MATCH REPORTS 2024/25 
- Match Reports by Chris Pullen -

 

Merstham 1-1 Steyning Town Community | Isthmian League South East | Saturday 28th December

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A lack-lustre performance from the Moatsiders and a string of missed chances allowed the visitors to leave the Moatside with a vital point in their battle to avoid relegation. The game pivoted on a highly controversial refereeing decision on the half hour, when Jude Molloy appeared to have given Merstham a two goal advantage, which would surely been enough for the Moatsiders to have gone on and won the game.

On a dank, gloomy day at The Hybrid Fitness Stadium, the football on offer rather matched the weather. After an excellent performance at Sevenoaks 48 hours earlier, the Moatsiders began the game poorly, with a series of misplaced passes and looking careless in possession. They did go ahead in the 12th minute, after Steyning failed to clear a Matt Drage free kick. The ball dropped to Aaron Jenkins on the edge of the box, and his low shot surprisingly bear Town keeper Stroomberg-Clarke at his near post. But if the keeper might have done better with that goal, he was to make up for it with a string of fine saves in the second half. Billy Oram had a great chance to make it two on 21', when clean through on goal, but a poor touch in the box allowed a covering defender to make a vital block. Then in the 30th minute came the highly controversial moment, that had a huge bearing on the result. Olu Lawal teed up Jude Molloy and the full back swept a low shot in to the far corner. Korrey Henry was in an offside position, but nowhere near the keeper's line of sight. However, referee Deryll David, who didn't have the best of games, was alerted to his assistant, who told him Henry was in an offside position. After a long consultation the referee then deemed that Henry was impeding the keeper's vision and disallowed the goal after a good sixty-odd seconds, with the Moatsiders and Steyning ready for the restart. Replays suggest that if anything, the keeper was blocked by his own defenders and Henry was clearly not in his way. It was a pivotal moment. His decision became even bigger two minutes later when Steyning equalised. The Moatsiders were still arguing about the disallowed goal and the lapse in concentration from a Town free kick allowed a free header in the box which Chester volleyed home from close range to make it 1-1 after 34 minutes. It's easy to criticise the officials, but you have to be sure if you are going to disallow a goal and the officials seemed anything but sure. A disappointing first-half ended one apiece.

Merstham upped the tempo in the second half and created several excellent chances to regain the lead, but a combination of poor finishing and some fine goalkeeping added to the air of frustration around the ground. The first big chance came in the 52nd minute, when a lovely ball from Bradley Wilson found Korrey Henry with just the keeper to beat, but the striker fired straight at the Steyning stopper. Merstham had most of the ball but the quality of the final ball into the box was sadly lacking. Town were already happy with a point and had ten men behind the ball, occasionally looking for a quick counter attack, but lacked the quality to make the most of Merstham committing men forward. Stroomberg-Clarke made a huge double save in the 74th minute to deny first Lee Lewis and then Aiden Brown from the rebound. Brown was on target a few minutes later, but again the keeper was equal to his effort. A minute later Brown should have scored when he picked up the ball a couple of yards out, but a combination of keeper and defender incredibly blocked both his shots on the line, when it looked as though he must score.  Sam King then had a great chance with a header from 6 yards but he couldn't get it on target. In the 5th minute of added time, the Town keeper produced another excellent save to tip Aaron Jenkin's chip over the bar as he back pedalled. Bizarrely, Steyning might have nicked all three points when, with the last kick of the game, Romain dragged his shot wide from ten yards when he probably should have scored. But the Moatsiders will reflect on a host of chances in the two drawn games over the Christmas period and know they should have taken all six points rather than just two.

Merstham: Tolfrey. Khinda, Pointing, Drage, Molloy (Lewis 46'), Lawal (Johnson 64'), Greenwood, Oram (Brown 64'), Jenkins, Wilson (King 75'), Henry (Gunner 90+6).

Unused subs: none

Man of the Match : Ollie Khinda

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Sevenoaks Town 2-2 Merstham | Isthmian League South East | Thursday 26th December

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Frustrating is the word that sums up Merstham's Boxing Day performance. This game could and should have been over in the first 30 minutes. Merstham had a number of great chances to have been three or four up by the interval, but spurned all but one, and in the end, they had to come from a goal down to grab a point. 

With Matt Drage suspended and Sam King missing through illness, Harry Pointing and Billy Oram came into the starting line-up. 

Merstham began the game as though they wanted to make sure the result was done and dusted in the first fifteen minutes. It took just 45 seconds for Charlie Greenwood to force Town keeper Perrin into his first save of the afternoon, although Greenwood should probably have scored from close range. But it was all one-way traffic in the opening phase of the game, and the Moatsiders were playing some silky smooth football. The opening goal arrived in the 10th minute. Jude Molloy, overlapping on the left flank, whipped in a dangerous low ball. It eluded everyone until Billy Oram at the far post latched onto it and hammered it into the roof of the net. Four minutes later, Merstham should have been two up. A short corner freed Greenwood, who chipped a delightful ball to the far post where Oram, a yard out somehow managed to glance a free header wide of the post. It looked easier to score. In the 18th minute, Oram had another, more difficult chance, but blasted his shot over the bar. In the 21st minute, a lovely ball from Molloy found Korrey Henry unmarked 10 yards out, but his shot went agonisingly wide of the far post. At this point of the game, Merstham could easily have been home and dry, such was their dominance. In addition to the gilt-edged chances created, they were also playing some superb football. But football is a funny game. If you don't take your chances, there appears to be an unwritten rule that it will cost you dear. So it proved in the 29th minute, when Town equalised with their first shot on target. There appeared to be little danger, but Merstham allowed Eruotor a too much time and space on the edge of the box and he found the back of the net from 20 yards, as his shot clipped the bar and bounced down into the net. To say the goal was against the run of play is a massive understatement. But the Moatsiders immediately had the chance to retain the lead. Finlay Johnson was bundled over in the box by a Town defender and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Up stepped the normally-reliable Greenwood, but instead of placing his spot kick as he normally does, he instead opted for power. The ball cleared the crossbar by several feet and Sevenoaks had yet another reprieve. Merstham kept pushing for a second and again Oram might have done better after Greenwood found him just inside the box. But he again failed to call Perrin into action.  The half ended 1-1 with both sets of supporters wondering quite how the Moatsiders weren't ahead.

