Old Meadonians were held to a 1-1 draw at Albanian in their latest Amateur Football Combination clash on Saturday.

Missing seven first team regulars, Meads preserved their unbeaten record by the skin of their teeth after a thorough examination from Albanian.

Ed Glover put Meads into an early lead, slotting home after Will Gerrish’s cross-field pass, but the hosts dominated for long spells after that.

Albanian eventually equalised from the penalty spot, with Meads goalkeeper Simon Greening coming to his side’s rescue on several occasions.

The two players most missed by Meads were experienced striker Colin Hawkins, away on family business and midfield speedster Peter Eguae who is likely to be out for three weeks with strained ankle ligaments obtained during an outing with the league team mid-week.

Hosts, Albanian, fresh from giving a 6-1 hammering to champions Bealonians the previous game, gave at least as good as they got from visitors who only fired fitfully, and, despite having to take advantage of another phantom penalty to even things out, kept up pressure with a series of pinpoint corners which homed in under Meads’ keeper Simon Greening’s bar.

Greening’s resolute form was absolutely paramount as the ball more often than not arrived in the company of one and sometimes two contestants for its possession.

It has to be said that Meads’ goal was also a donation twenty five minutes in as Will Gerrish’s cross-field pass was ushered out to Ed Glover on the right and he gratefully closed in rapidly to beat the keeper from fifteen yards.

The second half saw the visitors under almost constant pressure and relying on intermittent breaks away for relief, with Meads’ back five, if you include Greening, under constant aerial threat.

With twenty minutes to go the equalising penalty intensified Albanian’s attacks and in quick succession Dwayne Rhone and Andy Thompson made match saving tackles and Greening brilliantly blocked a one on one.

Almost the last act saw Rhone left high and dry following a Meads’ attack just inside the hosts’ penalty area as the defence ebbed too late to catch him offside, but his lob just scraped over the bar.

Simon Greening and Andy Thompson shared the MoM award.

Team: Greening, Costello, Pointer, Thompson, Rhone, Pedro, Jones, Gerrish, Granvile, Martins, Glover. Sub not used, Best.