Ryman League Division One South Whitstable Town 1
Merstham 1
MERSTHAM came away from the Kent coast with a point in a bruising 1-1 draw with Whitstable Town.
The impressive Tom Loynes opened the scoring for the Oystermen 25 minutes in but an absolute peach from Fabio Saraiva ten minutes into the second half earned the Surrey side a draw in a match littered with tough tackles, fouls and yellow cards. It was amazing that 22 men were on the pitch at the end before the unsavoury scenes.
The first chance of the match came just 30 seconds in when Oysters keeper Luke Watkins slammed a clearance straight at Aaron Rhule, who then rounded the keeper but his tame effort was cleared off the line but Joe Kennett.
The following 25 minutes were uninspiring at best, with referee Karl May kept very busy keeping the players under control, but Merstham were playing the better football. Rhule was absolutely clattered by Scott Heard on the right touchline after losing the ball, with the midfielder lucky not to see more than a yellow card for being about five minutes late to the challenge.
However, against the run of play, Whitstable took the lead. A free kick from Scott Heard was pumped in from the left and visiting keeper Brannon Daily was caught in no man's land, giving Loynes a free header from six yards out and the hosts were ahead.
Peter Wedgeworth lashed a 25-yard free kick straight at Daily five minutes later while at the other end, the tricky Taurean Roberts went on a mazy 40-yard dribble but fired a weak effort straight at Daily.
Toby Hutchings came within inches of equalising two minutes before the break when, on the turn, chipped a delicious effort from outside the box which clipped the top of Luke Watkins' cross bar, with the keeper beaten all ends up.
Ten minutes into the second period, the visitors were deservedly level courtesy of a special strike from Fabio Saraiva. The striker, cutting in from the right, shrugged off four weak Whitstable challenges before unleashing an absolute peach with his left foot from 18 yards across Watkins, which arrowed into the top right corner. Two keepers wouldn't have got anywhere near it.
For the next ten minutes, Merstham were all over Whitstable like a cheap suit, with Roberts jinking past three tackles before shooting straight at Watkins.
At the other end, Scott Heard failed to make the most of a poor Saraiva clearance from a corner, blazing wildy over from 18 yards on the half volley and Saraiva failed to test Watkins with a 25-yard free kick.
The excellent Tom Craddock was pulling the strings for Merstham but he was lucky to receive only a yellow card for a poor challenge on Whitstable's Nick Treadwell as a number of fouls littered proceedings and both managers were up in arms on the touchline.
A football match started to break out towards the end as Whitstable went on the offensive and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 86th minute.
Substitute Kane Rowland was slipped through by Loynes but dallied, allowing Antone Douglas to catch up. However, the imposing defender made a clumsy challenge and clearly tripped Rowland in the box, but referee May waved the appeals away.
As the full time whistle sounded for the draw, 22 players got involved in some completely unnecessary handbags in the centre circle. It was a hard earned point for both sides, with frustrations boiling over which deterred from what was an entertaining second half.
MERSTHAM: Daily; Cooper, Gunner, Morath-Gibbs, Douglas; Howard, Roberts, Craddock, Rhule; Saraiva, Hutchings.
