What The Papers Say
2011/12

 

Bird Fumes After Two Sendings Off

HAYDEN Bird was left despairing at the referee after seeing Merstham reduced to nine men on Saturday. Opponents Whitstable Town also saw a man dismissed and while the Moatsiders won the game thanks to an own goal in added-time, Bird was less than pleased with the dismissals of James Fray and Andre McCollin.

"Normally the managers that lose complain about the referee but in this case I can safely say that was one of the worst refereeing displays I have seen in a long time and believe me – I've seen some bad ones!" the Merstham boss fumed. "It wasn't a dirty game at all. I think the decisions over the sending offs were a reflection on the referee rather than the players. I'd be fascinated to sit down with the referee in the cold light of day and get him to talk me through his decisions. I don't think he'd be able to."

The Moatsiders took the lead just seven minutes in through a neat James Evans volley but were pegged back to 2-1 by half-time. Dane Luchford got the equaliser on 24 minutes when he bundled the ball home after a melee in the box, then less than 10 minutes later Stuart Vahid made up for missing an early sitter, with the goal to put Town 2-1 up. Merstham equalised from the spot on 56 minutes when Whitstable's James Morrish bundled over Elliott Jones. Fabio Saraiva slotted the spot-kick home.

However referee Andy Roberts hasn't had his last say on the match and first sent off James Fray on 78 minutes following a rash tackle and then dismissed Whitstable's Laurence Harvey for pulling back substitute Roscoe Dsane minutes later. Just when the game looked to be heading for a draw, Moatsiders' top scorer Dsane went on a great run and crossed in a dangerous ball from the left on 92 minutes. All it needed was the slightest of touches and that was applied by Whitstable's George Benner to give the home-side a 3-2 lead. However there was still time for striker McCollin to receive a second yellow right at the death.

 

But Merstham boss Bird believes the game was ruined by the officials. "It was a real shame because you work hard all week to prepare the team and in my view the referee spoilt the game," he said. "We started well, quite rightly went ahead but I think a big moment in the game was where Andre went through on goal, got brought down and [the Whitstable player] wasn't sent off, and from there we lost a bit of concentration. They scored and we lost our composure; I think the players were annoyed because they felt that we should two up and playing against 10 men. At half-time I had to just remind them it was quality that was going to win the game and we then got the equaliser which I think the players deserved. And then Aaron Fray got a nasty injury and then we have had two guys sent off."

 

 

Friday, March 30th, 2012
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd
Photo: Sue Austen

 

Dsane Enjoying 'Total Football' Style

ROSCOE Dsane embraced the changes at Merstham since Hayden Bird took charge, hailing their new style as "total football".

The 31-year-old striker came to the Moatside to play under the management of old friend Andrew 'Taff' Martin, but the former professional footballer is enjoying the changes since Bird took over the reins last month.

"It's good; we have got a lot of young players in since Hayden Bird took over, a lot of players he knows from elsewhere. Luckily I'm still here and as long as I'm still playing, it's all good!" the former Torquay United player said. "I think we are more football focused now; it's a just different style to before, I don't want a phone call from Andrew Martin! It is total football really. Taff wanted to play but he also wanted to mix it up, whereas Hayden just want to concentrate on the football regardless of the situation or whether we are under-pressure. It's more Arsenal, less Stoke City, whereas Taff was a little bit of Arsenal and a little bit of Stoke City."

Dsane had a number of opportunities to score on Saturday and Bognor keeper Craig Stoner had to be on top form to deny him, but the striker wasn't sure the match was going to go ahead because of the frosty conditions. "It was late planning; we all thought we were going to go home to watch the football on television but we got our heads turned round and got back to the job," Dsane explained. "I'm enjoy my time at Merstham and I'm just getting back on track now after I was ill for the last game. I want to get back scoring a few more goals now."

 

 

Hickman: 'It is not the Rams' fans fault'

MERSTHAM are offering Croydon Athletic season ticket holders free entry to the remainder of their Ryman League home games this season.

