Merstham’s season came to a faltering end after Hythe Town staged a late fightback to ensure they finished above the Moatsiders in eighth place. Joe Holland opened the scoring for Merstham after 40 minutes but Dave Cook struck inside the final five minutes as Hythe finished one place above the Moatsiders in the league table and ahead only on goal difference. Hayden Bird decided to give a few of his fringe players a chance as Holland, Justin Hemmings, James Fray, Elliott Jones and Andre McCollin all made an appearance in the starting line-up.

Both sides created early chances as Hythe’s Brendan Cass saw his header pushed away by Merstham keeper David Wilkinson while at the other end McCollin blasted wide after latching onto a long ball over the visitors defence. Hythe begun to assert their authority in midfield but could not create a clear cut opening as James Dryden headed Aaron Lacy’s cross over from 12 yards and moments later Cook’s fierce 20-yard effort sailed over the crossbar. Then against the run of play, Merstham took the lead five minutes before the interval when Holland nipped ahead of Tom Parkinson at the near post to convert Rob Carter’s low cross and score his first goal for the Moatsiders.

Merstham sensationally recovered twice against local rivals Whyteleafe to keep their winning streak alive with their fifth consecutive victory. In an eventful game, Merstham were lethargic for the opening hour as two goals from Ian Selley put Leafe in a commanding position despite former Moatsider Adam Broomhead’s sending off midway through the second half. However, two goals in seven minutes from Adam Moriarty and Liam Wright turned the game around for Merstham to claim an unbelievable victory over their struggling neighbours.

Whyteleafe fighting for survival at the bottom of the league table started with Omar Folkes, Louis Clark and Broomhead who were looking to prove themselves against their former team mates. However, it was Merstham who created the first chance after 20 minutes when Gunner powerfully headed Peter Wedgeworth’s free-kick but Leafe goalkeeper Paul Smith gathered the effort at the second attempt. Both teams struggled to cope with the difficult playing surface due to the heavy overnight rain as Folkes demonstrated when he lashed a 20-yard volley out for a throw-in. However, a piece of individual brilliance saw Whyteleafe take the lead on 33 minutes when Selley saw his stunning free-kick sail over the wall and curl past the outstretched hand of Wilkinson into the top left hand corner. The Moatsiders equalised on the stroke of half-time when Smith pushed out another dangerous Wedgeworth free-kick but this time Gunner quickly pounced on the loose ball to slot the rebound home from close range.

Roscoe Dsane scored twice as Merstham courageously came from behind against Worthing to record their fourth successive league victory. Ryan McBride put the visitors in the lead midway through the first half but they failed to capitalise on their dominance and allowed Merstham back into the contest when Dsane equalised from the penalty spot after the interval. The momentum of the game shifted and the Moatsiders grabbed the elusive winner in the final five minutes when Dsane pounced on a defensive mistake to spark rapturous celebrations amongst the home faithful. Worthing’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time when Sam O’Reegan was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.

Merstham reverted back to using Dsane as a lone striker but the hosts found themselves immediately on the back foot in the opening two minutes. Tom Lawley dispossessed full back Peter Wedgeworth on the edge of the area but the midfielder dragged his low shot wide of the far post. Merstham’s first opportunity came after 19 minutes when Worthing’s Glen Woodburn attempted to clear Adam Moriarty’s low cross from the right and the ball ricocheted off Elliott Jones but drifted agonisingly past the near post. Woodburn was again involved three minutes later when his short back pass put his own goalkeeper Alan Mansfield in trouble with Dsane charging him down. Mansfield miscued his clearance but the keeper avoided further embarrassment by chasing down the loose ball and clearing the danger. Worthing started to dictate proceedings and took the lead on 27 minutes when Tom Manton’s pass sliced through the middle of Merstham’s defence to McBride who slotted a low effort past keeper David Wilkinson from 15 yards. The visitors continued to dominate with Merstham barely getting out of their own half and Wilkinson needed to react quickly to block Lawley’s improvised flick after O’Reegan headed Darren Budd’s corner towards goal. Moments later, Lawley beat Wilkinson with a fierce low drive across goal but Rob Carter was in the right place to clear the effort off the line and keep the Moatsiders within touching distance going into the interval.

Merstham came out rejuvenated in the second half and created their first threatening effort five minutes after the restart when David Graves met Wedgeworth’s corner with a looping header but the effort went wide. The Moatsiders continued to apply pressure and were awarded a penalty on 68 minutes when Matt Hurley clipped Liam Wright from behind after the winger used his scintillating pace to burst into the area from the left wing. Dsane converted the spot kick into the bottom left corner for his first goal in four games to put Merstham back in contention for a victory that looked out of their reach at half-time. The Moatsiders new found tenacity saw them venture forward in search of a winner and they were rewarded with four minutes remaining. Dsane pounced onto Hurley’s poorly directed header towards his own goal and the striker took the ball around Mansfield who had rushed quickly off his line before lifting the ball into an empty net. Fears of a late equaliser were alleviated slightly when O’Reegan was shown a red card following a second booking for a late challenge on Sam Tucknott as the Moatsiders held off a late onslaught to claim a fourth successive victory for the first time in over three years.

Merstham suffered another tale of away day heartbreak after showing great tenacity to take the lead against title-chasing Whitehawk in a dramatic finale. Liam Wright looked like he had snatched a victory for the Moatsiders with just eight minutes remaining but strikes from Lee Newman and Joe Keehan turned the game in Whitehawk’s favour to maintain their quest for promotion. Merstham faced a daunting trip to the south coast against a side who had won their previous four league games and the visitors had to cope without their skipper Adam Moriarty who was missing his first game of the season. Manager Hayden Bird decided to freshen up the starting eleven as Andre McCollin and James Fray replaced first team regulars Roscoe Dsane and Sam Tucknott who both dropped to the bench.