The first ten minutes of second half was a more even contest, but gradually the Moatsiders began to establish control. But Sevenoaks looked dangerous on the counter-attack as Merstham committed men forward in search of a second. Despite plenty of the ball, the Moatsiders weren't as incisive as they had been in the opening 45 minutes and didn't create anything of note despite several promising situations. Almost inevitably, Sevenoaks grabbed the lead with 20 minutes remaining. A low cross to the far post missed everyone except Wisson who was lurking unmarked at the far post and he had the easy task of slotting the ball into an empty net. Sevenoaks remarkably could have gone further ahead five minutes later, and it took an excellent save from Rob Tolfrey who stuck out a big right hand to deny Aibangbee. Merstham finally got back on terms with a fine goal from Aaron Jenkins who had replaced Oram on the hour mark. The winger cut inside and hit a low, precise shot that found the bottom corner from 18 yards. From that moment on, the game became very frenetic as both sides seemed more concerned with getting all three points than settling for one. Merstham attacked, lost the ball, and the home side immediately counter-attacked. That was the pattern for the closing stages of the game. The Moatsiders almost grabbed a winner in stoppage time after Greenwood cut in from the right, but his low cross was scrambled away by the Town defence to preserve a hard-earned point.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Pointing, Gunner, Molloy, Greenwood, Lewis (Wilson 77')  Oram (Jenkins 60'), Lawal, Henry, Johnson (Brown 77')  

Unused subs: Allen, Barber

Man of the Match: Charlie Greenwood

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Sittingbourne 2-0 Merstham | Isthmian League South East | Saturday 14th December

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Two huge decisions by the referee had a significant bearing on the outcome of this hard-fought encounter. Both went in favour of the home side. Both were hugely controversial. It's always easy to point the finger at the officiating when you lose a game of football, but the match officials collectively made so many poor decisions that it made it a hugely frustrating afternoon for the Moatsiders and their supporters. 

On a poor playing surface, which made a passing game difficult if not impossible, the Moatsiders began brightly and looked the better side in the opening minutes. In the 4th minute, Finlay Johnson cut inside and fired a low shot narrowly past the post. Two minutes later, Johnson had a great chance to give the Moatsiders an early lead. A long ball by Matt Drage over the top of the home defence released Johnson. His pace took him clear and as Brickies keeper Earle came charging out to clear, Johnson dinked the ball past him. It looked like all Johnson had to do was roll the ball into the empty net. But the striker delayed and allowed the keeper to recover and grab the ball off his toes as he was shaping to shoot. Merstham then conceded from Sittingbourne's first attack of the game. A near-post corner found Boachie who had a free header from six yards and made no mistake to give the home side a 10th minute lead. The goal changed the momentum and suddenly the home side looked more threatening with Howard on the right flank a constant threat. The Moatsiders still looked dangerous though and in the 18th minute a towering header from Harry Pointing following a Merstham corner was kicked off the line by Smith. Then came the first hugely controversial moment. Korrey Henry rolled Brickies' defender Steventon on the edge of the box and would have been through with just the keeper to beat. The centre half hauled down Henry. It was a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Referee Smith, who had a poor game throughout, claimed that there were covering defenders (there weren't) and the ball was running away from goal (it wasn't). To the dismay of the visiting side he merely showed a yellow card to the defender. His error loomed large five minutes later when Howard ran through and looked offside, but the assistant kept his flag down and the winger slotted the ball past Tolfrey to make it 2-0, which was very harsh on the Moatsiders. The game became something of a midfield battle after that with neither side creating much in the final third. 

The second half began as the first half ended. The Brickies played a lot of route one football, with the ball lumped forward, which was probably in response to a very difficult playing surface. The ball spent a lot of time in the air rather than on the grass, but Merstham were by no means out of the contest and there was a feeling that a goal back and they would have every chance of getting something from the game. But referee Smith then made his next significant intervention. First of all, he booked Matt Drage for a very innocuous challenge that could best be described as soft. Then in the 68th minute, as Drage tried to control the ball,  it hit his thigh and then his arm. There was no Sittingbourne player within 10 yards, so it had no impact on the game. But Smith decided it was a second yellow card and then wafted a red card at the Merstham skipper, much to the astonishment of the Merstham skipper. Then the assistant got involved and told the ref to book two of Merstham's coaching staff as well. It was that sort of afternoon. The ten men of Merstham acquitted themselves well and never stopped trying to pull a goal back. Twice they had shots that were deflected for corners, but both times the officials failed to spot the obvious deflections and gave goal kicks. Sittingbourne had a few half chances, but Rob Tolfrey wasn't troubled at all. As the game hit 90 minutes, substitute Olu Lawal had a great chance to pull one back, but a combination of keeper and defender blocked his shot and that was that. The 2-0 scoreline didn't really reflect how tight the game was, but Sittingbourne took their chances while Merstham didn't.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy (Wilson 67'), Drage, Pointing, Gunner, Greenwood (Lawal 84'), Lewis, Johnson, King (Brown 67'), Henry (Jenkins 86') 

Unused subs: Oram

Man of the Match: Charlie Greenwood.

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Merstham 2-0 Ashford United | Isthmian League South East | Saturday 30th November

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Winning when you don't play well is supposed to be the hallmark of a good side. There is no doubt this is a good Merstham side and against Ashford, there is no doubt that they were some way short of their best. In recent weeks, the team have been scoring prolifically, but against Ashford, it was their defending that dug out the result. The back four were excellent and also found time to score both goals. The Moatsiders were helped by a straight red for United's Duprey  after just 20 minutes, but even before the red card, it was clear Merstham were not at their best. 