Athletic have resigned from the Ryman League after financial difficulties saw the club unable to play a first team fixture after December 3, 2011. But Moatsiders chairman Ted Hickman felt the situation was unfair on Rams fans, and has offered them the chance to continue to watch Ryman South football.

"In my wisdom in the middle of the night it occurred to me that it wasn't the Croydon Athletic fans' fault that all this had happen to their club," the Merstham chairman explained. "Season-tickets cost a lot of money and it is not fair that those that have bought them shouldn't get to use them. So I thought it would be a nice gesture if they could get into our games. I put the idea to the board and they thought it was a good idea too. And you never know, they might come down to Merstham, enjoy our club and our style of football and decide to keep watching us. Certainly they would have enjoyed it if they had seen our win over Folkestone!"

 

 

Bird: We will Fly up the League

'I WANT the players to show me what they've got' declared new Merstham boss Hayden Bird as he prepares for his first game in charge of the club. The former Croydon Athletic and Carshalton boss was announced as Merstham manager on Monday night after the club interviewed seven candidates last week. And now with a string of difficult fixtures to get stuck into, Bird has called for the Merstham players to show him how good they are against the likes of Ramsgate, Dulwich Hamlet, Folkestone Invicta, Maidstone United and Bognor Regis Town.

"I obviously want to win as many games as possible from here until the end of the season, but as with any new manager there are bound to be changes," he said. "With the fixtures we have coming up it will be a bit of a baptism of fire, but that is okay because it gives the players a chance to show me what they can do. We will try to finish as high as we can this season and then I'll reassess in the summer and we will look to push on from there."

The new boss admits there are changes to be made at the Moatside, but was thankful for the work that previous manager Andy Martin, and caretakers Rob Smith and Ant Williams had put in. "I'm really pleased to have got the job," Bird enthused. "I was really impressed with the vision of the club and the people inside the club seem to be keen to move Merstham forward. It is really good to be taking hold of a club who are in a good position and that is a credit to the work of Andy Martin, and also Rob and Ant."

And Bird, who first took over as Croydon Athletic manager aged just 27, is looking forward to a new era at the Moatside. "We had a meeting on Tuesday night and I met the players," he explained. "There was a training session and then we all had a curry together. The players seem like a fantastic bunch. I think it's natural that changes will happen when a new manager comes in as everyone has their own philosophies in football, but essentially there is no right or wrong, and I definitely would not suggest that how things were done before were wrong. But I am looking to gradually introduce some changes here and see where we can take the club."

 

By Kaylee Seckington
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd

 

'We've Done as Much as We Can'

 

CARETAKER manager Rob Smith believes he and Ant Williams have done as much as they can to secure the Merstham manager's job on a permanent basis. The duo have been in joint-charge at the Moatsiders since the departure of Andy Martin, but have had mixed results in their 10 games in charge.

 

The Merstham board have been interviewing candidates for the job this week, and are expected to announce Martin's permanent successor at the weekend, after Merstham's Ryman League home match against Faversham Town.

 

And Smith was keen to stress that the Moatsiders are still a work in progress. "It takes time to rebuild confidence" Smith said. "When we took over the side were conceding goals at a rate of knots and we aren't doing that anymore, but it still takes time to build up the team. We are a more hard-working team and have better team spirit, but it all takes time. I think we have done enough to convince people we are good enough for the job. We have done as much as we could with a side low in confidence, although I was disappointed with some of the results."

Over the festive period Merstham recorded three 1-1 draws, with Whyteleafe, Chipstead, and Walton & Hersham, and Smith admits he and Williams would be in a better position to secure the job had a few more results gone their way. "You've got to remember we had to play teams like Bognor Regis and Maidstone United which aren't easy games, but I'm disappointed we didn't win a few more of our games," he conceded. "Chipstead are a good team and so drawing against them wasn't awful but you look at a team like Whyteleafe who are bottom of the league and think we should have beaten them. It was an odd game because we were doing well against 11 men but when Whyteleafe went down to 10 they played a lot better. Eventually those draws will turn into wins though, and hopefully the board will give us the chance to see the team through to that."

