Non-League and Academy football writer

At Wormley Rovers FC on Wednesday evening, Brimsdown faced Clapton Community, in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. The home side – Brimsdown, had won one and lost three from their opening four league matches of this season. Geoff Ocran’s Clapton Community side have started this season with one win and two defeats, from their opening three league matches. It was Clapton Community who would win this good game of football, 3-2.

Both sides would start this match well. During the opening stages of the game Clapton Community’s Sam Cook would deliver a lofted free-kick from deep, in to the Brimsdown penalty area. A low effort from a Clapton Community player would be well cleared off the goal-line by a Brimsdown defender. Brimsdown had been playing their football well, during the opening 15 to 20 minutes of this game. After Kwasi Amoah’s fine lofted pass had found Theo Higson-Farrell out on the right-hand side of the pitch, the skilful Brimsdown winger would skilfully go beyond a defender, before entering the right-hand side of the away team’s penalty area. Higson-Farrell’s resulting low whipped cross would whistle across the face of Jack Francis’ goal, with no teammates there to finish from close range. 

Shortly after Fred Taylor’s effort (from 25 yards out) on the Brimsdown goal, which had taken a slight deflection, was helped behind by Brimsdown’s goalkeeper – Carter Wilson, Brimsdown would take the lead. A clever disguised forward pass from Taylan Kilinc (from around 20 yards out from goal) had found the run of Devine Samuel in behind of the Clapton Community defence, the Brimsdown forward would go forward down the left-hand side of the box. Devine Samuel would then finish powerfully in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

By this point in the first half Brimsdown were playing their football very well. After Shaun Diboussi’s pass in behind of the Clapton Community defence had found the run of Devine Samuel, down the right-hand side of the pitch. Samuel’s low whipped cross towards the left-hand side of the visitor’s box, was met by Taylan Kilinc, whose low first time effort was gathered by Jack Francis, in the Clapton Community goal. A couple of minutes later, and a good lofted forward pass from Brimsdown defender and captain Max Montgomery, would find the run of Taylan Kilinc down the left-hand side of the pitch. He would then do well to hold off a defender, before getting an effort away on goal with his right foot, which took a slight deflection, with the ball then being gathered by Francis.

This good spell in the game for the home side would soon see them find themselves 2-0 up, courtesy of another clinical finish from their number nine – Devine Samuel. After Duwane Thomas had stepped forward to and then won the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch and in the away side’s half of the pitch, he would quickly play a very good forward pass to find Devine Samuel. Now with the ball on the right-hand side of the Clapton Community box, Samuel would take the ball forward at pace, before finishing with real accuracy in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-0.

Clapton Community would respond ever so well as a team, to that second Brimsdown goal of the game. And before half-time they would score two hugely important goals, in quick succession. The east London club’s first goal of the evening was scored by Fred Taylor, who would get to a header across the Brimsdown goal (from a team-mate) following Jack Francis’ long free-kick delivery from the middle of the pitch, and in to the box. The sliding Taylor would then finish low in to the goal, from close range, 2-1. And then just before the half-time whistle had been sounded by the referee, Geoff Ocran’s team would make it 2-2. Their defender Sam Cook, would get to a Brimsdown clearance following a free-kick for the away side. Some 25 or so yards out from goal, Sam Cook’s powerful low effort on the Brimsdown goal (it’s possible that his effort took a bit off a deflection off a Brimsdown player) would go in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-2.

The second half of this well contested game would get off to a very difficult start for Brimsdown, who following a Clapton Community free-kick delivery in to the Brimsdown box, they would see their captain Max Montgomery shown a straight red card (I’m not quite sure what happened). The introduction of Clapton Community’s instrumental player James Briggs, would soon see the midfielder start to influence the game. A long forward pass from Briggs would find Julian Austin, just inside of the Brimsdown penalty area. Austin would turn really well with the ball, before hitting a low side-footed effort on goal, which was well pushed behind by Carter Wilson.

Clapton Community were unsurprisingly now seeing more of the ball. And following a deftly accurate and well delivered corner-kick from James Briggs, the set-piece specialist would pick out Sam Cook, at the back post of the Brimsdown goal. Cook’s powerful and looping headed effort would go in to the top left-hand corner of the goal, 2-3. Clapton Community would do well at just slowing the pace of the game down a little bit, as they looked to see out the win against the ten men of Brimsdown, who were still doing well in the game. During the final moments of the game, Andre Odeku would get to the ball on the edge of the Brimsdown box, before hitting a powerful low effort off the inside of Carter Wilson’s left-hand post. However, somehow the ball would bounce across goal, without it going in to the net.

I was really impressed with how Emmanuel N’Daw’s Brimsdown side played, for much of this game, and against a very good and experienced Clapton Community side. I thought that they deserved to lead 2-0 in the game, playing some really good football all over the pitch, before the visitors stunned them by scoring two quick goals just before half-time. The dismissal of Brimsdown’s captain really did make it very difficult for the home side to get anything from this game, as he was a real presence in defence. The visitors would show both their quality and experience during the second half, with some big and influential performances helping them to go 3-2 up, before then seeing out the game well, as a team.

For Brimsdown, I thought that their player of the match was Devine Samuel, who lead the line well, scoring two really well taken goals. Also, Kwasi Amoah used the ball really well in midfield for Brimsdown, but he showed his quality both with and without the ball, reading the game well throughout, as well as showing good leadership. I also thought that Taylan Kilinc and Duwane Thomas were just some of Brimsdown’s other impressive performers. My overall player of the match was Clapton Community’s central-defender – Sam Cook. Strong in the air and good on the ball (as always), he had a good game defensively. But, he also scored two very important and well taken goals, to help his side return to winning ways. A special mention must also go to Julian Austin, Junia Charlton, and James Briggs, for their performances.