On a glorious sunny afternoon by the seaside, the first-half descended into a gloomy proposition for the Moatsiders with the visitors having to rely on their goalkeeper David Wilkinson to keep them in the contest. Wilkinson pushed Sam Gargan’s low driven free-kick away for a corner on the half-hour and then the shot stopper produced a heroic save to deny Gargan again just before the interval when the striker’s fierce volley from ten yards saw the keeper majestically leap to tip the ball over the bar with his fingertips.

Merstham responded early in the second half when Fabio Saraiva’s 30-yard long range effort flew just over the bar five minutes after the restart. Whitehawk’s dominance came back into the forefront but Gargan was again denied on the hour mark when his looping header was cleared off the line by Merstham defender Dean Gunner. The Moatsiders went straight up the other end as McCollin managed to barge his way past two defenders but unfortunately dragged his effort wide with only the keeper to beat. Then came the turning point on 67 minutes when the referee blew his whistle for a foul after Gunner tugged on Newman’s shirt on the edge of the area. After consulting with his assistant, the referee awarded Whitehawk a penalty but Wilkinson again denied the hosts by saving and keeping hold of Paul Armstrong’s spot kick low down to his left. Merstham continued to frustrate their opponents and the hosts were left stunned on 83 minutes when Wright’s low 25-yard drive nestled into the bottom right corner to put the Moatsiders within sight of an unlikely victory. However, Whitehawk responded emphatically as less than two minutes later Newman managed to get on the end of a Josh James long ball to fire past Wilkinson into the roof of the net. The momentum had now swung towards the hosts and they grabbed the winner on 88 minutes following a long throw-in that saw Keehan poke a low effort into the bottom right corner to leave the Moatsiders devastated after a thrilling finale.

Merstham threw away the chance to cause a huge upset against promotion chasing Maidstone United. Graeme Andrews gave the visitors a first-half lead before Fabio Saraiva forced an equaliser for Merstham with thirteen minutes to play. However, the Moatsiders failed to take advantage of the shift in momentum and allowed Maidstone to grab three goals in the remaining time.

The visitors started strongly and following a succession of early corners Alex Waugh headed Tommy Osborne’s second minute set piece over the bar. Merstham’s first opportunity came on seven minutes when Adam Moriarty’s deep cross was met by Roscoe Dsane but the striker volleyed wildly over. However, it was Maidstone who made the early breakthrough after twelve minutes when another dangerous Osborne corner saw Andrews chest the ball down unopposed before volleying past David Wilkinson from ten yards. The visitors began to dictate possession and they had a great opportunity to double their lead on 35 minutes when Waugh chased Alex Flisher’s long ball and lobbed the ball over Wilkinson but David Greaves managed to clear the effort away before the ball trickled over the line. Moments later, Merstham almost equalised when Saraiva let fly from 20 yards but unfortunately his effort clipped the outside of the left hand post. Maidstone continued to look a threat every time they ventured forward and when Waugh knocked the ball past Wilkinson in injury time for Buff Addae to chase it looked like the visitors were going to extend their lead but the striker dragged his low effort wide of the far post.

After their lucky escape at the end of the first-half, Merstham came out rejuvenated after the break and were unlucky not to equalise on 51 minutes after Dsane was denied twice. Firstly, the striker lifted the ball over oncoming keeper John Whitehouse but Andrews managed to head the ball off the line and then from the rebound Dsane saw his volley crash against the post from an acute angle. Tragedy struck on the hour mark when play was stopped for over five minutes after Maidstone’s Michael Phillips suffered a serious knee injury and had to be replaced by debutant Karl Murray. Once the game restarted, Merstham kept up the pressure on their opponents but Dsane was again denied on 66 minutes after his fierce effort was parried away by Whitehouse and Saraiva saw his follow-up effort blocked. The Moatsiders finally equalised after 77 minutes when substitute Dean Gunner whipped in a deep cross on the right and an unmarked Saraiva guided his header into the far corner. However, less than two minutes later Merstham switched off from a Flisher long throw as Addae powered his way through a crowded area to bundle Maidstone back into the lead. Things got even worse for the hosts on 81 minutes when Flisher’s through ball saw Shaun Welford advance into the area and strike a fierce effort past Wilkinson to gift the visitors a two-goal advantage. Merstham cut the deficit back down to one with just four minutes remaining when Saraiva’s deep free-kick into the box saw Liam Wright ghost in-between two defenders and flick his effort into the net from close range. There was still hope for a Merstham equaliser when the referee signalled five minutes of stoppage time but this optimism faded when Flisher was left one-on-one with Wilkinson in the final minute and although the midfielder’s first effort was saved he converted the rebound to clinch a dramatic victory.

Merstham flattered to deceive as Hayden Bird’s first game in charge ended in defeat despite the Moatsiders taking the lead against Ramsgate. After a bright opening, Roscoe Dsane’s penalty gave Merstham the lead midway through the first half but two goals in five minutes from Ian Pulman and Stephen O’Brien put the hosts in control before the interval. Simon Pettit extended Ramsgate’s lead before Liam Thomas set-up a tense finale but the hosts put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time through Michael Yianni to leapfrog Merstham in the table.

Merstham players were eager to impress their new manager and made a promising start when Sam Tucknott headed Dsane’s cross from the left narrowly past the post inside the opening two minutes. The Moatsiders looked comfortable in possession spreading the ball around from side-to-side with conviction and were rewarded for their persistence on 20 minutes. Fabio Saraiva’s fierce effort from the edge of the area was parried away by goalkeeper Danny Twyman and the rebound fell to Liam Wright who was bundled over inside the area. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and Dsane confidently despatched the kick into the bottom right corner to send Merstham into a deserved lead. Ramsgate fought their way back into the contest and to make matters worse for Merstham they gifted their opponents their equaliser on 37 minutes. Thomas under hit his pass back to David Wilkinson allowing Pulman to round the keeper and slot the ball home into an empty net. The game completely changed with Ramsgate now in the ascendency and they took the lead two minutes before half-time. Pettit’s long throw was flicked on at the near post towards O’Brien who managed to get in front of his marker to prod the ball past Wilkinson from close range to leave Merstham reeling at the interval. 

