Non-League and Academy football writer

Debutants at step 6 of the non-League pyramid on Friday night, Lymore Gardens won their first ever Thurlow Nunn League First Division South match 5-1, against Hoddesdon Town. Lymore Gardens’ next league fixture was against Brimsdown FC (at The Techsoc Stadium), a club who they played against in the Essex Alliance Football League. Emmanuel N’Daw’s Brimsdown side lost 2-1 away to Cannons Wood last Friday night, in their opening league fixture of the new season. This entertaining match between two footballing sides, was won 4-2 by Lymore Gardens.

Brimsdown would manage two early goal attempts in this match. Shortly after Matas Machovas had cut inside with the ball from the left flank, the Brimsdown player would whip a decent powerful effort wide of the goal, across the Lymore Gardens goalkeeper. Then, with both sides still growing in to the game, after Lymore had been unable to clear the ball away from their penalty area, Matas Machovas would hit a quick, low effort on the Lymore goal. However, his effort from just inside of the Lymore penalty area, was gathered comfortably by goalkeeper Sidhant Nayar.

It didn’t take very long before Lymore Gardens started to create good goalscoring chances. And Lee Benjamin and Javel Green’s side would score two quick goals in style. The first of these goals during the early stages of the match, was scored by Lymore legend Dylan Roberts. Andre Graham would do really well just to create a bit of space out on the left flank, getting to a lofted pass and then going forward at pace. Graham would then whip a good low cross towards Dylan Roberts at the near post of the Brimsdown goal, from where Roberts would deftly flick the ball beyond the goalkeeper, 1-0.

Lymore’s second goal came soon after their first of the match. Their captain Ryo Brown would play a good forward pass across to Andre Graham, just on the edge of the Brimsdown box, on the left-hand side of the pitch. Graham would skilfully progress the ball in to the penalty area, before going around a defender and curling an excellent effort which had both pace and accuracy, beyond the outstretched goalkeeper, as the ball found the right-hand corner of the goal, 2-0. Brimsdown now had to respond. And a couple of minutes after Raymond Cathline’s dipping headed effort (after meeting a cross in to the Lymore box) had gone narrowly wide of the Lymore goal, Brimsdown would respond with a goal.

For Brimsdown’s first goal of the match, Matas Machovas would get to the ball on the edge of the home team’s penalty area, before playing a through-ball pass in behind the defence. Raymond Cathline would receive the pass, and one v one with the goalkeeper, the Brimsdown forward would finish low in to the middle of the goal, 2-1. Lymore’s press and energy during the first half of this contest continued to impress, and it was also continuing to be really effective. After the excellent and highly influential Andre Graham had received a pass across to the left-hand side of the Brimsdown penalty area, he would once again cut inside with the ball on to his right foot. His whipped effort across the goalkeeper was parried by Kris Ozols, with the alert Dylan Roberts on hand to finish in to the goal from close range on the follow-up, 3-1.

Andre Graham would finish the first half really well out on the left flank. Just before half-time he would do well to win the ball off a Brimsdown defender following a lofted ball to the left-hand side of their penalty area. From there Graham’s resulting curling effort on goal was well kept out by Kris Ozols, with the ball then coming to Alex Coster. And on the volley from around 12 yards out, his powerful and well hit low effort was also kept out well by the goalkeeper.

Brimsdown would start the second half of the match well. Following Alexander Kokoshi’s cross (from the left flank) towards the centre of the Lymore penalty area, the ball was met by Taylan Kilinc, whose effort from a couple of yards out from goal, was gathered by Sidhant Nayar. But, following a foul on a Brimsdown forward on the left-hand side of the home team’s box soon after, Brimsdown were awarded a penalty and a route back in to the game. Matas Machovas would then roll the ball in to the goal from the resulting penalty, 3-2.

With only a one goal lead at this point in the match, Lymore now had to show real team character, in order to reestablish a two goal cushion. And they did show real character, really taking the game to Brimsdown again. Following a good pass across to Munnir Saad on the right-hand side of the pitch, the Lymore forward would take the ball forward at pace, in to the away team’s box. His resulting powerful effort on goal would rebound off the crossbar.

Lymore’s persistence in the final third of the pitch, clever passes and linkup play would see them regain that two goal cushion. The move started with Dylan Roberts, who showed some really good pace as he progressed the ball forward beyond a couple of Brimsdown players down the right flank. Roberts would then thread a pass forward to Lymore substitute James Smith, who went forward well with the ball, in behind the Brimsdown defence, and in to their penalty area. Smith would then square the ball to Gravlyn Kitondo, on the left-hand side of the box, from where he finished well in to the goal, 4-2. 

Lymore Gardens would manage the latter stages of the match really well, and with the exception of a low effort from Brimsdown player Alexander Kokoshi (from the edge of the Lymore box) which went narrowly wide of the goal, Lymore held on to the ball well. And they would see out the remaining minutes of the game well, to record their second league win from their opening two league games of the new season.

I admired the way in which both sides approached this game, and the way in which they played their passing game throughout. Brimsdown are recently under new management, and they never stopped trying to play their football against Lymore Gardens. With Matas Machovas, Theo Higson-Farrell and Taylan Kilinc some of Brimsdown’s impressive players on the night. It’s still very early days in the season. Lymore Gardens played their football against Brimsdown, with real energy and intensity, with the midfield linking up really well with the forwards. They pressed well once again as a team, and they have shown that they are more than ready to make that step up to step 6 of the non-League pyramid. For long parts of this game they played some really good football, with players such as Andre Graham, Dylan Roberts and Gravlyn Kitondo all having really good games.

With one assist and a very good all-round and all action midfield performance, Lymore Gardens’ vocal captain Ryo Brown, was my player of the match tonight. The ever consistent midfielder guided and lead his players well throughout the match, and he was always looking to play the ball forward.