Non-League and Academy football writer

In an important Herts County Senior County League Premier Division fixture, OIR FC faced Cheshunt Development, at CONEL (Enfield Centre). OIR are currently in 14th place in the Premier Division standings, after 23 matches played, but, a win for them on Wednesday, would lift them out of the relegation zone. Cheshunt Development started this match in 12th place in the league table, after 27 matches played. This step 7 match was won 5-2 by a youthful Cheshunt Development side. During the opening stages of this game, Cheshunt Development would be awarded a penalty. As after one of the Cheshunt players had managed to get to a bouncing ball beyond OIR defender Mohamed Hassan down the left flank, he would continue forward with the ball, in to the home team’s penalty area, where he was tripped by Hassan, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Up stepped Isaac Okello, who rolled the ball in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 0-1.

Following a good through-ball pass from OIR player Asad Ahmed, to a teammate down the right-hand side of the visitor’s penalty area, Cheshunt goalkeeper Tristan Masson did well to close down his angles, but, following a defender’s challenge straight after, OIR would appeal for a penalty, which wasn’t given. The home team were now doing well, and shortly after Ridwan Hussein’s well delivered corner-kick towards Tristan Masson’s goal, was somehow gathered by the goalkeeper, just before half-time OIR would draw level. Their levelling goal came from the penalty spot, after Cheshunt defender Martin Volcik had fouled Adnan Jaamac, following his run to the left-hand side of the penalty area. Abdirahman Ahmed’s resulting penalty would find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, despite the best efforts of Tristan Masson, 1-1.

OIR would start the second half of this contest at a good intensity, and they would soon find themselves ahead in this game. Some really fine work from Adnan Jaamac on the right-hand side of the pitch, would see him do well under pressure, to cross the ball into the Cheshunt box. The ball was then headed clear, but only as far as Asad Ahmed, on the left-hand side of the penalty area. After doing well to work the space, his excellent curling effort would find the top right-hand corner of the goal, 2-1. Cheshunt did respond well to conceding their second goal of the game, and after Isaac Okello had hit a powerful effort across the OIR goal, from the left-hand side of their penalty area, Riley Warmerdam’s powerful effort on goal from 20 yards out, was parried by OIR’s goalkeeper, Ahmed Ismail. 

This game was becoming quite end to end, by this point in the second half. Following Abdirahman Ahmed’s effort from the edge of the Cheshunt box, which was gathered by Tristan Masson, the visitors would then go forward with the ball. And next, Isaac Okello’s powerful effort from the edge of the OIR box, was well turned around his left-hand post by Ahmed Ismail. This game continued to be open, but, not long at all after Ahmed Ali had an effort from 15 yards out, which was gathered by Tristan Masson, Cheshunt Development would go on to draw level, quite late on in the game. The equalising goal came soon after Riley Warmerdam had gone forward with the ball, to the edge of the OIR box, with his powerful effort on goal being well parried by Ahmed Ismail. However, after a bit of a scramble inside of the penalty area, the ball was cleared to Hayden Gray, on the edge of the penalty area. His excellent effort on goal, on the half-volley, would go into the goal of the underside of the goalkeeper’s crossbar, 2-2.

Both sides desperately went in search of a late winner. OIR would manage to create a number of chances in quick succession, after Ahmed Ismail had saved a free-kick effort on his goal. Firstly, Ahmed Ali would get to a cross from the left flank, in a bit of space in the centre of the away team’s penalty area, but his powerful header on goal was excellently pushed away from his goal by Tristan Masson. And then a couple of moments later, AbdulWahab Mahamud hit a powerful effort on goal on the follow-up, which was blocked on the goal-line. The pace that this game was being played at, was impressive, with both sides continuing to create chances. OIR’s final chance of this game came as the result of them countering forward with the ball, from deep. Eventually AbdulWahab Mahamud had an effort on goal, from just inside of the penalty area, which was saved by Tristan Masson. 

As this game came towards its end, Cheshunt Development would finish the game in really good fashion, going on to score three goals, all in quick succession. Their third goal of the match was scored by Ediz Ibrahim, after his curling free-kick effort from close to the edge of the OIR penalty area, found the top left-hand corner of their goal, 2-3. Soon after, and Cheshunt substitute Mason Leslie would get to a long, looping ball in behind the OIR defence, before sprinting forward with the ball, down the left-hand side of the penalty area, before cleverly finishing into the goal, at the goalkeeper’s near post, 2-4. Finally, and after OIR had given the ball away in defence, Mason Leslie would get to the ball, taking it forward to the edge of the box, from where he found the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-5. This was a good win and performance from Cheshunt Development, although I didn’t think that the final score reflected how the game went as a contest, overall. I thought that it was a very open game of football, particularly during the second half, with both sides really going for the win, and playing their football well. However, credit to the youthful away side, who finished the game in excellent fashion, when it really could have gone either way. 

For my player of the match award, and despite real competition from Tristan Masson, Riley Warmerdam, Ediz Ibrahim, and Asad Ahmed, my player of the match on Wednesday, was OIR winger Adnan Jaamac. Starting the game out on the right-hand side of the pitch, the OIR player was very direct and skilful with the ball, when going forward with it. And, a fine individual performance was capped off with him playing his part in both of OIR’s goals, against Cheshunt Development.