The Moatsiders regrouped in the second half and should have equalised three minutes after the restart but an unmarked Dsane volleyed Liam Wright’s cross wide from ten yards with the striker showing his frustration by placing his hands over his face. Ramsgate again exploited Merstham’s weakness at defending set-plays on 66 minutes when O’Brien’s free-kick saw two Ramsgate players waiting unmarked at the far post as Pettit headed home for a two-goal advantage. Merstham lost their cutting edge upfront and creativity in midfield with the second half seemingly passing them by. Then from out of nowhere, the Moatsiders grabbed a lifeline after 78 minutes when Tucknott’s free-kick saw Thomas unleash a bullet header that flew past Twyman to cut the deficit back down to one goal. Merstham pressed forward in the final stages but failed to unlock a resolute Rams defence and Yianni took full advantage of the open space left by the visitors in the third minute of injury time clipping an effort over Wilkinson to seal victory for Ramsgate.

Merstham found themselves outclassed by Bognor Regis Town who illustrated their promotion credentials after scoring four goals without reply for the second consecutive weekend. Ben Andrews and Steve Harper struck inside the opening half hour for The Rocks before Jason Prior and James Crane completed the rout in the second half.

After a frenetic opening, Merstham created the game’s first effort in anger on 13 minutes. Sam Tucknott raced onto Harry Ottaway’s glancing header and unleashed a vicious drive from 25 yards but keeper Craig Stoner managed to get his hands onto the effort before scooping the ball away at the second attempt while racing back towards his goal line. Bognor looked dangerous from set-plays and deservedly took the lead on 21 minutes after Adam Moriarty failed to clear Ben Johnson’s low corner allowing Andrews to fire home through a crowd of players. The Rocks stunned Merstham by doubling their lead just eight minutes later when an unmarked Harper planted his bullet header past keeper Joe White following a Daryl Wollers cross. Merstham mounted a fightback and were unlucky not to cut the deficit when Fabio Saraiva saw his low 20-yard drive cleared off the line by Jon Marzetti after Stoner had blocked Omar Folkes initial effort from close range. Moments later, Stoner was called into action again this time reacting superbly to deny Folkes deflected effort by changing direction to push the effort wide of the post and keep their two-goal advantage intact at the interval.

Merstham climbed into the top ten after claiming back-to-back home victories for the first time since August by beating Burgess Hill Town. Liam Wright opened the scoring inside the first 15 minutes but it took Merstham until the final five minutes to secure the points when Harry Ottaway capitalised on Oliver Poole’s short back pass. Former Moatsider Quentin Conteh grabbed a consolation in the final minutes for Burgess Hill but the visitors did not have enough time to mount a comeback.

Merstham welcomed back the returning Sam Tucknott after a four-game absence and the hosts made a bright start by taking the lead on 14 minutes. Wright sensationally skipped past two defenders on the left by-line and kept his composure to take the ball round goalkeeper Joel Harding to slot the ball into the net. Although The Moatsiders gained the early initiative, Burgess Hill managed to split Merstham’s defence wide open on several occasions. Pat Harding blasted his effort straight at keeper Joe White on 20 minutes after a seemingly hopeful long ball forward while ten minutes later Jonno Melia failed to hit the target after bursting through the middle of Merstham’s defence. The Moatsiders had a great chance to double their lead just before the interval when a free-flowing attacking move saw Tucknott take the ball around Joel Harding but a heavy touch allowed Olalekan Bankhole to clear the danger.

Burgess Hill came out rejuvenated in the second half and managed to get in-behind Merstham’s defence twice in the opening five minutes. Pat Harding brought a good save from White diving to his right while Lloyd Cotton blazed his effort over the bar after White denied Melia from close range. The second half did not live up to the expectations created in the opening minutes with The Moatsiders allowing their opponents plenty of possession but Burgess Hill unable to unlock Merstham’s gritty defence. Merstham finally put the game beyond doubt on 87 minutes when Poole’s short back pass towards Joel Harding allowed Ottaway to round Joel Harding and tap the ball home into an empty net. Burgess Hill grabbed a late consolidation on the stroke of 90 minutes when substitute Conteh converted Tyrone Berry’s low cross on the right from eight yards but Merstham held off a late onslaught to claim a deserved victory.

Merstham suffered late heartache after league leaders Maidstone United snatched a dramatic injury-time equaliser in a tale of two goalkeeping mistakes. With the hosts dominating the first-half, the game changed on the stroke of half-time when Maidstone keeper Kelvin Jack was sent off for handling the ball outside his own penalty area. Merstham took full advantage of their extra man in the second half with Fabio Saraiva putting The Moatsiders ahead on the hour mark before Buff Addae rescued a point for the hosts following Merstham keeper Joe White’s misdemeanour in the second minute of stoppage time.

Merstham were looking to exact revenge on their opponents after their humiliating defeat last month in the League Cup but it was Maidstone who started brightly creating their first opportunity in the seventh minute. Alex Flisher’s long throw caused chaos inside Merstham’s penalty area with the ball falling to Alex Waugh at the back post but White superbly rushed off his goal line to make a good block following the striker’s fierce volley. The Moatsiders created their best effort after 16 minutes when an unmarked Harry Ottaway managed to get his head onto Omar Folkes deep cross but the striker could not guide his header on-target from ten yards. Maidstone started to gain the upper hand in the contest and almost took the lead on the half-hour when Shaun Welford converted Ellis Green’s cross onto the left hand post. The hosts kept piling on the pressure and should have taken the lead on 40 minutes when Michael Phillips somehow lifted Flisher’s low cross from the left over the crossbar with his outstretched foot from less than six yards out. However, it was from this moment that the dynamics of the game completely changed as Flisher was injured in the build-up to the chance and after receiving five minutes of treatment the midfielder had to be stretched off. Then less than 30 seconds after the game restarted, Jack came rushing off his goal line to deal with Nathan Simpson’s long ball but bizarrely the keeper lost his bearings and decided to catch the ball five yards outside his area. The referee had no option but to show Jack a red card with the goalkeeper already walking towards the tunnel when he realised his mistake but after all the drama of the opening half the game remained goalless at the interval.

