Whisper it quietly but the 4s are in danger of having a good season after another victory in the league saw them gain 10 points from a possible 12 in recent months. With the cups still a possibility, the 4s will be looking to start 2013 the way they ended 2012. In all honesty, the game was not as comfortable as the 5-1 scoreline may have suggested but by the same token, Meads wasted few chances and the result was an easy victory against a mediocre Guilfordians side. Goals in the first half from Tinahse that came from nothing were followed by goals from Jon, Ash and Foz (I know what you are thinking, if Ash scored, they must have been sh*t). But to be fair to the opposition, they just happened to get us on a day when our usual profligacy in front of goal had abandoned us and most chances were put away with aplomb.
When I turned up on the touchline, it seemed like a game that could have gone either way, in fact, Guilford were on top with Tim making a vital save low down to his right after a good shot from just inside the box. Meads were struggling to get the ball in between the lines and there was little link up between the midfield and attack. With possession at a premium the game seemed destined to be a typical winters match; wet, cold, and on the whole poor. Little Kev was getting increasingly frustrated at Meads' inability to take control of the game but things were to change in 3 minutes of magic.
With proceedings requiring a touch of christmas cheer, Tinashe duly stepped up with a quickfire brace that came out of nowhere. Wih about 7 minutes to go before half time, Tinashe picked up the ball from Rasheed and his snap shot from the edge of the box took the keeper by surprise and buried itself into the bottom corner to the keepers right. 1-0 and a nice pre half time pick me up, something dave needed having not managed to locate his bed the night before. Before I could finish my text to the absent manager who was demanding minute by minute updates Meads had gone 2-0 up. Again T, again out of nothing; Kev played a nice ball into his path and T noticed the keeper was off his line. From about 20 yards out, T coolly lobbed the ball over the keepers head, the wind playing its role to perfection, holding the ball up nicely to drop below the bar and into the net. A great goal to complete a stunning 5 minutes for Tinashe and the 4s. The game had been even, with neither team looking particularly at home in the heavy conditions.
So, 2-0 up, the half time chat was a lot different to what it could have been. No one was deluded enough to think that we deserved to be 2-0 up, but 2-0 it was and the 4s were going to ensure that the recent good form was going to continue. The shape was changed at half time to get better link up between midfield and attack, with Rasheed going out to the right and Tommy moving in to an attacking midfield role behind Tinashe.
The start of the 2nd half changed the face of the game. At 2-0 Meads allowed the Guilford striker through but he dragged his finish wide when he should have at least tested Tim. This was the wake up call that Meads needed. Minutes later and the game was sealed when a free kick from the half way from Joe took a deflection off Tommy before Jon headed into the bottom corner, 3-0 up with half an hour to go. Meads were now playing with a bit more conviction; Rash was a new man on the right, causing all sorts of problems, Tommy was picking the ball up in good areas and Big and little Kev were controlling the midfeld battleground. The left hand side was also a bonus for Meads and this was where the next two goals were going to come from. Foz was starting again after many months away from his old ground but he looked every bit in form as he rampaged up and down the left hand side, linking up well with Ash and never looking in trouble defensively. Ash, looking to put injury problems behind him, had showed the skill and incision that make him such an important player for the team.
The 4th and 5th goals were going to come in the space of about 10 minutes; firstly a great move down the right resulted in Rash cutting into the box in menacing fashion. He played the ball square across the box. Ash, who had slightly overrun the ball, controlled the ball with his back to goal but swivelled quickly and hit the ball into the bottom corner. The fifth and final goal was to come from an unlikely source. Foz had never scored in two full seasons at meads. His handful of appearances last season resulted in a vital goal in the cup, this season it took only two games. Again good play down the right ended up with Kev crossing the ball into the box. The ball went high into the air and the defence should have dealt with it, but to his credit, Foz held off the centre back and generated all the power to head into the corner, 5-0.
Meads now needed to keep a clean sheet for the 2nd game in a row. A good save by Tim followed by a goal line clearance by Jon was to count for nothing when soft free kick on the edge of the box was laid off and powered into the top corner to grab a consolation for Guilford with 5 to go. The last 15 minutes had not been pretty from Meads, with the players thinking about christmas and forgetting all about shape. If there is ever a time to do it, it is when you are 5-0 up though.
A great result, although a little bit flattering in all honesty. MOM went to Little Kev AKA luke for his central midfield display. Votes after that were well distributed with Tinashe, Ash, Foz, Tommy, Kev and Rash all deservedly receiving votes. A great result to finish off a good run of form. However, the season begins in 2013 with two cup games in a row, which will ultimately help shape our season. Last season it went the wrong way, this year, it is up to us to ensure it does not happen again.
