Non-League and Academy football writer

In what was one of the biggest matches in both club’s history, Cockfosters FC faced London Lions on Wednesday night, in a Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division play-off semi-final tie, at Chalk Lane. Cockfosters finished in third place in the Premier Division table during the regular season, with London Lions finishing once place behind them in the league standings. This very important one off step 5 play-off match, was won on penalties (3-1) by London Lions, with the scores tied at 3-3, after regulation time.

Cockfosters would start this play-off match really well, taking an early lead. As Matthew Thomson’s well delivered corner-kick towards the back post of the London Lions goal, was glanced home by Jandir Da Cruz, 1-0. Soon after having given the home side the lead, Jandir Da Cruz would manage to get a lofted forward ball inside of the away team’s penalty area. But, with his back to goal and under pressure from the goalkeeper, the defender’s headed effort would go wide of the goal. Cockfosters continued to play their game to good effect, and they weren’t afraid to be direct with the ball.

London Lions would manage to get in to the game, with this play-off tie developing in to a closely contested and cagey game of football. Towards the latter stages of the first half, London Lions would score an equaliser. Soon after a London Lions corner-kick had been taken, Max Davis would manage to get on the ball on the left-hand side of the pitch. He would then play a short pass across to Michael Perkins, just inside of the home side’s penalty area, and after working the space and then turning well, with a number of players in front of him, he would powerfully finish in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. Both sides would make a couple of important blocks towards the end of the first half, and before the referee had sounded his whistle for half-time.

The first goal attempt of the second half, was from Malik Nosike, whose powerful low effort from the edge of the London Lions box, would go just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Cockfosters would retake the lead soon after, however. Matthew Thomson’s free-kick from out on the right-hand side of the pitch,  was well delivered in to the London Lions penalty area. The ball would eventually fall for Ethan Rookard who cleverly finished in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, with little time to react, 2-1. 

This continued to be a very close and well contested game, but, London Lions did manage to score an equalising goal for the second occasion during this game, after a penalty had been awarded to the away side. London Lions’ number 9, Max Kyte, had managed to get to the ball following a short back pass from a Cockfosters player, on the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. Max Kyte was met by the outrushing Connor Sansom, with the Cockfosters goalkeeper deemed to have fouled him, as the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot as well as issuing  Sansom with a yellow card.

From the penalty spot Austin Lipman would clinically find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-2. After having conceded the leveller, Cockfosters’ night would then become even more difficult, after Ethan Rookard was shown a straight red card after clattering in to the London Lions goalkeeper Nathan Bloohn, after getting to a flick on inside of the box, following a long throw-in. Cockfosters player Jake Anthony would then hit an effort from the edge of the box, on the bounce, over the London Lions goal, before London Lions came very close to taking the lead for the first time in this game. As Austin Lipman played the ball across to Max Kyte, who was in space inside of the home team’s box, but from close range he was unable to finish.

London Lions would take the lead in the 86th minute of what was turning out to be a pulsating game of football. A clever lofted pass in behind of the the Cockfosters defence, would find the run of Austin Lipman, on the edge of the penalty area. He would loop the ball over the outrushing Connor Sansom, finding Max Kyte, in space and inside of the penalty area, from where he finished low in to the goal, beyond a defender on the goal-line, 2-3. 

The ten men of Cockfosters tried desperately to respond, with time running out for them. After Jandir Da Cruz had met Coskun Grantham’s cross in to the centre of the London Lions penalty area, Da Cruz would head a powerful effort on target and which was heading for the back of the goal, but for a hugely important goal-line clearance from a defender. Gavin Kelsey’s side would continue to push for a very late leveller, to take this game to penalties. And well in to second half stoppage time, they managed to do just that. A long ball up the pitch from Connor Sansom, would go in to the busy London Lions penalty area. The ball was helped on by Antonio Michael, to Cory Ugbomah, who manage to finish beyond the goalkeeper, from close range, 3-3. In the very final moments of regulation time, Cockfosters player Jay Lovell was sent off.

On to penalties, and although London Lions’ first penalty was finished well, Cockfosters’ first penalty was well saved by Nathan Bloohn. In order, and the next two penalties were finished well in to the goal. However, after London Lions had made it 3-1 on penalties, and Cory Ugbomah’s resulting penalty was well saved by Nathan Bloohn, London Lions had the chance to win the game, from the next penalty. And despite Yoav Sade Lichtenfeld’s penalty being well saved by Sansom, Antonio Michael would see his penalty saved by the impressive Nathan Bloohn, as London Lions progressed in to next Monday’s final, with Wormley Rovers.

I thought that both sides showed real character, in this well contested and feisty game of football, with a place in final of the play-offs at stake. It was a very eventful game, particularly during the second half, with both sides responding well after conceding goals. However, in the end the tie was decided by penalties. Gavin Kelsey’s Cockfosters have done ever so well throughout this season, as have London Lions, and it was ultimately a heartbreaking end to the game for the home side, but, also a very emotional and memorable moment for London Lions, who are now only one game away from being promoted to step 4, for the first time.

Despite impressive performances from Jandir Da Cruz (I thought that he was the home side’s player of the match), Egan Ntege, Max Kyte, and Nathan Bloohn, I’m going to name Austin Lipman as my player of the match on Wednesday. The London Lions legend and number 10, would get a goal and an assist for London Lions in this game. He is a very good player, who will be so important for London Lions in the play-off final.