Non-League and Academy football writer

South Bank Cuaco and Old Parmiterians’ first teams faced each other on Saturday afternoon, in a Southern Amateur League Division Three fixture, at Dulwich Sports Ground. South Bank Cuaco started this match in seventh place in the Division Three standings, after three league matches played. Old Parmiterians started this match in second place in the table, after four league matches played. This match was won 3-0 by the home side, South Bank Cuaco, who put in a very good team performance on the day. It was a fast paced start to the game, with the home side, South Bank Cuaco, taking the lead early on in the match. A well worked move would see Joe Thomas pass the ball across, from the right-hand side of the visitors’ penalty area, to Angel Gode, on the left-hand side of the penalty area. Still with a lot of work to do, Angel Gode would skilfully take the ball around an Old Parmiterians defender, before finishing well, into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

Soon after Edward Watson’s South Bank Cuaco side had taken the lead in the game, defender Matt Morrison would glance a header wide of the away team’s goal, following a good corner-kick delivery into their penalty area. Chris McKinley’s Old Parmiterians side would respond well however, creating a number of chances in quick succession. After Emmerson Ndaye had got on the ball on the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, he would hit a decent low effort on goal, which was parried by Phil Wunnerlich, in the South Bank Cuaco goal, before the ball was eventually cleared away. A couple of minutes later Emmerson Ndaye would volley an effort over, from inside of the South Bank Cuaco box, after meeting a cross, just before a promising corner-kick delivery was cleared away by the home side’s defence.

The pace of the game continued to be good, with both sides playing their football positively. South Bank Cuaco would go very close to doubling their lead around the midway point of the first half. As Joe Thomas’ powerful low effort from the edge of the Old Parmiterians penalty area, hit the goalkeeper’s (Khalid Makki) right-hand post. A couple of moments later Khalid Makki would gather a low effort (from 20 yards out) on his goal, before then saving a curling effort (from the edge of his penalty area), from Dhani Heath. A crucial sliding challenge from South Bank Cuaco defender Reece King (inside of the home team’s penalty area) would follow, and then just before the referee had sounded his whistle for half-time, a free-kick would be awarded to Old Parmiterians, right on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. However, Luke Moore’s powerful resulting effort was blocked by the South Bank Cuaco wall.

In the first couple of minutes of the second half, Angel Gode would do well to flick the ball onto Nick Martin, inside of the Old Parmiterians’ penalty area, with Martin then having an effort on goal which was saved by Khalid Makki. However, soon after, at the opposite end of the pitch, the impressive Emmerson Ndaye would show some good pace, to take the ball into the South Bank Cuaco penalty area, from the left flank. However, Phil Wunnerlich did well to save Emmerson Ndaye’s effort on goal with his feet. From a well delivered free-kick (from the left flank) by Luke Moore, the ball came to Kallam Dunn, who nodded an effort wide from inside of the South Bank Cuaco box. I thought that the next goal in this game would be so important as to what the final result would be. And after Old Parmiterians player Scott Moore had fouled Ben Keogh-Burnett down the right-hand side of their penalty area, following a good and skilful run from Keogh-Burnett, the referee would point immediately to the penalty spot. Up stepped Raigon Holder, who calmly and clinically found the top right-hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 2-0.

South Bank Cuaco’s two goal lead would soon turn into a three goal lead, with the home side playing their passing game to really good effect. After Raigon Holder had managed to latch onto the ball over 25 yards out from goal, with the Old Parmiterians goalkeeper out of position, Holder would hit a powerful low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the almost empty goal, 3-0. The home side were now much the better side in terms of chances created, and they kept working hard as a team to create good goalscoring chances. And after Matt Morrison had managed to reach a good lofted pass on the left-hand side of the away team’s penalty area, Morrison would lob the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper, with his fine effort going just wide of the right-hand post. 

South Bank Cuaco had been managing the game really well as it reached its final stages. Old Parmiterians player Akhim Tiyamiyu would volley a late effort over the home team’s goal, after getting to a clearance on the edge of the penalty area, before a really worked move from South Bank Cuaco came very close to resulting in them getting a fourth goal. As after Ben Burnett-Keogh had received a nice lofted pass on the right-hand side of the visitors’ penalty area, Burnett-Keogh would quickly find Angel Gode on the opposite side of the box, with his low effort (on the bounce) being well pushed behind for a corner-kick by Khalid Makki. Very late on in the match, Old Parmiterians would lose possession of the ball right on the edge of their penalty area. This resulted in Raigon Holder picking the ball up before threading a pass through to Angel Gode, who was through on goal inside of the box. However, he didn’t get the second goal that his performance deserved, as Khalid Makki made a good save, with the ball then going behind for another corner-kick. 

South Bank Cuaco really managed this game ever so well. Old Parmiterians got the ball into some fine areas, but such was the well organised and structured defensive unit of the home side, Old Parmiterians found it difficult at times to get efforts away, and get in behind their defence. South Bank Cuaco were the more clinical and creative side on the day, working really well as a team to get the win. There were a number of contenders for my player of the match award, from this game. Raigon Holder (he got two goals), the vocal Josh John, who defended very well for South Bank Cuaco, and also Angel Gode. The South Bank Cuaco forward had an excellent game, with his movement off the ball and skill on it, really impressing me. He got  the first goal of the game, and he was unlucky not to have got a couple more goals on the day.

South Bank Cuaco’s central defender, Reece King, was my player of the match on Saturday afternoon, for his reading of the game and commanding defending. King made some really good defensive interventions during the game, and he was crucial to South Bank Cuaco keeping a clean-sheet.