Isthmian League

South Central Division

Monday 26th December 2022

Kick Off 15.00 On Time!

South Park Reigate 1 Merstham 1, attendance 208

30’ 1-0

84’ 1-1

@ King George’s Field

Whitehall Lane

South Park

Reigate

RH2 8LG

£9 Admission

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

I had started making regular midweek visits to watch South Park (they have now added Reigate to their name since then) before moving to live in Belgium back in 2013, with this taking me into double figures, but this was my first visit here since April of that year, when they lost 0-2 versus Guernsey in a Combined Counties League Premier Division match. I would have gone more often, but games were regularly called off at short notice, due to a pitch that suffered with water logging. There are no such problems nowadays though, following the installation of a 3G pitch. Unfortunately, the all too familiar/bland green mesh fencing, that seems to come with having an artificial pitch, means the ground totally lacks character and would easily be at the top of many a ‘worst ground’ list for clubs at this level. Even the two seated ‘kit’ stands are plonked at one end, which give an appalling view of the action.

The match certainly didn’t go to form. Merstham came into this bottom of the league table, having taken just 9 points from their opening 17 games, whist South Park were 5th, with 31 points from 17 games, six points behind leaders Northwood, but with a game in hand. It was a game of few chances. South Park went ahead after half an hour. A corner from the right was headed down and scrambled off the line, but was followed in from close range. They never looked like adding a second and were made to pay when Merstham levelled the score with six minutes left. Again it was from a corner on the right, this time cleared to the angle of the 18 yard box, but volleyed back into the far top corner of the net.