Non-League and Academy football writer

In a Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture (on Tuesday night, at Bedfont Sports Club), FC Deportivo Galicia faced PFC Victoria London. FC Deportivo Galicia started this match in 20th place in the league table, after 31 games played, with PFC Victoria London starting the match in 11th place in the table, after 27 games played. This step 6 match was won 2-0 by the home side, FC Deportivo Galicia. PFC Victoria started this match well, and shortly after Liam Stabler had volleyed over a good cross to the left-hand side of the Deportivo penalty area, the visitors would create a good chance. As Oliwier Kaczmarek laid the ball off to Roman Virstiuk, on the edge of the home team’s penalty area, with Virstiuk’s powerful first time effort going narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Mateusz Czekalski’s PFC Victoria side were now confidently playing their football, with this resulting in them creating further good goalscoring chances.

Liam Stabler would see his low cross into the Deportivo penalty area, be met by Oliwier Kaczmarek, whose first time effort from the centre of the box, would go just wide of the goal. And then a couple of minutes later a powerful low cross from the left flank, by Roman Virstiuk, was parried by the Deportivo goalkeeper, Kacper Zapieraczynski, with Maciej Tajs’ effort on the follow-up, from close range, clipping the goalkeeper’s left-hand post on its way behind. PFC Victoria goalkeeper Filip Chałupniczak would make his first save of the match, to gather a Deportivo effort on his goal from 20 yards out. A couple of minutes after that effort, Deportivo captain Hassan Togba would hit a superb, powerful and moving effort (from distance) on the PFC Victoria goal, which was really well tipped onto his crossbar, by Chałupniczak. However, PFC Victoria would finish the first half strongly.

Following Joe Stabler’s effort from distance, which went wide of the Deportivo goal, Tymoteusz Supernak managed to get to the ball down the left-hand side of the Deportivo box, soon after. His effort on the half-volley however, would go just wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. And then right on the stroke of half-time, a free-kick was awarded to the away side, around 20 yards out from the Deportivo goal. Roman Virstiuk’s resulting floated side-footed effort, would go narrowly wide of Kacper Zapieraczynski’s left-hand post. PFC Victoria would continue, during the early stages of the second half, in a similar fashion to how they had finished the first half. And a good chance for the away side, would once again see them go very close to taking the lead. As Tymoteusz Supernak managed to meet a short pass to the left-hand side of the Deportivo box. His resulting powerful effort on goal was well pushed away by Kacper Zapieraczynski, with Joe Stabler then hitting an effort over on the follow-up, from relatively close range.

After Maciej Tajs had hit an effort on the turn, on the Deportivo goal, which was gathered well by Kacper Zapieraczynski, PFC Victoria’s captain, Jakub Malczuk, would go on a bit of a forward run through the middle of the pitch, soon after that effort from Maciej Tajs. However, Jakub Malczuk’s low effort on goal was gathered by Kacper Zapieraczynski. In the 67th minute of the game, an improved Deportivo side would take the lead. With Pedram Pishdar getting to a flick on, on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, with the Deportivo number nine lobbing Filip Chałupniczak, who was slightly off his line, as the ball found the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Shortly after the game had restarted again, a lofted ball in behind the away team’s defence would result in a Deportivo player seeing his effort from the edge of the PFC Victoria box, be deflected behind off a defender, for a corner-kick. 

PFC Victoria tried to get an equalising goal against a defensively resolute Deportivo side. Following some good pressing from Yurii Kohuch, to win the ball down the right-hand side of the home team’s box, his resulting, powerful effort would go wide of Filip Chałupniczak’s goal. And then soon after, in the 77th minute of the game, Deportivo would score their second goal of the game, this time as the result of a fine set-piece goal. After having had a free-kick awarded on the edge of the PFC Victoria box, Pablo Gonzalo stepped up to take the free-kick. And the impressive Deportivo midfielder would curl a really fine effort on goal, which hit the underside of the goalkeeper’s crossbar, before bouncing past the goal-line, 2-0. The game would really liven up during the latter stages of the second half. A header on goal from Arkadiusz Wilk, after he had met Brajan Czekalski’s cross, was gathered by the very reliable Kacper Zapieraczynski, before (around three minutes later), Jakub Malczuk had hit an effort over from the edge of the Deportivo box, after getting to a corner-kick delivery.

There was to be a bit of late drama in the final minutes of this contest, with PFC Victoria being awarded a very late penalty, a couple of moments after Deportivo player Adam Nejjary had got to a pass on the edge of the PFC Victoria box, and side-footed an effort wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. However, at the opposite end of the pitch, Maciej Tajs’ effort from the penalty spot was well anticipated and saved by Kacper Zapieraczynski, with Arkadiusz Wilk then hitting an effort over on the follow-up, and from close range (on the half-volley). PFC Victoria were left to regret their missed goalscoring opportunities, particularly during the first half. However, a well organised Deportivo side really battled well as a team, showing good game management, to capitalise on this and win the game by scoring two relatively late goals.

For Deportivo, I was impressed with their goalkeeper Kacper Zapieraczynski, who had a really fine game in goal for the home side. I also thought that Deportivo midfielder Pablo Gonzalo (he scored a fine free-kick goal) had a really fine game, and I thought that he was Deportivo’s player of the match. However, my overall player of the match was PFC Victoria player Carlos Angulo. PFC Victoria defender Carlos Angulo really showed his quality in defence. Defending very well on the right-hand side of the pitch, the youngster won so many of his defensive duals, as well as going on some good forward forays with the ball. Carlos was very reliable in defence, impressing with his positioning and reading of the game. Also, a mention for PFC Victoria winger Roman Virstiuk, who impressed (particularly in the first half) and showed some good balance to his game.