Mens Merlins lost to Sunbury Vets 2 - 8

Sunbury 8 Maidenhead Merlins 2
Avery Mann, Patch (Mann) Ivey, Mair

Merlins lose to Sunbury by less than Marlow did!

Victory is never a likely outcome when up against the strongest team in the Home Counties Friendly League, and the Merlins never looked like breaking the mould on a beautiful March afternoon.
‘Keeperless once again the Merlins arrived at Sunbury heartened by the news that their opposition were also without a goalkeeper and indeed had a mere nine men, but the Merlins ever-generous skipper Wardle immediately offered to level things up by offering Sunbury an extra man from the pool of eleven that had made the journey. The welcome return of Alan Jones to the Merlins side also gave much needed goalkeeping experience at kicking back.
And thus it was that ten David’s faced nine Goliaths, a Bulldozer, and a woolly-hatted garden gnome on a beautifully sunny afternoon. The Merlins could not long enjoy the sunshine however due to wave after wave of Sunbury pressure. The game was all but up after barely 15 minutes after Alan Jones had already bagged the man-of-the-match award and still picked the ball out of the Merlins net four times!
The Merlins returned a little credibility before half time as “Poison” Ivey opened his stride to show his class and scythed through the Sunbury to slot home what can only be described as an “interesting” strike to bring the half to a close at 4-1.
Not content with simply saving many Merlins blushes during the first half Alan Jones then switched into his traditional Merlins role of half-time drinks dispenser, a role he also fulfilled with consummate ease.
The second half began in a more balanced manner as “Bulldozer” Wright had returned to the Merlins throng and was now shoring up the Merlins midfield, but it wasn’t long before Sunbury were on the rampage once more aided by some fine interplay from their recently acquired winger Arthur “Itus” Wood*.
The Merlins managed one brief moment of success after tireless work from Murphy, Bowes, Castle, Miall, and Ivey all culminated in a golden chance for “Tintin” Mair, who despatched at this time of asking whilst taking the opportunity to hobble his opposite number at the same time. Indeed, had it not been for the four goals conceded at the other end it would have been a very positive half.....

A sound thrashing is always easier to handle at the hands of Sunbury than other oppositions, especially when those other oppositions lost by 9-2 in their equivalent fixture.
The usual result was followed by the usual warm hospitality in the bar, where Alan Jones was awarded his Man-of-the-Match award for outstanding bravery in the face of hockey adversity, for which the prize was (of course) being fined a jug.

*Subsequent Merlins enquiries revealed that “Itus” was in fact a distant relation of the Merlins very own “Blokka” Wood.