 

'Merstham Duo Should Keep Job'

'THEY should get the job' insisted Whyteleafe boss Nicky English of Merstham caretaking duo Ant Williams and Rob Smith.

Far from the bad tempered atmosphere expected from a Boxing Day derby match, Leafe boss English has offered a bit of festive goodwill ahead of the big clash, calling for the Merstham board to give the caretakers joint-managers the job on a permanent basis. "I've know both Ant and Rob since they were about 10 years old," English explained. "They are good lads and I think it is great that Merstham have given them a chance to manage a Ryman club at such a young age. I definitely think they have done enough to get the job permanently, I don't see a reason why they couldn't keep the job. Merstham have had some of their best results of the season since they have been in charge."

However Rob Smith, believes seeing off local rivals Leafe is essential if the Merstham board are going to award the duo the manager's hot-seat permanently. "Regardless of who it is, the next game is a must-win game for us," Smith insisted. "Whyteleafe aren't doing so well lately, but the fact that it is a local derby means that the form-book goes out the window. A win would not only move us up the table but should me and Ant want to get the manager's job on a permanent basis then it is a must. It is not often two 30 year olds get the opportunity to manage a Ryman club but I think we have got some good results as caretaker managers."

The clubs will line up against each other in a 1pm kick off at the Moatside, both coming off the back of three goal defeats, Merstham having lost 4-1 at Crawley Down, and Leafe going down 3-0 to Walton Casuals. And Smith believes he and Williams have three games to prove themselves. "The team have taken a couple of steps forward in recent weeks, but Saturday's loss to Crawley Down was a massive step back," Smith lamented. "It wasn't a great result for the club or for me and Ant to be honest."We have until January 2 to prove our worth to Merstham, and after Saturday's loss that means getting results against Whyteleafe, Chipstead and Walton & Hersham."

And if Merstham do win the derby clash, Leafe boss English believes it will be down to the Moatsiders' strike force which he has hailed as "the best in the league".

"We are both going into this game desperate to win; we need the points and they have something to prove," English explained. "But whereas we couldn't buy a goal at the moment I think Merstham have two of the best strikers in the league. Roscoe Dsane has been there and done that and is a proven goal-scorer and I don't know so much about Harry Ottaway but I think he would like to get to where Roscoe got to."

By Kaylee Seckington
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd

 

Sullivan: 'I Would Have Considered Returning'

 

MICK Sullivan has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant Merstham hot-seat but says if the job had become available earlier he would have "considered it".

Sullivan was manager of the Ryman League Division One South side Merstham for eight years before leaving in 2009 for local rivals Leatherhead. Sullivan then guided the Tanners into the Ryman League Premier Division at the end of last season before being sacked in late September this year with Leatherhead bottom of the league. He has recently taken over at Ryman South Walton Casuals, but since Andy Martin quit the Moatside last week, Sullivan has been linked with the vacant job at his former club. But the Casuals boss insists there is no truth in talk of a return.

 

"No I'm committed to Walton Casuals now," Sullivan said. "If the Merstham job had been available before, of course I would have considered a return to my former club. But having now joined Casuals, I will stay with them until at least the end of the season." And Sullivan, who says he is happy at Casuals, believes the Moatsiders need a "fresh start".

"I'm enjoying it here; it is a new challenge and really I've come full circle as I was at Walton Casuals before I went to Merstham the first time," he said. "Walton Casuals is a good club of a similar size to Merstham. I know a lot of people at Merstham and it is a club I still care about but I think they need someone new to come and have a fresh start. There are a lot of good players at the club so they will have a good base on which to build."

Friday, November 25th, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd
Photo: Sue Austen

 

Martin Quits Merstham

ANDY Martin has quit Merstham claiming he and the club's board of directors "wanted different things". Martin offered his resignation after Merstham's 2-0 defeat on Walton Casuals on Saturday, before confirming his departure following a meeting with club officials on Tuesday night.
 

