Honours equal- and honours equal!
Merstham come from three down to grab a point against Peacehaven, whilst Royals and Rocks can’t manage a goal between them
We had two matches last night, and both of them ended in draws.
In Pitching In Isthmian South East, newboys Peacehaven & Telscombe headed to Sevenoaks Town, the temporary home of Merstham (whilst the Moatsiders continue with the installation of their 3G pitch)- and the Magpies certainly flew into action. Cal Edwards put them ahead on eight minutes with something of a rocket, and then skipper Connor Tighe- who you will undoubtedly remember from his earlier spells with Whitehawk, Burgess Hill Town, Bognor Regis Town and East Grinstead Town- took control. Tighe delivered number two midway through the first half, a composed finish after Lewis Beebee did most of the hard work, and then fifteen minutes later made it three, a cross reaching him from a defensive header and…bang!
Merstham looked down and out, but when you have their level of attacking threat- particularly the shooting boots of Louis Theophanous- then you always have a chance, and, as it turned out, it was a chance they took. Theophanous pulled a goal back with twenty three minutes remaining, finishing with his usual aplomb, and only two minutes later Gil Carvalho got the fifth goal of the night with a low finish that gave keeper James Broadbent little chance. Could they? Of course they could- good work from Carvalho in the last minute and up popped Theophanous once more, three-three, and the end of the evening’s entertainment. And goodness, there had been no shortage of entertainment, had there?
Into Pitching In Isthmian South Central and two highly fancied sides, AFC Portchester and Bognor Regis Town, met at Gosport Borough; the Royals are also undergoing pitch work. This is a meeting which usually guarantees goals- after all, last season’s encounters brought twelve- but it seems that they’d used up their entire ration, as they couldn’t manage to find another.
The hosts were skippered by former Bognor legend Jason Prior, and he perhaps came closest to breaking the deadlock, but without success- although the Rocks were indebted to keeper Tommy Scott late on, as he saved from both Prior and Alfie Stanley.
Image from Adam Goldring.