Saturday 9th September

Bostick Premier

Terrors

1-1

Needham Market

Dines

(1-1)

Honours were even in this entertaining league clash in the first ever meeting between the clubs. Needham Market took the lead in just the second minute when the impressive Sam Nunn headed home from a corner. The remainder of the half saw Tooting dominate Billy Dunn had a fierce low free-kick superbly saved by Danny Gay and the keeper was soon in action again pushing Dan Clements goal-bound effort around the post for a corner.

There was prolonged Tooting pressure with a series of corners which saw the Needham Market goal lead a charmed life. The outstanding Eddie Dines had a shot blocked on the line and Chace O’Neill, Danny Bassett  and Omar Folkes all went so close. Justwhen it looked like we would go through the half without scoring we did in stoppage time Billy Dunn’s excellent corner was headed home at the far post by Eddie Dines.

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As the players came out for the second half they were greeted by heavy rain and a thunder storm. The first chance after the break fell to Juevan Spencer who forced a fine stop by substitute goalie Nathan Munson who had replaced the injured Danny Gay. Needham then had a brief period of pressure with RyanGibbs hitting the bar and Jack Simmons lobbing over from close range. Back came the Terrors Chace O’Neill went on a good run and his drive was deflectedjust over and Omar Folkes was through on goal but the keeper was equal to the task.

In the last five minutes the visitors could have stole a victory striking the woodwork and with the last action of the match Tooting custodian Joe Tupper  made a brilliant save to deny Kieran Turner winning it. Summing up an excellent performance from our lads in very tricky conditions and credit to the visitors also who played their part.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd : Joe Tupper, Juevan Spencer, Tenny Adebowale, EddieDines(Ollie Bennett), Sol Patterson-Bohner, Quincy Rowe, Danny Bassett(Jordan Wilson), Chace O’Neill, Omar Folkes(Mike Dixon), Billy Dunn, Dan Clements. Unused subs Sandy Cunningham, Eric Mbangui.

Match report by: Ian Bullock

Tuesday 12th September

Bostick Premier

Burgess Hill Town

3-1

Terrors

(1-0)

Folkes

Despite putting in a battling performance the Terrors went down 3-1   at a very wet Burgess Hill. The home side opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Brandon Diau scored with an overhead kick from a Lee Harding cross. Five minutes later the Hillians nearly doubled their advantage when a Hakeem Adelakun free-kick hit the foot of the post.

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Tooting started the second half very well with  Billy Dunn, Omar Folkes and Dan Clements all going  close.  After 59 minutes  Burgess Hill increased their lead  when Aaron Smith-Joseph crossed for an unmarked Jack Brivio to head home. Six minutes later Town  scored their third goal   when Hakeem Adelakun’s long range effort curled in. United never gave up and  pulled a goal back after 69 minutes with a superb strike  from Omar Folkes.

Tooting  were reduced to ten men seventeen minutes from time when Joe Tupper was adjudged to have handled outside the box and was shown a red card Billy Dunn  donned the keepers jersey. The Terrors nearly got a second goal with  Dan Clements and  Ollie Bennett forcing good stops from home keeper Max Huxter. In the closing stages Billy Dunn made the save of the night to deny Lee Harding.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd FC : Joe Tupper, Juevan Spencer, Tenny Adebowale, Jordan Wilson, Sol Patterson-Bohner, Quincy Rowe, Danny Bassett(Ollie Bennett), Chace O’Neill(Dominic Morgan-Griffiths), Omar Folkes, Billy Dunn, Dan Clements(Sandy Cunningham). Unused subs Elijah Simpson, Eddie Dines.

Match Report by Ian Bullock

Tuesday 19th September

League Cup

Terrors

1-1

L pens

Merstham

Simpson

(0-0)

A young Tooting & Mitcham side containing many of the Under 23 team put in a superb display and can count themselves very unlucky to lose on penalties after holding a strong Merstham team to a 1-1 draw at ninety minutes. Tooting dominated the first 25 minutes before the visitors took a grip of things and they came close to an opener in the 27th minute when Ibrahim Fofana rattled the inside of the United post and just before the break Liam Sallis made excellent saves to keep out efforts from Ryan Hall and Alex Addai .

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Three minutes after the break Jordan Wilson went close with a rasping drive for the Terrors. In the 51st  minute Merstham went in front with a goal from RyanHall. Tooting drew level in the 66th minute when Dominic Morgan-Griffiths

played in Elijah Simpson who beat a couple of defenders and scored with a low drive. In the closing stages Tooting put on a lot of pressure and created a couple of good chances with Shamal Edwards just inches away from settling the tie in the Terrors favour. However it went down to penalties and Merstham just edged it 4-3. Summing up a really entertaining game and our youngsters many of them making their debuts did the club proud.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd FC : Liam Sallis, Tope Fadahunsi, Peter Wedgeworth, Jordan Wilson, Callum McNaughton, Charles Allechi, Isaih Jones, Dominic Morgan-Griffiths, Elijah Simpson(Hussein Siklawi), Kadeem Ajeon(Shamal Edwards), Stefan Ilic(Dontai Stewart). Unused subs Jhon Padilla-Garcia, Serg Zamara.