Merstham relinquished a winning position for the second consecutive match as Whitehawk recorded their fifth straight victory to illustrate their promotion credentials. The Moatsiders came from behind with Fabio Saraiva and Roscoe Dsane scoring either side of half-time to cancel out Joe Gatting’s opener. Whitehawk bounced back through Ben Godfrey before Gatting scored the winner with twenty minutes remaining while signs of a Merstham comeback were quickly dashed when Louis Clark was sent off in the final stages. Merstham handed debuts to goalkeeper Joe White, midfielder Liam Wright and winger Jason Henry but were still without injured talisman Harry Ottaway.

The first-half provided little goalmouth action although Henry provided a spark of excitement down the left wing on 22 minutes when he darted past Joe Keenan but his fierce effort was tipped over keeper by Chris Winterton. Gatting brought the game to life after 42 minutes when from out of nowhere his 25-yard rocket flew past White to give Whitehawk the advantage. However, the opening goal galvanised Merstham who struck back in first-half injury time as Saraiva superbly struck a right footed free-kick from 30 yards that curled past the outstretched hand of Winterton into the top right corner.

The Moatsiders made a flying start to the second half with Richard Morgan’s first-time volley going inches wide of the post two minutes after the restart. Then from the resulting goal kick, Whitehawk gifted Merstham the lead as Dsane dispossessed defender Craig Richards and the striker confidently slotted the ball through Winterton’s legs for his ninth goal of the season. Whitehawk quickly bounced back on 56 minutes when an unmarked Ben Godfrey headed home a Josh James corner at the far post to equalise. Then, the visitors completed their comeback after 70 minutes when Gatting converted Sam Gargan’s low cross from close range to regain the advantage for Whitehawk. Merstham’s fightback crumbled five minutes later when Louis Clark was sent off for dissent leaving Whitehawk to close out a comfortable victory and stretches the Moatsiders winless streak to seven games.

An improved Merstham ended their five match losing streak but twice surrendered the lead as they were held to a draw against a stubborn Faversham side.

The Moatsiders dominated the first-half and deservedly took the lead just before the interval. Louis Clark’s quickly taken free-kick released Sam Tucknott down the right wing and his pinpoint cross superbly picked out debutant Richard Morgan who powerfully headed home from six yards.

Faversham battled back in the second half and grabbed an equaliser ten minutes after the restart when Aaron Quain volleyed Adrian Stone’s deflected cross back across goal into the bottom right corner. Merstham regained the initiative against the run of play on 62 minutes when Roscoe Dsane managed to squeeze in-between two defenders to convert Fabio Saraiva’s free-kick from close range. Faversham pressed forward in the final stages and with Merstham starting to lose their discipline in midfield the hosts equalised in the final five minutes as Stone unleashed a ferocious drive from the edge of the area that flew past keeper David Wilkinson. The hosts almost grabbed a late winner but fortunately Adam Broomhead was in the right place to clear Dave Botterill’s deflected effort before the ball trickled into the net as both teams had to settle for a point apiece.

Merstham suffered their fifth consecutive defeat after they pressed the self destruct button against Maldon and Tiptree in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy. Ollie Berquez gave the Ryman League Division One North side a fourth minute lead before Merstham capitulated in the second half with Neil Cousins scoring twice in five minutes and Jack Stevenson adding a fourth in the final minutes.

In an identical scenario to the heavy midweek cup defeat against Maidstone United, Merstham created a glorious early opportunity in the second minute. Nathan Simpson’s ball over the top of the visitors defence found the run of Omar Folkes but unfortunately he sailed his volley over the bar from ten yards. Merstham once again paid the price for not taking their chance as two minutes later a dangerous Dave Collins corner picked out an unmarked Berquez whose powerful header flew past Michael Lidbury for an early lead. The visitors should have increased their lead two minutes later when Leon Antoine brushed aside Adam Broomhead but instead of going for goal the striker pulled the ball back for Joe Pearman who saw his effort blocked. The Moatsiders tried to battle back but were restricted to long range attempts. Folkes watched his 20-yard effort turned round the post by goalkeeper Darren Beckett on 13 minutes while five minutes later Nathan Simpson tried his luck from distance but fired narrowly wide. Merstham created their best chance to equalise on the half hour when Roscoe Dsane controlled Gareth Graham’s free-kick on his chest with his back to goal and the striker swivelled round but volleyed just agonisingly wide of the far post.

Merstham crashed to their heaviest defeat in over two years after being thrashed by Maidstone United in the second round of the Alan Boon Cup. Alex Waugh scored a hat-trick with Danny Lye, Alex Flisher and Tom Mills completing the rout against a woeful Merstham side who have now lost four consecutive matches for the first time since March 2009.

Merstham started brightly and should have taken the lead in the fifth minute. Sam Tucknott’s deflected low cross fell to Roscoe Dsane with his back to goal and the striker superbly swivelled past Gavin Greenfield but unfortunately he skewed his effort wide of the far post. The Moatsiders were left to rue the missed chance as Maidstone opened the scoring three minutes later when James Pinnock flicked on Charlie Mitten’s goal kick into the path of Waugh who slotted the ball past keeper Michael Lidbury into the bottom right corner. Omar Folkes, partnering Dsane upfront for the first time, spectacularly blazed an effort wide from the edge of the area before Maidstone doubled their lead on 32 minutes. Lye and Flisher combined on the right wing with Lye receiving the ball back just inside the area and he blasted an effort which flew past Lidbury in a blink of an eye. Maidstone grabbed their third three minutes later when Waugh headed home Flisher’s corner from less than six yards before the hosts added a fourth on the stroke of half-time when another dangerous Flisher corner flew over everyone’s head straight into the far side of the net.

Merstham surrendered their unbeaten home record after scoring two own goals in consecutive second half minutes against Folkestone Invicta. The Moatsiders were completely outclassed by Folkestone who took an early lead through Richard Atkins but worse was to follow when Gareth Graham and Dean Hamlin converted into their own net midway through the second half. Merstham persisted aimlessly with their long ball tactic to little effect while the visitors added a fourth through Simon Austin in the final five minutes.

