1st Team
Matches
Sat 02 Mar 2019
Old Meadonians First Team
4
1
Wandsworth Borough Football Club
1st Team
P Murray (57')
BOROUGH 1s SHOW UP LATE

BOROUGH 1s SHOW UP LATE

Gordon Fisher10 Mar 2019 - 12:32
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AFC: Premier / Report by Des O'Hare

Two uncontested headers in the first 20 minutes gave title-chasing hosts a helping hand without having to do much to earn the lead.

Two corners, two free headers, two nil in twenty minutes.

Meads had certainly started the better and used the wind and slope to great advantage. The hosts pushed four forward in an attempt to unsettle Borough: it worked.

Borough hadn't prepared as well as usual and it showed. Playing in the wrong places, failure to hold on to possession, not tracking players. It was a hectic first phase of the game. Baker was pressed into a number of saves including two one-on-ones, a direct free-kick low to his left and a number of dangerous crosses. They demanded all his capability, which was the platform for a man of the match performance.

As the half wore on Borough 1sts started to look like themselves. Some crisp play down the right flank through Charlie Rose and Ullyott played in Pat Murray, a very effective utility striker for the day. He broke into the penalty area and had his shot smothered by the Meads' Keeper.

Within minutes Bell, who was starting to impose himself on the game, played a beautiful through ball for Murray who laid the ball off to Rolfe. Arriving at pace, Rolfe drove the ball just over the bar.

With half-time approaching Borough pressed the issue to try and get into the game. Da Silva made some in-roads down the left and drove in some superb crosses, however, Borough struggled to get enough support in the box to make the most of these dangerous moments.

Half-time focussed on using the 2nd half conditions in our favour and squeezing Meads in their own half.

It worked almost immediately with Rolfe playing a 25-yard ball to Murray, inside the left back and centre half. Murray beat the offside trap, rounded the keeper but ran out of pitch. A very positive start to the half.

Bell started spraying the ball wide and the combination with Ullyott began to look a real threat.

Defensively Borough were in command. Mackenzie and Gibb had control of their attackers and were now driving Borough forward with Watson working to good effect in front of the back four, managing the threat through the middle whilst threading the play to help build Borough's attacking momentum.

Pym and Rose were guarding the flanks and began to join into good effect going forward making Borough the dominant side.

Bell had a few speculative attempts on goal from distance, one which forced a good save from the keeper. Rolfe was probing and linking well with Murray.

The Borough goal came from this combination. A ball from Ullyott wide on the right played into Bell who threaded a neat ball to Rolfe. His pass picked out a superb run by Murray into the box, giving him just enough time to flick the ball past in onrushing keeper into the Meads' net. 2-1 and game on.

The next five minutes continued with Borough 1sts on top. Meads attacks had become more sporadic however they were still a threat. With 20 minutes to go the left back drove down the Borough right side toward the corner flag. With plenty of Borough players around him, there seemed to be little threat. However, inexplicably he found a way to get to the edge of the Borough box and was able to square the ball for the Meads' unmarked midfielder to fire home.

A sloppy and costly few minutes. A body blow to Borough's attempt to get points from this fixture.

To everyone's credit Borough kept pushing and in doing so spaces started to open up at both ends of the pitch.

Nicholas had joined the fray. He immediately made an impact getting good balls forward and ensuring Borough competed throughout.

On the break Meads created several threats which demanded Borough attention and disrupted the visitors attempts to get back in the game.

With time running out, one break found Baker outnumbered in the box. He had just made two vital interventions in similar situations, however, this time had no chance of defending the 4th goal: tie well and truly over.

Borough 1sts big mistake was failing to prepare on the day the way we normally do, and handing the oppo. a two-goal start. A decent 2nd half from all 12 of the squad, however, it was too little - too late. We can do a lot better - and we certainly will.

Match details

Match date

Sat 02 Mar 2019

Kickoff

13:30
Team overview
Further reading