Mens Merlins beat Sunbury & Walton Hawks Red Lions 4 - 2

MAIDENHEAD MERLINS 4 – 2 SUNBURY & WALTON HAWKS RED LIONS

Scorers: Craig Mair, Andy Ivey (3) Richard Darwin, Mr Jitz

Sunbury buried by Ivey!

Lawrence Castle’s Merlins extended their unbeaten run to 5 matches as they ran out 4-2 winners in this competitive, but friendly, match against old foes Sunbury & Co.

Playing on the beautifully manicured Bray I pitch (thank you Charlie and Bex!), Team Manager Trevor Wardle with 13 players at his disposal was able to make more key changes than a Moss Side locksmith. On the other hand Sunbury & Lions were 2 cubs short of a pride.

Such is the friendly spirit in this Geoff Aylen’s inspired and co-ordinated Thames Valley Conference League that Skipper Castle was able to donate to Sunbury two Merlins’ stars in the form of their oldest (and the league’s oldest?) player octogenarian Arthur Wood as well as Merlins’ leading goal scorer,going into this match, Ian Nurcombe!

Fortunately it wasn’t long before Merlins had opened their account. Following a trade mark mazy dribble, a long ball from Lawrence Castle into the D found Jigsaw Brown unmarked and engaging in a bit of a trade mark chat with the goalie, who nevertheless managed to stop Brown’s shot only to find Craig Mair cutting through the defenders like a chain saw through jelly to score from the rebound.

Within 10 minutes Merlins were two up with the in-form Andy Ivey latching on to a David Gordon Smith precision reverse stick pass. Ivey made no mistake with a narrow angle shot that made the goalie’s teeth and the back board rattle.

Sometimes an early lead can lead to complacency in Merlins and there followed a period of play where Sunbury gradually started to dominate, inspired by their mid field general Andy Shackel; just think how good he would be with two legs.

One of Shackel’s brilliant reverse stick passes unshackled Ian Nurcombe whose instinctive and reflex shot on the volley passed just the wrong side of the post, with everyone beaten.

In spite of determined efforts by key defenders Trevor Wardle, Doug Courtney and sweeper Simon Miall at the back in repulsing the tidal wave of attacks there was a certain inevitability when Richard Darwin broke through and scored for Sunbury, in spite of Keeper Fuller’s best efforts.

Two one at half time and for once Merlins half time refreshment was more isotonic than gin and tonic and every one was reminded that the next goal was going to be vital.

It nearly went to Sunbury as their Skipper (his men will follow him anywhere, mainly out of curiosity) Geoff Aylen latched onto a loose ball and got in a fierce goal bound shot which for all the world looked like the equaliser until from apparently nowhere the unsighted keeper Ronnie ‘The Cat’ Fuller sprang full length across his goal to pull off the save of the match.

One piece of brilliance and the Merlins were inspired. Half backs Air Commodore Roger Bowes and Noel Spud Murphy started to come more and more into their own… (Give it up lads, it’ll make you deaf) and were soon releasing Craig Mair and Man of the Match David Gordon Smith down the right and left flanks respectively.

This pressure led to a series of short corners expertly hit by Roger ‘The Inserter’ Bowes and one of these was converted with a pilot’s precision just inside the post by Andy Ivey.

Still Sun-bury were not Sun-buried as they struck back through Mr Jitz leading to an interesting last 10 minutes, but cometh the hour, cometh the man and it was hat trick hero Andy Ivey who, following several near misses while he took out several fellow forwards in one way or the other, (yes, Andy it does still hurt) made no mistake when he riveted home a match winning fourth for Merlins.

Part of Merlins’ recent success has been an upsurge of scoring amongst the forwards; 18 during this current unbeaten run, taking Andy Ivey onto 8 goals closely followed by Ian Nurcombe (7), Craig Mair (7) and Jigsaw Brown (7) for the season so far. However it is Andy Ivey with his 8 goals in 4 games who is the man in form!

In a match that was umpired sympathetically and interestingly (Thank you Martin) the Merlins Supporters Association, led on this occasion by John Smithers, were royally entertained until the final whistle.

Both sides were soon reliving the match in the club house, indeed embellishing it some would say, inspired by the best pair of jugs to be seen in the River Room for some time courtesy of Skipper Geoff Aylen.