Non-League and Academy football writer

London Samurai Rovers welcomed PFC Victoria London to Rectory Meadow, for this Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture, on Saturday afternoon. Both sides were looking to end the year with a win. London Samurai Rovers started this match in 21st place in the league (after 24 matches played), with PFC Victoria London starting this game in 16th place in the league table, after 24 matches played. This really good contest between two former sides of the Middlesex County Football League, would finish 2-1 to PFC Victoria. Started at a great pace, London Samurai would play a couple of good early lofted passes in behind the PFC Victoria defence, during the early stages of the game. However, the first chance of the game was created by the visiting team, as after Joe Stabler had got to the ball just inside of the home team’s penalty area, he would lift the ball towards the goal, with the ball being cleared off the goal-line by a defender.

After Takuo Jitsukawa had headed an effort wide of the away team’s goal, after meeting Mizuki Mukoyoshi’s well delivered corner-kick into the penalty area, a pass back to the PFC Victoria goalkeeper (Filip Chalupniczak picked the ball up), a free-kick would be awarded to London Samurai, inside of the penalty area. However, Goran Babic’s curling effort following a short lay-off, went narrowly wide of the goal. London Samurai were playing their passing game with great confidence, and it was causing problems for PFC Victoria. A good move from the home side (a couple of minutes after the free-kick chance) would result in Haruma Yunome getting to a low cross inside of the PFC Victoria box, but his resulting effort was excellently cleared off the goal-line by Jakub Malczuk. Takuo Jitsukawa would then hit an effort over the PFC Victoria goal, from the right-hand side of their penalty area. 

London Samurai continued to create chances, and shortly after another good passing move had this time resulted in Haruma Yunome’s low cross (from the left flank) finding Takuo Jitsukawa, on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria penalty area, his effort was then well saved by Filip Chalupniczak. An excellent passing move from the home side followed, in the PFC Victoria half of the pitch. Starting with their captain, Patrick Harvey, who passed the ball to Ryosei Komine, the midfielder then played a pass through to Ryoga Miyata, on the left-hand side of the home side’s penalty area, but the alert Filip Chalupniczak was quick to close down the angles and make a good save. A couple of moments later, from the resulting corner-kick Bola Okeowo would head a good effort on goal. But Artem Karakaptan would head the ball onto the crossbar, doing really well on the goal-line. 

The pace that this game was being played at was very good. PFC Victoria were having to defend resiliently to stop London Samurai from going ahead, but the home side continued to create. Shortly after Ryoga Miyata had went forward with the ball at pace into the PFC Victoria box, his resulting powerful effort from a difficult angle was well pushed over his goal by Filip Chalupniczak. Oliwier Kaczmarek would then hit an effort wide of the London Samurai goal from distance, before a free-kick in a promising position was awarded to London Samurai, out on the left flank. Haruma Yunome’s ball into the PFC Victoria penalty area was flicked on by Bola Okeowo, to Goran Babic, whose good volleyed effort went narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post.  A couple of minutes after Takuo Jitsukawa had been sin-binned, in first half additional time, PFC Victoria would capitalise and take the lead in the game. Some good work from Liam Stabler on the left flank would result in the youngster delivering a good cross to the centre of the London Samurai penalty area, picking out Nataniel Zolnierek, who jumped up to power a header into the goal, 0-1.

London Samurai (still without their centre-forward) would start the second half positively. And not long at all after Ryoga Miyata had picked the ball up on the right flank (he was 30 yards out from goal), he would hit a really good looping effort over the PFC Victoria goalkeeper, with the ball then bouncing off the pitch and just over the goal, London Samurai would then be awarded a penalty. As following a foul on the impressive Haruma Yunome, in the centre of the away team’s penalty area, the referee would point immediately to the penalty spot. Haruma Yunome would step up to finish well from the penalty spot, into the right-hand side of the goal, 1-1. After Ryoga Miyata had worked the ball to the left-hand side of the PFC Victoria penalty area, the London Samurai winger would see his effort deflected wide off a defender, past the goalkeeper’s near post, soon after the restart.

PFC Victoria would improve further during the second half, and after Nataniel Zolnierek had hit an effort, from the edge of the London Samurai penalty area, just over their goal, there would be a bit of a quiet spell in the game in terms of chances created. However, PFC Victoria would manage the game really well, and in the 82nd minute of the game they would score what turned out to be the decisive goal of the game. This didn’t come without controversy, however. Substitute Piotr Murawski’s corner-kick delivery hit the base of the London Samurai goalkeeper’s near post, with a bit of a scramble inside of the penalty area seeing the home side unable to clear the ball away, as the impressive Oliwier Kaczmarek managed to flick the ball into the goal from close range. The London Samurai players would appeal to the referee that the corner-kick delivery had hit the wheel of the goal, and this was why Patrick Harvey was subsequently sin-binned straight after the goal.

PFC Victoria would once again look to make their numerical advantage count. Substitute Milan Czerwonka (his main position is as a goalkeeper!) would head an effort over the home team’s goal, after meeting Piotr Murawski’s cross inside of the penalty area. And then around three minutes later London Samurai would go very close to scoring a very late equalising goal. The chance again came from talented London Samurai winger Ryoga Miyata, who took the ball down the left-hand side of the away team’s penalty area, and he looked likely to score, but for a great and hugely important save from the outrushing Filip Chalupniczak. There was a bit of a coming together between both sets of players in second half additional time, which resulted in three yellow cards being shown by the referee. There was however, time for one final chance in this game, as Takuo Jitsukawa connected with the ball following a long throw-in into the PFC Victoria penalty area, but his overhead effort went over the goal.

This was a fantastic fast paced game of football. Both London Samurai and PFC Victoria played some excellent football during this match, but PFC Victoria’s game management was excellent, even though London Samurai were very unfortunate not to have got something from this game. However, real credit must go to PFC Victoria, who really did see out difficult spells in the match to get the win. There were so many impressive performances (from both teams) today, with Mizuki Mukoyoshi, Daniel Alawode, Ryogo Miyata, Jakub Malczuk, Joe Stabler, Nataniel Zolnierek, and Filip Chalupniczak just some of the contenders for my player of the match award. However, I’m going to pick Liam Stabler as my player of the match, from this game. On the left-hand side of the pitch he demonstrated some really good balance to his game. He was very impressive defensively, but he also got forward with the ball well, on occasions. Liam Stabler would provide a fine assist for Nataniel Zolnierek’s goal, during the first half.