Boss Jamie Decruz was forced to shuffle his pack, with Lee Lewis ill, Charlie Greenwood only fit enough for a place on the bench and Aiden Brown not feeling well enough to start, the depth of the current squad is such that it was still a strong-looking starting eleven. Merstham began well, and United's keeper Beeney was at full stretch when he had to tip a cross-come shot that was headed for the far corner after just five minutes. But as the game progressed, United began to take control of the midfield, with Berry a big influence. In the 14th minute, Rob Tolfrey was called into action when he had to tip a 25-yarder from Berry over the bar. Then came three critical first half minutes which were pivotal to the outcome of the match. An Ashford corner was cleared by the Moatsiders and a long ball was played towards Olu Lawal. The Merstham winger got to the bouncing ball ahead of Duprey, who was the last defender. The United man steamed into the challenge and was both high and late. Referee Nixon had no doubt it was a reckless challenge and showed Duprey a straight red. Two minutes later, Merstham had a corner of their own. The ball dropped into a dangerous area and straight to Dean Gunner. It wasn't the cleanest of strikes by Gunner, but there was a deflection off a defender, which was enough to wrong-foot Beeney and the ball bobbled into the net. At that point, you would have expected the Moatsiders to have put their foot down and made their man advantage count. But credit to the visitors. They reorganised and it was hard to tell that the Moatsiders had a man advantage. The home side managed to get a bit more possession, but rarely did much with it. They weren't helped by the ball failing to stick with the front men all too often, which meant the ball was turned over far too frequently.

The second half was really more of the same. Ashford made light of their ten men and asked a lot of questions of the Moatsiders. But Matt Drage and Dean Gunner were superb in the centre of the defence and dealt with the high balls pumped in towards Lockyer very well. The whole side defended well and worked hard to restrict the in-form visitors to half chances. Tolfrey was only called into serious action once when he had to claw away a Lockyear header in the 76th minute. But for the most part, the game was a stalemate, with both sides guilty of giving the ball away or not taking advantage of promising attacking positions. The one-goal lead did look precarious however as the game drifted towards stoppage time with Ashford throwing bodies forward and adopting a route one approach. With two minutes left, the Moatsiders sealed the deal thanks to a terrific goal from Jude Molloy. Merstham had brought on Harry Pointing and gone to a back three which gave Molloy more licence to go forward as a wing back. Matt Drage spotted his run from deep and played a beautiful ball into the box. The defender got into between Beeney and Stones, brought the ball down and slotted it past the stranded keeper to make the points safe.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Drage, Gunner, Wilson, Oram (Greenwood 62'), Johnson (Pointing 80'), King, Lawal (Jenkins 46'), Henry (Brown 84')

Unused subs: Smith-Joseph

Greene King Player of the Match: Jude Molloy

Man of the Match: Matt Drage

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Littlehampton 2-3 Merstham | Isthmian League South East | Saturday 23rd November

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A dramatic stoppage-time winner by Aiden Brown, secured all three points on a rollercoaster afternoon for the Moatsiders and their supporters. Watching Merstham this season is not for the faint-hearted. Having lead 2-0 at the interval and looking quite comfortable, Merstham conspired to let the home side back in the game with a desperately disappointing second-half display. But this season, the Moatsiders have made a habit of scoring late goals and Brown's winner led to wild scenes of celebration on the Merstham bench, who'd seen boss Jamie Decruz  dismissed following a red card. 

On a wild, wet and stormy afternoon on the south coast that made good football almost impossible, Merstham had to battle and dig deep as the conditions made the game something of a lottery. On a surface that had already been churned up by the Littlehampton groundsman during the week, a combination of a very strong wind and driving rain made the match a little farcical at times, as the flight of the ball was almost impossible to predict. But it was Merstham that seemed to settle quicker. What quality football there was certainly came from the visitors, who managed to string passes together, something that Town seemed to find impossible, much to the irritation of the home fans. It came as no great surprise when the Moatsiders took the lead in the nineteenth minute. A driving run from full back, Jude Molloy set Finlay Johnson free on the left wing. Johnson's cross found the feet of Sam King ten yards out. He controlled the cross, took a touch to get it out of his feet then fired it low past the keeper to give Merstham a deserved lead. But the conditions always meant that both sides were in with a chance and Rob Tolfrey did well to deny Town's Duah, as he dived at his feet and pushed the ball away with an outstretched left hand on 23'. Four minutes, Merstham extended their lead. A well-hit shot from 20 yards by Billy Oram, led to a spectacular save by the Littlehampton keeper who got both hands to the ball and appeared to have pushed it over the bar. But to everyone's surprise it floated in the air behind him before gently dropping into the back of the net. Whether the strong wind was a factor is hard to tell, but Merstham weren't complaining. However, with the ball doing quite bizarre things, a 2-0 lead didn't feel quite enough. Tolfrey was called into action again when he had to push away a shot from Gaskin. With a two-goal lead, the Moatsiders seemed to take their foot off the gas a little and the game got increasingly scrappy, with suited the home side far more. On the stroke of half time, only Tolfrey's big right foot stopped Benn reducing the arrears, but the danger was averted and for the third game in a row, Merstham led at the interval thanks to two first-half goals. 

Littlehampton began the second half on the front foot, but were aided and abetted by a Merstham side that started to give the ball with alarming frequency. Simple passes were misplaced and Merstham looked increasingly ragged and all over the place positionally. Belief began to grow among the home fans and more importantly on the pitch. The Moatsiders began to sink deeper and that only encouraged the home side on. In the 67th minute, Littlehampton got the goal they had been threatening. Merstham again gave the ball away and Short played a dangerous ball into the box which eluded everyone except Storm (it somehow seemed appropriate that he found the net) who bundled it over the line at the far post. The goal gave the home side a major boost and three minutes later they were level. Duah had a free header from a corner and powered it past Tolfrey to make it 2-2 with twenty minutes left. The momentum was now all with the home side and if anyone was going to get a winner, the smart money would have been on Town. Merstham's cause wasn't helped when Jamie Decruz was shown a red card by the referee for delaying a throw in. But just before he departed he brought on Harry Pointing and changed the shape to a back three and going 3-5-2. That restored a bit of order as now Merstham had more bodies in midfield and Littlehampton didn't have quite the same space. Aiden Brown had a great chance to restore Merstham's lead with ten minutes left, but dragged his shot wide from 12 yards. As the referee indicated four minutes of added time, both sides would probably have settled for a point. But a Merstham counter-attack in added time led to a corner on the right. A well-flighted corner from Oram dropped in the box and after players from both sides swung at the loose ball, it fell to Brown who rifled it low into the net from 8 yards to give the Moatsiders a hard-fought victory on the road.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Drage, Gunner, Oram, Lewis, Lawal (Smith-Joseph 59'), King (Wilson 79'), Johnson (Pointing 77'), Henry (Brown 58') 

Subs not used: Jenkins

Man of the Match: Sam King    

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Merstham 4-2 Beckenham Town | Isthmian League South East | Saturday 16th November

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League leaders Beckenham Town were stunned by an in-form Merstham side that have been scoring goals for fun in recent weeks. The last five games at the Hybrid Fitness Stadium have produced 19 goals for the Moatsiders. There is no doubt that Merstham deserved their win, though they kept their fans on the edge of their seats for long periods of the game. 

