Non-League and Academy football writer

On Saturday afternoon, Alexandra Knights, of the Middlesex County Football League Division One East & Central, faced the leaders of the division, LBS Lions, in a league fixture at Edmonton County School. Alexandra Knights would start this game in a more defensive shape than usual, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. During the opening ten minutes of the match, LBS Lions would dominate possession of the ball, with the visitors managing a couple of efforts, which were blocked by the Alexandra Knights’ defence, with one additional effort being saved by the club’s new goalkeeper, Keenan Yates. 

LBS Lions would take the lead around eight minutes into the game. As after an LBS Lions defender had one won a duel with an Alexandra Knights forward, he would play the ball into midfield, before the ball was then played out to an LBS Lions winger on the right-hand side of the pitch. He would then travel inside with the ball, back into midfield, before then playing the ball out to the left flank. The ball was subsequently partially cleared away, with an LBS Lions then passing the ball to their number 12. He would nutmeg the ball past an Alexandra Knights player (on the edge of their penalty area), before skipping past another player, and then cleverly crossing the ball to a forward (Andrei Pogan), who finished cleverly past the goalkeeper from close range, 1-0. 

After having taken the lead in this game, LBS Lions would, for a five minute spell, continue to dominate the ball. But, the home side would grow into the game, enjoying some good spells of possession during the first half, and also keeping the ball well, but they were unable to really create many chances. Before half-time, Keenan Yates would make a good save to the bottom right-hand corner of his goal, to push it wide of his goal. The second half of this contest was quite even, however, LBS Lions would score two late goals in second half stoppage time, to make sure of the win. Their second goal of the match would see one of their forwards take the ball down the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, showing some good skill on the ball, before crossing it to the number 12, who finished into the goal from close range, 0-2. And then a very late corner-kick delivery was powerfully headed into the goal by an LBS Lions player, 0-3. Keenan Yates was Alexandra Knights’ player of the match against LBS Lions, making a string of fine saves on the day.

Alexandra Knights’ next match is against Apollo London (away), on Saturday the 5th of April.