Grier's Guide to Merstham
When: Monday 22 April (Easter Monday, 15:00 kickoff)
The town: Village to the north of Redhill and Reigate long-known for its quarries and mines. Mining was first recorded there in the Domesday Book, almost 1000 years ago, and Alfred Nobel gave the first public demonstration of dynamite in Merstham in 1868.
The ground: Weldon Way, Merstham, Redhill, RH1 3QB. A compact but neat ground with a low-roofed terrace behind one of the goals that's great for making a bit of noise.
Directions: Close as the crow flies but fiddly to get to, it's around a ten minute drive from junction 8 of the M25. Public transport is also awkward with the quickest route being to head up to Clapham Junction and back out again.
Our record there: No Ks fan will ever forget our visit of two seasons ago when Rob Tolfrey made a dramatic late penalty save to ensure we held on for a 1-0 win and staved off the threat of relegation. We also won 2-1 last season when, within five minutes of each other, two Manolis Gagonas long throws caused havoc in the Merstham box.
Recent form: Merstham have had a good season and at time of writing sit just outside the playoffs, despite a recent wobble which has seen them take just one win from the last five.
Players to watch: Merstham have often tended to have a lot of ex-Ks players over the last few seasons and box-to-box midfielder Tom Kavanagh and the talented Dan Bennett will both be familiar to our fans. Top scorer Walter Figueira has found himself at home this season at Merstham after previously bouncing around different non-league clubs as well as having spells in Greece and Portugal.
Crowd: Merstham have the third-lowest average crowd in the division but their promotion hunt has generated extra interest and Ks tend to travel there in good numbers.
Drinking: The Feathers Hotel, a short walk from the station, is the obvious place to go for a pre-match pint. It's a large and pleasant enough chain pub with typical pub grub on the menu and an outdoor seating area. The Railway Arms, opposite, appears to be closed now.
Food: Plenty of choice at this one for something on the go, although the bank holiday may affect what's open. The shops near Feathers and the station include two cafes, a chippy and the well-rated Pizza Project Cafe. Right by the ground there's a Co-op, a kebab shop, a curry house and another chippy.
