DFC - Merstham: 5/1/2008.

[Big J R]

... for those that can't access it !

 

'Runaway league leaders Merstham stormed past Dorking on Saturday with an awesome display to make it 20 league wins in 22 games for Merstham, in front of Dorking's largest home crowd of the season of 108.

 

The size of the task before Dorking as Chicks went into this game was shown by the fact Merstham had suffered their only defeat of the league season in August on the opening day of the season, and had conceded only 4 goals since the end of August in the league in an 18 game spell, while scoring a massive 63 goals. With Dorking bottom of the league, manager Tony Webb must have considered the task in this game as the most difiicult of the season, albeit with Dorking's recently improved form that saw the team suffer just one defeat in December. Dorking had already lost twice to Merstham this season, a narrow 2-0 defeat in the Vase and a more emphatic 4-0 defeat in the league, both at Merstham back in October.

 

Missing Steve Augustine and Terry Fennessey, Dorking saw the return of keeper Chris Roberts after injury and Webb started with leading scorer Adam Pero on the bench, the big striker still not fully fit, with ex Mk Dons striker Tony Ahmed and the experienced Nigel Webb starting in attack.

 

If Dorking were to get anything from this game they needed to score first and take any chance that came that way. As it happened two half chances did fall Dorking's way in the opening 10 minutes, Nigel Webb's effort just going wide, whle a goal mouth scramble fafter a Dorking corner was fumbled by MErstham's experienced keeper Ian Chatfield, but Tom Ahmed just could not get his shot away in the 6 yard box as he twisted and turned in an attempt to see the goal and evade the Merstham defence.

 

Moments later Merstham broke with devastating effect, a fast moving attack seeing Merstham striker Kwabena Agyei turn in a cross with a clinical finish on 15 minutes to effectively snuff out any chance Dorking had of forcing a result.

 

On the backfoot now, Dorking quickly conceded a second goal, Nick Greenhouse scoring on 24 minutes and it was all one way traffic for the remainder of the half as first Merstham missed a penalty, a good Roberts save seeing the spot kick parried away, then Merstham making it 3-0 two minutes before half time when Agyei grabbed his second.

 

The second half saw Dorking have more of the ball on a heavy pitch, but Greenhouse's second and MErstham's fourth goal just 5 minutes after half time made sure that any throughts of a similar attempted comeback by Chicks from a 3-0 defecit as had happened the week before against Chertsey was not to be.

 

At 4-0, Merstham inevitably took their foot off the gas, and Dorking were able to create a number of half chances, notably when second half sub Adam PEro came inches away from scoring only the 5th goal Merstham have conceded in the league since August as he headed strongly over from close range with Chatfield beaten, but two late Merstham goals from Agyei, claiming his hattrick, and another 5 minutes from time from Kevin Lock rubbed salt into the Dorking wounds and finished a comfortable win for the league leaders.

 

Manager Tony Webb will know that Merstham are by far and away the best team in the league this season, and that with 20 games to go, his side can still build a sequence of results that can see his side climb from the relegation spots, that task made all the more difficult at the weekend with unexpected victories for the three sides immediatley above Dorking in the league table.

 

1. Chris Roberts

2. Tom Brereton

3. Julian Van Gelder

4. Mark Styles

5. Roy Newman

6. Oliver Barrett

7. Herve King

8. Dan Clayton

9. Nigel Webb

10. Tom Ahmed

11. Dan Stassinos

 

12 Adam Pero

14 Miguel Beesley

 

 

Dorking travel to fellow ex Isthmian side Wembley on Saturrday 12 January.' ENDS

[sydney1]

A fair assessment of the match, but did you notice Merstham attack in waves of 4 4 2, they ALL attack and then they ALL defend. At 6-0 up Merstham defended a corner, all 11 in the box, some discipline and some team.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

Perhaps so but its a lot easier to do that if you are top of the table playing the bottom side. When you are that superior you can play whatever tactics you like, fair play to Merstham.