Non-League and Academy football writer

Larkspur Rovers travelled to Tudor Park for this rearranged Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture against PFC Victoria London, on Thursday night. This game was originally scheduled for last Saturday, with Larkspur Rovers being scheduled to play at home prior to it being postponed (it was postponed again on Tuesday, this time at The Robert Parker Stadium). Larkspur Rovers started this match in tenth place in the league, with promotion hopefuls PFC Victoria London starting the game in fourth place, one point off league leaders Pitshanger Dynamo. This step 7 game of football was an entertaining one, which finished in a 2-2 draw, between two very good sides. The game started at a steady pace, but shortly after Larkspur Rovers player Tyejae Burchall had an effort from distance saved by PFC Victoria London goalkeeper Milan Czerwonka, the team who were technically the away side (this is where PFC Victoria London train) would take an early lead in the game. The first goal of the game would come from a speculative effort from distance by the captain Jakub Malczuk, whose effort was partly missed by the Larkspur Rovers goalkeeper (Ryan Gulati), as the ball went into the goal, 0-1.

PFC Victoria London had started the game well, and not long after having taken the lead in the game, their centre-forward Arkadiusz Wilk had a decent goalscoring chance. With Wiktor Dabrowski having found him on the right-hand side of the Larkspur Rovers penalty area, but his powerful resulting effort went over the goal. Larkspur Rovers centre-forward Liam Walford would hit an effort on the bounce over the PFC Victoria London goal, and Larkspur Rovers had by this point in the game started to look better, but they had been defending well throughout the first half. Just before half-time there was a chance for the away side to extend their lead from, as Larkspur Rovers player Andrew Ingram’s headed pass back to the goalkeeper was met by the advancing PFC Victoria London player Arkadiusz Wilk, whose headed effort was gathered by the outrushing Ryan Gulati. Early on in the second half, a Larkspur Rovers corner-kick from Ryan Durrant, which had been delivered into the away team’s penalty area, was met by Lathoosan Jeyathevan, whose looping headed effort on goal was punched away by Milan Czerwonka.

Soon after that chance for Lathoosan Jeyathevan, and after Larkspur Rovers had looked like the better team during the opening stages of the second half, they would get an equalising goal. Bradley Morris’ free-kick delivery into the PFC Victoria London penalty area, from the left flank, would result in Okera Lewis’ glancing header finding Liam Walford, who finished well into the goal from his first time effort, 1-1. After a PFC Victoria London corner kick had found its way to Jakub Matwiejszyn on the edge of the Larkspur Rovers penalty area, he would hit a powerful volleyed effort over the goal. Larkspur Rovers would then create a number of good goalscoring chances. After a free-kick from Bradley Morris had been delivered into the centre of the PFC Victoria London box, Lathoosan Jeyathevan’s (he was in space inside the penalty area) headed effort went over the goal. And then a couple of minutes later, Larkspur Rovers were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the PFC Victoria London penalty area. The impressive Okera Lewis elected to take it, but his curling effort on goal was saved by Milan Czerwonka. Larkspur Rovers player Liam Walford would also take a free-kick from close to the PFC Victoria London box, soon after, but he was also denied by the goalkeeper.

PFC Victoria London would respond quite well to Larkspur Rovers’ impressive start to the second half, and shortly after Kacper Nozka had an effort from inside the Larkspur Rovers penalty area, blocked behind for a corner kick by Bradley Morris, the away side managed to regain the lead. The goal came from a free-kick which was taken by Roman Virstiuk, some 30 yards out from goal on the right-hand side of the pitch. His powerful effort managed to go past the goalkeeper and into the Larkspur Rovers goal, 2-1. However, less than five minutes later Larkspur Rovers managed to draw level once again. The goal came from Bradley Morris’ corner kick into the PFC Victoria London box, being headed home by Liam Walford at the near post, after some good movement from the centre-forward, and the goalkeeper being unable to keep the ball out of the goal, 2-2. Towards the end of what had been a good match, Kacper Nozka hit an effort over the Larkspur Rovers goal from the edge of their penalty area, before Larkspur Rovers player Lathoosan Jeyathevan volleyed a decent effort from the edge of the away team’s box, over their goal, at the opposite end of the pitch.

This was a very competitive game of football, and I was particularly impressed with how Larkspur Rovers played as a team against such a good PFC Victoria London side. They defended really well, with Bradley Morris, Okera Lewis, Andrew Ingram, captain Anthony Byfield and Ryan Durrant all making it very difficult for the PFC Victoria London players to create good goalscoring chances in and around their penalty area, and the Larkspur Rovere defence communicated really well to one another, and were very assertive in their defending. Liam Walford also impressed, as he scored a brace for Larkspur Rovers. Also, the home side managed the game well, I thought, and in the second half they were in my opinion the better side, against a very good and well organised PFC Victoria London team. Larkspur Rovers central-defender Okera Lewis was excellent in everything that he did on Thursday. He was very assertive in how he defended, but he also showed good skill on the ball on the occasions that he carried it out from defence, as well as making some important defensive decisions. Lewis also provided the assist for Liam Walford’s first goal for the game.