And the Welshman, who had been in charge at the Moatside for eight months, cites a difference of priorities between himself and the board as the reason for his decision to quit. "It's official. I've quit. It's over," he stated. "It was totally my decision and I don't want any blame being put on the club but it was just a difference of interests. My interests were more focused on the football matters and on the pitch matters, whereas they were more concerned about the club as a whole. The meeting on Tuesday night was just to finalise things but I felt myself and the board had different matters which we felt were important."

Martin leaves Merstham 13th in the Ryman League Division One South and on the back of a bad string of results that has seen them concede 30 goals in the last 10 games while only scoring nine. However the former Whyteleafe striker insists he leaves the club amicably and with a talented squad of players. "As I said, it is a great club, a very well run club and there are some lovely people there," Martin said. "I am leaving the club amicably and although they are underachieving at the moment, I am leaving them with a great squad of players."

 

Merstham chairman Ted Hickman was adamant that the club would not try and convince Martin to stay against his will. "Managers come and managers go," he reflected. "Andy offered his resignation and as far as I'm concerned, if you want to go, you should go. Andy has done what he wanted to do as manager; I would never interfere with the footballing side of things." And the Moatside chairman is confident he will have no problems finding a new manager. "There is a queue from here to Edinburgh of people who want to be football manager," he said. "Andy has gone and we wish him all the best, but even by Sunday night we were having phone calls from people wanting the job."

 

 

Martin Calls for Team to Work Harder

ANDY Martin has demanded Merstham complete four gruelling training sessions in 10 days to correct an inglorious run that has seen them pick up five straight defeats.

The disastrous streak, which dates back to the start of the month, has seen the Moatsiders concede a whopping 19 times while only managing to score a single goal. The latest result was a 4-0 home loss to Maldon & Tiptree in the FA Trophy, which was preceded by a 6-0 thrashing away to Maidstone United in the Isthmian League Cup on Wednesday last week, and Martin believes his players are going to regret shipping so many goals. "They are certainly going to wish they hadn't conceded four on Saturday," he said. "The extra training sessions aren't meant to be punishment but we need to get back to doing the basics right."

Merstham didn't have a game on Tuesday night and Saturday's Ryman League Division One South fixture with Godalming Town has been postponed due to Town's FA Cup run. This leaves Merstham with 10 days to dwell over their appalling lack of form. "I came back from holiday to find the boys had taken their foot off the gas and I'm not sure why," explained Martin, who was absent for the Folkestone Invicta and Maidstone games. "We haven't become a bad side overnight, but looking at the team on Saturday we lacked confidence. We need to get back to what we were doing right at the start of the season. It's a very alarmingly slide and the only way to get out of it is to work doubly hard."

And working 'doubly hard' is exactly what Martin intends to get his side to do before Merstham's next game, against Faversham Town on November 1. "There are quite a few problems but we're going back to basics. The biggest things are the confidence, and of course conceding so many goals," he said. "The players have been in for training on Monday and Tuesday, then they will be in again on Thursday and Saturday. We had a break of 10 days at the start of the month and I thought it would do us good but clearly that wasn't the case, so now we need to do something about it."

 

Smith: Merstham had no Fight and no Desire

 

'NO FIGHT and no desire' was the verdict of Merstham assistant manager Rob Smith after seeing his side fall to an embarrassing 4-0 home defeat on Saturday. Merstham's cause wasn't helped by two own goals in two second half minutes; one punt off the boot of Gareth Graham and then a neat header by Dean Hamlin.

But Smith, in charge due to manager Andy Martin's holiday, believes his teams' heads dropped too easily. "I think naturally when you concede an own goal your heads drop, and two own goals is even worse," he lamented. "The first own goal was a bit of a killer but the lads have got to realise that you are still in the game at 2-0, the game wasn't over but they let their heads drop. They didn't want to work hard enough to get back in the game."