Match Report by Ian Bullock

Tuesday 3rd October

Bostick Premier

Terrors

0-7

Staines Town

(0-1)

Tooting & Mitcham  suffered one of their heaviest ever home league defeats against a rampant Staines Town side. In a fairly even opening forty five minutes Matte Pierson made brilliant saves to deny Elliott Buchanan and Max Worsfold with the latter also crashing a fierce drive against the Terrors woodwork. At the other Eddie Dines and Mike Dixon went close and Peter

Wedgeworth forced a good save from the visitors keeper. The only goal of the half came in the 32nd minute when Mohamed Bettamer headed home from a corner.

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After the break it was one way traffic towards the Terrors goal in the 51st minute Bayley Brown banged in a thirty yarder and 13 minutes later Mohamed Bettamer made it three converting a free-kick. Elliott Buchanan then completed a hat-trick in the space of six minutes and Tooting’s night of miserywas completed in the 81st minute when Mohamed Bettamer made it seven and also completed his hat-trick. Despite the score-line Matte Pierson had an outstanding game and couldn’t really be blamed for any of the goals.

Tooting have proved in the games against Dulwich and Billericay that they can compete and the side need to really unite and work hard in the forthcoming matches to try and get that elusive first league win and then put a run together.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd : Matte Pierson, Sol Patterson-Bohner, Peter Wedgeworth, Eddie Dines, Callum McNaughton, Quincy Rowe, Sandy Cunningham, Jordan Wilson(Dominic Morgan-Griffiths), Mike Dixon(Omar Folkes), Chace O’Neill(Dan Clements), Billy Dunn. Unused subs Danny Bassett, Nathan Corkery.

Match Report by Ian Bullock

Saturday 8th October

Bostick Premier

Terrors

4-3

Worthing

O’Neil, McNaughton,

(1-2)

Tooting earned their first League success of the season by virtue of winning this seven goal thriller against Worthing. The Terrors started well and opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Chace O’Neill fired home from just outside the area after  Dominic Morgan-Griffiths, Dan Clements and Omar Folkes had all been involved in the build up. Mike Dixon then went close with a couple of efforts but it was the visitors who would draw level with a well worked goal scored by Jared Rance in the 28th minute. Four minutes later the Rebels were in front with a fierce drive from Alex Parsons.

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After the break Tooting put on a lot of pressure and Callum McNaughton slotted home a Jordan Wilson free-kick six minutes into the half. Worthing then carved out a couple of opportunities but the excellent Matte Pierson was equal to the task making saves from Sam Rents and Alex Parsons. However Tooting were playing well and went back in front with a solo effort from  Omar Folkes in the 78th minute. Four minutes later United went further ahead Juevan Spencer made a good run down the left and squared the ball to Billy Dunn whoside footed home from the edge of the box.

With two minutes to go Matte Pierson punched away a high ball  to the edge of the box which fell to Isaac Newton who lobbed home to set up a tense finish. But there were no further goals and the  final whistle was greeted by a loud roar. Well done to the Players and Management on achieving a vital win and to Worthing for playing their part.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd : Matte Pierson, Jordan Wilson, Peter Wedgeworth, Dominic Morgan-Griffiths, Callum McNaughton, Sol Patterson-Bohner(Quincy Rowe), Juevan Spencer, Chace O’Neill, Mike Dixon(Billy Dunn), Omar Folkes, Dan Clements(Nathan Corkery). Unused subs Tope Fadahunsi, Sandy Cunningham.

Match Report by Ian Bullock

Saturday 15th October

Bostick Premier

Brightlingsea Regent

0-3

Terrors

O’Neil, McNaughton,

(0-1)

Terrors justified the faith that Manager Frank Wilson has had in his players by delivering a performance that was flawless from first to last.  Every ball was contested with the home side never being allowed to settle, reducing them to a handfull of speculative long ball attempts, giving Matte Pierson his quietest afternoon for some time.

With Patterson-Bohner suspended the back four featured Eddie Dines at right back and Callum McNaughton as Captain, producing perhaps the most solid defensive combination seen this season.  The engine room of Chase O’Neil and the phenomenal Dominic Morgan-Griffiths destroyed and created in equal measure, never wasting possession. Out wide Danny Clements and Jeaven Spencer offered a constant threat, as well as providing support for the twin towers up front.

It took just three minutes for Mike Dixon to get himself back on the scoring sheet when he snaffled the ball off a home defender and calmly finished the job.  Terrors maintained a steady pressure and, whilst not creating much in the way of clear chances, ensured that Regent were fully occupied and limited  attack wise to a few long throws into the box, all easily consumed by Pierson.

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Not surprisingly the home team started the second period with renewed purpose, but the Toots were not in the mood to waste their earlier hard work and were quickly back in control.  Eight minutes in and the pressure told as Omar Folkes latched onto a pass from Spencer to expertly net the second.

Further chances came, Most notably for Peter Wedgeworth with a devilish free kick that deflected off the wall only to be superbly tipped over by the keeper and for Danny Clements, who carved himself a fine chance only to see it rattle the crossbar.  The coup de gras was finally applied two minutes from time with a fine solo effort from Spencer, who danced around defenders  into the six yard box, then fooled us into thinking that he’d lost the ball before calmly slotting it home.

Man of the match?  Every one played to their potential, impossible to single one out without being unfair to the rest. Can they maintain it - only time will tell.  See you at Tonbridge!   

Tooting & Mitcham Utd : Pierson, Dines, Wedgeworth, McNaughton, Rowe, Morgan-Griffiths, Spencer(Wilson), O’Neill, Dixon(Cunningham), Folkes  Unused subs Corkery, Dunn, Debayo.

Match Report by: The Terror