal came about, Merton played out from the back. Ollie found Faris, Faris found Louis. Louis beat a defender and whipped in a cross to the back post, Maxwell met the cross on the volley and tapped in. 4 minutes of the second half gone.
3-1 to Merton
Merton continued to create chances, a Faris backheel set up Maxwell who passed on the overlap and crossed from the left wing for Louis who was arriving at the right-hand post. Louis slid in and narrowly missed adding to Merton’s goal tally.
Raynes Park were not finished yet and could sense that they still had chance to get something out of the game. After a couple of failed clearances, the ball fell to Harry Dean (for Raynes Park). He shot to the bottom left of Merton’s goal. It went in! 13 minutes of the second half played.
3-2 to Merton
Merton had to put in a strong performance defensively to hold off Raynes Park. Ollie, Joe and Harry were great in this period. Harry put in crunching tackle that stopped an attack and also the momentum that Raynes Park had. With 18 minutes gone, Percy tackled well and went on a run the length of the pitch leaving defenders in his wake. His shot was saved. With a minute left to play, Rio went on a run that took him to the Raynes Park goal. He rounded the keeper but unfortunately put his shot over the bar.
Soon after the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game. Another good win for Merton!
Maxwell was awarded the Man of the Match.
Well done again, boys!
Let’s keep it going for Match Day 8.
Author: Mike Pitt
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Merton Under 10s vs Mitcham Park FC
14TH October 2018 – Under 10s report
It was Merton’s third home match of the season and most of the parents in attendance were glad that that the early morning rain had stopped. The conditions were pretty ideal for football and so it proved. Kicking down the slope from right to left Merton started brightly. Inside 3 minutes, Percy passed to Maxwell and then Maxwell found Louis with a pass to the right. The pair of them were advancing towards the Mitcham goal. Louis returned the ball to Maxwell. Maxwell passed to Louis again and Louis returned it to Maxwell. Maxwell struck a powerful shot to the bottom left hand corner of the Mitcham goal. It went in! Three minutes on the clock.
One nil to Merton
Merton’s early goal and great start to the game led to a period of dominance; dominance of possession, of thought and action. Merton were quicker to the ball and their desire was stronger. They created so many chances. After 7 minutes, Dave, who was being productive on the left, whipped in a cross that Louis headed onto Mitcham’s back post.
Further chances were created by Merton, Dave had four separate attempts on goal after good approach work on the left. There was only one word for what Mitcham Park were facing – onslaught. Merton should have converted more of their chances. At this stage, if it had been a boxing match Mitcham’s Corner Man would have thrown the towel in.
Mitcham Park were only able to make occasional forays into the Merton penalty area and when they did Max was equal to the task. However, Mitcham Park were still in the game because the score remained at 1 nil.
With 17 minutes gone, Faris made an excellent diagonal pass between the Mitcham centre pack and left back for Rio to run onto. It was perhaps the pass of the game. Rio met the ball full on but his first-time shot blazed over the bar. Was this to be one of those games when Merton would rue their missed chances?
Twenty minutes gone, good work from Joe; he wins a tackle, cuts inside and threads a lovely ball to Faris. Faris is heading towards goal and shoots but his shot is blocked.
The referee, who had been very good at letting the game flow, blew for half-time. Amazingly it was still only one nil to Merton.
The stand in coaching partnership of Stu and Roy encouraged Merton to keep Mitcham under pressure as the second half commenced. Merton renewed their onslaught and created more chances. Merton were now kicking up the slope from left to right. Good work from Faris and a cross to the back post. Joe met it well but his shot went just over the bar.
Ten minutes into the second half, the ball breaks to Rio outside of the Mitcham penalty area. He controls the ball and shoots to the top middle of the goal. It’s a great shot and goes in above the outstretched arms of the Mitcham keeper.
Two nil to Merton.
The second goal produced two different reactions from the teams. Merton relaxed a little feeling that the game was over whereas Mitcham Park upped their intensity and desire. Mitcham wanted to give a better account of themselves. Merton still had most of the possession but Mitcham were looking more dangerous on the counterattack.
This was the best period of the game for Mitcham. After good approach work Mitcham’s striker had a good shot on goal. Max saved it and appeared to have the ball in both hands. The Mitcham striker tackled Max, the ball was spilled and then bundled into the goal by Mitcham.
