Merton put in a very good performance last Saturday, considering that they had made eight changes to the previous week’s starting line up.

A wedding in the club saw the Morden Rec outfit having to bring up players from their second string, four players being handed their full 1st XV debuts, Shaun Reynolds, Paul Barry, Jake and Alex Bodin, and Jake Bailey and James Newbury having their first outings of the season.

Despite the number of enforced changes, Merton started brightly and soon had their lower league opponents on the back foot, the forwards making excellent progress up the right wing.

They found themselves camped in the Streatham 22 but, although they were able to get close, they just could not cross the whitewash, Neil Quinn and Chuck Sanger being stopped just short.

Having weathered the early charge from the visitors, the hosts began to work their way up the field and the game began to even up. A loose kick out of defence was seized upon by the home side, and their flying winger needed no second invitation to dart through and open the scoring.

Merton worked their way back up the park from the kick-off, the younger Quinn and Bodin to the fore as they looked to get back into the match. An indiscretion just inside the 22 gave Scott Newark the chance to put the first points on the board for his side with a well-struck penalty.

Although they were back in the match, the visitors found themselves looking to the replacements bench, as first skipper Jason Newell and then scrum-half, Zac Dodd, departed through injury.

Merton’s re-shuffled side began the second-half in optimistic mood and, with James Newark ruling the lineout, they enjoyed a steady stream of possession.

However, the re-jig of the threequarters had resulted in a number of players out of position, upon which the hosts eventually capitalised upon when a charged down kick was snatched up by the home skipper, who stretched out and just made the line.

Trailing 12-3, the visitors were again forced to make changes when Alan Power limped from the field and Scott Newark departed after a blow to the head.

On this occasion though, the Merton XV stepped up a gear, and they were rewarded when stand-in skipper, Jimmy McLoughlin, danced his way through the home defence to dot down under the sticks, Bailey adding the two points.

Now back in the match, the visitors continued to press, a break by centre Danny Trick creating the space for midfield partner, Glenn Williamson, to burst up the middle and slide over, Bailey again being successful with the conversion.

With fifteen minutes on the clock, Streatham realised that they had to do something to appease the supporters that had turned up for a Club dinner.

The winning score, when it came, was fortuitous, Newbury having the ball knocked out of his hands from where it was shipped to the home left wing, who needed no invitation to go over.

This was a good run out for Merton, despite the narrow loss, but the main drawback were the injuries to key players, Power and Newell looking like they will have a long spell on the sidelines. This Saturday they entertain higher League opponents, Old Emanuel, and again must do without a few of their first choice squad, with Rob Greenwood, Jack Wainwright, Nick Ramsey, Tim Rossiter and Ed Barros all still missing.

Merton are always looking for new players, of all standards, to join them and play for one of their three XVs. The main training night is Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm, under floodlights, at Morden Recreation Ground, Faversham Road, SM4 6RE. For more information, call Jack on 07970 166958 or go via the website www.mertonrugby.org