Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Romania would welcome Cockfosters FC to Theobalds Lane on Wednesday night, in what was another big game in the current Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division season. FC Romania started the game in fourth place in the league, in the play-off spaces, with Cockfosters starting the match in 11th place in the league. However, the away side on Wednesday have games in hand over the teams around them in the league table. This step 5 game between FC Romania and Cockfosters was an eventful one, with it ending 1-1. The game got off to a brilliant start for the visiting team, with them taking a very early lead. Matt Thomson took his free-kick from the left flank, early, finding George Lutaaya on the left side of the FC Romania penalty area, from a short pass. George Lutaaya would hit a powerful effort, which hit the goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo’s left angle, with the ball having already crossed the goal-line, when Cory Ugbomah headed it into the net, 0-1. Cockfosters were working really hard off the ball, and after a free-kick into the FC Romania box, saw the ball fall into the feet of Chris Griffin, his effort on the turn came off Elgi Fejzo’s left-hand post.

A lofted pass from Chris Griffin, found Harrison Rookard inside the centre of the FC Romania penalty area. However, the centre-forward would volley his effort just over the goal. Cockfosters had been much the better team at this stage of the game. The impressive Harrison Rookard would see his effort from the edge of the FC Romania penalty area, deflected behind for a corner-kick. Harrison Rookard would then head an effort just wide, from the resulting corner-kick, at the back post. The dominance of the away side would continue during the remainder of the first half. After Kenny Nobrega had sent a lofted ball into the right-hand side of the away team’s box, Cory Ugbomah met the ball in the air, but his looping headed effort went just wide of the goal. Harrison Rookard would then, a couple of minutes later, after getting his footing wrong, hit an effort wide from the edge of the FC Romania penalty area. Cockfosters would create a great goalscoring chance just before half-time. Matt Thomson’s free-kick delivery from the left-hand side of the FC Romania half, found Harrison Rookard inside their penalty area. Rookard’s header onto Chris Griffin, just out from the FC Romania goal, resulted in Griffin volleying an effort over on the side-foot.

Early on in the second half of the match, after FC Romania defender JJ Da Cruz had slipped on the edge of the FC Romania penalty area, the ball was picked up by Harrison Rookard, whose low effort was saved by Elgi Fejzo. FC Romania would equalise soon after. The move was started by Zenon Stylianides, whose low pass in behind the Cockfosters defence, was picked up by Tomas Mendes on the left-hand side of the penalty area. Mendes would square the ball for German Petrov to tap home into the goal from close range, at the back post, 1-1. After some good strength from Harrison Rookard, the Cockfosters centre-forward passed the ball to Josh Grantham on the edge of the FC Romania penalty area. However, his powerful first time effort was well pushed behind by Elgi Fejzo. Elgi Fejzo would then save a decent effort from just outside of the FC Romania penalty area, by Kenny Nobrega, before comfortably saving a looping headed effort (from a corner-kick soon after) by Aiden Read. A good forward move by FC Romania would follow, with the inventive Tobi Coker cutting inside with the ball from the right flank, before hitting a low effort on his right foot on goal, which was saved, but not gathered by Tiernan Parker. Tomas Mendes then managed to get on the ball, and round the goalkeeper before hitting the side-netting of the goal.

This was a very good and competitive game of football. Gavin Kelsey’s Cockfosters side were superb during the first half, and they could easily have been 3-0 or 4-0 up at half-time. However, FC Romania improved during the second half, but Cockfosters were resilient defensively, and were always alert, with maybe the exception being for the equalising goal. Harrison Rookard was my player of the match on Wednesday. The Cockfosters centre-forward impressed greatly with his leading of the line, hold-up play and link play. He is a very physical centre-forward, who despite not adding to his league goal tally of 22 goals tonight, was excellent during his time on the pitch.