Folkestone opened the scoring after 16 minutes when James Everitt headed Josh Vincent’s deep cross back into the six yard area where Atkins converted his header into the corner. Harry Ottaway had Merstham’s best chance of the half five minutes later when the striker superbly controlled a long clearance upfield while Folkestone’s backline tried to play offside. Ottaway cut inside and although the striker saw his initial effort blocked he cleverly lifted the rebound over goalkeeper Jack Delo but Frankie Chappell managed to track back on the line and head the ball safely into Delo’s hands. Folkestone had opportunities to double their lead when Darren Smith poked a low shot just past the post and Atkins flew a 35-yard looping effort onto the roof of the net as Merstham were fortunate to only be one goal behind at half-time.

Merstham stepped up a gear in the second half when Ottaway headed Nathan Simpson’s dangerous cross just over the bar two minutes after the restart. The Moatsiders should have equalised three minutes later when Sam Tucknott managed to get on the end of Omar Folkes at the far post but Delo performed heroics to scamper across his goal line and parry the effort away from danger. Folkestone regained their grasp on the match on 69 minutes when Adam Broomhead was dispossessed by Atkins on the edge of his area. Atkins squared the ball across the penalty area for Josh Burchill on the left wing but Graham inadvertently diverted the pass into his own net. The Moatsiders unfortunately repeated the feat 60 seconds later when Everitt cut inside from the left wing and unleashed a ferocious effort that deflected off Dean Hamlin’s head into the top right corner to put the result beyond doubt. A dispirited Merstham failed to make any impression on the Folkestone goal in the final stages and the visitors grabbed a fourth on 86 minutes when Austin converted Everitt’s cross to complete the Moatsiders miserable day.

Merstham suffered their second defeat inside a week after being handed a footballing lesson by league leaders Dulwich Hamlet. The Moatsiders were pegged back inside their own half for long periods of the game but handled everything Hamlet could throw at them with ease until the hosts edged ahead on the stroke of half-time through Sanchez Ming. Roscoe Dsane managed to grab an equaliser from the penalty spot just three minutes after the restart before Dulwich turned their fortune around through Mu Maan and Frankie Sawyer to take a deserved victory.

In an uninspiring first-half, both teams struggled to impose their styles on the game with set-pieces being wasted and passes going astray in the final third.  Merstham’s best chance came when Fabio Saraiva’s tenth minute free-kick crept underneath the wall but unfortunately he dragged the effort just the wrong side of the post. At the other end, Rhys Coleman almost converted Ming’s cross into his own net as his outstretched foot deflected the ball inches outside the far post. Dulwich grew stronger as the half progressed and their pressure finally paid off after 44 minutes. Saraiva gave the ball away on the halfway line and Merstham’s defence allowed Ming to run towards goal with the striker driving a low effort across Michael Lidbury into the bottom right corner.

Although disappointed to go behind just before the interval, the Moatsiders demonstrated their fighting spirit after Andy Martin brought on Omar Folkes and Sam Tucknott for the start of the second half. Merstham were gifted a penalty just three minutes after the restart when Peter Adeniyi handled inside the area. Dsane stepped up and confidently converted the spot kick into the right corner sending Hamlet goalkeeper James Tedder the wrong way. The equaliser seemed to spur on Hamlet who responded emphatically as two minutes later Sol Patterson-Bonner struck the post with his first time effort following Ming’s dangerous low cross into the area. Dulwich managed to regain their advantage on 54 minutes as former Moatside favourite Maan popped up unmarked and headed home Patterson-Bonner’s corner from eight yards out with no defender guarding the posts. Dulwich continued on the rampage pulling Merstham apart at will and they extended their lead on 63 minutes. Maan’s cross field pass found an unmarked Sawyer bearing down on-goal and he struck a low right-footed effort across goal into the bottom left corner to put the game beyond Merstham’s reach.  The hosts could have added a fourth after Merstham were carved open yet again but substitute Kevin James struck the post from his one-on-one chance in the final minutes.

Merstham squandered their chance to progress further in this season’s FA Cup after being knocked out by AFC Sudbury in the second qualifying round. In a fiercely competitive cup-tie, second half strikes from Sudbury’s Nathan Clarke and David Lorimer were enough to end Merstham’s FA Cup dreams for another season. However, the pattern of the game could have been different if Merstham had converted their first-half chances but unfortunately for the Moatsiders they found goalkeeper Danny Gay in tremendous form.

Gay was first called into action on eight minutes after Louis Clark volleyed Fabio Saraiva’s corner from eight yards but the effort fell straight into the keeper’s arms. The keeper again needed to be on his toes four minutes later when he quickly rushed off his goal line to deny Omar Folkes after Harry Ottaway flicked on Michael Lidbury’s goal kick. Merstham then wasted their best chance on 15 minutes when Ottaway raced through towards goal but bizarrely he tried to go around Gay instead of shooting with Sudbury defenders in close proximity and the keeper managed to divert the ball away from danger with his left hand. Ottaway had another chance five minutes later when he ran onto Dan Harding’s ball and he tried to lift the ball over Gay with his first touch but again the keeper denied the striker by comfortably catching the effort at head height. Sudbury fought their way back into the contest and created their first chance on the half hour. A quickly taken Daniel Emmanuel free-kick saw Richard Howell race towards goal but Lidbury managed to divert the midfielder’s low effort away with his legs after diving to his left. The visitors looked dangerous on the counter and three minutes before the interval Emmanuel used his scintillating pace to burst past Adam Broomhead on the right wing. He squared the ball across for David Wareham who fired an effort just inches wide of the post as the tie remained goalless at half-time.