 

It was a fairly even match for most of the first half, with Folkestone Invicta just edging proceedings and having a 16th minute headed goal by Richard Atkins to show for their dominance. It wasn't all one way traffic. Merstham had an early chance headed off the line and Sam Tucknott had a great opportunity on 50 minutes but Folkestone keeper Jack Delo saved with his feet.

 

"Disappointing thing is we had a couple of chances and maybe if we had put them anyway things might have been different," Smith commented. However by the time of the two own goals on 69 and 70 minutes, Moatsider heads had dropped. And assistant manager Smith was dismayed by his team's attitude. "Overall there was a lack of fight and lack of desire," he stated after the game. "It was epitomised by the fact our opponents were willing to chase people down, chase our goalkeeper down, in the 90th minute to get the ball for their team. We didn't show that fight and desire and that's what has lost us the game really. We played against a good, steady, experienced team. They are nothing spectacular but we could not compete with them; simple."

Folkestone then added a fourth goal on 86 minutes when after a superb break down the left, Simon Austin applied the finish. And Smith concedes the lacklustre performance while boss Martin is away does not reflect well on the management. "I don't think I'll tell Andy now because it will spoil his holiday so I'll wait for him to get back," Smith said. "No doubt he'll hear about the result anyway. It just looks bad on us as a management team because he is away, but really it was the players who let us down. I don't think any management team could have done different."

 

 

 

It was Nearly no Rain in Spain for Martin

IF MERSTHAM manager Andy Martin had known his squad were going to have such a long break he says he would have taken them to Spain for 10 days. The Moatsiders received a bye in the preliminary round of the FA Trophy and so were without a game on Saturday. They were then due to face Crawley Down on Tuesday night but that was postponed to make way for the visitors' Trophy replay against Worthing. When Merstham line up against Folkestone Invicta in Ryman League Division One South on Saturday, Martin's team will not have played since a 3-1 defeat at Dulwich Hamlet on October 4.

"We should have gone on holiday," said the Merstham boss, who gave his players last Thursday and Saturday off. "It has been a nice break and will do everybody good. The start of the season is hectic and we have been playing Saturday-Tuesday for seven or eight weeks now. It is hard work and so it is good to have a bit of time off. We are not blessed with a squad of 20 or 30 players and so a lot of players have been playing through niggles. They are all coming to training and midweek matches after eight or nine hours at work and it is mentally and physically draining. Hopefully they will be back this week rejuvenated and right up for it again."

 

By Stuart White
Friday, October 14th, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd

 

Lidbury to get Extended Run

MICHAEL Lidbury could have a bigger future at Merstham than originally anticipated, writes Ian Lamont. The keeper was signed from Whyteleafe before the Moatsiders' FA Cup first qualifying round tie with Walton & Hersham as other options were cup-tied or injured. And with first choice stopper David Wilkinson breaking down in training again last week Lidbury could continue to hold his place between the sticks. "He's done very well," said boss Andy Martin. "I've been extremely pleased. David Wilkinson pulled up with the same injury in training and Michael will probably continue."

Frustrated at times last season not to get an extended run at Leafe, the son of the Church Road president Tony has started the past five games for Merstham. They include Saturday's FA Cup home defeat to Sudbury and Tuesday's loss at league leaders Dulwich. Martin said: "Dulwich are by far the best team we have played this season. I don’t think we were on our game, but I was mightily impressed by Dulwich. The boys competed well and did OK and maybe it is that time of the season, when we've had a lot of games, when we need a rest."