Two – one to Merton.
The parents of the Mitcham players were now in full voice, spurring on their boys. A comfortable game was becoming less comfortable for Merton. Some of Merton’s goal mouth drama was of their own making but Mitcham were now putting them under pressure. There was some resolute defending by Harry, Joe, Ollie and Max but Mitcham were not to be denied. A shot from inside Merton’s penalty area to the bottom right of the goal proved successful. It went in!
Two all!
Wow! How did we get to this point? In the first half it was Easy Like Sunday Morning for Merton but if Merton were to win now they would need to go back up the gears and create a grandstand finish. With only 6 minutes left to play, they were able to do just that. Urged on by watching parents Merton increased their intensity, Maxwell created some space and let fly with a powerful shot to the bottom left of the goal. The Mitcham keeper got a hand to it. The ball was spinning agonisingly over the line. Was it completely over the line? Would the keeper recover his position and clear it? Dave slid in to make sure and poke the ball completely over the line. A Video Assistant Referee (VAR) would have cleared up who scored but it may be a while before VAR is introduced at Joseph Hood Rec, the important point to remember is that it was a Merton goal!
3 -2 to Merton
This was a great response from Merton and they were well worth their lead. Within 1 minute of the re-start, the ball broke to Louis who fired in a powerful shot that Mitcham’s keeper was unable to save. The ball went into the centre of the goal!
4-2 to Merton
Two quick-fire goals in 2 minutes put the result beyond doubt. The last few minutes were relatively uneventful and then the referee blew the full-time whistle.
Joe was awarded Man of the Match.
Well done again, boys!
Let’s keep it going for Match Day 7 after Half Term
Author: Mike Pitt
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Whitton Wanderers Falcons U10s 3 – Merton U10s 0 – Sunday 6th October 2018
Merton U10s fell to their first defeat of the season in a sun-drenched match which threw up a surprise result where Merton had the lion’s share of the play and an avalanche of chances.
After an early start for the mini trek over to Hounslow for this early kick off the crowds were anticipating another Merton performance and win which would never arrive. The first half got underway and Merton showed signs of their endeavour as they repeatedly broke forwards in numbers only to miss their opportunities to put the ball in the net. Whitton’s keeper was very able and handled well but when Merton could have finished off their breaks they would often shoot wide, at the keeper or fail to connect their final pass. This was to be the pattern of much of the game.
As Whitton grew into the game Max was forced into some stops and displayed some excellent handling as further evidence of his ongoing development between the sticks. At the other end of the pitch Merton were getting a few corners from last ditch clearances yet could simply not convert from any of the positions they grafted so hard to create. Lots of huffing and puffing but too many players seemed to lack that final bit of quality to seal the deal.
The second half started as the first ended with nearly goals from Merton and Whitton looking sharp on the break with pace and power out wide requiring some good work from the ever-reliable Harry and Ollie. Neal tried to change things up and move players around. Farris had worked hard but not had any service up front until now and suddenly burst into life with some good wide play only to see his chance go begging like all those before.
After 10 mins Merton played the ball out from the back without enough care and Whitton got hold of it and fired a great effort on goal which Max did superbly to push around the post.
Then followed a strong win of the ball by Louis in his own half, he played in Rio who passed to Farris and again Whitton got a toe on the ball to snuff out the danger.
As Whitton lumped the ball forwards high in the air Harry controlled it with one deft touch, leading to applause from his adoring fans on the side-lines. No sooner had he put the ball just where he wanted it that his forward pass went straight to a Whitton mid-fielder, leading to the kind of sharp analysis from his old man we have become used to.
Merton continued to boss the game and the number of shots reflected that.
Pressure from the midfield on every goal kick was causing issues for Whitton. The latest effort led to Merton midfield winning the ball and Percy had a shot just but it was just wide. Again!
Surely Merton would not throw this game away after having so many chances?
More continued pressing to win the ball succeeded repeatedly and shots were often the end result. But the ball would not go in the net. A number were from distance and a little more patience might have helped.
