Old Hamptonians 0 Old Meadonians 2

Old Meadonians continued their climb up the table with a workmanlike win at Old Hamptonians on Saturday.

Hamptonians have gone eight years without reward in this fixture, but Meads only just shaded possession playing up the slope in the first half.

The core of Meads’ defence, Lawrie Pointer, Liam Palmer and Andy Thompson, needed to excel and those three, for their rocklike solidarity, together with keeper Simon Greening, whose calling and judgment were impeccable, were named joint man of the match.

In front of them, the midfield was bolstered by the inclusion of experienced Ryman League veteran Kevin Quinn, making only his second start of the season.

His stealing of the ball was to be an important factor, while it was interesting to see tasty playmaker Jack Costello alongside him blocking with the best.

Enforcer Will Gerrish was no less effective for having to nurse an upset stomach until ably relieved by the speedy Luke Graham when the points were safe.

The pace and power in the air of wingbacks Dwayne Rhone and Ed Glover patrolling the touchlines brought an almost flawless impregnability which, with the hosts never giving in, was an absolute necessity.

Up front, canny Colin Hawkins and youthfully exuberant Alex Jones were forging a useful partnership and it was fitting that they should ice the cake.

Turning round level but with the slope in the second half, traffic became one way and, 10 minutes in, Hawkins,finding himself surplus on the left of the area, skimmed the ball into the far corner.

Meads’s second 10 minutes later came with a flash of brilliance from Jones.

Quinn found him on the halfway line and, as he worked himself space, seeing that the home goalie was off his line, he put the ball over the stranded keeper into the empty net from fully 45 yards.

There was still time for Glover to make the pass of the match, picking out Costello overlapping on the left from 40 yards off for the latter cut in past his marker and put a raking diagonal shot just over the top.

Meads: Greening, Glover, Pointer, Palmer, Thompson, Rhone, Gerrish, (Graham), Costello, Quinn, Hawkins, A. Jones