Sudbury continued to trouble Merstham in the second half and deservedly took the lead five minutes after the restart when Nathan Clarke ran onto Wareham’s corner and side-footed a low effort into the bottom right corner. The Moatsiders struggled to make any impression in the final half hour as they continually played the long ball over the top with the strikers beginning to tire on an unusually warm October afternoon. Merstham started to show their frustration with a succession of yellow cards which included one for substitute Gareth Graham after a sliding challenge on Wareham just three minutes after coming on. Sudbury should have put the result beyond doubt on 75 minutes when Lidbury failed to collect Howell’s dangerous cross. Emmanuel picked up the loose ball and fired a low effort towards goal but Dean Hamlin managed to track back onto the goaline to divert the effort over the crossbar. The visitors did compound Merstham’s misery in the third minute of injury time when David Lorimer chased down a long clearance upfield. The substitute managed to tackle Lidbury who was outside his penalty area and he slotted the ball into an empty net to put a definitive end to Merstham’s cup dreams.

A Harry Ottaway double helped Merstham secure a comfortable victory against Ramsgate to maintain their unbeaten home record. In a thrilling end-to-end encounter, Ottaway’s early opener was quickly cancelled out by the visitors when Pascal Ebigbo’s spectacular effort flew into the roof of the net. Roscoe Dsane and Fabio Saraiva scored either side of half-time to put the Moatsiders in the driving seat before Ottaway added the fourth and although Warren Schulz grabbed a consolation, the visitors left their comeback too late.

Merstham started the game with the same intensity that saw them finish strongly in the second half against Croydon Athletic and they took the lead when Ottaway converted Sam Tucknott’s cross in the fourth minute. However, the lead lasted less than three minutes as Ebigbo managed to glide past Rhys Coleman on the edge of the area and unleash a ferocious effort that flew past Michael Lidbury in a flash to equalise for Ramsgate. The game continued at a frenetic pace with both sides creating great chances but it was the Moatsiders who regained the initiative five minutes before the interval. Dsane instantly controlled a high ball and fired a low effort across goal past keeper Darren Hawkes into the bottom right corner.

Merstham rescued a point after mounting a sensational fight back from two goals down against Croydon Athletic. The Moatsiders looked out of their depths in the first half with Croydon scoring twice in the opening twelve minutes through Peter Afolayan and David Graves. However, the Moatsiders fought back in a confidence boosting second half performance with goals from Dan Harding and Fabio Saraiva to clinch an away point in dramatic fashion.

Croydon had lost their previous four games coming into the match but the hosts went on the offensive from the start and took the lead in the eighth minute. Former Moatside favourite Billy Marshall clipped a ball over the top of the defence to Connor French who drove a low cross towards Jamie England and although Dean Hamlin managed to block the initial strike the ball fell to Afolayan for an easy finish. The Rams doubled their advantage just four minutes later with Merstham falling asleep during a quickly taken short corner routine which ended with an unmarked David Graves heading home England’s cross at the back post. Merstham should have fallen further behind on 15 minutes as England strolled straight through the heart of the defence and squared the ball across for French but the striker’s first-time effort fell straight into the hands of Michael Lidbury. Saraiva finally had Merstham’s first effort on goal after 26 minutes with a 25-yard effort that flew over the bar while Croydon continued to pile on the pressure on the visitors goal. Lidbury looked unsure of himself parrying away Rob Carter’s effort after the midfielder cut inside from the right wing on the half hour and in injury time Marshall fired Peter Wedgeworth’s cross just inches wide of the goal as the Moatsiders were lucky to leave the field just two goals behind at the interval.

Merstham courageously battled to secure a point against Sittingbourne although the visitors will consider themselves unlucky not to leave the Moatside victorious. Roscoe Dsane scored in the first minute of the second half for Merstham but the visitors bounced back to equalise through Hicham Akhazzan and almost grabbed a late winner when Elie Kayembe struck the post in the final minutes. The Moatsiders welcomed back veteran goalkeeper Ian Chatfield for the evening to deputise for the injured David Wilkinson while Andy Martin also gave home debuts to Sam Robinson and Quentin Conteh following Saturday’s embarrassing defeat against Worthing.

The changes had a positive impact with Merstham creating the better opportunities in an uneventful opening twenty minutes. Dsane struck a fierce 25-yard effort but could only watch his effort deflect safely into the arms of Tim Roberts and moments later Harry Ottaway cut inside from the right wing and fired a low effort just agonisingly past the keeper’s near post. The game sparked into life on the half hour when Sittingbourne were awarded a controversial penalty when Sam Robinson tripped Jack Hooper. Billy Manners confidently stepped up but crashed his spot kick against the post and Ryan Golding spurred his follow-up effort to the delight of the Merstham faithful. The Moatsiders should have taken full advantage of the penalty miss on the stroke of half-time when Omar Folkes intercepted Jerry Nnamni’s pass to put Dsane through on-goal. However, the striker’s fierce effort was brilliantly parried away to safety by Roberts to keep the scoreline goalless at the interval.

Merstham suffered their heaviest defeat under Andy Martin after being ripped apart by high flying Worthing. The Rebels proved to be clinical in front of goal with Ryan McBride scoring a hat-trick for the hosts and although Merstham created good chances they paid a high price for some atrocious defending.

Merstham began brightly but their good start was quickly undone after Worthing was awarded a seventh minute penalty. Adam Broomhead accidently collided with Jamie Brotherton inside the area and allowed John Lansdale to convert the spot kick by sending goalkeeper David Wilkinson the wrong way to give the hosts an early lead. Worthing extended their lead on 23 minutes after Merstham’s Dean Gunner miss-controlled a long ball and allowed McBride to run towards goal. McBride slid the ball across to Darren Budd who saw his effort blocked but Budd squared the ball back across for McBride who fired his effort through the legs of Adam Moriarty into the bottom corner. Merstham fought back towards the end of the half and their pressure finally paid off after 39 minutes as Worthing’s Glen Woodburn unfortunately converted Harry Ottaway’s fizzing low cross into his own net. However, Worthing struck a killer blow on the stroke of half-time as Brotherton flew past Chris Head on the right wing and arrowed a low cross to the back post for McBride to tap home and regain their two-goal lead by the interval.

