Non-League and Academy football writer

Lymore Gardens’ home Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture versus Chadwell Heath Spartans, was played at Oakside Stadium on Friday night. Lymore Gardens started this game in fourth place in the Senior Division standings after 10 league matches played. After 11 league matches played, Chadwell Heath Spartans started this game in 9th place in the league standings. This step 7 match was won 5-1 by Chadwell Heath Spartans, who put in an outstanding team performance. The game was started at a good pace, and after Tyrique Peters had passed the ball to Dylan Roberts on the edge of the Spartans’ penalty area, with Roberts seeing his deflected effort go over, the visiting side would take an early lead. A good through-ball pass from Jaiden Buntin, would find the run of Brandon Johnson, in behind the Lymore Gardens defence. Johnson would continue into the home team’s penalty area, before finishing well into the goal, with a powerful side-footed finish, 0-1.

Aaron Hunwicks’ Chadwell Heath Spartans side had started the game well, and soon after taking the lead in the game Brandon Johnson would win the ball, before hitting a low effort on the Lymore Gardens goal, which was gathered by Ben Greig. A couple of minutes later Lymore Gardens player George Dwobeng would receive the ball on the edge of the Spartans’ penalty area, before hitting an effort just over their goal. And then soon after that effort, Chadwell Heath Spartans would double their lead in the game. After Ben Greig had rushed out of his penalty area to clear the ball, Brandon Johnson would manage to get to the ball. However, from some 25 yards out, his resulting effort then appeared to be handled by the Lymore Gardens goalkeeper, outside of his penalty area. After the referee had consulted the linesman on the near side, Ben Greig was shown a yellow card by the referee. From the following free-kick (it was from between 25 and 30 yards out) the Spartans’ captain Billy Gipp would hit a brilliant effort with power and dip, which went into the left-hand side of the Lymore Gardens goal, 0-2.

Lymore Gardens tried to respond after going two goals down, early on in the game. After Billy Barr had found Johneli Lungikisa on the right-hand side of the Spartans’ penalty area, Lungikisa would hit a good effort on goal which was well kept out by Joshua Woodrow, with Barr then hitting an effort over on the follow-up. A couple of minutes later Lymore Gardens player George Dwobeng would get to a rebound on the edge of the away team’s box, before hitting a low effort on goal which was gathered by Woodrow. Soon after that chance however, and after Chadwell Heath Spartans had continued to manage the game well, Chadwell Heath Spartans would get their third goal of the game. It came however, just after a well worked move would see Brandon Johnson pass the ball to Marvin Luzinda, who had hit an effort over the Lymore Gardens goal, from the edge of their box. And then that third goal of the game for the visitors came from a good long ball up the pitch, from defence. As Peter Adeleye showed great tenacity to chase down Papa Ndiaye, whose clearance was met by Adeleye, who then surged into the Lymore Gardens box before rounding the goalkeeper and finishing low into the goal, 0-3.

Just before half-time Brandon Johnson would find Jaiden Buntin, who whipped a good effort over Ben Greig’s goal from distance. Lymore Gardens would start the second half of the game well. Following Ryo Brown’s powerful effort from the edge of the Spartans’ penalty area which was saved by Woodrow, two free-kick efforts from Dylan Roberts in decent areas followed (one was saved by Woodrow, and the other one went over). However, Dylan Roberts would score a brilliant goal soon after, as after receiving a pass from Billy Barr, on the edge (right-hand side) of the Spartans’ penalty area, he would power an unstoppable effort into the left corner of the goal, 1-3. Aaron Hunwicks’ Chadwell Heath Spartans side would respond superbly well, and they wouldn’t allow Lymore Gardens to get back into the game any further.

A wonderful free-kick delivery (from out on the left flank) into the centre of the home team’s penalty area by Aaron Hunwicks, would see the ball be met in the air by Harry Goodwin, whose powerful headed effort went into the goal off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, 1-4. Then, another great move involving the very influential Brandon Johnson, would see the Chadwell Heath Spartans forward receive substitute Ryan O’Connell’s pass, before then setting O’Connell through on goal, picking him out with a fine pass to the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. However, O’Connell would hit a powerful effort into the side-netting of the goal. Although the Chadwell Heath Spartans substitute would get his goal a couple of minutes later, with Brandon Johnson getting to a long pass upfield. Johnson would then show fine skill to cut inside with the ball onto his left foot on the right-hand side of the Lymore Gardens penalty area, and then just float a ball towards the back post, with O’Connell there to power a fine header into the goal, 1-5.

Chadwell Heath Spartans would expertly see out the remaining minutes of the game. The excellent Joe Robb would make a tremendous sliding challenge inside of the Spartans’ penalty area, allowing the away side to hit the ball up the pitch, as Ryan O’Connell met a long pass, with him continuing forward with the ball at pace, before being tripped by Papa Ndiaye on the edge of the Lymore box. Papa Ndiaye was shown a red card by the referee, with Billy Gipp’s resulting low free-kick effort around the wall being saved by Ben Greig. This was an outstanding team performance from Chadwell Heath Spartans, in which they showed great game management throughout, as well as quality all over the pitch. The Spartans really deserved this win, against a very good Lymore Gardens side.

The whole Spartans side was very good, and therefore there were many contenders for my player of the match award, with the excellent Brandon Johnson, Jaiden Buntin, Peter Adeleye and Aaron Hunwicks, just some of the real contenders for this award. However the Spartans’ right-back Joe Robb was absolutely outstanding on Friday night. He anticipated the play so well, making some great challenges and showing impeccable reading of the game in defence, and so he was my player of the match from this game.