In the London Old Boys Senior Cup, Old Meadonians made very heavy weather of disposing of premier division rivals Old Parmiterians on Saturday.

They shopped two unnecessary goals and left it late to pull their tatties out of the fire.

Parms have had a poor start in the league, losing three of their first four matches and demonstrated why at Riverside Lands on Saturday with a mediocre showing which was just bettered by their hosts.

Meads also chose an inauspicious performance in which to introduce new signing David Laird, showing rare and intermittent bursts of their true ability and generally sinking to the visitors level.

Laird obviously brings Ryman experience and goalscoring ability and showed the former with a cool head and the latter by bundling the ball a yard over the line for what would have been two nil but escaped the attention of all officials.

Striker Colin Hawkins had by then already signalled continuance of the rebirth of his palmy days by finishing off a neat move on the left between Will Gerrish and Nick Jones with a firm cushioned volley at the far post applied to Jones’ cross in the 15th minute.

From cruising comfortably, within ten minutes of the restart, Meads found themselves in choppy water as the seas parted for a visiting midfielder to walk in on Gary Robinson.

Parms were now on the burst with the hosts calling on their back four to fill the breach but it was veteran Kevin Quinn who put them back on top, bending in a free-kick from the right for centre back Ali McCombe to beat the defence to the ball and power in a header.

Still there was a twist as another mid-field lapse saw Parms level and it was in the forty-seventh minute that sub Jack Costello’s free-kick from twenty yards on the left proved too hot for the visiting keeper. Ali McComb was named MoM.

Team: Robinson, Pointer, (Thomas), McComb, Pilcher, Palmer, N. Jones, (Thompson), Gerrish, Rhone, Quinn, (Costello), Laird, Hawkins.