Football Result: Old Meadonians 1 Old Parmiterians 1

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Football Result: Old Meadonians 1 Old Parmiterians 1

Meads fail to master the elements at Riverside Lands

Amateur Football Combination Premier Division

Visitors to Riverside Lands, Old Parmiterians, belied their lower mid-table position by giving hosts Old Meadonians a first half lesson in how to master the unruly elements, playing the ball calmly out of defence and keeping possession in mid-field by close support.

However, although their hosts found it difficult to get a look in, at this point Meads’ back three put their oar in to such an extent that keeper Gary Robinson was unemployed except to bend his back just once to retrieve the ball from his net. This was on the half hour when a long punt from Parms’ goalie was nudged on and saw a miraculous parting of the waves for a solitary striker to sail in on the home goal.

Even the strengthened half time cordon wasn’t enough to keep prying ears from getting the drift of the dressing down delivered by Meads’ incensed coach Paul Rumley, but whatever the angle it had the desired effect. For the whole of the first half striker Craig Jones had spearheaded the attack steadfastly refusing to be kettled, pulling his marker this way and that with mercurial runs and carving out three or four near misses off his own bat.

Now with Ed Glover and Peter Eguae joining the fray Meads began to enfilade the visitors although Eguae might have done better from five yards out. With fifteen minutes to go Craig Jones reaped his just reward, taking a ball to the feet on the right hand edge of the area, exploding past his marker on the outside and guiding a left foot shot past the keeper to show there isn’t a more accomplished striker in the league.

Even then the drama continued as Peter Eguae was inches away from making amends by snatching an audacious winner. Just five minutes were left when he collected a clearance on the halfway line and seeing Parms’ keeper struggling back to his post put in a superb lob which bounced just over. 

Team: Robinson, Palmer, McCombe, Pointer, S. Kemp, N. Jones, Eguae, Mantel, Glover, C. Jones. Subs (not used) Rhone, Grahame.  

January 25, 2012