Non-League and Academy football writer

Feltham FC faced Indian Gymkhana Club in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture, at Spelthorne Sports Club on Wednesday evening. Feltham started this match in 17th place in the league, with Indian Gymkhana Club starting the game in 11th place in the league. This step 7 match would end in dramatic fashion, with the home side getting a superb winning goal, very late on in the match, as it finished 2-1. Not long after Feltham player Daniel Kimpiob-Antale had hit a low effort on the Indian Gymkhana goal, which was gathered by their goalkeeper (Harjot Bansal), Indian Gymkhana Club would take the lead in the game. The first goal of the game arrived after Amit Brar had headed the ball forward to Jigar Kumar, who managed to get on the ball and get in behind the Feltham defence close to the edge of their penalty area. However, Kumar brought the ball into the box before finishing low into the Feltham goal, 0-1. Jigar Kumar had impressed during the opening stages of the game, and he would soon win a penalty, after going across the Feltham defence at pace with the ball, into their penalty area, before being brought down by Jamie Dobson, with the referee immediately pointing to the penalty spot. Jigar Kumar would take the resulting penalty, with his powerful effort being well kept out by Feltham goalkeeper Jonny Williams, who was then able to gather Kumar’s effort on the follow-up, to keep Feltham in the game.

Feltham would manage to get back into the game, following Indian Gymkhana’s impressive start. However, after Bradley Wainwright’s free-kick effort from over 25 yards out from goal appeared to have been tipped over the goal by Indian Gymkhana Club’s goalkeeper Harjot Bansal, a corner kick was not awarded by the referee, who wasn’t happy with Wainwright’s protests, as he sent him to the sin bin. Indian Gymkhana would look to capitalise on having an extra man on the pitch, and after Alex Owuadey had hit a low effort from the edge of the Feltham penalty area, wide of their goal, Jigar Kumar would once again manage to get in behind the Feltham defence. This time the forward managed to get to the ball inside the penalty area, but he was unable to get much power on the ball, with Jonny Williams able to make the save. Towards the end of the half, with both teams now having the same number of players on the pitch, the game became much more even. After Bradley Wainwright had volleyed a good cross into the centre of the Indian Gymkhana penalty area into the hands of Harjot Bansal, Indian Gymkhana Club would then go close to doubling their lead, just before half-time.

That fine chance for the away side just before half-time, would see Jitinder Liddar find Nauman Quraishy inside the Feltham box, but Nauman Quraishy’s low effort would hit Jonny Williams’ left-hand post, before the same player had an effort blocked on the follow-up. Indian Gymkhana Club would start the second half in a similar fashion to how they had started the first half. After Jitinder Liddar had an effort from a tight angle on the left side of the Feltham box, well saved by Jonny Williams, Manuel Kingsley-Nyinah would then have an effort on goal from the edge of the Feltham box, which was well kept out by Williams, not long before Feltham managed to get an equalising goal. Following some good work from Saran Sutharsan to get the ball under control (around 20 yards out from goal) he would then play a pass through to Aaron Petch, who was through on goal inside the Indian Gymkhana penalty area. And Aaron Petch would finish well with a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. A couple of minutes after that equalising goal, Aaron Petch was able to get beyond a defender down the right side of the Indian Gymkhana penalty area, before then squaring the ball to Aaron Flower in the centre of the box, but his resulting effort on the turn, went wide of the goal.

Feltham were now the better team in the game, at this stage of the second half. A fine pass from Bradley Wainwright to Aaron Flower on the right-hand side of the Indian Gymkhana penalty area, would result in Flower only just putting the ball across the face of the goal. Following on from that chance, Feltham player Luke Beckwith hit an effort from a rolling ball wide from distance, around five minutes before the referee had shown Alex Owuadey his second yellow card of the game, following a foul from the Indian Gymkhana player. This would undoubtedly boost Feltham’s chances of winning the game. Feltham would continue to push for that winning goal. After Aaron Petch had latched onto Karle Carder-Andrews’ pass on the right-hand side of the Indian Gymkhana box, Aaron Petch would skilfully work his way past a defender, before having a low effort on goal saved by Harjot Bansal. And then, a couple of minutes later, Feltham substitute Pierre Gundrum was able to get in behind the Indian Gymkhana defence, before having a good effort from inside  their box, well blocked by a defender.

Indian Gymkhana Club would almost win the game, against the run of play, late on. Pavindip Kang had received a good pass to the left side of the Feltham penalty area, before cutting inside with the ball onto his right foot, and then hitting a powerful effort just wide of Jonny Williams’ left-hand post. This competitive game would have a really good finale, as Feltham would counter with the ball (from an Indian Gymkhana club corner kick) very late on in the game. Feltham had four players up against two Indian Gymkhana defenders, as Feltham went forward with the ball from inside their own half of the pitch. Aaron Flower would get on the ball on the right flank, and his delivery from the right flank would fall for Aaron Petch on the left side of the Indian Gymkhana penalty area, and he would catch the ball superbly on the volley. Aaron Petch’s fantastic left footed volley would go into the right-hand corner of the goal, with all of the Feltham players rushing over to the corner flag that Aaron Petch had ran over to, to celebrate with him. Feltham showed real character, not only to get back into the game at 1-0 down, but to not stop playing their game, and believing. In my opinion they deserved to win the game, based on their second half performance against Indian Gymkhana Club.

Feltham’s skilful number nine (Aaron Petch) was my player of the match on Wednesday. The match winner did some good work in the forward areas of the pitch, and Aaron Petch took both of his goals really well, with his winning goal of the game being superbly volleyed into the away team’s goal, late on. However, Bradley Wainwright was also very instrumental for Feltham, and he was very good in midfield for them, making some fine forward passes and getting into some good positions. For Indian Gymkhana Club, I thought that their best player on the day, was their goalscorer – Jigar Kumar.