Non-League and Academy football writer

Haringey Borough Under 23s welcomed Sporting Hackney to Coles Park on Friday night, for an Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture. Haringey Borough Under 23s started this league fixture in third place in the Senior Division table, after 24 games played. Sporting Hackney started this match in 15th place in the table, after 23 matches played. This game was won 3-2 by Haringey Borough, with the home side scoring a very late winning goal. Haringey Borough Under 23s would start this game well. An early corner-kick for the home side, was delivered well into the Sporting Hackney box by David Martins, which was met by Zayshaun Asamoah, whose good, looping header hit the top of the crossbar on its way over. However, Haringey Borough would take the lead soon after that early chance, courtesy of a well worked move. From the right-hand side of the Sporting Hackney penalty area, Alex Nicolaides would pass the ball across to Louis Maffia, who laid the ball off for Zayshaun Asamoah (on the left-hand side of the penalty area), whose clinical first time effort found the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. 

Sporting Hackney would come back into the game, and after their number nine and centre-forward (I was only able to get the Haringey Borough team-sheet, as I’d only arrived just before the start of the game) had got to a ball in behind the home team’s defence, he would make the scores level. After continuing forward with the ball down the right-hand side of the Haringey penalty area, his initial effort was parried by the Haringey goalkeeper, Justin Ismail, however, on the follow-up the Sporting Hackney centre-forward would finish well, into the goal, 1-1. Haringey Borough would look to regain the lead after play had resumed. Zayshaun Asamoah would cut inside with the ball from the left flank, before taking the ball to the edge of the away team’s penalty area, and then hitting a low effort which went narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. A couple of minutes later Sporting Hackney’s number nine would get to a short through-ball pass down the right-hand side of the Haringey box, but his resulting effort on goal was well saved by Justin Ismail.

Haringey Borough would regain the lead, before half-time. As following David Martins’ corner-kick into the Sporting Hackney penalty area, the ball was cleared by a defender, and it came to Louis Maffia, on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder’s resulting technique was Tom Huddlestone-esque, as his powerful low effort excellently went low into the goal, 2-1. In the remaining minutes before half-time, the game would see a further two goalscoring chances. Firstly, Louis Maffia’s corner-kick delivery found Zayshaun Asamoah, in the centre of the Sporting Hackney penalty area, and his good headed effort on goal was well pushed over the crossbar by the goalkeeper. A couple of minutes later, Sporting Hackney’s number nine would get to a low cross inside the centre of the Haringey Borough box, but Lamar Ellis would do very well to win the ball off him, making a crucial challenge in the process.

Haringey Borough would initially start the second half quite well. After Ishmail Doumbia’s lofted pass had found Zayshaun Asamoah, on the left flank, the influential Haringey Borough player would then pass the ball across to Alex Nicolaides, in the centre of the Sporting Hackney box, with the Haringey Borough player then seeing his low effort on goal be gathered by the goalkeeper. A great block from David Martins to stop a good effort from Sporting Hackney’s number eight testing the goalkeeper, from the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, would follow. However, a couple of minutes later Sporting Hackney would draw level for the second time in this game. Their number 11’s effort from 20 yards out on the Haringey Borough goal, was deflected into the path of number seven, inside of the penalty area. And his powerful effort would go past Justin Ismail, and into the goal, 2-2.

Once again, Haringey Borough had to try and regain this lead, against a Sporting Hackney side who were battling well, and who were keeping a good shape on the pitch. However, shortly after Blerdon Kurtolli’s headed effort on the Sporting Hackney goal was saved, following a Louis Maffia corner-kick delivery to the back post, Sporting Hackney would see their number four sent off, after being shown a second yellow card by the referee, following a challenge on a Haringey Borough player. Sporting Hackney would continue to do well, even with ten men on the pitch, to not only stay in the game, but also do well going forward. Towards the latter stages of the game, Sporting Hackney’s number 8 would control and then bring down a long ball following a free-kick, to the edge of the Haringey Borough penalty area. However, the Sporting Hackney player’s resulting low effort on the turn, would go wide of the goal.

Haringey Borough were really pushing for a late winner. And around three minutes after Louis Maffia had received a short pass on the edge of the Sporting Hackney box, and then hit a powerful low effort narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, Haringey Borough would score a very late winning goal. As substitute Graeme Trevett’s low cross into the Sporting Hackney penalty area, from the right flank, was finished low into the goal by Alex Nicolaides, towards the back post, 3-2. This was a very spirited performance from Sporting Hackney, who fought back on two occasions to get back into the game, but the quality of Haringey Borough in the final third, proved to be just too much for the ten men of Sporting Hackney, who should be proud of their performance. I was particularly impressed with the performances of Sporting Hackney’s number nine, and also their number seven.

Haringey Borough Under 23s once again showed their quality as a team, despite it not being their very best performance of the season. Zayshaun Asamoah, Blerdon Kurtolli, Louis Maffia, and the match winner Alex Nicolaides, were all contenders for my player of the match award. However, for a well balanced and impressive performance at right-back, Haringey Borough player Lamar Ellis was my player of the match.