The game got off to an dramatic start. In the second minute, Merstham were awarded a free kick after Korrey Henry had been fouled, some 25 yards out. Up stepped Lee Lewis with his explosive right foot. His powerful shot flicked off the end of the Beckenham wall, completely wrong footing Town keeper Burford, and finding the corner of the net. Merstham were cutting through Beckenham with ease and in the 7th minute, Finlay Johnson had a great chance to extend their lead when he was put though with just Burford to beat. But the keeper did well to stick out a foot and deny the striker. The reprieve for the visitors was short-lived, however. Sam King and Korrey Henry exchanged passes and as a Beckenham defender made a wild swipe at the ball, it sat up nicely. King didn't hesitate and did his best Lee Lewis impression. His superb volley from 20 yards flew past Burford into the top corner, to put Merstham two up after just eight minutes. Two minutes later, Olu Lawal had a chance to make it three when he was put through on goal, but he delayed getting his shot away and Holland got across with a last-ditch challenge to deny the winger. Beckenham got themselves back in the game in the thirteenth minute. A free kick on the right side by Nyhus hit the Merstham wall and completely wrong-footed Rob Tolfrey to make it 2-1. That changed the momentum of the game and suddenly it was Town with their tails up and Merstham having to defend. Five minutes later Beckenham had a great chance to draw level when Theophanous was through on goal. But Tolfrey came to Merstham's rescue by flying out to block the striker's shot. Tolfrey was called into action again on 22', when he made a smart save to deny Morgan-Griffiths. The game was flowing from end to end and Henry had two shots blocked in quick succession by Town defenders throwing their bodies in the way. Gradually, the game settled down and became more of a midfield battle, although Lawal went close just before the break after he cut inside and his powerful shot was only inches over the bar. A breathless first half ended with the Moatsiders 2-1 up, but very few in the crowd thought that was the end of the scoring. 

Neither side could create any clear-cut openings at the beginning of the second half, although Tolfrey had to scramble to keep out a ball that was bouncing close to his near post following a Town corner. In the 65th minute, Korrey Henry had his ankles clipped by Holland in the box. The referee seemed to consider it for a moment then blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Up stepped Charlie Greenwood to cooly beat Burford for his seventh goal of the season on 67'. With a two goal cushion, it felt as though the Moatsiders were well on their way to the three points. But Merstham rather gifted Beckenham a goal to put the result back in the balance. A hopeful ball into the Merstham box wasn't dealt with and Theophanous pounced to rifle a shot past Tolfrey to make it 3-2 after 76 minutes. It seemed as though a nervy final 15 minutes was in store for the Merstham faithful. Those nerves were eased when King grabbed his second with seven minutes left. Beckenham tried to play the ball out from the back, but King nipped in and dispossessed the Town defender before rifling the ball past Burford from the edge of the area. That fourth goal finally settled the destination of the three points and Merstham were able to see out the game without any further alarms to secure a well-deserved win.  

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Drage, Gunner, Greenwood (Wilson 73'), Lewis (Pointing 90+5), Lawal (Jenkins 73'), King (Oram 88'), Henry (Brown 90+2), Johnson

Player of the Match: Sam King

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Merstham 5-2 Corinthian-Casuals | Specsavers Surrey Senior Cup | Tuesday 12th November

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A Merstham side showing eight changes from Saturday was still far too strong for Casuals, as the Moatsiders cruised into the next round of the Surrey Senior Cup. It wasn't all one-way traffic however, and Casuals played their part in an entertaining encounter.

In fact, Merstham keeper Sam Allen was called into action as early as the second minute, when he made a fine double save to deny Dos Santos in quick succession. But it didn't take long for the Moatsiders to go in front. A deep corner to the far post was met by Harry Pointing. His header across goal was turned in from point-blank range by Aiden Brown, notching his seventh of the season. Merstham were dominant in midfield but for all their possession, they couldn't quite conjure up a clear-cut chance. In fact, the game was getting increasingly scrappy as the half wore on, with neither side able to find that moment of quality. That is until the 40th minute. Matt Drage looked up and saw the run Ollie Khinda was making from deep to beat Casuals high defensive line. The pass and run were perfectly timed and Khinda, through on goal with just the keeper to beat, calmly lobbed the ball over the stranded custodian and into the empty net. Two nil at the break was a fair reflection of Merstham's dominance. Although on the stroke of half time, a 25 yarder from Casuals' Da Silva smacked against a Merstham post with Allen well-beaten.    

The second half began in an explosive manner. A well-worked kick-off routine ended with a low cross being fired across the Casuals six-yard box into a crowd of players. It bounced off a covering defender and into the net  to put Merstham 3-0 after just 16 seconds. That lead lasted another 90 seconds! Straight from Casuals' re-start, the ball was chipped through the Merstham defence and Dos Santos was brought down in the box. Da Silva scored from the spot. Straight up the other end Merstham went and Olu Lawal was through on goal only to be denied by the keeper's strong right hand. From the resulting corner, Merstham restored their three-goal advantage. The ball was half cleared to Bradley Wilson. He floated in a delightful ball to the far post where Matt Drage had timed his run perfectly and was in acres of space with just the keeper to beat, which he did comfortably with a side-foot finish. Just six second half minutes played and three goals scored. It was now a comfortable 4-1 lead for the Moatsiders. But Casuals kept coming forward and Allen produced a superb save to deny Dos Santos on 56' as the action continued unabated. There were chances at both ends as the two sides seemed to be playing a training game of attack vs. defence. Merstham added a fifth when a corner was headed against his own bar by Ojo-Osagie and fell perfectly for Aaron Jenkins who volleyed home from six yards. Casuals added a little respectability to the score in the 86th minute when Blackwell headed in a corner. Merstham have a home tie against Sheerwater in the next round.