Dave went on a good run, exchanging the ball with Joe and his shot hit the post. More ball was won from Merton pressing hard and the latest effort led to a tidy bit of play from Louis to cross the ball for Dave to shoot again and this was yet another post. Another break, another shot gone begging, this time from Percy.
As the game wore to a close there was a muddle up in the Merton defence leading to a soft Whitton goal. To add insult to injury this followed immediately after a great save on the line from a combo of Louis and Max.
Merton heads started to drop but another good run and one-two with Farris led to Dave having a shot but the Whitton keeper was equal to it.
Another Merton corner and Farris was free on goal but pulled the ball just wide. Amazing. “We could play all day and won’t score” said Dan. Wise words.
In a subsequent Whitton break they had 3 on 1 which led to Ollie making a very smart challenge.
Suddenly another Merton foray and they made it 2-0. Merton were clearly gutted. This was becoming a lesson in how you can lose when you deserve much better.
Another bit of pressure and another Whitton goal despite hard chasing from Merton. How did this end up 3-0? As the game wore to its end Merton still pushed for their reward. Louis made a twisting run and was fouled on the edge of the Whitton box. He took the free kick and put it over bar.
Game over. The boys knew they let this get away.
Ollie and Harry were jointly awarded Man of the Match. Lots of learning to pick out of this one. On the upside lots of good football despite the lack of reward.
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Merton FC Under 10s Vs NPL FC under 10s, 30th September 2018
Another glorious September morn greeted the boys and parents for this latest Sunday fixture as Merton Under 10s sought to continue their 100% start to the season.
After multiple dads claimed to be carrying match balls thereby needing to park inside the ground everyone gathered around the Subbuteo sized pitch. Well, nearly everyone. Percy had a prior engagement, Dave needed an extra bacon sarnie so Neal (his chauffeur for the day) had to hang on while Dave ate some After-Eights and supped his Earl Grey to finish off and Maxwell was relying on Mike’s satnav which had them confidently parking up somewhere just east of the Etihad Stadium on account of the postcode from the Twilight Zone.
Spot on 10 o’clock the ref got us under way and both teams were straight at it.
Merton drew first blood with a nice finish after 5mins as Dave rounded off some good inter-play. Soon enough the busy NPL outfit had their striker belt the ball into the roof of Max’s net to make it 1-1.
Merton went on to miss some nice chances including good openings for Dave and Farris. Dave hit the woodwork with a belting shot and that was as close Merton got for a while. The cultured Merton passing was not quite in evidence so far.
Half-way through the first period, Louis played a nice through ball for Rio who took a good position but then narrowly dragged his effort just wide of left hand post. Oohs and aahs emanated from the Respect Line. Merton were taking ownership of this game more and more but needed to find the goals to seal the deal.
End-to-end football continued with chances for both teams. Max remained the quieter of the keepers with pick-ups rather than saves to deal with whilst the NPL keeper had to be on his toes more than once to make decent stops.
As the half wore to a close Rio won a free kick and took it himself with some aplomb to put Merton deservedly 2-1 up with power and accuracy. After the restart a typically power and pace filled run by Maxwell (yes the homing beacon had brought him in by now) led to a sweet pass to Farris who turned his defender and shot. The NPL keeper parried and his own defender reached ball just ahead of Louis to put it out for corner which Merton failed to convert. Another chance gone begging.
Merton needed to just pas a bit more and use their training pitch skills to make more chances. Half time seemed to come fast at 2-1 which seemed about fair at that stage.
The second half so passages of even pressure in the opening minutes. Rio and Joe had shots but no avail. Ollie was working well across the backline and Harry was breaking up play and bringing the ball out with maturity as we have come to expect. But the team was still missing some of their usual magic. NPL used pace well in wide areas (if you can call them wide areas on such a narrow piste). But neither side was converting well in the final third.
Subs continued to be rotated and the pattern remained the same with Merton v slightly on top of this finely balanced contest. In the final quarter of the game NPL eventually forced Max into a trademark save with a header and then moments later scored as the ball squirmed narrowly below Max from powerful shot. 2-2 and all to play for as the game wore to its end.
After the re-start Ollie played Louis in and he passed first time to Maxwell with a through ball and Maxwell then controlled and shot with power just wide of post. Cue more oohs from the side-lines. Did either side have it in them to win this?
