Non-League and Academy football writer

Lymore Gardens welcomed Waltham Forest Borough to The Techsoc Stadium, for this Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture, on Friday night. Senior Division title challengers, Lymore Gardens started this match in second place in the table, after 19 matches played. Waltham Forest Borough started this match in 12th place in the league table, after 20 matches played. Lymore Gardens won this game 3-1. Waltham Forest Borough started this game really well, taking the lead shortly after the first minute of the game. As after Paulius Ditkevicius had managed to get to a loose ball close to the edge of the Lymore Gardens penalty area, he would pass the ball to Dean Florence, on the left-hand side of the box. After cutting inside with the ball onto his right foot, Florence’s deflected effort on goal would nestle into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

Lymore Gardens player Munnir Saad would manage the home side’s first effort on goal of the game, after his low effort on goal (from the edge of the visitor’s penalty area) was gathered by the Waltham Forest Borough goalkeeper, Brandon Bullman, at his near post. Following on from that effort, Alex Coster would chest the ball down for Dylan Roberts on the edge of Borough’s penalty area, and Roberts’ powerful low first time effort on goal was well gathered by Bullman. Shortly after  Lymore player Malik Donaldson had hit a powerful low effort on the visitor’s goal, from the left-hand side of their box which was well kept out by Bullman, a couple of minutes later and at the opposite end of the pitch, Conor Corrigan hit a low effort from distance, which went wide of the Lymore goal. However, soon after that goal attempt, Lymore Gardens would score an equalising goal. As following a corner-kick, Dylan Roberts would get to the ball out on the right-hand side of the pitch, before curling a great cross towards Maksim Todoshchuk at the back post of the Waltham Forest Borough goal, from where the defender headed the ball into the goal, 1-1.

Some good link-up play from Alex Coster would see the Lymore number nine lay the ball off to Tyrique Peters, who took the ball inside the centre of the visitor’s penalty area. But, Bullman rushed out of his goal to close down the angles, and then save Peters’ resulting effort on goal. Lymore Gardens were playing some fine passing football, and they were now pushing to take the lead in this game for the first time. The next chance of the game saw Andre Graham’s excellent cross-field pass find Dylan Roberts out on the right flank, and he would then go forward with the ball, before cutting inside with the ball and hitting a powerful low effort wide of the goalkeeper’s near post. Two efforts in quick succession (from the edge of the home team’s penalty area) from Paulius Ditkevicius would go over the Lymore goal, before some great skill from Alex Coster almost resulted in him giving Lymore the lead. Coster had twisted and turned his way down the right-hand side of the Borough penalty area, before seeing his low effort on goal be gathered by Bullman.

After that chance for Alex Coster, it wouldn’t take long before Lymore Gardens went ahead, before half-time. Following a loose pass out from the Waltham Forest Borough defence, Tyrique Peters would get to the ball. He then quickly passed the ball to Malik Donaldson, on the right-hand side of the Borough penalty area. Donaldson’s low effort on goal was parried by Bullman, with Dylan Roberts then finishing into the goal from close range, on the follow-up, 2-1. And Lee Benjamin’s Lymore Gardens side then came very close to making it 3-1, just before half-time. Dylan Roberts’ flicked passed found Malik Donaldson, who traveled across from the right flank and into the centre of the Waltham Forest Borough box. However, Donaldson’s resulting effort went narrowly wide of Bullman’s left-hand post.

Lymore Gardens would start the second half well, and at a good intensity. During its early stages, Malik Donaldson would take the ball around Bullman down the left-hand side of his penalty area, before then passing it to Munnir Saad. He wasn’t facing the goal, but he would lay the ball off for Alex Coster, whose effort went narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. A Lymore Gardens corner-kick delivery from Dylan Roberts, was headed wide at the back post by Maksim Todoshchuk. A really important defensive block Richie Dorcas (at the opposite end of the pitch) would follow, to stop Paulius Ditkevicius’ effort from inside of the Lymore box, potentially going into their goal. Shortly after Munnir Saad had an effort from the edge of the away team’s box be saved and gathered by Bullman, Lymore Gardens would make it 3-1. A pass out from his goal by the Waltham Forest Borough goalkeeper, was latched onto by Alex Coster, on the edge of the box. Coster would then show some good composure, before powerfully finishing into the centre of the goal, 3-1.

Dean Florence was sin-binned by the referee, shortly after play had resumed, following his reaction to having a goal ruled out for offside. With it now being 11 versus 10 on the pitch, Lymore Gardens looked to capitalise. After substitute Gaston Mendy had curled an exquisite forward pass towards Tyrique Peters just inside of the away side’s box, Peters would then superbly volley an effort just over Brandon Bullman’s goal. Some excellent last ditch defending on the Waltham Forest Borough goal-line, following Dylan Roberts’ fine corner-kick, would keep out a couple of efforts on goal from close range. And then after John Mooney’s low effort from 25 yards out was gathered by Bullman, a well worked Lymore Gardens passing move would result in Gaston Mendy finding Dylan Roberts inside of the away side’s box, with him seeing his powerful effort on goal be well pushed over by Brandon Bullman. Roberts’ resulting curling corner-kick delivery would hit the top of the crossbar.

Just before the end of the match, Waltham Forest Borough substitute James Walkinshaw’s dipping effort on goal (from around 40 yards out) was well kept out and gathered by Lymore Gardens’ goalkeeper, Sidhant Nayar. Waltham Forest Borough started this game really well, taking the lead very early on. However, Lymore Gardens were relentless at going forward with the ball, and at creating chances, and overall I thought that they were much deserved winners of this league game on Friday night, as they continue to push Philip United all the way, in the race for the Senior Division title. Lymore Gardens created so many chances, with Brandon Bullman doing well to make some fine saves against them. But, this was an efficient performance from the home side, against a good Waltham Forest Borough side.

I thought that Brandon Bullman was Waltham Forest Borough’s player of the match, however, there are so many contenders for my overall player of the match. Dylan Roberts (he got a goal and an assist – meaning that he now has 32 goal involvements for this season) was outstanding going forward, and with his movement off the ball, as always. Tyrique Peters, Yinka Akinlabi, Munnir Saad, and Malik Donaldson were also very influential in this win for Lymore Gardens. And as a second half substitute, Gaston Mendy once again showed his quality in midfield, with every player playing their part in this victory. However, my player of the match award goes to Lymore Gardens’ versatile number nine, Alex Coster. He took his goal really well, but he was so involved in this game in the forward areas of the pitch, during his time on the pitch, linking the play really well with the other forwards.