Football Chiswick W4 London

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Old Meads Fight Every Inch of Way Into Cup Final

London Old Boys Senior Cup Semi-final - Old Meadonians 3 Old Parmiterians 2

This was Old Parmiterians first visit to Riverside lands and to Old Meadonians’ swish new hospitality suite The Boathouse, but they were to find their hosts less accommodating than did neighbours Polytechnic the week before, when Meads gave up retention of the A.F.A. Middlesex and Essex cup.

The match also gave the visitors’ giant goalkeeper, Paul a chance to renew acquaintance with his former Ryman team-mate, Meads’ Kevin Quinn and it was fitting that these two stood out as the best on the pitch.

Meads are now in the final and facing a challenge from Old Minchendenians from two divisions below but only after being made to fight every inch of the way, when they had tamely surrendered an early two goal advantage.

It was Meads’ who drew first blood on twenty minutes when striker Colin Hawkins, who is returning to his sharpest in his come back from injury, cut in from the left and swerved a cross shot into the far corner.

Within five minutes it was two as Leon Smith cut in, again from the left, and his low cross was volleyed in at the far post by mid-fielder Ed Glover who timed his run perfectly. Before half time it was back to all square when the hosts’ turned off and were punished twice in five minutes.

The second half saw Meads biding their time but building up pressure and then bringing on a third striker, Kevin Smith, who was able to hold the ball up and give his two colleagues more freedom in space as gaps appeared in the Parmiters’ defence.

Meads immediately camped in enemy territory and following a series of corners which were alternately put in by Hawkins and Quinn it was mid-fielder Allastair McCombe who headed in one of Hawkins’ to win the match. The press corps gave Meads’ Kevin the MoM award.

Team: Sayers, Salanson, Hanley, (K. Smith), Pointer, Glover, McCombe, Hugh Jones, Quinn, Rhone, Hawkins, L. Smith.

March 15, 2007