Merstham came out rejuvenated in the second half but missed two guilt edge chances within the first ten minutes to get themselves back into the match. Firstly, substitute Sam Robinson intercepted a loose ball in midfield and played Ottaway through on-goal and the striker pushed his right-footed effort across goal but just past the far post. Moments later, Dan Harding found himself in a similar position to Ottaway but once again Merstham’s strike force failed to take the opportunity as Harding lifted his effort over an oncoming Alan Mansfield but inches wide of the post. With the Moatsiders pushing forward, it left the backline exposed when Tom Manton won possession in midfield on 66 minutes and his perfectly weighted ball found Brotherton who slipped his effort under Wilkinson to put the game beyond Merstham. Worthing added a fifth just ten minutes later as McBride side footed Matt Piper’s cross into the roof of the net after a great free-flowing move saw the striker complete his hat-trick in style. The scoreline could have been six or seven as Worthing continued to carve Merstham open but Wilkinson kept both McBride and Tom Lawler at bay in the closing stages as the Moatsiders will need to put this humiliating defeat quickly behind them.

Merstham squeezed through to the qualifying stages of the FA Cup following a nail biting replay away at Egham Town. All the goals came in an action packed second half with a Moatsiders opener from Dan Harding, immediately cancelled out by Egham’s Marcus Moody within five minutes of the restart. Merstham regained the momentum through a Roscoe Dsane penalty and a Jake Galbraith own goal before Aaron Taylor-Ives headed Egham a lifeline with ten minutes remaining but the Moatsiders held their nerve to secure a home tie against Walton & Hersham.

In an evenly contested first-half, Merstham created the better chances but Egham’s hero from Saturday, goalkeeper Paul Borg, produced another outstanding display to keep the hosts cup run alive. Firstly, Borg parried a powerful D’sane effort after the Merstham front man turned his marker on the edge of the area and fired a low right-footed effort across goal. Then, the keeper quickly rushed off his line to deny Harding with the striker bearing down on goal. Egham looked their most dangerous from set pieces as an unmarked Taylor-Ives headed Dale Marvell’s corner over the bar and just before the interval Marvell watched his venomous free-kick fly only inches over the far corner.

The cup-tie exploded into life just two minutes after the restart with Harding converting Chris Head’s cross from the left for Merstham’s first goal in this season’s competition. However, the lead lasted less than sixty seconds as straight from kick-off Moody managed to breeze his way past Adam Moriarty and Dean Gunner and strike a low left-footed effort across goal into the bottom corner. Egham should have taken the lead five minutes after they equalised on the counter attack but Joe Gant superbly denied Brendan Matthew’s fierce strike and quickly got back on his feet to deny Moody from grabbing his second. Extra time looked likely with both teams struggling to build any attacking momentum until Taylor-Ives conceded a penalty on 67 minutes after a poorly timed challenge on Harding. Merstham accepted the gift with Dsane sending Borg the wrong way from the spot to regain the lead for the visitors. The Moatsiders grabbed their third of the game just four minutes later when Galbraith unfortunately converted Harry Ottaway’s fierce low cross across the box into his own net to give Merstham a commanding advantage. Egham showed their fighting spirit and brought the deficit back down to one on 80 minutes when Taylor-Ives managed to get his head to the ball before Gant could cut out Marvell’s free-kick from the left wing. However, an Egham fightback never materialised as Merstham closed out the match and progressed into the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup for the first time in three years.

Dale Marvell came back to haunt Merstham as Egham Town snatched a late equaliser against the Moatsiders in the FA Cup Preliminary Round. Merstham took an early lead after Marcus Moody put the ball into his own net but the Moatsiders failed to capitalise on their advantage allowing Marvell to strike twelve minutes from time to set-up a tantalising replay on Tuesday. Egham Town have made an indifferent start to life in the Combined Counties Premier League, winning only two of their seven games while Merstham have won three of their opening four matches in the Ryman League.

It took eight minutes for Merstham to show their superiority when Gareth Graham’s dangerous free-kick caused chaos inside Egham’s defence and resulted in Moody poking the ball past his own goalkeeper Paul Borg. The contest lacked the passionate edge of a cup thriller with the referee blowing his whistle every couple of minutes although he waved away an Egham penalty appeal on 24 minutes when Dean Gunner collided with Scott Todd. Merstham had opportunities to extend their lead in the first half but Harry Ottaway lifted Adam Moriarty’s long ball over Borg but also over the bar and Daniel Harding headed over from a Graham corner. They also survived a scare five minutes before half-time as Marvell blocked Merstham keeper Joe Gant’s clearance but fortunately the deflection took the ball away from goal as the Moatsiders kept their advantage at the interval.

Bizarrely, Merstham manager Andy Martin made all three substitutions for the start of the second half as Jason Thompson, Louis Clark and Roscoe Dsane replaced Gareth Graham, Steve Rollinson and Dan Harding. The Moatsiders wasted a glorious chance five minutes into the half when Dsane raced through on-goal but instead of shooting he decided to take the ball around Borg and square across for Thompson who saw his effort blocked. Merstham continued to create chances as Omar Folkes saw his first time fierce volley sail just wide of the far post and Clark watched his diving header from Thompson’s free-kick parried away by Borg. However, the Moatsiders showed their inconsistency as they played too many long balls over the top of the Egham backline instead of trying to play their way through the opposition. Egham barely threatened during the contest until they equalised after 78 minutes. Jamie Houghton flicked Borg’s long clearance to Marvell who managed to gain half a yard on defender Adam Broomhead to arrow a low right-footed effort across goal into the bottom left corner. The visitors had turned the game on its head and four minutes later they had the ball in Merstham’s net again when Luke Muldowney headed home Moody’s corner but the referee blew his whistle for a Merstham free-kick.

The action in the final stages went from end-to-end with Marvell firing a long range effort just inches past the post and Merstham’s Fabio Saraiva striking a fierce shot straight at Borg in injury time so both teams will continue their battle on Tuesday night at The Runnymede Stadium.

