Merstham Crowned Champions and Win Double

Merstham went into their last game of the season knowing that a win or a draw would be enough to secure the league championship, to add to their terrific league cup win a fortnight earlier. 

As they kicked off on a cold and wet Saturday morning, it was soon pretty clear that they had no intention of playing for a draw; they wanted to be crowned champions in style. With conditions not helping in the least, Merstham nevertheless set about passing the ball around the team like they have done all season, playing the possession football that has served them so well.

It wasn’t long before the pressure built and the goals duly followed. It was fitting that Josh Alder opened the scoring, a prolific marksman scoring his twenty third of the season.  This was swiftly followed up with a strike by the hard working Bobby Bowen, and soon afterward more delightful interplay by the team had Reagan Chatfield getting his thirteenth and fourteenth goals of the season, leaving the Moatsiders four nil up and cruising at half time.

With the scent of victory in the air, it was time to send Joseph Stone, normally part of the solid defensive line, up to a striking position. His task - to try and get the goal that would mean the whole squad (including goalkeeper Brennan Calafato) getting on the score-sheet during the season. He didn’t disappoint, turning his marker and sending a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the goal.

The team continued to dominate, with good work from Nathan Gellett, Connor Stephanos and Matthew Jones, and there was still time for Kobi Allspach-Blades and Harley Norman to add their names to the score-line with well taken goals, before the final whistle signalled time for celebration. With the rain still hammering down, the boys were cheered and clapped off the pitch, with one more appointment in the season’s diary, the presentation of the league trophy at Epsom Racecourse in two weeks time.

With a record of played 24; Won 20; Drawn 3; Lost 1, the whole team can be justifiably proud of this monumental achievement, and special mention should go to the manager John Gellett who has worked tirelessly in driving the team to great heights. All in all, a fantastic season which will be difficult to emulate, but this team will give it a good go next year.    

Merstham March to Cup Glory

After a monumental effort throughout the season from this young Merstham team, losing just once in 22 fixtures, the measure of success effectively comes down to their final two games; a cup final against Epsom & Ewell Colts, with the league title up for grabs if they avoid defeat in their last league fixture.  

First up the cup final, staged at Coulsdon Colts ground; Merstham have had two tough fixtures against this side, winning 2-1 away and drawing at home, so they knew they were in for another hard game.

Butterflies were in stomachs, for both players and supporters, as the teams took to the field and lined up to shake hands in a scene right out of an FA Cup final. Merstham kicked off and it was obvious that nerves were playing their part, as the smooth passing of recent matches was in short supply. Merstham gradually started to assert some pressure, but they were coming up against a very well drilled defence, with two giant centre backs blocking their way to goal.

Chances were few and far between, and were snatched at as the pressure of the occasion was taking its toll. Half time was reached with the deadlock unbroken, and at that stage it was anyone’s game.

Merstham looked a bit more relaxed at the start of the second half, and as a result they started to build up a head of steam, creating more chances than the opposition and building up pressure. Half way through the half that pressure paid off, as a quickly taken throw in put Josh Alder through on goal. As he has done all season, he kept his head and calmly slotted into the corner of the goal, starting wild jubilation on the pitch as well as on the sidelines.

Epsom & Ewell responded by throwing everything they had at Merstham, but once again this young Merstham team showed composure beyond their years to stifle that response and play out the remainder of the game with authority. As the final whistle blew, the jubilation was renewed with the Merstham players dancing around the pitch in ecstasy.  

Smiles all round as the medals and cup were handed out, and with one fixture to come, a potential league and cup double is now very much on the cards.                               

Merstham Almost There

With the finishing tape now in sight, and four points needed from the last two games required to guarantee the league title, the visit of Nutfield appeared to be the perfect fixture for Merstham. Nutfield have struggled in the league this year, so Merstham went into the fixture perhaps thinking it would be easy to secure three points.

The first half told a different story, as Nutfield have improved a lot since the teams last met, and Merstham struggled to get into their normal passing rhythm. The players seemed to forget that all of their best performances this year have been based around the passing and moving they do over and over again in training. They were playing as individuals and as such were struggling to impose their game on Nutfield. They did however manage to secure the breakthrough, a well taken goal by Josh Alder which went a little way to settling the nerves that were creeping in before half time. The second half was a different matter altogether. A tactical switch saw Joe Stone go back to anchor the defence alongside Nathan Gellett, freeing up the players ahead of them to be more expansive. The change in play was immediate, the passing was now in full evidence and the goals swiftly followed. Great interplay by Reagan Chatfield, Bobby Bowen and Matthew Jones saw Josh Alder soon rack up his second and third goals of the match, a fine hat-trick to add to his all round hard working display. It was time for a new goal-scoring hero to step up. A great ball across the face of the goal was turned in at the far post by an ecstatic Matthew Jones, with the biggest cheer of the night ringing in his ears as his team mates mobbed him. He wasn’t done though, following another great goal by the impressive Reagan Chatfield, another chance presented itself in exactly the same place and Jones slotted in once again, to another great cheer. As one sided as it had become, there were still chances at the other end while Merstham were pouring forward, with Joe Stone heroically clearing off the line and making some key interceptions alongside the composure of Harley Norman and the tireless Nathan Gellett. Brennan Calafato was as usual a safe pair of hands when needed. A seventh goal duly came, with great work by Connor Stephanos and finished sweetly by Reagan Chatfield. The three points were well and truly secured, and it means that just a point is required from the final game against Ashtead Colts. Before then, Merstham will attempt to complete phase one of the double in the cup final against Epsom & Ewell on Saturday.         