The game continued end-to-end as both sides tried to answer this question. NPL had a good shout for a penalty turned down by the ref. This was a surprise as the ref had such an eagle eye for foul throws (about 10 were given against NPL in the match) that you would have thought him a stickler for a spot kick too. Regardless, nothing was given and play continued.
An episode of pin-ball in our box led to a good clearance but an injury to NPLs midfielder held up play.
In the final passage of play from a corner Rio made contact with a good header and Louis shot from the resulting position but it was cleared on the line to leave the contest feeling unresolved at 2-2 as the ref blew the final whistle. The 100% record was at an end on aday when the boys did not quite find their usual rhythm against a decent opposition.
Neal decided no one stood out on this occasion so Man of the Match was not awarded due to “ok performances all over the pitch.”
Having said that, the author would like to point out that Harry deservedly won Man of the Match 3 weeks’ ago but this accolade was not recorded in the annuls of Merton FC due to no bugger telling him at the time. In pointing this out it is his sincere hope that Dan will stop banging on about this innocent oversight through the long winter which lies ahead! 😊
Here’s to a return to their passing excellence and another win next week.
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Merton Under 10s vs Rocks Lane United
23rd – September 2018 – Under 10s report
It was the second home match of the season for Merton and what a difference a week makes in terms of the weather. The rain had started hours before kick-off and never let up during the match. Apart from the parents of the players, the only other people at Joseph Hood Rec were a few hardcore joggers. It seemed as if the match referee had to be persuaded to come out of the pavilion. Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes.
Despite the wet conditions, Merton started very brightly and asserted their dominance very early on. Within 5 minutes, Merton were ahead. An excellent corner from the left by Dave was met by Faris on the volley at the back post.
One nil to Merton.
Merton continued to dominate possession and to create lots more chances for the rest of the first half. However, the score remained at 1 one nil until two minutes before half time. Faris latched onto a loose ball a few metres outside the Rocks Lane penalty area and set off on a run towards their goal. He shot from inside the penalty area to the bottom left corner. It went in!
Two nil to Merton.
Shortly after the re-start the referee blew for half time.
In the second half Merton were kicking slightly up hill. It should have been harder for them but it was anything but. Egged on by Neal, Roy and parents Merton’s boys in yellow seemed determined to Make it Rain goals.
For much of the second half, Merton mounted attack after attack on the Rocks Lane goal. After ten minutes, Rio intercepted an attempted clearance, he feigned a run on the right but instead came inside after creating some space and shot across goal to the bottom left corner. His shot went in off the post.
Three nil to Merton.
At times, Merton were playing some lovely controlled football and every member of the team played well and played the entirety of the match. There were no subs available this week because Louis, Percy and Ollie were unavailable.
Back to the action, Faris was on a hat-trick and clearly keen to score again. A lovely through ball saw him bearing down on the Rocks Lane goal from the right-hand side. This time he shot to the top left corner of the goal. It went in.
Four nil to Merton
It was turning into a goal-fest and a lot of credit must go to the Rocks Lane team because they showed a good spirit and their heads never went down. They stuck to their tasks even though they had little hope of getting anything out of this game.
After a good run from midfield, Dave added to Merton’s tally with a shot that beat the Rocks Lane keeper and went in the bottom left corner.
Five nil to Merton.
Good approach work from Merton, Rio’s shot is parried. Maxwell is on hand to slot home from close range.
Six nil to Merton.
Coach Neal sends Joe up front and within a few minutes the switch pays dividends. Joe takes his chance well and his shot goes into the top left corner of the Rocks Lane goal.
Seven nil to Merton
There were still a few minutes left, Merton attempted to add Harry’s name to the scoresheet. It was not to be today but I am sure that he’ll be top of the list next time Merton are able to create such a dominant display.
Well done again, boys!
Three games and three wins!
Let’s keep it going for Match Day 4.
Author: Mike Pitt
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Claygate Royals Hares vs Merton Under 10s
16th September 2018 – Under 10s report
Brilliant sunshine greeted Merton as they stepped onto the pitch after a relatively short trip down the A3 to Esher to face Claygate Royals. The opening exchanges showed that the teams were evenly matched; gradually Merton started to dominate possession and more importantly turn that possession into clear-cut chances. After sixteen minutes, Faris went close with a shot that Claygate’s keeper just about managed tip over the bar. From the resulting corner, Rio hit the bar and then Claygate scrambled the ball clear.
