Games come thick and fast as Mad March continues with a trip down to the Downs and the leafy environs of the Moatside Stadium, home of Merstham FC...

With Maidstone also in action tonight in a rearranged game with revitalised Kentish rivals, Folkestone Invicta, the battle for the title could bear a very different complexion come the end of tonight’s round of games. That said, though Dulwich recently romped to victory at the Hill over this evening’s opposition banging in four goals, the Moatsiders have been in parsimonious form since then. Narrow home wins over Sittingbourne and Folkestone, two teams with strong playoff credentials in the promotion hunt, both by the odd goal in three were following by an impressive shut out of Hythe Town on their own patch. A similar scoreless draw at home to Corinthian-Casuals must have been something of an anti-climax after that. However on Saturday Hayden Bird’s men extended their unbeaten streak on five, kindling faint hopes among supporters that they may this season’s dark horses who make that late run up the rails to the playoff places a la Dulwich Hamlet a couple of seasons ago.

Saturday’s victory away to highflying Crawley Down Gatwick left Bird buzzing and full of praise for his men following Fabio Saraiva match winner goal in the 63rd minute hat proved enough to seal victory. Happy with the result Bird was perhaps more pleased to see side stymie an opposition attack for a third clean sheet in a row though it took a penalty save from gargantuan goalkeeper Oshane Brown, whose crucial stop 12 minutes from time denied Jamie Cade the chance to level things for the hosts. Perversely, prior to their trip u[p to town, only twice this term had Merstham shut out their opponents, Burgess Hill and Herne Bay the impotent ones, and not once had they failed to concede at home, the Casuals stalemate finally breaking that duck.

Merstham’s Moatside Stadium has proved a happy hunting ground for the Hamlet in years past, Dulwich’s last four trips to their Surrey opponents have seen them rack up three wins and a draw since the Moatsiders arrival in the Isthmian League at the start of the 2008-2009 season.

That year Dulwich romped to a 4-1 victory on a balmy August afternoon inspired by debutant Jon Paul Collier who opened the scoring after 17 minutes and though Kevin Lock levelled matters before the break, Dulwich took control in the second half as goals from Daryl Plummer, Laurent Hamici and Scott Simpson cemented a comprehensive victory. However as if to counter the naysayers who might have seen this result as precursor of a season of struggle for the promoted side, Merstham gave an excellent account of themselves over the campaign eventually finishing in a very creditable eight position. Yet the close season brought heartache for the club as manager Mick Sullivan packed his bags and decamped for Leatherhead with a number of key players in tow, an acrimonious move that was to fire an intense rivalry between the clubs in future seasons.

Graeme Banyard took over the reins and faced with a monumental rebuilding task with only three established players left from the Sullivan regime. That season proved an almighty struggle as players came and went with Banyard finding it difficult to field a settled side week in, week out, the club eventually finishing well out of the promotion mix.

Things went from bad to worse as the club found themselves dragged in the relegation mire the following season. The blame seemed to be laid at the door of Banyard with unseemly squabbles between management and committee mudding the issue. Midway through the campaign, Banyard handed in his resignation amid recriminations about the club’s lack of ambition. Former Crystal Palace striker Andy Martin, who once had a brief spell in the Pink and Blue, steeped into the breach as caretaker and faced with a demoralised and clearly unfit squad sliding inexorably towards relegation, moulded them into an escape team that would retain their Ryman berth despite being deducted a point.

Handed the manager’s job in recognition of this Martin shocked the Moatside by stepping down after just 20 games in charge. Antony Williams and Rob Smith took on the joint role of Caretaker Managers. The pair steered the ship through the rocky waters of a tough December programme, mid-table Merstham holding highflying Maidstone to a creditable draw on the road in their first league game in charge. Though the Moatsiders were soundly beaten by Bognor Regis when the Rocks came to town, a reverse followed by a 3-1 defeat at Hythe, the caretakers kept the club on course losing just once in seven games, that to a resurgent and reshaped Crawley Down. The run saw the club climb to 10th place. Behind the scenes though, moves were afoot to bring in more experience in the hot seat. Victory over Faversham Town proved to be the curtain call for the caretakers, Smith and Williams given the Bird as the new man moved in.

Former Bromley manager Hayden Bird rang the changes bringing in several new players including David Graves who replaced Adam Moriarty as club captain. Having lost his first game in charge 4-2 away to Ramsgate, Bird had his Moatside baptism when Dulwich came to town on, an afternoon Merstham ‘keeper Lee White will not care to recall in a hurry, deceived by the flight of the ball for Hamlet’s first two goals before misjudging Frankie Sawyer’s goal, expecting it to trundle wide of his goal. Yet come season’s end Bird’s men would finish a creditable ninth after a late run of seven games defeat though far too late to gatecrash the promotion party.

As elsewhere the financial malaise has taken its toll at the Moatside with several ancillary teams including reserves and youth scarified on the altar of mammon. However that has not prevented Bird from adding to his squad in the close season with a number of experienced players on their way to the Moatside including the likes of Tutu Henriques, a versatile midfielder / defender and former Bromley captain, as well Liam Collins, a converted winger now plying his trade in midfield and boasting the likes of Carshalton Athletic and Hayes & Yeading in his back catalogue. Striker Mark Nwokeji, former 200 metres All-England Schoolboy champion and scorer of his side’s consolation goal at Champion Hill, looks set to test the Hamlet defence with pace. Scorer of a double on a recent outing away to Herne Bay, Luke l’Anson is another of Bird’s Bromley Boys though it has been with the likes of Dover Athletic and Billericay that he has been turning out in recent seasons.

Currently sitting back in 13th of 22, the topsy-turvy nature of this season’s competition means that despite their lowly spot Merstham are actually closer to the playoff berths than they are to the relegation trapdoor.

Until the recent steadying of the ship, form wise the Moatsiders had been flirting with victory and defeat in equal measures, scoring goals for fun at times but struggling to keep the sheets clean. Their season could probably be summed up in one remarkable back in early November when they travelled to Walton Causals. That day fans witnessed an unbelievable twelve-goal thriller that finished ended all square following an incredible fight back from five goals down by Merstham. Casuals raced in to a four-goal lead after Blake Goodman, Nana Badu, Danny Fernandez and Craig Lewington scored inside the opening 17 minutes. Nwokeji pulled one back for Merstham on 27 minutes before home ‘keeper Chico Ramos was forced out of the game due to injury. Fernandez stepped into his boots but in spite of this, Causals racked up further goals as Sam Robinson and Sol Patterson-Bohner made it 6-1 before the break. All best were off it seemed but Merstham dug deep and fought back in the second half with Wright bagging a hat trick inside a quarter hour before Saraiva completed the historic comeback with two penalties in the final ten minutes. For those Hamlet fans with long memories the last time two Isthmian teams had shared a dozen goals came 26 years ago on November 3rd 1986, a Premier Division game as Dulwich Hamlet entertained Bognor Regis in front of 246 spectators at the old Champion Hill ground.

This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45 pm at the Moatside Stadium, Merstham. Directions to the ground can be found on the Merstham website by clicking here.

Admission Prices:

• Adults: £8.00
• Concessions: £5.00 (Over 65, Under 16, Disabled, Student Card Holders)
• No extra charge for a seat in the main stand