Merstham come out on top in double header

After facing each other in the Cup Semi-final three weeks ago Merstham knew they would have two tough games on their hands on this double header day against the team second in the league behind them. On that day Merstham won on penalties after drawing 0-0 after extra time, but Bookham are only three points behind in the league with two games in hand.

Game 1 started and it was clear from the off that Merstham were going to attack their visitors at every opportunity and this they did. Constant pressure eventually told when a good corner from Reagan Chatfield was superbly headed in by Bobbie Bowen. Merstham seemed to grow even stronger with Kobi Allspach-Blades, Bobbie Bowen and Reagan Chatfield dominating midfield and with the tireless work off striker Joshua Alder upfront they were unlucky on three more occasions not to increase the score. Great work at the back by Harley Norman and Nathan Gellett kept Bookham’s chances to a minimum and with Brennan Calafato on fire in goal the first half closed at 1-0. Bookham came at Merstham in the second half, but great work by halftime substitutes Connor Stephanos and Matthew Jones meant that there was no way that the boys were going to let this lead slip away and a great 1-0 victory was gained.

After a short break Game 2 kicked off and with the extra boost of winning the first game Merstham showed why they have opted to train as a Futsal Academy this season with some breath taking passing. Once again the deadlock was broken with a great goal from Bobbie Bowen and then a fantastic long clearance from keeper Brennan Calafato bounced awkwardly for the keeper and defender and ended up nestling in the top corner of the net. Merstham were now in total control giving Bookham very little chance to get out of their own half and earning a deserved 2-0 half time lead. Feeling that the game was there for the winning Merstham produced three stunning minutes of football at the beginning of the second half scoring three times. The first was a real stunner by Kobi-Allspach-Blades, the next a well worked corner scored by Connor Stephanos and the third a deserved strike form the ever running Joshua Alder. With minutes to go Merstham added a sixth when Reagan Chatfield went through and lifted a great lob over the advancing keeper. Bookham never gave up and right at the end added a well worked goal to finish the game 6-1. Merstham’s defence of Nathan Gellett, Harley Norman and Keeper Brennan Calafato had been brilliant all day keeping Bookham at bay. In midfield Bobbie Bowen, Kobi Allspach-Blades, Reagan Chatfield, Connor Stephanos and Matthew Jones had been all worked there socks off for the team and with striker Joshua Alder giving his usual unselfish performance the team had earned two great wins. This now leaves them nine points clear of Bookham at the top of the league, but Bookham do still have their two games in hand.

  Merstham Pick Up The Pace

  Merstham U9s Frustrated with a Draw

With this game being a dress rehearsal for the league cup final, it was almost destined to be a nervy affair, and so it proved.

Merstham struggled to get their flowing passing game going early on, and Epsom & Ewell were lively in shutting down any potential threats, while posing the odd threat of their own.

Chances did occasionally present themselves, with Josh Alder, Joe Stone and Reagan Chatfield all going close for Merstham, but the finishing touch just wasn’t there. Epsom and Ewell fashioned a couple of chances of their own, but were well marshalled by Nathan Gellett and Regan Chatfield in defence, and when the odd shot did come in on goal, Brennan Calafato was a safe pair of hands.

As the game wore on, Merstham were applying more and more pressure. You felt it was only a matter of time as they laid siege to the Epsom & Ewell goal in the last five minutes, being driven on in midfield by Bobby Bowen, Conner Stephanos, Matthew Jones and Kobi Allspach-Blades. The chances were coming thick and fast now, but again the finishing touch was all that was missing, and at the final whistle it felt more like two points lost rather than one point gained.

The team will dust themselves down and prepare for the next game, knowing that if they can re-find that finishing touch, they may just be bringing a trophy home at the end of the season.      

Squad: Brennan Calafato (GK), Nathan Gellett, Matthew Jones, Joseph Stone, Josh Alder, Reagan Chatfield, Kobi Allspach-Blades, Harley Norman, Connor Stephanos, Bobby Bowen

Merstham march to final after epic battle    

As we get to the business end of the season, the fixtures are coming thick and fast and each once seems to become more important than the last.

With Merstham U9’s chasing both league and cup glory, next up on the list was a semi final away to a team that were shaping up to be the Moatsiders main rivals for both titles – Bookham Colts. This was a match between first and second in the league, a battle of giants, but only one team could progress into the final.   

There was tension in the air, for both players and supporters, both knowing that this would probably be the toughest match to date, and so it proved.

The game was played with intensity and no shortage of effort and skill from both teams, it was like two heavyweights going toe to toe. Chances were difficult to come by, as the defending by both sides was excellent, and when chances did come, excellent goalkeeping from both keepers kept the sheet clean after two halves of normal time, then two halves of extra time.

The sides couldn’t be split in normal play, although Merstham seemed the more likely during extra time, but the tie would be decided by penalties.

You could cut the tension with a knife as Reagan Chatfield stepped up to take the first penalty. The keeper got a hand to it but the ball rippled in the net; 1 – 0. Bookham’s first penalty taker stepped up, hit a powerful shot but Brennan Calafato, as he had been all morning, was up to the task and pushed the ball round the post with a great save; still 1 – 0. Up stepped Kobi Allspach-Blades, who shot powerfully towards goal but the Bookham goalkeeper kept it out; still 1 – 0. Bookham’s second taker was now under pressure, and it showed as his effort sailed over the crossbar; still 1 - 0. It was now down to Josh Alder to seal matters if he could convert, leaving no way back for Bookham. He didn’t disappoint as his perfectly placed penalty hit the top right hand corner of the net, and Merstham were through.

Handshakes all round after a thrilling and nerve shredding match, with a final against Epsom and Ewell Colts to come in April. Next up, a league match against...Epsom and Ewell Colts. As I said, at this point of the season the big fixtures just keep coming..                        

Merstham come out on top in double header