Merstham: Allen, Khinda, Murphy, Pointing (Gunner 71'), Drage, Lawal (Henry 71'), Wilson, Brown (Johnson 55'), Oram, Jenkins, Smith-Joseph (Rihoy 62').

Subs not used: King

Man of the Match: Sam Allen 

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Sheppey United 4-3 Merstham | Isthmian League SE | Saturday 9th November

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Merstham will look back on this game and wonder how on earth they ended up losing it. Two nil up and then 3-2 up, for an hour they were the much better side and probably carved out at least half a dozen gilt-edged chances. It's no exaggeration to say they could easily have scored five or six. They were undone by the pace of Sheppey's counter attacks, but also over-committing bodies forward looking for more goals, which led to the Moatsiders conceding a late equaliser and then Sheppey's heartbreaking winner in the second minute of added time. On the other hand, some of Merstham's football was sublime, especially in the first half when they tore the home side apart and really should have gone in two or three goals in front. The Moatsiders will certainly play a lot worse than this and win. 

Boss Jamie Decruz was able to welcome back Charlie Greenwood into midfield and recalled Aiden Brown to the starting line-up. From the first few minutes of the game, Merstham were on the front foot, dominating possession and looking like scoring every time they attacked.  In the second minute, a quickly taken free kick by Matt Drage brought a good save from Prall, the Sheppey keeper. His first of many. But Rob Tolfrey was also forced into his first action a minute later, when he pushed away Bradshaw's effort. However, Merstham were now attacking at will and Korrey Henry with his hold up play and Finlay Johnson with his pace on the right wing were creating havoc. On 10', Prall made another good stop to deny Aiden Brown, but the Merstham pressure was building. In the 19th minute, the Moatsiders got the goal their start deserved. Henry played an inch-perfect ball through the Sheppey back line for Brown to run onto and he cooly slid it past Prall. Instead of sitting back, Merstham continued to press and Prall was again called into action to save a shot from Johnson at his near post. In the 25th minute, Johnson was through on goal but was brought down by Ganiwa and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Up stepped Greenwood to make it 2-0 to the Moatsiders from the spot. Such was Merstham's dominance at this point that you could only see more goals for the visitors. But out of nothing Sheppey got themselves back into the game. Centre back Christie was, for once, allowed to bring the ball forward and he floated a delightful ball over the top of the Merstham back line into the path of Lambert. The Sheppey player took a couple of touches before firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner to give some life to the home team on 32'. A superb first half performance from the Moatsiders, but they only had a 2-1 lead at halftime, which was not a true reflection of the game.

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Sheppey came out for the second half a different side and began to cause the Moatsiders problems. Tolfrey was called into action on 53' , palming away another Lambert effort. Leonard on the right wing was proving a real handful. But Merstham still carried a real threat themselves and the game was going from end to end. Greenwood had a great chance to extend Merstham's lead on 57', but his close range effort was saved by Prall's outstretched foot. Minutes later and Prall was again called upon, making a terrific save to deny Johnson. Sheppey drew level on 63' with a carbon copy of the first goal. Christie pushed forward, played a ball out to the left for Goueth who chipped a ball to the far post where Bradshaw was all alone and headed home from a yard. But there was a great response from the Moatsiders and two minutes later they regained the lead. Some lovely football carved Sheppey open. Sam King's close-range effort brought a reflex save from Prall, but Henry was on hand to tap in the rebound to make it 3-2 after 64 minutes. A few minutes later, Johnson had a shot deflected wide as Merstham pushed for a fourth. But Merstham's attacking style eventually cost them. Ollie Khinda was dispossessed in Sheppey's half and with most of the Merstham team ahead of him, Sheppey's quick transition meant that there was space for Leonard to pick the ball up and chip to the far post where Lambert headed his second goal from close range on 73'. Merstham kept pushing for a winner and that adventure cost them when in the second minute of added time. From a dangerous looking Mersthm attack,  the ball was cleared out of the Sheppey box and in the blink of an eye it went down the other end. A blocked shot fell kindly to Goueth who curled his shot beyond Tolfrey to give Sheppey a dramatic late winner. Tough on the Moatsiders, whose performance deserved so much more.   

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Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Gunner, Drage, Lewis, Greenwood, Brown (Lawal 60'), King (Jenkins 92'), Johnson, Henry (Smith-Joseph 77')

Unused subs: Pointing, Wilson

Man of the Match: Korrey Henry

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Merstham 3-3 Croydon Athletic | Isthmian League SE | Tuesday 5th November

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When these two sides meet, it seems entertainment and goals are guaranteed. The teams repeated the result from their earlier encounter this season, but this was a far better game, which swung back and forth for the ninety minutes. Merstham will feel disappointed they didn't hang on to their 3-2 lead as Croydon grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser to deny them a third win on the bounce.

Boss Jamie Decruz made three changes from the side that won at Lancing, recalling Ollie Khinda at right-back, and giving first starts to new signings Finlay Johnson and Aaron Smith-Joseph. The game began at a frenetic pace and rarely dipped below that energy level for the entire ninety minutes. Both sides were focused on attacking, but that left space for quick transitions and counter-attacks which meant play went end to end in the blink of an eye. Johnson got the first of many shots on target in the fourth minute but it was a comfortable save for ex-Merstham keeper, Amadou Tangara. Both Tangara and Rob Tolfey had busy nights between the sticks. In the 7th minute a rapid Croydon counter-attack ended with Lee Lewis getting a great block in to deny Serbonij. 

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On an evening of fireworks and rockets, it seemed very appropriate that Merstham's own 'rocketman', Lee Lewis scored his now customary contender for Goal of the Season, with a sensational strike from almost 30 yards. From wide on the left, Sam King played the ball inside to Lewis, who was fairly central some 30 yards out. King's ball bounced just in front of Lewis and his first touch set the ball bouncing in front of him. With no hesitation Lewis unleashed a spectacular volley which fizzed past Tangara into the net to put the Moatsiders one up after 22 minutes. A familiar sight to the Merstham faithful. But Croydon came roaring back. Serbonij went close two minutes later with a shot that just went past the post. On 27', a slip by Khinda meant Pierrick had a free run a goal and only the outstretched left boot of Tolfrey prevented an equaliser. Next it was Dotse's turn to test the Merstham keeper, as Tolfrey palmed away his shot at the near post. With the pressure building, an equaliser felt inevitable, and it duly arrived on 41', when Kirby's curling shot from just outside the box cannoned in off the far post. It was hard to deny that the visitors didn't deserve to be back on terms. A breathless first half ended with honours even. 