 

Having no game this weekend might be a "blessing in disguise" he added, to rest aching limbs before taking on lowly Crawley Down at home next Tuesday, then Folkestone, also at Moatside. "We will probably let the boys rest on Thursday and start again on Saturday," said Martin. "It's important to get some points from the next two after losing the last two." Last Saturday's defeat, he felt, was exactly the opposite to Tuesday - a very winnable game. "We were the better side but didn't really show our dominance in goals scored," he bemoaned. "We missed a few chances early on and got hit with a sucker punch from a set-piece. Then with the last kick of the game they made it 2-0. It was very frustrating. That was definitely winnable. Tuesday was probably unwinnable." Roscoe Dsane scored a penalty on Tuesday, his fifth league goal of the season, while Martin seeks to get the best out of his other main striker, Harry Ottaway. “I speak a lot with him, having been a striker myself. He's got four goals now and it could have been eight or nine." The youngster puts himself about to find chances as well as trying to finish them and Martin said: "Sometimes he needs to save a little bit more of his energy for the penalty area. I'm sure he can go a lot further in the game."

 

Steadying influences come further back in the form Rhys Coleman, who had trials with league clubs last season, signed from Croydon Athletic and Dean Hamlin, a centre-back whom Martin hopes to nurture after signing from Kingstonian. "Dean really leads from the front. He's a good organiser and hopefully we can keep hold of him. He's used to playing at a higher level and has been outstanding in the last few games."

 

 

'Best performance' of Season Delights Dsane

ROSCOE Dsane reckons Merstham put in their best performance of the season as they ran out convincing winners on Tuesday. Club top scorer Dsane struck his sixth goal of the season to give Merstham a 2-1 half-time lead. Harry Ottaway struck twice to double his season's tally.

Dsane was delighted for his fellow striker, saying: "We've got Harry, Omar Folkes is due a few, Sam Tucknott can score. We've got a lot of players to score goals. It's taken a little while for Harry to get his after he missed pre-season. It's nice to have someone who works hard. I think the manager [Andy Martin] has spoken to him a few times about just getting into the box. He just focuses on getting the ball down. That's how his goals have come. The club really like him and I know they have done a lot to keep him," added Dsane.

The former Torquay man was pleased with how Merstham saw off a team just above them in the table to rise to ninth. "For me it was our best performance of the season," he said. “We had a good chat, the manager told us what he wanted and it doesn't always go to plan but [on Tuesday] it did."

Ottaway scored the first and after Ramsgate levelled Dsane gave the hosts the lead again. Fabio Saraiva - a youngster whom Dsane said could go far in the game - netted the third and Ottaway the fourth as the Moatsiders took a 4-1 lead. Dsane said the FA Cup match with AFC Sudbury was one the team were "looking forward to" after Tuesday's performance.

Friday, September 30th, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd
Photo: Sue Austen

Martin Pleased to Earn Home Cup Tie

ANDY Martin was happy with the FA Cup draw that saw Merstham at home to AFC Sudbury in the Second Round Qualifying, due to take place on October 1. The Moatsiders booked their place in the next round after a 2-1 win over Walton & Hersham on Saturday that saw the club net a £3,000 prize fund, and Martin admits the cash is a huge bonus. "People think we have a huge budget but we don't. Money is tight at Merstham like it is at most clubs," the manager explained. "The money we have earned with the two FA Cup wins so far has definitely made the chairman happy and to get the money for a win in the next round would be a big incentive. I doubt I'll see any of the money but you never know, if we need to make a few signings towards the end of the season it means I might be able to twist the chairman's arm."

 

And Martin fancies his side's chances against Ryman Division One North team AFC Sudbury. "I'm pleased with the draw especially that we got a home tie," he said. "They are mid-table like us but they will probably have quite a bit of travelling to do on the day which might make the difference."

Next up for the Moatsiders is Croydon Athletic on Saturday followed by Ramsgate on Tuesday, and manager Martin is confident of collecting some points. "We have two hard games coming up but the way we have started the season I'm confident we can pick up some points," Martin said. "Croydon haven't had the best start to the season and then we have Ramsgate at home, where we're currently unbeaten."

