Click on back button to
return...
![]()
|
Hampton Rangers |
1 | |
|
Merton Juniors U12s |
9 | Jamie Streat 2, Jack Malin 3, Nicholas Holley 2, Julian Osei-Gyimah 2 |
West Surrey Youth League Division 1 - 11th May 2003

Carshalton U12 (Merton Juniors) - West Surrey
Youth League Division 1 Runners Up
Back - Gary Johnson (manager), Louis
Barron-Pell, Lewis West, Tshepho Sawdon, Nicholas Holley, Warren McCourt, Jack
Malin, Jonathan Kehoe, Julian Osei-Gyimah, Paul Streat (Assistant Manager).
Front - George King, Adam Marie, Craig Stanley, Daniel Johnson, Jamie Streat,
Ross Bradley, Billy Kelly.
Merton gain promotion to the Premier Division by turning in a stunning performance to massacre relegated Hampton Rangers. The visitors started slowly and were matched by their lowly rivals in the opening ten minutes. Nevertheless, Merton still had the best chances and Louis Barron-Pell went very close with two strong shots from outside the box. Hampton rarely threatened, and after 11 minutes Merton went ahead when Jamie Streat scored from an acute angle with a superbly struck left-footed shot. Shortly afterwards Louis Barron-Pell saw his shot fly inches wide after some powerful play from Jack Malin on the left of the penalty area. Hampton continued to compete effectively, and managed to force a few corners that never came to anything. After 16 minutes Merton won a corner, and Jamie Streat had a header blocked on the line before netting the rebound from close quarters. Merton now began to get into top gear, and Jack Malin stole in to head a right-wing cross just over the bar. Soon after the Hampton keeper denied the luckless Louis Barron-Pell after some good passing between Nicholas Holley, Jamie Streat and Daniel Johnson. Hampton attacked briefly and on 21 minutes a dreadful miskick at the back let in a forward for an easy finish, but Warren McCourt pulled off a tremendous save. Unfortunately, the ball ran loose across the Merton area and a forward was able to score after cutting in from the left. Four minutes later Daniel Johnson played a ball into the path of Jack Malin, and the striker left two defenders stranded as he went between them at pace before knocking the ball past the advancing keeper. A minute later Jack Malin had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed for offside after he chipped and rounded the last defender before planting the ball in the net. Apparently the flag was for another forward standing in an offside position well off the play. This spurred Merton on and the energetic Nicholas Holley hit the net soon after with a blistering shot to make it 4-1. Hampton now reeled under the onslaught, but their keeper pulled off several good saves to keep the scoreline unchanged for the remainder of the half.
The second half opened with the Merton midfield setting up Nicholas Holley for a strong run down the left that culminated with a strong shot past the keeper after the winger cut inside. Merton were now rampant, sweeping down the field with fluent passing moves, and Jack Malin and substitute Julian Osei-Gyimah proving a double handful up front. A lot of good football was played, and eventually it was rewarded when Jack Malin received the ball down the middle and then swept between two defenders before scoring with a low shot that deflected off the keeper. Soon after Jack Malin put Julian Osei-Gyimah through on goal and the striker sprinted away to score with a good finish. Merton had a couple of anxious moments when Hampton broke upfield, but on both occasions Warren McCourt made a good save with his feet. Spud Bradley and Adam Marie were both having a particularly good game, and the Merton pressure was such that at times both centre-backs were in support of attacks. Julian Osei-Gyimah then scored in a goalmouth scramble, and soon after he twice flashed headers just off target. The final Merton goal came seven minutes from time when Jack Malin received the ball in the middle and then went on a high-speed slalom past three defenders before driving the ball past the keeper to complete his hat trick. Soon after Jack Malin should have scored when he had a close-range shot deflected round the post after after a goalmouth scramble. Further chances came and went as Merton pressed forward, and Hampton missed a very good chance in the dying minutes when a forward blazed over from a good position. A outstanding team performance with excellent contributions from all participants. A special mention for Louis Barron-Pell who delayed making his school trip to Wales so as to play his part in the most important match in the club's history.
Reporter's man of the match: Jack Malin.
Team: Warren McCourt; Adam Marie, Jonathan Kehoe, Lewis West, Spud Bradley; George King, Jamie Streat, Daniel Johnson, Nicholas Holley; Jack Malin, Louis Barron-Pell. Sub: Tshepho Sawdon, Julian Osei-Gyimah.
|
|