Wimbledon M5 2-4 Cheam M2

In the hot, arid, sweltering wilderness of (*checks notes*) New Malden, Cheam M2s squared off against a tough Wimbledon side in the last friendly before the start of the season. Fortunately, a final surge of energy saw Cheam battle from 2-1 down to walk away with a satisfying win.

There’s an old adage in Cheam – “Feed Derry and he will score.” After being reminded of this ancient wisdom, Cheam put Derry through in the opening stages, and lo and behold the ball was soon bouncing off the backboard. With Neil also starting in the line-up, Derry was ahead in this duel of poachers, and Cheam as a team were off the mark. Wimbledon fought their way back into the game, and the match became a sweaty mess of end-to-end action. At the back, the central pairing of Taylor and James were proving impregnable. Taylor even denied Wimbledon a certain goal with such a strong and composed block that deserved Ian McKellen to shout "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Unfortunately, two uncharacteristic errors in midfield allowed Wimbledon to capitalise and haul themselves in front. Soon the heat began to slow the game down and things became very choppy and disjointed as both teams struggled to take control of the match. Yet the mental strength of this Cheam side proved unbreakable, and some individual moments of brilliance meant that Cheam were soon back on top. Firstly, Gary Allen decided to go on a mesmerising run, skipping through the heart of Wimbledon’s midfield and slipping through the back line to slot the ball past Krish. The excitement was all too much for Gary, who immediately subbed himself off to bask in the glory. Derry then scored again… Of course he did, there’s not much else I need to say for that one. Finally, Bertie and David synced up together as if they were drift-compatible (if you don’t get this reference then you need to see Pacific Rim… Actually, it’s not worth it, don’t waste your time). Anyway, with three minutes to go they produced a lovely one-two to break into the D, which David coolly drove home to cement the victory and crush Wimbledon’s spirit.

All in all, this was a solid display by Cheam and very encouraging for the season ahead. The composed possession was a beauty to behold at times, and to fight back from behind showed a great mental and physical strength that will be needed in the coming months. Man of the Match has to go to Taylor, who after playing fifty minutes in another match managed to take a starring role in the back line… A truly heroic performance in such hot and hostile conditions.