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Merstham started well in the second half and on 52', Korrey Henry who had probably his best game of the season, got a fierce shot on target, but unfortunately straight at Tangara. As was the pattern all evening, play went straight up the other end. Pierrick was played through and got a shot away that Tolfrey saved with his foot, but the ball broke to Kirby on the edge of the box who calmly curled the ball past the defenders to give Athletic the lead on 53'. But ten minutes later, Merstham were back on level terms. A Lewis corner was flicked on by Matt Drage to the far post where Dean Gunner was able to nod the ball home from close range to get his second goal in four days. Merstham were now very much on top and with Greenwood and Jenkins coming off the bench, the Moatsiders looked very capable of winning it. Jenkins forced Tangara into a block at his near post after a great through ball by Khinda. Gunner almost got his second on 74' when good work from Greenwood and Henry gave him a shooting chance from the edge of the box. The ball went agonisingly wide of the far post with Tangara beaten. Two minutes later, Merstham's pressure told. Henry's chip was deflected up in the air and Tangara, backpedalling, dropped it on the goal line and Sam King was on hand to hammer the ball into the roof of the net. Merstham looked on course for their third consecutive win. But Croydon weren't finished and Tolfey had to make a smart save from Collins low to his left, although the striker should have done better. Just three minutes of added time for the Moatsiders to survive but in the 92nd minute, Croydon played their way through the home defence. Tolfrey produced another great save to stop a shot from Daniel from 8 yards, but the ball fell perfectly for Pierrick to slot the ball into an open goal to ensure another 3-3 draw.     

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Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Drage, Gunner, Lewis, Wilson (Greenwood 61'), King (Oram 80'), Smith-Joseph (Jenkins 61'), Henry, Johnson (Pointing 90+3')

Unused Subs: Brown

Man of the Match: Lee Lewis

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Lancing 0-1 Merstham | Isthmian League SE | Saturday 2nd November

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A Dean Gunner goal twenty minutes from time was enough to give Merstham all three points. But it was a difficult game for the Moatsiders who at times, especially in the first half, rode their luck and only really started playing in the second forty-five minutes.

On a dreary, grey day on the Sussex coast, boss Jamie Decruz was able to name an unchanged side after the demolition of Pheonix Sports last time out. Facing a side down near the bottom of the division, it looked on paper as though the Moatsiders would have a comfortable afternoon. But there is very little to separate the sides in this division and, by all accounts, Lancing produced their best performance of the season to push Merstham all the way.

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In the opening twenty minutes, the Moatsiders were indebted to keeper Rob Tolfrey for keeping them on level terms. Lancing were by far the better side in that period and were dominating midfield and possession of the ball. Merstham were leaving far too much space between the lines and Lancing were exploiting the gaps between the back four and midfield with considerable ease. Lancing forced several corners in the opening minutes and were especially threatening on the left flank where Lee Lewis was having to work overtime to try and keep Lancing's Andall-Gibbons under control. Tolfrey's saves all came in a five minute spell when it seemed highly likely Lancing would go in front. First. in the 15th minute, he plunged low to his left to turn a shot from Doherty around the post. Two minutes later, Tolfrey denied Fisher with another fine save. But his best stop was a minute later when he made a superb save with an outstretched left hand to palm away Fisher's effort. But Merstham were starting to grow into the game after a shaky start. Quick thinking and a quickly taken free-kick by Matt Drage put Korrey Henry through with just Secka to beat, but the keeper was quickly off his line to block the close-range effort. Aaron Jenkins was the next to test the Lancer's keeper from 20 yards, but it was a routine save as the shot lacked power. But finally, the visitors were in the game and asking questions of the home side. On the half hour, Gibson tested Tolfrey with a free kick, although it was a more comfortable save for the Merstham keeper. Back down the other end we went and this time in was Secka scrambling to save a deflected shot from Charlie Greenwood. The first half ended goalless, but that was largely due to the two keepers and especially Rob Tolfrey. 

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Whatever was said at the interval certainly had the desired effect as the Moatsiders were a far better side in the second forty-five minutes. They were very much on the front feet from the opening minutes, playing with far greater tempo and determination. Merstham looked the better side, though it was Lancing that came closest to opening the scoring after 58 minutes when a chip from Scott hit the bar with Tolfrey stranded. At the other end, Merstham had several good situations, but failed to get shots away in time or scuffed them when well placed. Brown and Jenkins might both have done better in good positions. Jamie Decruz changed his front runners after 65 minutes, bringing on Finlay Johnson for his debut and Aaron Smith-Joseph wide on the right. The changes gave fresh impetus to the Moatsiders and Johnson's quick, clever movement gave Lancing defenders new problems to deal with, especially when combined with Smith-Joseph's pace and power on the left. Merstham's winner in the 71st minute was a bit of a scrappy affair. A low corner from the right was intended for Matt Drage's run at the near post, but missed the Merstham skipper. As the ball bounced, Dean Gunner was first to react. The contact he made wasn't the best. but it was well placed and beat the keeper's despairing dive to find the far corner of the net. Merstham pushed for a second and had several promising moments, but once again couldn't covert them into shots on target. At the other end, Lancing kept pushing for an equaliser and like the Moatsiders, squandered a few good opportunities or were denied by good defending. In the end, the visitors just about deserved the three points on the back of a much-improved second half display. 

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Merstham; Tolfrey, Lewis, Gunner, Drage, Molloy, Greenwood, Wilson (Khinda 75'), Brown (Smith-Joseph 64'), Henry (Johnson 64'), King (Oram 86'), Jenkins (Pointing 90+4)

Man of the Match: Rob Tolfrey

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Merstham 5-0 Phoenix Sports | Isthmian League SE | Saturday 26th October

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A devastating spell of three goals in fifteen minutes just before the interval propelled Merstham to a comfortable home win against the division's bottom side. But this is a vastly different Phoenix Sports side now and looked a much better side than their league position might suggest. The Moatsiders were clinical in front of goal and despite missing key players, it was a fine all-round team performance.

