Non-League and Academy football writer

Haringey Borough Under 23s welcomed Lymore Gardens to Coles Park for this big Friday night Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture. Haringey Borough Under 23s started this league fixture in seventh place in the league standings, after eight league games played. Lymore Gardens started this game in third place in the league, after nine league matches played. This step 7 match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Haringey Borough (the average age of their team was around 18) playing the whole of the second half with ten men, although they showed great maturity, talent and determination to still get something from the game, against a very good Lymore Gardens side.

The early stages of the game saw a couple of early efforts. For Lymore Gardens, after spotting the Haringey goalkeeper slightly off his line, Billy Barr would hit an effort from distance over the goal. And then shortly after that effort, Tyrique Peters would hit an effort wide of the Haringey goal from distance. There was a good early pace to the game, as both sides tried to get control of the game. With Haringey player Louis Maffia getting to a loose ball on the edge of the Lymore penalty area, the midfielder would then hit a powerful low effort on goal, which was saved by goalkeeper Tom Simon, before then being cleared away by a defender. 

Shortly after Tyrique Peters had hit an effort wide of Haringey goalkeeper Enrique Kalsi’s goal, Lymore managed to create a good and well worked chance. As Billy Barr held the ball up on the left flank, he would then roll the ball to Dylan Roberts, who would pass the ball to Munnir Saad, on the left-hand side of the Haringey penalty area. Saad’s powerful effort on goal was however, pushed away well by Enrique Kalsi. At the opposite end of the pitch a couple of minutes later, the experienced Papa Ndiaye made an excellent challenge on Cairo Kelly, inside of the Lymore penalty area. And then, a couple of moments later and after he had travelled forward with the ball through the middle of the pitch, Stephane Mgbada would hit an effort from the edge of the Lymore box, wide of their goal.

During the latter stages of the first half of this game and not long at all after Louis Maffia had an effort from distance which was gathered by Tom Simon in the Lymore goal, Haringey had a player sent off. The challenge from David Martins on a Lymore player resulting in the referee showing the Haringey defender a straight red card, before sounding his whistle for half-time a couple of minutes later. Despite starting the second half with ten men, Haringey Borough started it really well. And a couple of minutes after Ibuchi Johnson had received the ball on the edge of the away team’s penalty area before having a low effort on goal which was gathered by Tom Simon, the home side took the lead in the game. Ibuchi Johnson would pick the ball up on the right flank, before continuing forward with the ball, before then sending a low cross deep into the Lymore penalty area. A Lymore defender was just unable to get the ball away from the goal at the back post, with Mohamed Keita there to finish past the goalkeeper from close range, 1-0.

Lee Benjamin’s Lymore Gardens side would respond well to Haringey’s fine start to the second half, with a good deep cross into the Haringey box from Tyrique Peters, finding Gaston Mendy. But his low volleyed effort on goal was gathered by Enrique Kalsi. Soon after that chance, Lymore Gardens would score an equalising goal. Dylan Roberts’ fine curling cross (from the right flank) into the Haringey box, was met by Billy Barr, who managed to make contact with the ball, as he found the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. Lymore Gardens were now enjoying a good spell in the second half, as they now looked to take the lead in the game. Gravlyn Kitondo had a low effort from distance which was saved by Enrique Kalsi. And then shortly after that effort on goal, Lymore Gardens came so close to taking the lead from a corner-kick. As Tyrique Peters had headed an effort against the Haringey crossbar, before a teammate volleyed the ball over on the follow-up.

With ten men, this young Haringey Borough Under 23s side were showing tremendous management of the game, in my opinion. They were using the ball well, and when they did manage to get the ball into the final third of the pitch, they were looking like they were going to create chances. That is exactly what they managed to do well into the second half. Lymore were a bit unfortunate with the ball ricocheting to Mohamed Keita right on the edge of their penalty area, as the forward took the ball into the box before clinically finishing low into the goal, 2-1.

Haringey Borough Under 23s were really trying to see out the remainder of the game, after having regained the lead. Towards the end of the game Haringey substitute Albie Tyler would hit an effort from the edge of the Lymore box, on goal, but it was gathered by Tom Simon. However, very late on in the match Lymore Gardens did manage to get a late equalising goal. The goal came from a good corner-kick delivery into the Haringey penalty area, as Gravlyn Kitondo was able to head the ball on (from the centre of the penalty area) to Johneli Lungikisa at the back post of Enrique Kalsi’s goal, and he was able to tap the ball into the goal from close range, 2-2.

Both sides played positive football during the final minutes of the game, as they both looked to get all three points, but this game would end 2-2. This was a great game of football in the Senior Division on Friday night. I think overall that a draw was probably quite a fair result, between two sides who really approached the game well. Lymore Gardens are a tremendous footballing side, and they’ll obviously be disappointed that they couldn’t get yet another win, especially against ten men during the second half, but it’s a long season, and they’ll be looking forward to returning to winning ways soon. Haringey Borough Under 23s were tactically very astute I thought, especially playing the whole of the second half with ten men, against such a good side, so real credit must go to their team, for their performance. 

There were a number of players who I could have given my player of the match award to, on Friday. However, I thought that with his two very important goals and work in the final third, that Haringey Borough’s left winger (he was substituted on in the second half) Mohamed Keita (16) was the player of the match.