Saturday 31st January 2015 @3pm
Ryman League Division 1 South
MERSTHAM 2-1 HASTINGS UNITED
Moatside, Weldon Way, Merstham
Admission: £8
Programme: £2
Attendance: 168
Refreshments: Guinness, £3.20. Bovril in a mug, £1, Walkers
Crisps, 70p
I decided on a revisit to a ground I was last at in
1995. The M25 had a lot of surface water
making the drive there an unpleasant one.
On arrival just after 2pm I purchased a programme and paid my entrance
with a warning from the gateman that the match is on “at the moment” and to
keep hold of my ticket for a refund as rain had been lashing down for 30
minutes and continued to 2.45.
Thankfully, the ref had no problems with the pitch which had a fair
share of soft squelchy patches but the ball could still roll ok on it. A clash between 2 sides who I expected to be
closer to each other in the table rather than the 15 places between them.
Hastings are a bigger side than step 4 but the performances of late have lacked
passion according to some away supporters.
The crowd included several supporters from Three Bridges and some
Carshalton Athletic fans who had visitors from German club FC Viktoria KÓ§ln
with them to see the postponed Corinthian Casuals match.
The visitors went ahead in the 27th minute
through Evan Archibald, up until then clear chances had been few and far
between. Merstham then dominated the rest of the half but couldn’t level before
half time. In the second half Merstham
hit the post then Pelling blocked a rebound effort before Hutchings shot
through the crowd finding the net 10 minutes into the half. The winning goal
ten minutes before the end came about when an attempted clearance hit the referees’
backside into the path of Folkes to slip the ball past the advancing keeper
Pelling. This didn’t go down well with the travelling support.
Hastings had been truly beaten but they performed very well
and in the diminutive no4 Kyle Holden, just 17 years of age, they may have a
star of the future.
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