Surrey Three. Saturday, October 27, 2007.

Merton came off second best at Thames Ditton last Saturday, having given their unbeaten opponents far too much time and space in the opening half and having to chase the game from the first few minutes.

The Morden Rec outfit went into this fixture on the back of an horrendous injury crisis, Mike Reid, Ed Crawford and Dean Evans dropping out after a hard training session on Wednesday to join Garth Hume, Craig Millan, James Ellis, Jason Newell, Christo Swanepoel, Danny Trick, Mick Carnell and Jimmy McLoughlin on the sidelines. To their credit, Merton were still able to field a combative side, having pulled in a few faces from their second string.

The visitors were on the back foot from the third minute, quick hands in the OCs threequarters ending with a try wide on the left, which was unconverted. Having been rudely awoken from their slumber, the Merton forwards began to get their game together, Kerryn James, Darren Glossop and Tim Rossiter leading them in an assault on the home line. Eventually, the pressure told, the prolific Alan Power picking up from the base of a ruck and proving to be unstoppable from five metres out.

Mike Garnett coolly slotted the extra two points to give his side the lead. Despite having their noses in front, the visitors found themselves on the back foot, having to deter a series of attacks from the OCs. A speculative kick to the right wing proved to be Merton's undoing, a nasty bounce seeing the ball loop up into the hands of the onrushing home winger to run in for a converted score.

The away side's injury dilemma continued when scrum-half Bryce Lund was forced from the field, forcing them to draft in youngster Frankie Murray. A third try, again converted, just before half-time saw Merton trailing 19-7 at the break.

Merton came out of the blocks for the second period looking to put the opening half's lacklustre display behind them and were soon camped in the OCs 22, forcing them into an indiscretion which enabled Garnett to reduce the deficit.

Thanks to Murray's astute kicking, there now began a period where the visitors looked to be working their way back into the game, however, two soft tries, one from a charge down, took the OCs into an unassailable 29-10 lead after Merton were reduced to fourteen men when Sam Borgfeldt left the field with his side having used their three replacements.

Determined to finish with a flourish, the visitors laid siege to the OCs line, a succession of penalties seeing them move ever closer to the try line. Every time Merton tried to move the ball quickly, gamesmanship from the home skipper slowed them up, which went unpunished by the official.

Merton were not going to lie down, a sweeping move down the line ended with Ashley Grainger being felled by a high tackle, the perpetrator amazingly remaining on the field.

The forwards kept taking the ball on and they were finally rewarded when Tim Rossiter slipped under a tackle to score his side's second try of the afternoon, which Garnett again converted. To add to the visitors' woes, Marnus Landman ended the game a passenger on the wing having taken a knock on his shoulder.

Merton entertain Streatham-Croydon at Morden Recreation Ground this week, and once again must check the injury list before naming their squad.

For more information about Merton Rugby Club, call Jack on 07970 166958.