Non-League and Academy football writer

This Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division Cup quarter-final tie, was between Lymore Gardens, and Kulture FC, on Monday night at The Techsoc Stadium. Lymore Gardens went into this game in very good league form, with them currently in third place in the Senior Division table, after 17 league matches played. Kulture, a club who beat Waltham Forest Borough in the previous round of this competition, are currently in 11th place in the Senior Division standings, after 18 league matches played. This step 7 cup-tie was won on penalties, by Kulture, with the scores tied at 1-1, after 90 minutes. Both sides started this game at a good pace, but it was Lymore Gardens who started the game better, going forward. The first effort of the game came from Lymore Gardens player Dylan Roberts, who after cutting inside with the ball on the right-hand side of the Kulture penalty area, he would hit a powerful low effort on goal. However, the Kulture goalkeeper, Kris Ozols got a strong hand to the ball, to push it away.

Soon after Dylan Roberts’ fine effort on goal, Lymore Gardens player Malik Donaldson would curl an effort just over the Kulture goal, from 25 yards out. Both sides were passing the ball around well, during the opening stages of this game. Kulture’s first effort on goal of the game, came courtesy of an effort on the turn (on the left-hand side of the Lymore penalty area), from Landry Gogoa, whose effort was gathered by the Lymore goalkeeper, Sid Nayar. And then a couple of minutes later, a good cross from the right flank, from Dylan Roberts, found the run of Munnir Saad, in the centre of the Kulture box, but his volleyed effort went over the goal. And then at the opposite end of the pitch, Landry Gogoa would receive the ball on the right-hand side of the Lymore box, but his deflected effort went just wide of the goalkeeper’s near post.

Lymore Gardens would finish the second half quite strongly. A lofted effort from Munnir Saad, from 30 yards out, would dip just over the Kulture goal, before (a couple of minutes later) a great through-ball pass from Ryo Brown, in midfield, would find the run of Munnir Saad, down the right-hand side of the Kulture box. But, the outrushing Kris Ozols, would hold his lofted effort on goal. And, just before half-time, Kulture’s centre-forward, Landry Gogoa, managed to get to a lofted pass right on the edge of the Lymore penalty area. His resulting lobbed effort went over narrowly over the goalkeeper’s crossbar. Early on in the second half, Lymore Gardens player Tyrique Peters managed to get to a clearance, on the edge of the Kulture penalty area, but his powerful first time effort was bravely blocked behind off Carl Adiku.

Following quite a long quiet spell in this well contested match, the next chance of the game would result in the opening goal of the game being scored. And that opening goal of the game came for Lymore Gardens, as David Gillespie’s clever whipped low ball from out on the left flank, came to Tyrique Peters on the right-hand side of the Kulture box, with Peters finishing, via a deflection off a sliding Kulture defender, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Soon after taking the lead, and after play had resumed, David Gillespie would win a challenge on the edge of the Kulture box, with the ball then running through to Dylan Roberts, in the centre of the box, but his low effort on goal was well saved by Ozols. And then, not long after that good chance for Lymore Gardens, Kulture would draw level in this cup-tie. With substitute Scott Durojaiye connecting with Abdi Ali’s well delivered and accurate cross from the left flank, to the centre of the Lymore box, with Durojaiye powerfully heading the ball home, into the goal, after meeting the ball, 1-1.

Kenneth Boateng’s Kulture side would get to a loose pass inside of the Lymore Gardens penalty area, very soon after the game had resumed. But, there was a crucial last ditch challenge on Scott Durojaiye, to stop an almost certain second goal of the game, for him. It was then Lymore’s turn to create some more good goalscoring chances. Firstly, Tyrique Peters would skip past a challenge, to enter the centre of the Kulture box, but his resulting low effort on goal was well saved by the feet of Kris Ozols. And then a couple of minutes later, a free-kick was awarded to Lymore Gardens, right on the edge of the Kulture penalty area. Gravlyn-Boss Kitondo’s curling free-kick effort on goal was parried by Ozols, with Charlie McCarthy then doing superbly well to clear an effort off the goal-line, on the follow-up. Just before the referee had brought the second half of this match to an end, Kulture player Alex Awobimpe had hit a powerful effort on the Lymore goal, from the edge of their penalty area, which was well kept out by Sid Nayar.

On to penalties, and to recap, after five penalties (each) taken, the score was 2-2. Scott Durojaiye would calmly make it 3-2 from the penalty spot, after that however, Kris Ozols would make a decisive save, to win the game for Kulture, who progress into the semi-finals of the Senior Division Cup, in their debut season in the competition. This was a really well contested cup-tie, between two sides who showed great heart and desire on the pitch, throughout. There might not have been loads of good goalscoring chances, but it was a real pity that this game, between two really fine sides, had to be decided on penalties. However, it really was a game of fine margins, and Kulture really had to work extremely hard, and be very patient to get back into the game, and then ultimately win the tie on penalties.

For Lymore Gardens, I thought that their goalscorer, Tyrique Peters, Dylan Roberts, and Munnir Saad, were all contenders for the player of the match award. However, for Kulture, Theo Jones (once again he was such a leader in central midfield, having a very calming effect on the game), Abdi Ali, and influential second half substitute, former Spurs Academy player, Scott Durojaiye, were also real contenders for my player of the match award. But, I’m going to name young Kulture goalkeeper Kris Ozols, as my player of the match, for making some important saves at crucial moments in the game, for the north London side.