Non-League and Academy football writer

The match that I attended on Saturday afternoon was an Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture between AS Rapid Londra and CSM London, at Lakeside Sports Ground. AS Rapid Londra had impressively won 7-0 against Bakers 693, in their opening league match of the season. CSM London had already played two league matches, going into Saturday’s match, and they had convincingly won both of those matches. This step 7 match was an excellent one, which saw CSM London win the game 4-3. CSM London started the game well. An early and well delivered cross from Nana-Sika Sarfo towards the back post of the Rapid Londra goal, was met by Jesse Jones, whose header came off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, before being cleared away. A deflected effort on goal (soon after) from Dylan Flynn, would see Jesse Jones receive the ball in space, inside of the Rapid Londra penalty area. However, Jones’ low effort on goal was saved and gathered by the Rapid Londra goalkeeper, Danut Fundulea.

Shortly after Rapid Londra player Dumitru Trofim had hit an effort wide of the CSM London goal (on the bounce) from distance, the visiting side would take an early lead. Some good work from Jesse Jones on the left flank (just outside of the penalty area) would result in him delivering a powerful low ball to Michael Payne, inside of the box. Payne’s good cushioned lay off to Luke McElroy, saw McElroy hit a low and powerful volleyed effort, into the goal, 0-1. CSM London player Nana-Sika Sarfo would get to Jesse Jones’ ball on the right-hand side of the home team’s box, before having a powerful effort on goal which was well pushed away by Danut Fundulea. Shortly after that chance for Will Brobby’s side, they would create another chance, as the highly skilful Dylan Flynn traveled inside from the right flank, before hitting a powerful dipping effort, just over the home team’s goal.

A couple of minutes after Dylan Flynn had gone close to doubling CSM London’s lead, the winger would skilfully work his way around two Rapid Londra defenders inside of their penalty area. Flynn would then hit a low and powerful effort, which went just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Flynn would create another chance for himself soon after, with his effort from the edge of the Rapid Londra box, being saved and gathered by Danut Fundulea. And then (the pace of the game had now picked up further) after Danut Mihalache had hit a deflected effort on the CSM London goal, which was deflected behind for a corner-kick, CSM London would go forward with the ball. A matter of minutes after the lively Dylan Flynn had hit a low effort wide of the Rapid Londra goal, from the edge of their penalty area, the visiting side would double their lead in the match. Luke McElroy’s well delivered corner-kick into the centre of the Rapid Londra box, was met by Michael Payne. After the defender had leapt up well, before then powering a headed effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2.

Although CSM London had started this match extremely well, the home side would stun them, by scoring two goals in quick succession. Their first goal came after Vlad Bucur had passed the ball from the right-hand side of the CSM London penalty area, to Federico Ardei, in the centre of the box. From where the Rapid Londra forward would round the goalkeeper, before finishing low into the goal from close range, 1-2. And then almost instantly after that goal and once play had resumed, Ionut Labunt’s corner-kick delivery into the away side’s box, was met by the unmarked Vlad Bucur, who headed home at the back post, 2-2. After Ionut Labunt had hit a powerful and low effort on the CSM London goal, which was well pushed behind by their goalkeeper, Dylan Walsh, CSM London would go onto create two more chances before half-time. 

A great cross from the impressive Josh Duah, found Jesse Jones inside of the Rapid Londra box, at the back post. However, his good headed effort went just over the goal. And then a couple of moments later, Dylan Flynn’s cross into the home team’s box, was met by the diving header of Luke McElroy, whose effort was saved by Danut Fundulea. Early on in the second half and after CSM London had initially started well, Luke McElroy would show some good skill on the edge of the Rapid Londra penalty area, before then hitting an effort over their goal. After a lofted forward pass had found Bogdan Toana (he was through on goal) inside the centre of the CSM London box, the Rapid Londra player was met by Walsh, who had saved his resulting effort well.

Following that fine chance for Rapid Londra, the home side would take the lead for the first time in the match. It was a special goal from the same player, Bogdan Toana, who after latching onto the ball over 25 yards out from goal, would send an exquisite lobbed effort over goalkeeper Dylan Walsh. Despite Walsh’s very best efforts as he sprinted back to his goal-line, he was unable to stop the ball from going into the goal, 2-3. However, this very open match was far from over, and around three minutes after Ionut Labunt had hit an effort wide of Dylan Walsh’s goal from the edge of his penalty area, CSM London would draw level in the game. Dylan Flynn’s ball into the centre of the Rapid Londra box, was excellently met by Bashiru Abubaker, who powerfully headed the ball into the goal, 3-3.

The game would finish in a very end to end fashion. Luke McElroy would have an outside of the boot effort (from the edge of the home side’s box) which was saved by Danut Fundulea, before Jesse Jones came close to winning the game late on, for CSM London. As his good and skilful run to the edge of the Rapid Londra box, resulted in him hitting an effort just wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. At the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of minutes later, substitute Nicusor Buzatu had a low effort from the edge of the away team’s penalty area, which was gathered by Walsh. This was before CSM London scored a dramatic late winner, deep into second half additional time. After a free-kick had been awarded on the edge of the home team’s penalty area, Dylan Flynn elected to take it. His lofted delivery into the box was headed across goal by substitute Ritchie Palata, to Jesse Jones at the back post. The CSM London forward would finish into the goal from close range, as all of the CSM London players and coaches celebrated together.

This was a very eventful and entertaining match, although I did think that in terms of chances created, that the winning side (CSM London) did deserve their win. Rapid Londra came back into the game really well, and although they were more direct than CSM London, they did play some impressive football. I thought that their player of the match was Vlad Bucur. CSM London showed great determination and togetherness as a team, to win this game and to maintain their 100% start to the season, and they never gave up. CSM London player Jesse Jones was my overall player of the match, with the forward doing some really good work in the forward areas of the pitch, and he deserved to score that very late winning goal, and on another day he could have scored a hat-trick. However, there were many other contenders for this player of the match award, such as Luke McElroy, Nana-Sika Sarfo and Dylan Flynn.