Friday, September 23rd, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd

 

 

'We Stood up to be Counted in Replay'

BOSS Andy Martin reckoned Egham gave Merstham a far tougher game in their FA Cup replay on Tuesday than when Merstham failed to finish them at the first attempt on Saturday. "I was probably happier with the way our players stood up to be counted," he said of Tuesday's 3-2 win. "Egham gave us a much sterner test than on Saturday when we should have beaten them and we were below par. Egham were probably on top in the first half [on Tuesday], but we had created three one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper and missed them all."

The scoreline was goalless at the break. Ben Harding put the Moatsiders 1-0 up soon afterwards but the hosts levelled almost instantly. Then Roscoe Dsane tucked away a penalty and the visitors went 3-1 up through an own goal before Egham pulled back another with a few minutes left. Martin said: "At half-time we changed a few things and the players carried out what I wanted and we were fairly comfortable at 3-1 up."

Defender Chris Head, striker Dsane and midfielder Jason Thompson were restored to the starting line-up, with striker Sam Tucknott arriving late after being involved in a car accident. Martin said: "I made three changes from Saturday. I've got a decent squad now, with more or less the same quality on the bench as on the pitch so whoever is picked it doesn't make a huge difference. It doesn't mean we're happy because you always want to add a bit more quality if the right players are available."

Victory lines up a home game in the next round with Walton & Hersham, whom Merstham beat 1-0 on Bank Holiday Monday. "I think we were fortunate to win," said Martin. "It was the closest game we have had. They are the best team we've played so far."

In his programme notes on Saturday, Martin had taken a pop at the rumour mill that had inflated Merstham's wage bill to huge figures. Whatever the players are paid, they failed to earn it on Saturday. Were it not for some inept refereeing by Jon Hollier, who found something wrong in the aftermath of virtually every corner, Egham could well have won. There seemed little danger of the visitors even equalising, apart from Ross White, a former Merstham player, forcing Joe Gant into a flying save on 65 minutes. But on 78 minutes the other ex-Moatsider, Dale Marvell, popped up with just Adam Broomhead to beat and sent a shot across the face of goal, past Gant, to level. He celebrated with some venom. A couple of minutes later, Marcus Moody headed in from a corner, but Hollier blew for a foul nobody else saw. Merstham had opened the scoring when Gareth Graham's cross was met by forward-roaming Broomhead and his touch of the ball went in off Moody. The hosts had far more of the possession playing an inter-passing game. However, for all the huffing and puffing, real, clear chances were so few that Martin made three substitutes at half-time. Battling Harry Ottaway tried his luck with a header from 12 yards and hooked a volley over. Tucknott tried his best to provide chances from the right wing and occasionally left. After the break, substitute Dsane livened up the attack and Thompson put three chances over the bar. Egham's Aaron Taylor-Ives was eventually booked for persistent fouling and was spoken to after that for a flying shoulder-barge on Dsane. Martin was not happy. "I and the players are hugely disappointed," he said. "It was under par from us and we still should have won. It feels like a loss. The spark was missing. I felt we controlled the game and bossed it, but it was a funny game. There was no tempo. It wasn't good enough all round. We set high standards and the players possibly believed their own hype. The performance wasn't up to standard." Martin expects better from his players, new and old. "Dale Marvell was played to score and maybe prove a point," he said of a player who left just before the end of last season. “I still believe he wouldn't be good enough to get into our side."

Merstham travel to Worthing on Saturday and host Sittingbourne on Tuesday. Martin said: "Worthing are one of the biggest clubs with one of the biggest budgets and one of the biggest names in our league. They've signed quite a few new players and are a pretty good side. It's early days but we've both started well and it will be good for us to test ourselves."

Friday, September 9th, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd

 

Shape up or Ship Out, Blasts Martin

MERSTHAM manager Andy Martin was left fuming about his side's slow start to the game after losing a local derby against Chipstead. Martin ordered two first-half substitutions, hauling off winger Chris Head and forward Sam Tucknott. But ultimately Merstham could not find a way back into the game after Jason Goodchild's strike just before the half hour. And after Saturday's 2-1 opening day win against Corinthian Casuals, Martin was disappointed his side could not add to their good start in the league.

