Mens Merlins lost to Farnham Common Wrinklies 0 - 5

Smooth Wrinklies

A perfect day weather-wise, a perfect Bray II pitch (Thank you Charlie!), pity about the result as Merlins were rolled over 5-0 by a strong and experienced Farnham Common Wrinklies side.

Welcoming back Ace Goalie Ronnie Fuller after a long period of absence on family duties, Skipper Wardle was able to field a full eleven… and an umpire. That was the good news; not so good was the fact that more than half the side were having mobility problems…including Wardle (knee), Miall (knee), Castle (back), Brown (knee), Mair (knee), Tarrier (calf muscle) and Ivey (sleep deficit).

Most of the first half was played in Merlins’ half and in spite of the best efforts of Fuller, Robinson and Wardle at the back and Wright, Ivey and Murphy at half backs, The Wrinklies went 5-0 up and had it not been for some brave saves from Fuller and some well timed goal line clearances from Wardle, it could have easily been double that score.

Most of the Merlins’ forwards were on full time defensive duties in this one sided first half, with Arthur Wood and Mike Tarrier on the wings having to keep close watch on their opposite numbers. Simon Miall and Lawrence Castle as inside forwards spent most of the half repelling wave after wave of Wrinklies.

Taking stock at half time, Skipper Wardle asked Tugboat Castle to drop back into the heart of the defence and pushed the creative Mair and the indefatigable Mike Tarrier up field to at least pose some attacking threat. This had the desired effect and Merlins actually started to mount a number of attacking moves in the second half.

Ably supported by the tireless Noel Murphy, who put in a true Man of the Match performance as he did his best to support both attack and defence, Ivey and Mair began to threaten from the mid field and were unlucky not to score from the openings they created.

Probably the best opportunity was created by Andy Ivey when his brilliant reverse stick pass to Brown left him with an open goal, but somehow Jigsaw, living up to his name, contrived to miss an open goal when it would have been easier to score.

Truly a game of two halves; with Wrinklies winning the first and Merlins drawing the second, but overall a result that was never in doubt.

Thanks to Arthur Wood and Craig Mair for sharing the umpiring in this well fought, good spirited match that was ultimately too one sided to be a true contest.