MERSTHAM made it three wins in a row with a 5-2 victory at home against bottom side Walton Casuals this evening (Tuesday).
In a game that featured seven goals, three red cards and a penalty, the Moatsiders eventually prevailed with Taurean Roberts netting a brace and Simon Cooper, Fabio Saraiva and Tommy Hutchings all on target for Hayden Bird's men.
But it could have been very different if Gabriel Odunaike had taken a golden chance for the visitors in the first minute of the game, when he shot wide after being put clean through.
Merstham made the most of the let off as they piled on the pressure, with Roberts breaking the deadlock on 17 minutes, coolly finishing low under Casuals goalkeeper Chico Ramos, having been played in by Hutchings.
Stefan Cox, Hutchings and Roberts all went close to adding a second goal, but Mersham were left stunned when the visitors equalised after 35 minutes.
And it was a former Moatsider with the goal, as Liam Collins hit a speculative effort from the edge of the box, which Brannon Daly failed to deal with as it deflected in off his hand into the opposite corner of the net to make it 1-1 at half time.
But Merstham regrouped at the break and came out the stronger of the two sides, with Simon Cooper restoring the Moatsiders' lead eight minutes after the restart, capitalising on some hesitant defending from the visitors.
Then came the game's flashpoint as Cox and Tyler Myers clashed in the middle of the Walton Casuals half, with Cox receiving two yellow cards within the space of a minute for his part in the incident and the melee that ensued.
Walton Casuals were also reduced to ten men as Ebrima Adams was shown a red card, although it appeared to be a case of mistaken identity with both sides seemingly baffled by the decision.
And the game hinged on another dismissal with 15 minutes to go, as Casuals defender Liam Flanighan saw red for a deliberate handball, having denied Roberts' goalbound shot on the line with his hand.
A penalty was awarded and duly dispatched by Merstham skipper Fabio Saraiva, while the dismissal opened up the floodgates, with Merstham making the most of the numerical advantage.
Roberts grabbed his second goal of the game three minutes later, tapping home Saraiva's cut back from Cooper's cross, before Hutchings added a fifth six minutes from time with a smart turn and finish past Chico Ramos.
Odunaike did pull a goal back in stoppage time, and a stunning one at that as he crashed a ball into the net with the outside of his foot, but it was merely a consolation as Merstham ran out 5-2 winners.