Merstham got a huge boast before kick-off with Charlie Greenwood returning to the side, having missed the previous nine games due to injury. His return in part compensated for the absence of both Ollie Khinda and Olu Lawal due to suspension. Also returning were keeper Rob Tolfrey and Korrey Henry to lead the attack. Khinda's absence meant Lee Lewis dropped in to play right-back. Billy Oram, another player missing in recent weeks was also fit enough to be amongst the substitutes and new signing Aaron Smith-Joseph from Cray Valley PM was also on the bench

It was an entertaining game throughout and in the opening 30 minutes Phoenix certainly carried a threat when going forward. In fact, they could and probably should have taken the lead in the 7th minute when a deep corner dropped perfectly for an unmarked Efambe at the far post. He only had Tolfrey to beat, but fortunately for the Moatsiders, his shot was straight at the keeper who beat it away. The game was end to end, with some nice approach play from the Moatsiders, but just unable to find the right pass at critical moments. The first real chance came on 17', when Matt Drage chipped a cross back across goal, and Aaron Jenkins couldn't quite climb high enough to keep his header from clearing the bar. After a good opening 20 minutes from both sides, the game had just become a little scrappy when suddenly, out of nothing, Merstham went in front thanks to Sam King. The midfield picked up the ball 30 yards from the Phoenix goal. With no-one rushing to close him down, King looked up and then curled a beautiful effort into the net from all of 25 yards, giving the keeper no chance. The goal in the 30th minute, galvanised the home side, and with Greenwood pulling the strings in midfield, the Moatsiders started to dominate. They grabbed a second goal from a corner eight minutes later. Lee Lewis fizzed the ball into the near post and Matt Drage was first to it, using the pace on the ball to guide it into the Phoenix net. Two became three in the 42nd minute and King was again involved. He and Aiden Brown played a neat one-two on the edge of the box putting Brown through with a shooting chance. The striker made no mistake as his low shot arrowed into the far corner to give the Moatsiders a commanding half-time lead.

Any hopes that Phoenix might have had of getting back into the game in the second half were quickly extinguished as Merstham added a fourth. Merstham were awarded a free kick deep in their own half. Rob Tolfrey came out of his goal to take and quickly hit an inch-perfect 40 yard pass out to the right wing where Aaron Jenkins took it perfectly in stride. The Merstham winger beat his man and cut into the box. As the Phoenix full back tried to recover, all he did was scythe down Jenkins from behind and there were no protests when the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Greenwood who calmly slotted home the spot kick to make it four-nil in the 53rd minute. Jenkins almost got a goal of his own when he again cut in from the right and hammered a shot on target which Hotham did well to palm away.  With the points in the bag, boss Jamie Decruz began to ring the changes. Definitely the right thing to do, but the Moatsiders certainly lost a bit of their rhythm. With five minutes left, Tolfrey produced a good stop to prevent Hershal getting a consolation and Jude Molloy produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle to prevent Prichard getting a shot away. As the game drifted into added time, Merstham put the icing on the cake with a fifth. Andy Somo, on for Korrey Henry, did superbly to control a long ball forward, shrug off his defender and then find Aaron Smith-Joesph with a perfect through ball. Smith-Joseph steadied himself then tucked it past the keepers right hand to crown a good afternoon's work for the Moatsiders.    

Merstham: Tolfrey, Lewis, Molloy, Gunner, Drage, Greenwood (Oram 66') Wilson, Brown (Smith-Joseph 66'), Henry (Somo 73'), King, Jenkins (Maccari 73')

Unused subs: Allen

Man of the Match: Charlie Greenwood 

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Deal Town 4-3 Merstham | Isthmian League SE | Saturday 19th October

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A thoroughly entertaining match was effectively decided by a red card for Merstham’s Olu Lawal for retaliation, five minutes before the break. At that point, the game was nicely poised at 1-1, with both sides looking dangerous going forward and the game going from one end to the other. 

Merstham's afternoon didn't start well, when keeper Rob Tolfrey got stuck in traffic and couldn't get to the game. Luckily, keeper Sam Allen had been travelling with the team and his expected afternoon on the bench became an Isthmian League debut for the young stopper. Allen was quickly called into action, as he had to fly across his goal to push away a shot from Billy Munday in the 6th minute. Merstham were architects of their own downfall in the opening fifteen minutes however, as defenders inexplicably gave the ball away in dangerous situations. They were made to pay in the 11th minute when Deal got the ball back in the Merstham half, moved it to the right wing and Miller's cross was headed in at the far post by Munday. At the other end Lawal was causing the home defence all sorts of problems and was on the receiving end of a couple of late tackles, one of which led to a booking for Miller. In the 20th minute, he burst through the Deal defence and was just shaping to fire it past the keeper when a desperate lunging tackle by Vincent blocked his shot. The ball dropped to Aiden Brown, who should have scored, but his close-range effort was saved by keeper Molloy and scrambled away.  Two minutes later however, the Moatsiders were back on terms. Bradley Wilson chipped a ball into Andy Somo who, under pressure, took a touch and shot. The ball appeared to flick off the covering defender and flew into the far corner of the net. It was end-to-end stuff and Deal almost re-took the lead when they sliced through the Merstham defence and only a brilliant goal-line clearance by Matt Drage stopped Kennedy's effort from rolling in. A minute later and there was another close shave for the visitors. A shot from the edge of the box wasn't gathered cleanly by Allen, the ball squirming from his grasp. Kennedy, following in looked like he had a tap-in, but the keeper recovered and between him and Dean Gunner they got enough on Kennedy's shot to deflect it over the bar. On 32', Deal were awarded an indirect free kick eight yards from Merstham's goal after Drage was deemed to have played a goal kick twice, but Jude Molloy threw his body in the way and deflected the free kick wide. Then came the moment that changed the game. Five minutes before the break, a Merstham attack was broken up on the right side and  with most people watching the ball which was hammered up field, there was an off-the-ball clash between Lawal, who'd been fouled and a Deal defender. The referee consulted with the assistant and produced a straight red for the stunned winger. While the Moatsiders were reorganising, Deal made their numerical superiority count immediately with a fortuitous second goal in the 44th minute. A cross from the right was hopelessly overhit, but ended up bouncing off the Merstham cross bar at the far post and dropped back into play, perfectly for Munday. His first effort from point blank range hit Allen and looped up in the air. Drage attempted to head the ball over the bar, but only succeeded in heading the ball against the bar again and it dropped conveniently for Munday to head home. Going in 2-1 down, and down to ten men, it was hard to see a way back for the Moatsiders.

