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[Albion] U-23's pre-season friendly at Merstham this evening (7:30pm)











Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
34,020
East Wales
Meanwhile, up the road a bit: Barnet 6 Palarse 2. Obviously I don't know what kind of side the Scum put out but I do know Wickham and Sorloth got their goals so it wasn't a youth team.

Henderson
D. Boateng
Inniss
Woods
Riedewald
Dreher
McGregor
Flanagan
Daly
Wickham
Sorloth

Subs
Tupper
Hobbs
M. Boateng
Lokilo
Pierrick
Aveiro
 










BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,458
WeHo
Here's a match report from Merstham:

https://www.mersthamfc.com/matchreports

Tuesday 16th July 2019

Pre-Season Friendly

Merstham 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion XI

Report by Chris Pullen



A vastly- improved second half performance should have earned the Moatsiders a draw, but a combination of last-ditch defending and wayward finishing allowed the young Seagulls to return home with the victory.


In the first half, Merstham paid their visitors too much respect and sat too deep, allowing Brighton time and space to pick their passes. Possession stats would probably have been 70:30 in the Seagulls favour. For all their possession however, they rarely threatened and were reduced to shots from outside the box. Merstham keeper Max Huxter only had one moment of alarm as he parried a close-range effort. But when they did get possession, the Moatsiders surrendered the ball far too easily and couldn't create anything of note in the final third. Brighton went in front just before the break, when a superbly struck free kick from 25 yards was curled into the top corner.


Merstham boss Frank Wilson made some changes at the interval, both in terms of personnel and shape. The biggest impact on the game was the introduction of Eze Ebuzoeme in midfield. He kept the ball and used it well to give the Moatsiders far greater control and began to bring Merstham's attacking players into the match. The Brighton coaching staff had expected their superior fitness to be a factor as the game wore on, but in fact it was Merstham who finished the stronger. As the game entered the final 20 minutes, the Moatsiders looked increasingly dangerous and penned the young Seagulls in their own half. The Brighton keeper made a diving fingertip save to keep out a shot from distance and then blocked a close range effort from Christian Madu. The ball frequently flashed across the Brighton box and on more than one occasion, Merstham players were only inches away from getting a decisive touch. Merstham's Mattie Pearson had to make a brave save at the feet of a Brighton forward after an errant back pass, and the Seagulls keeper had to scramble back towards his own goal and just managed to hook a goal-bound effort away with only minutes left.


As with any pre-season game, the result is less important than the performance, but on the basis of the second half, Moatsider fans will be looking forward to seeing more of Frank Wilson's quickly developing side.

Guessing Palace fans are echoing the sentiments of the last sentence!
 








Merstham aren't doing much to encourage the supporters of the future. They're charging kids £5 for friendlies against non-league opposition.
Sorry, I can't help you with the Merstham game, but this may make you smile.

[tweet]1151229005992878083[/tweet]
Does 'trialist' mean they're not revealing the name of the player in case another club poaches him? If not, it's a rather odd surname!
 
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BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,458
WeHo
Does 'trialist' mean they're not revealing the name of the player in case another club poaches him? If not, it's a rather odd surname!

It's quite common in non-league. Was at a Newhaven friendly last night and Whitehawk had Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, & Trialist D playing for them! Honestly not sure of the reason though.
 


AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,101
Chandler, AZ
What was the line up AZG

Does the club not issue any team news for the U23s who took part.


Based upon this photo that appears on the official Merstham FC twitter feed:

U23LineupvMerstham.jpg

The players from left to right are:-

Haydon Roberts, ?, Bojan Radulovic, Peter Gwargis, Archie Davies, ?, Jack Spong, Ryan Longman, Alex Cochrane, Tom McGill (GK) and Warren O'Hora.

I think the player between Roberts and Radulovic (hidden by their 'keeper) might be Anders Dreyer.

So, another request for anyone who attended who can fill in the missing player (and add any sub details).
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
I do not think it would be asking too much for the club to supply the team details. I wonder if they are getting above themselves and no longer caring what supporters think.
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
I assume you're being funny here. I hope so.

Not really, as only a couple of seasons ago the team would have been published but now we are in The Premier it seems that the club consider it no longer important enough to report as they have bigger fish to fry. I fully accept that the club has moved on since our days at Gillingham and Withdean but certain things should not be just overlooked with progression.
 


*Gullsworth*

My Hair is like his hair
Jan 20, 2006
9,351
West...West.......WEST SUSSEX
Not really as only a couple of seasons ago the team would have been published but now we are in The Premier it seems that the club consider it no longer important enough to report as they have bigger fish to fry. I fully accept that the club has moved on since our days at Gillingham and Withdean but certain things should not be just overlooked with progression.

What like 'glamour' friendlies v Crawley, Fulham at Aldershot.......that kind of BIG fish:)
 








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