In the first of two semi-finals, MMM faced lower league opposition, Freehouse at Rugby camp in the Buster Gordon cup.

After a fairly cautious start to the game from both sides the match opened up in the 11th minute when a long throw from Chesney forced a corner after the Freehouse keeper attempted to claim the ball but fumbled the ball out for a corner. A whipped in cross saw K. Whitehouse head over the bar for the first real chance of the game.

On 15 minutes, MMM had their second corner of the game when S Hargraves found M. Hassan in space with a cross into the box however the ball was headed out of play before being cleared out of the area. Within a minute Freehouse had a corner of their own after P. Smith cleared a cross in from the wing which appeared to come off the Freehouse forward however the corner was given and despite allowing a free header the effort went wide.

With the game opening up on 18 minutes new signing, Scot won a free kick after holding off three challenges from behind before the referee decided there was no advantage to be had. S. Hargraves played the ball in, L. Brown met it on the volley but his effort went high over bar.

The deadlock was finally broken on 24 minutes when M. Hassan played a high ball up to S. Hargraves, Hargraves took the ball on the bounce and unleashed a curled lob on the outside of his foot to beat the keeper from 20 yards, an emphatic strike to go 1:0 up.

In the 35th minute, Freehouse drew level when a free kick was awarded for a late challenge down the left wing, the cross wasn’t claimed by keeper S. Watson and with the ball heading towards goal, L. Brown cleared into his own net, 1:1. Two minutes after the restart a ball over the top from O. Brown played in K. Higgins who rounded the keeper with the goal gaping however the ball held up in the mud before Higgins lost his footing to prevent Meon taking the lead a second time.

Fortunately MMM didn’t take long to capitalise on a good period of pressure when S. Hargraves played a cutting pass through the middle on 39 minutes for Scot to run through and finish low to the keeper’s right to go into the halftime break 2:1 up.

Just as the first half was slow to start so was the second with both sides exchanging possession until the 54th minute when S. Hargraves found Scot again with another through ball, a good effort but well saved by the Freehouse keeper. The resulting corner was quickly followed up with another after Scot went close again with a long range effort which was saved, S. Hargraves’s ball in found Chesney however his shot was blocked before being cleared.

In the 59th minute, the balance of play switched after Freehouse were awarded a free kick on the edge of area, a low effort was blocked before the follow up shot went sailing over the bar. The 62nd minute saw M. Hassan come off for F. Wilson who immediately started up front with K Higgins switching to right back. On 65 minutes Higgins was forced to make a last gasp challenge to prevent Freehouse taking advantage of their own spell of pressure when their #12 was played through on goal only to be brought down by the challenge. As the referee waved play on keeper, S. Watson immediately followed up with a sliding challenge to bring down the Freehouse forward a second time, this time there was no doubt and a penalty was awarded, #12 stepped up and put it away despite keeper, S. Watson getting close to it.

With the momentum shifting, things went from bad to worse in the 73rd minute when Freehouse took the lead from a corner. A header across goal appeared to be headed clear by N. Bennett however the ball only went as far as Freehouse’s on form #12 who was there to nod his side 3:2 up.
As the minutes ticked by Meon went in search of an equaliser and came very close in the 77th minute when a ball over the top from O. Brown to S. Hargraves was chested down, Hargraves found himself in plenty of space and unleashed a powerful shot which just cleared the bar. In the 83rd minute Hargraves went close again after spotting the keeper off his line his attempted lob from 30 yards bounced in front of the keeper forcing a save and earning a late corner. The ball in was met by O. Brown who’s lopping header found its way into the net to bring Meon level and back into the game.

90 minutes quickly approached and just as manager Daron Smith prepared for extra time Meon had one final attack left before the final whistle. As the final seconds ticked down the ball came through the midfield and was put down the right channel for S. Hargraves to make a bursting run into the area with players running into the box for support. Freehouse also got players back with two defenders closing down the space for Hargraves to shoot he looked up and played a perfectly weighted low cross which was begging to be met at the back post by K. Higgins with a bullet header. Instead the bullet looked more like a balloon caught in the wind as it slowly bobbled towards goal with the keeper well placed to make the save however to the elation of the bench the ball spilled over the line prompting manic celebrations on and off the pitch, Meon 4:3 up and into the final!