Harry Ottaway grabbed a late winner as Merstham clinched their second successive victory in a thrilling encounter against Walton and Hersham. In a terrific end-to-end contest where the momentum swung one way and then the other, the deadlock was eventually broken in the final five minutes when Ottaway stole the victory for the Moatsiders following a quickly taken Gareth Graham free-kick.

The game started at a frenetic pace as Ottaway’s 25-yard driven effort in the fourth minute was superbly saved by Gareth Williams low down to his right. Walton came back with good chances of their own inside the opening twenty minutes as Victor Kiri lifted an effort over the advancing Mo Maan but just over the bar and Sean Bradley arrowed his shot inches wide of the far post. Panic reigned in Merstham’s defence on the half-hour mark after Maan comfortably saved Jon Mundy’s long range effort. The keeper threw the ball straight to Walton’s Kenny Ojukwu but Dean Gunner managed to block the strike towards goal just in time. The Moatsiders created the best move of the match on 40 minutes after a free-flowing move saw Adam Broomhead and Ottaway combine to square the ball across the box to Dsane who disappointedly blazed the ball over from ten yards. Two minutes later, Dsane played Sam Tucknott through on-goal and Merstham’s right winger tried to chip the ball over the advancing Gareth Williams but the keeper managed to divert the effort away with his right hand. Walton threw caution to the wind in the final moments of the half and should have scored as Mundy met a Tommy Williams corner at the far post but Maan redeemed himself by tipping the effort onto the post and gathering the rebound to keep the game goalless at the interval.

Merstham bounced back from their calamitous midweek performance at Chipstead by cruising to a comfortable victory against Whitstable Town. Harry Ottaway and Roscoe Dsane continued to impress as a partnership upfront with strikes in each half while the Oystermen rarely troubled the Merstham goal.

The Moatsiders gave a first start of the season to Steve Rollinson in midfield and last season’s top goalscorer Ottaway as they illustrated their passion, determination and commitment from the outset to take the lead in the tenth minute. Omar Folkes squared a low ball on the left wing to Dsane who saw his effort blocked by Steven Lloyd but the rebound fell perfectly for Ottaway to rifle home his fierce shot past keeper Matt Lamprell before he could react. Whitstable began to unlock Merstham’s defence on the right wing and came close to an equaliser on 24 minutes as an unmarked Kevin Mooney headed Gary Sayer’s cross inches over the top from less than six yards. Merstham failed to learn their lesson as the same two combined three minutes later but again Mooney failed to keep his diving header down. The Moatsiders should have extended their lead before the interval after Folkes strolled straight through the Whitstable defence but the midfielder blasted his effort straight at Lamprell to keep the deficit down to one.

Merstham produced a lackluster display as they suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of local rivals Chipstead. Jason Goodchild scored the only goal in the first half for the Chips on a wet and miserable evening with the Moatsiders rarely imposing themselves on the game.

After a scrappy opening, both teams created good chances but could not find their killer instinct in front of goal. Dan Harding shot narrowly wide on 15 minutes for Merstham after cutting inside from the left wing. At the other end, Alex Wilks saw his powerful 30-yard free-kick parried away by David Wilkinson and Lee Coburn fired his low effort into the side netting from an acute angle. Merstham created their best opportunity on 27 minutes as Sam Tucknott’s cross picked out Roscoe D’Sane at the far post but Martin Grant produced a great reaction save to deny the striker from close range. Chipstead started to overpower Merstham in midfield by winning the 50/50 balls and took the lead after 33 minutes. Coburn’s low cross on the left evaded the hands of Wilkinson on the slippery surface and allowed Goodchild to pounce for an easy finish. After shouting his displeasure from the stands, manager Andy Martin took drastic action as he substituted Chris Head and Tucknott before half-time and replaced them with Albion Baker and last season’s top scorer Harry Ottaway. Against the run of play, the Moatsiders almost grabbed an equaliser before the interval but Grant superbly leapt to deny Harding after his cross-shot looked destined to be looping over the keeper.

Merstham illustrated their defensive frailties just three minutes after the restart as Coburn chased down a long ball upfield but Wilkinson came to the rescue and diverted the striker’s fierce effort away for a corner. The Moatsiders begun to push forward midway through the second half as Adam Broomhead headed over from close range following Gareth Graham’s corner and Adam Moriarty saw his spectacular 25-yard volley fly just inches wide of the post. Chipstead had a great chance to put the game beyond doubt after some mis-communication between Dean Gunner and Wilkinson allowed Josh James to nip in-between the two but Wilkinson produced another save to keep the game alive. However, Merstham failed to sustain any pressure on the Chipstead goal until a final opportunity presented itself in injury time but Ottaway could only head another Graham corner wide at the far post to complete a disappointing evening for the Moatsiders.

Merstham successfully opened their account for the new season with a well-deserved victory against a spirited Corinthian-Casuals. The Moatsiders put on a sensational display to build a two-goal advantage in the first hour with strikes from Roscoe D’Sane and Dan Harding before Kane Sergeant provided the home faithful with an anxious finale with twenty minute remaining.

Both sides wanted to make an early impact after disappointing finishes last season but it was the hosts who took control of the contest inside the opening 15 minutes. D’Sane picked up the loose ball from 25 yards and arrowed a low right-footed effort past Matt Mann from out of nowhere to score on his Merstham debut. Casuals spurned a great chance to equalise five minutes later as Joel Thompson burst through Merstham’s defence but his shot across goal was brilliantly held by new goalkeeper David Wilkinson using only his left hand. Merstham begun to dictate proceedings with Adam Moriarty and Sam Tucknott combining well down the right wing and the hosts should have extended their lead after creating three clear cut chances in the space of five minutes. Firstly, Tucknott skilfully drifted inside from the right and crashed his low left-footed effort against the inside of the post. Moments later, Harding met D’Sane’s cross but the striker could not lift the ball over the advancing Mann. Then the best chance of the three fell to D’Sane, who was given far too much time and space inside the penalty area to convert Moriarty’s cross but Mann managed to thwart the striker’s tame effort from eight yards with his feet.