It quickly went from bad to worse as five minutes into the second half, Munday was celebrating his hat-trick as he arrived at the far post to convert Penny's cross. But full credit to Merstham as they battled back. Two minutes later, Korrey Henry, on for Somo, was fouled 25 yards out. Wilson curled in a delightful free kick and Drage arrived late at the far post to head home and make it 3-2 after 53 minutes. Unfortunately, hopes of a fight-back were quickly extinguished as Deal scored a fourth just a minute after the Merstham goal, with Chapman finding the far corner after Merstham failed to cut out a cross from the left. The Moatsiders dug deep and although Deal created a few chances, Merstham worked hard to restrict them. At the other end, substitutes Henry, Jenkins and Maccari all caused the Deal back four problems, especially the pace of Maccari. The Moatsiders were grateful to Ollie Khinda who made a last-ditch tackle with 15 minutes left to deny Miller. Allen made a good stop from Munday and Maccari was close to breaking through on a couple of occasions. In the 90th minute he was played in on goal thanks to a nice pass from Molloy, but scuffed his shot wide with just the keeper to beat. The battling Moatsiders did pull one back in the 93rd minute and it was a well-worked and well-taken goal. Henry played a crisp one-two with Maccari and then cooly curled his shot past the keeper's left hand into the far corner of the net. But it was a case of what might have been for the Moatsiders as the red card really decided the outcome of this one.

Merstham: Allen, Khinda, Molloy, Gunner, Drage, Wilson (Maccari 70'), Lewis, Lawal, Brown (Jenkins 51'), Somo (Henry 51'), King (Rihoy 81')

Unused subs: Ollaway

Man of the Match: Jude Molloy

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Merstham 1-1 Sheppey United | Isthmian League SE | Tuesday 15th October

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On a dank and miserable Tuesday evening, a crowd of over 300 at the Hybrid Fitness Stadium saw a thoroughly entertaining encounter that Merstham probably did enough to win, especially in the second half. Sheppey will point to a number of opportunities of their own and a combination of great defending and some indifferent finishing, meant there were only two goals, but lots of goalmouth action. Although it was Merstham's third successive draw at home, this was without doubt one of their best performances of the season against a side that will be in the promotion places come the final reckoning. 

With Harry Pointing absent after getting concussed on Saturday, Billy Oram suspended and Aaron Jenkins only fit enough for a place on the bench, Dean Gunner returned in the center of the defence and Lee Lewis slotted into midfield, with Aidan Brown up front. They didn't let anyone down, and it was a close call between Gunner and Lewis for man of the match.

As has been the pattern of late, the visitors started strongly, pushing Merstham back and Rob Tolfrey had to be alert to palm away a fierce drive from Wyborn after just 5 minutes. But a minute later, Sheppey took the lead. The won the ball back in Merstham's half,  and a cross from the right found Carvalho in acres of space who drilled his shot, low past Tolfrey. Going behind is not unfamiliar territory for the Moatsiders and they responded well. In the 14th minute, Brown was fouled just outside the box. Drage and Lewis shaped up over the ball some 25 yards out. A Drage curler or a Lewis thunderbolt? It was Lewis who smashed it, and it went straight through the five-man Sheppey wall into the net, with the keeper rooted to the spot to make it 1-1. The match became end to end, with both sides springing forward quickly from defensive positions. Khinda and Molloy were getting forward at every opportunity, but the back four had to be alert with Carvalho's pace and Lambert's trickery playing in the hole behind Bradshaw. Sheppey had a great chance to regain the lead on 25' when a cross-come shot found Leonard unmarked at the far post, but he managed to lift it over the bar with the goal gaping. But Merstham were also asking questions of the Sheppey defence and both sides looked like scoring at any moment. Being a little harsh perhaps, but both sides lacked quality in the final third with the final pass or sometimes taking one touch too many, although credit the two defences who were really stretched at times.

Although the first half was pretty even, there is no doubt the Moatsiders had the better of the second half in terms of possession and territory. But try as they might, creating a clear-cut chance eluded them and it was so often a case of groans from the Merstham faithful at the Church end, as a ball was cut out by a Sheppey foot, or a cross just eluded a Merstham striker. If the first half was end to end, the second half was more like a basketball game. Both sides looked at their most dangerous when the other side were attacking and won the ball back. In transition, the pace of both teams caused all sorts of problems for the two defences. Sheppey looked especially dangerous down the left side and for all Merstham's pressure, they had the best chance to regain the lead in the 67th minute. A cross from the right to the far post found Hector-Ingram. His header back across goal looked to be bouncing in before Gunner slid in and hooked the ball off the line. Merstham came desperately close with fifteen minutes remaining, when a Lewis corner was missed by everyone at the near post and hit a defender on the line before being cleared. How it wasn't turned in by several amber shirts in the vicinity was hard to believe. Merstham won another free kick just outside the box and once again, Drage and Lewis lined up over it. This time it was Drage with a curling effort over the wall but just wide of the post, with the keeper having given it up. Korrey Henry, on for Andy Somo, almost won it with just minutes remaining, but his first two shots were blocked by defenders throwing themselves at the ball, and then he couldn't quite get his foot wrapped around the rebound to steer it in. But Sheppey weren't finished and another lightening raid down the left gave Lambert a chance to win it, but his shot was cleared off the line by Drage. Honours even at the end, but both sides played their part in serving up an excellent game of football.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Khinda, Molloy, Drage, Gunner, Wilson, Lewis, Lawal, Brown, King, Somo (Henry 73')

Subs not used: Rihoy, Jenkins, Murphy, Maccari

Man of the Match: Lee Lewis

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