Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Romania faced Arlesey Town on Wednesday night, in a Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division fixture, at Theobalds Lane. FC Romania sat in fourth place in the league going into this match, with the visiting side, Arlesey Town sitting in 16th place in the league. FC Romania won this match 2-0, and it was a match in which they deserved to win, in my opinion. FC Romania started the game well, and they would take the lead on 11 minutes. The influential Tobi Coker showed some great skill to go past Isiaq Araba down the right flank, before whipping a low cross across the face of the Arlesey goal, towards Tomas Mendes at the back post, from where he tapped the ball into the goal, 1-0. Despite FC Romania taking the lead early on in the match, there weren’t a lot of chances during the early stages of the match. Following an Arlesey Town corner-kick, an Arlesey player glanced a header wide of the FC Romania goal, before the home side managed to create another chance in the match. After the ball had fell for Lorenzo Johnson inside the Arlesey penalty area, following a blocked effort by Zenon Stylianides, Lorenzo Johnson hit a low effort wide of the goal.

Just before half-time, the impressive Tomas Mendes managed to latch onto a long forward pass, on the left side of the Arlesey penalty area. However, the FC Romania centre-forward hit his following low effort wide, across the face of their goal. Early on in the second half, Yasin Boodhoo headed a cross towards the back post of the FC Romania goal wide, and then shortly after, Montel Brown had almost managed to draw the away side level. However, his effort from inside the FC Romania penalty area was saved by FC Romania goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo, with JJ Da Cruz sliding to try and block the effort (the FC Romania player may well have blocked Montel Brown’s effort on goal). A cross from Zenon Stylianides on the right flank, would find Tomas Mendes inside the Arlesey box, and Mendes was only denied by a brilliant save from Arlesey goalkeeper Ollie Skinner, to push the ball over the goal. Josh Helmore hit a low effort wide of the FC Romania goal a couple of minutes later, before a free-kick delivery into the home team’s penalty area, from Montel Brown, eventually came to Steve Sylvester, whose effort was kept out by Elgi Fejzo. 

Arlesey Town had improved during the second half, but after Larry Abolarin had hit a low effort wide, across the face of the FC Romania goal from the right side of their penalty area, the home side doubled their lead in the game. After JJ Da Cruz had found Tobi Coker on the right flank, the former Barnet player found the alert Tomas Mendes in the centre of the Arlesey penalty area, from a fine pass with the outside of his boot. Mendes would initially control the ball, before cleverly lifting it over the outrushing Ollie Skinner and into the goal, 2-0. Late on in the match, FC Romania goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo was sent to the sin bin by the referee, with Johan Becka having to go in goal for the final minutes of the game for the home side. This was a professional performance and win for FC Romania, against an Arlesey Town side who definitely improved during the second half of the match, and who were defensively good. With two more assists to his name on Wednesday, the very inventive and highly skilful FC Romania player Tobi Coker was my player of the match. He is a brilliant player to watch, and his consistency for FC Romania this season has been so important, and both him and Tomas Mendes were very important for FC Romania in their win against Arlesey Town.