Even though Merton were creating the majority of chances Claygate looked good on the counterattack and capable of scoring. Against the run of play they did just that, after a long goal kick and a big bounce Claygate’s striker was bearing down on Merton’s goal and managed to strike the ball low into the bottom right corner.
1 nil to Claygate.
Coach Neal made changes and on came Louis, Maxwell and Percy.
With his first touch of the ball Maxwell started on a run that took him to the right side of the Claygate penalty area. He then let fly with a fierce shot into the bottom left hand corner of Claygate’s goal. Claygate’s keeper dived the right way but could do nothing to stop it.
1-all. Game on!
The game remained incredibly open, no buses were parked and no-one was shutting up shop. The referee, who was very good at letting the game flow, eventually blew the whistle for half time.
The second half started the way the first had finished with good levels of energy and enthusiasm from both sides. Merton were slightly edging it in terms of possession but still needed good defensive work from Harry, Joe, Ollie and Max to keep the scores level.
Merton’s midfield trio of Dave, Percy and Louis were doing particularly well and ten minutes into the second half Percy crossed from the left wing towards Louis. In a desperate attempt to prevent Louis getting to the ball the Claygate defender put the ball into
His own net.
1-2 Merton lead for the first time.
Claygate mounted more attacks in an attempt to get back into the game, Merton responded with their own attacks. As players tired, some of the composure of the earlier exchanges was lost. This was a fair battle that could have ended 10-all.
After 18 minutes, Maxwell managed to control a bouncing ball in the centre circle and set off toward the Claygate goal. Just outside the penalty area, he struck a powerful shot that went in to the centre of the goal just below the crossbar.
1-3 to Merton!
More waves of attacks from Claygate, more hearts in mouth moments for both sets of parents. With only minutes left to play, a long shot from Claygate is brilliantly saved by Max, only for Claygate to be first to the loose ball and slot home.
2-3 Merton still lead.
Unbelievably both sides continued to create chances right up to the final whistle. In truth, either side could have won it but Merton managed to hang on to their lead and their 100%
record. Two games and two wins!
Well done boys!
Let’s keep it going for Match Day 3.
Author: Mike Pitt
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As the Indian Summer got into gear the new season finally kicked off at The Hood with a 10.00 start against BarnesEagles. There was a bit of a kerfuffle pre-match as parents marked out a temporary pitch since the usual turf resembled Death Valley.
Our 2 subs (Maxwell out of action this week) looked in envy at the opposition who literally had a (foldaway) bench with them. Amazon got a bit of a hammering as parents figured out the best way to get their hands on one for the coming cold Sunday mornings. And to give everyone a boost the club had organised hot drinks and bacon butties. Result!
As the match got underway it was clear that Merton could make the most of the wide pitch and command the play which is what they did for the entire half. Barnes had some possession when they could get out of their own half, especially through the player with no number but failed to make it count on most occasions due to some fast working back by Ollie, Harry and Joe and a lack of numbers.
Merton got on the score sheet soon enough with 2 quick fire goals from Rio and Percy. But Merton also created some of their own issues having pushed high up the pitch and got caught out as Bedfont made it 2-1 with a great finish.
No sooner had the second half kicked off than Rio got his second and Merton’s 3rd to make the game feel like it would only end up with one winner. Subs rotated but the general pattern of Merton dominating possession and working for goals continued.
Faris, working very hard throughout was rewarded with his goal to make it 4-1 after creating and missing 2 chances mid way through the half. A lovely 5th followed when Harry won the ball and played a delightful pass for Dave who pushed it round the defender for the umpteenth time and slid it in at the near post.
We were then caught out up-field and saved by Max as he got to a shot from a Barnes breakaway. to keep the score at 5-1.
In the later stages a lovely bit of inter-play between Louis, Joe and Percy led to a shot we deflected ourselves to send the ball spinning wide of the far post.
To bring proceedings to a close Louis played the ball to Joe whose cross-cum-shot was tapped in by Louis at the far post for a resounding 6-1 win to start the season.
Well done boys!
On to next week!