"Huge disappointment tonight compared to Saturday but I guess that is football for you," Martin lamented. "I think in football it is very important to start quickly and start well, and we weren't at the races early on against Chipstead. And if you aren't at the races it is hard to put your foot on the gas. I said to the boys before the game that all the hard work on Saturday was undone if we didn't beat Chipstead. I think I said it was up the swanny. And it is; a good three points and a good start has been undone by a sloppy 45 minutes where we played badly and Chipstead took advantage and we couldn't claw it back. Hopefully we can change that around on Saturday."

Merstham huffed and puffed but could not get back into the game. And Martin, who was shouting from the stands while under a touchline ban, insists that he will be quick to deal with players he believes aren't making enough effort. "I suppose some people might say two first half subs is a little hot headed but I just think that if the game is going against you and players aren't pulling their weight then there are other players on the bench that deserve to be playing," he said. "I think the boys know how I work now and if they don't like it they know where the exit door is."

There was a clear penalty shout at the start of the second half for Merstham when Harry Ottaway was brought down in the box with a tackle from behind, but Martin believes his team should not be relying on decisions from officials to earn points. "I think it was tough to say whether it was a penalty," he said. "And the boys felt that maybe we should have got a penalty in the first half as well when Roscoe [Dsane] was brought down by the keeper. We are a good enough side to beat Chipstead on our day though; it shouldn't come down to refereeing decisions. But we just weren't at it."

However the manager does not doubt his players' desire to win, insisting when Merstham switched on in the second half they were by far the better side. "We wanted to win we just didn't do the things we have been doing well all pre-season," Martin explained. “I said to the boys that they have been working on a style of play for four or five weeks and we didn't put that into practice in the first half. We didn't play in our own style, which for me as a coach was very frustrating. But when we did impose ourselves in the second half, even if we didn't get any points out of it, we were the better team by a country mile. But the slow start cost us."

Friday, August 26th, 2011
Surrey Mirror
© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd
Photo: Sue Austen

 

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Martin Mysterious about Merstham's League Hopes

MERSTHAM manager Andy Martin is unwilling to reveal his targets for the coming football season but has admitted 'stranger things have happened than Merstham winning the league'. The Moatside club kick off their Ryman League Division One South season on Saturday by hosting Corinthian Casuals before a local derby at High Road on Tuesday night against Chipstead. But manager Martin isn't willing to reveal much about his plans for the season. "I know in myself what I'm expecting and I think the players know what is expected of them but I don't want to end up making predictions and getting egg on my face. I'd prefer to keep those expectations in-house at the moment," he said. "I don't want to say Merstham are going to win the league, but stranger things have happened. We are going to concentrate on ourselves this season and not worry about who is a big club or what their budget might be."

It has been a successful summer for Merstham who finished their pre-season campaign with a 5-1 away win against a full-strength Leatherhead side. Star of the show was new keeper David Wilkinson, who has replaced Ian Chatfield as Moatside number one. "I picked up Dave through a contact," Martin explained. "He has had a year out of the game but was previously at Crystal Palace where he sat on the bench for the first team a couple of times and since then he went to Dover but then, for whatever reason, fell out of love with the game for a bit. Dave has been superb for us in pre-season and could be one of the best keepers in the league this season."

Other than Wilkinson, Martin has strengthened his squad with Roscoe D'Sane, a striker from Staines Town, Jason Thompson, a defender or midfielder from Chipstead, left-back Charlie Ottaway (brother of striker Harry) and Louis Clark from Leatherhead. Another player Martin is glad to have back is Bradley Duke who suffered a broken fibula in early July and was first expected to be out for three to six months. "We got a second opinion because our physio wasn't happy with that and they said it would be more like six to eight weeks," the manager explained. "I gave Bradley a little run out against Leatherhead on Saturday so he is ahead of schedule but we have to take it slowly with him so not to cause any set-backs."

 

 

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