Click on back button to return... 

Merton Juniors recorded a handsome win over Roffey Robins of the Horsham & District Premier Division, although the margin of the victory was due in part to some poor finishing and the excellent goalkeeping of Warren McCourt.  The hosts started very brightly when Jack Malin and Louis Barron-Pell created some mayhem in the Roffey area, but play was eventually stopped for a foul on the keeper. Jack Malin then shot into the side netting after cutting in from the left wing. Following this Roffey would have scored but for an excellent save from Warren McCourt. The game was now evenly balanced, but it was Merton who broke the deadlock when Daniel Johnson and Craig Stanley were involved in a move that eventually saw Jamie Streat score with a low ground shot from inside the penalty area. As the game progressed Merton began to take control, and after several near misses Louis Barron-Pell put the hosts two ahead on 16 minutes. The striker dribbled past two defenders and stroked the ball into the far corner of the net from edge of the goal area. Soon after Roffey had a goal disallowed for an earlier push on Lewis West. Roffey looked threatening on the break, and their No. 10 broke clean through only for Warren McCourt to make a great block. The ball was then scrambled away with some difficulty for a corner. An opening was then created at the other end for Craig Stanley, but this time it was the Roffey keeper who made a good save. Five minutes before the interval, the Roffey No. 10 sprinted clear again, but was denied once again by Warren McCourt. In a subsequent attack, the same forward accelerated clear from halfway, but shot wide of the target. The half ended with Craig Stanley making a mazy run through the Roffey area before losing possession in front of the goal.

Merton began the second half in impressive fashion. After 33 minutes Jack Malin picked the ball up on the left wing and set off on an unstoppable run through three defenders before driving the ball past the keeper from well inside the penalty area. A minute later it was 4-0 when a fluent passing move let in Louis Barron-Pell who skipped through a couple of challenges before scoring from close range. Merton were now rampant as Craig Stanley lost out in two one-on-one's with the keeper. On 41 minutes Louis Barron-Pell completed his hat-trick after some trickery in the box at the end of a move involving Daniel Johnson and Jamie Streat. The Merton purple patch ended 2 minutes later when George King put Craig Stanley away to score a deserved goal with a low shot that flew into the net off a defender. Roffey responded with a number of attacks, each of which involved their No.10 either squandering the chance or having his shot well saved by Warren McCourt. The Roffey No.10 finally got the goal he deserved after 45 minutes by racing clear and scoring with a shot high into the net. Merton came back and there was a tremendous scramble in the Roffey area as a result of a steaming run by Jack Malin into the penalty area. Adam Marie then cleared a shot off the line, but soon after the Roffey No.10 ran through to score a second goal on 22 minutes. Numerous chances were then created by Merton before the Roffey No.10 was through on goal again only to have his shot saved. Three minutes from time Louis Barron-Pell scored his fourth goal with a simple finish from close range, but there was still time for Craig Stanley to have a shot turned onto the post for a corner.

Reporter's man of the match: Warren McCourt.

Team: Warren McCourt; Adam Marie, Jonathan Kehoe, Lewis West, Spud Bradley; George King, Jamie Streat, Daniel Johnson, Jack Malin; Craig Stanley, Louis Barron-Pell.