London Old Boys' Senior Cup 3rd Round

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London Old Boys' Senior Cup 3rd Round

Old Chigwellians 2 Old Meadonians 6

 

Experienced and in form striker Ed Glover and young debutant mid-fielder Tom Etheridge both scored scintillating hat-tricks as London Old Boys’ Senior Cup holders, Old Meadonians, proved too strong for Old Chigwellians from the Arthurian League to hold, for Meads to run out comfortable winners at Chigwell on Saturday. The hosts were allowed to play neat tidy football in their territory but just didn’t have the wherewithal to open up the visitors’ defence and so, while Meads looked dangerous whenever they broke, Chigwellians rarely troubled the visitors.

Even with speedster Peter Eguae on the bench champing at the bit, the Glover/Craig Jones combination had more than enough pace to look like scoring every time they got the ball in advanced positions. However, Meads’ first came from an unexpected but much appreciated source when, fifteen minutes in, Jordan Mace’s corner from the right was headed out to the edge of the area and Etheridge stepped up to volley home. Ten minutes later Glover showed a clean pair of heels to his marker, cut in from the right and shot left footed into the far top corner for his first.

The hosts then mounted a ten minute min-siege and were given unnecessary and uncharacteristic encouragement when a lapse of attention allowed a low cross to be diverted into the net from ten yards. However, they were soon put in their place when a flick on from Glover found Jones who sprinted past his marker down the right to cross for Etheridge to time his finishing run to perfection for his second. The half-time talk was of getting the ball forward to the pace-men while maintaining concentration to counter breaks and one-way traffic immediately resumed. On the hour sub Ali McCombe, on for Thompson, headed a corner back across goal for Glover to calmly chest down and volley the fourth.

Ten minutes later it was five. Skipper Will Gerrish stormed into the area and was brought down by the keeper for Etheridge to complete his hat-trick from the spot. With ten minutes on the clock Dave Brennan crossed for Glover to pouch his third with a powerful header. There was still time, with the ref putting his whistle to his mouth, for the hosts to win a corner and for the visitors’ defence to switch off and allow the ball to be turned in from six yards. With co-coach Rory Vermeulen waiting for the break-down man to revive his car, Paul Rumley was flying solo and the post-match briefing was taciturn. He stressed that the team had adhered to his three word mantra, playing with power, pace, passion and named Ed Glover and Tom Etheridge as joint MoM..

Squad: Robinson, Mace, Pointer, Thompson, Quinn, Etheridge, Chapman, Gerrish, Brennan, Glover, Jones, McCombe, Shea, Eguae.

 

 

January 16, 2013