Non-League and Academy football writer

I was in attendance at Cheshunt’s Theobalds Lane ground on Wednesday evening, to watch a Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division fixture, between FC Romania and London Lions. FC Romania started this match in fifth place in the league, with London Lions not far behind them in the league standings. This was a great game of football, which FC Romania won 5-3, and it was a game in which the home side, FC Romania, showed some great team spirit in, to win the game, despite at one point losing 3-1. After FC Romania player Zenon Stylianides had won an early free-kick on the edge of the London Lions penalty area, the former Spurs Academy player would take the following free-kick. However, his effort was saved quite comfortably by London Lions goalkeeper Nathan Bloohn. A couple of minutes later, and at the opposite end of the pitch, Zak Jackson hit a powerful effort from the edge of the FC Romania penalty area, just wide of the goal. After taking the ball into the London Lions box, Tobi Coker hit a good effort, which went just over the goal. The first goal of the game arrived shortly after that good chance for the home side, from centre-forward Tomas Mendes.

After meeting a lofted pass on the left side of the London Lions box, Tomas Mendes hit a powerful effort on goal, which despite goalkeeper Nathan Bloohn getting a hand on the ball, he was unable to stop it from going into the goal, 1-0. Zak Jackson got London Lions back into the game, shortly after the game had started again, after he met a lofted forward pass in behind the FC Romania defence and into their penalty area, before trying to take the ball around goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo. However, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, after Zak Jackson had fell to the ground, after the FC Romania goalkeeper had tried to get a hand on the ball. Former Arsenal player Austin Lipman stepped-up to take the penalty, to find the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 1-1. And London Lions took the lead in the match soon after, after some good work from the impressive Zak Jackson, he found Daniel Creese, with a pass, inside the FC Romania penalty area, and the London Lions forward finished low, beyond the goalkeeper and into the goal, 1-2. After Nathan Bloohn had saved a decent effort from the home side, Tomas Mendes almost found himself through on goal, but for some good defending from London Lions. 

London Lions got their third goal of the game before half-time, after a good lofted ball from Austin Lipman, found Daniel Creese inside the FC Romania penalty area, and the London Lions player finished past Elgi Fejzo in the goal (the goalkeeper did get a hand on the ball) and into the back of the net, 3-1. FC Romania would start the second half even better than they started the first half. On 51 minutes FC Romania managed to get their second goal of the game, and it was a second goal for Tomas Mendes. After Tobi Coker had passed the ball to Zenon Stylianides on the right side of the London Lions box, Stylianides’ effort on goal went to Tomas Mendes, who clinically finished into the goal, 2-3. Less than five minutes later, FC Romania got an equalising goal. Zenon Stylianides got his second assist of the game, as he passed the ball to Tomas Mendes inside the centre of the penalty area, as he finished past Nathan Bloohn, 3-3. Following some good skill on the ball on the edge of the London Lions box from Zenon Stylianides, the skilful midfielder had an effort on goal which was well saved by Nathan Bloohn.

At the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of minutes later, FC Romania goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo made a good stop from an effort on the left side of the penalty area, by Felix Shalom. A good save from London Lions goalkeeper Nathan Bloohn, followed, before FC Romania created a really good chance for Tobi Coker. After getting on the ball inside the London Lions box, after meeting a long pass, Tobi Coker took the ball around goalkeeper Nathan Bloohn, but he took it a little bit too far away from the goal, and in the end he took too long on the ball, with his resulting effort from a difficult angle, being pushed behind by the goalkeeper. FC Romania continued to be the better team during the second half. After Marius Patru hit a low effort wide from distance for the home side, FC Romania once again created a good chance. However, on 89 minutes, FC Romania managed to take the lead in the game. Tobi Coker’s corner-kick found defender German Petrov inside the box, and he leapt up high, to power an unstoppable header past Nathan Bloohn and into the goal, 4-3.

In the 91st minute of the game, FC Romania made sure of the win, as Tomas Mendes got his fourth and FC Romania’s fifth goal of the game. After getting on a long pass on the left side of the London Lions penalty area, the clinical FC Romania centre-forward cleverly found the bottom right corner of the goal, 5-3. This was a real game of two halves on Wednesday, with a strong performance from FC Romania in the second half, making them deserved winners of the match, as they continue to try and better their chances of securing a play-off spot in the league. London Lions played some good football in the first half of the match, and they’ll be disappointed with how the second half of the game went against FC Romania. The clinical Tomas Mendes was definitely the player of the match on Wednesday, putting in a very good centre-forward’s performance. However, with two assists and an influential performance as a number ten, the performance of Zenon Stylianides was also very good. Whenever he went forward with the ball and looked to take players on, he always looked like he was going to create something.