Non-League and Academy football writer

AFC Welwyn faced Haringey Borough at the Lantern Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday evening, in a Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division fixture. AFC Welwyn impressively beat Haverhill Borough (away) 5-1 in the FA Vase, on Saturday afternoon. And the home side on Monday had won two, drawn one, and lost one, from their opening four league matches of the season, following their promotion to step 5. Haringey Borough also won in the FA Vase on Saturday, and in the league they have won three and drawn one from their opening four league matches of this season. This Premier Division match was won 2-0 by AFC Welwyn.

Haringey Borough would start this game well. Following an early lofted ball towards the run of Adrian Clifton to the right-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box, the Haringey Borough striker would see his low effort on goal gathered by Ashton Broome-Alexander, in the AFC Welwyn goal. A couple of minutes later, in this open game of football, and AFC Welwyn player Usman Lalustani would get to the ball on the edge of the away team’s penalty area, before hitting a powerful low effort which whistled narrowly wide of Dillon Barnes’ goal. Then, as the pace of the game picked up, Adrian Clifton would pass the ball to Jonathan Hippolyte down the left-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box, before playing the ball across the face of the goal. An AFC Welwyn defender would divert the ball on to the woodwork, before Ashton Broome-Alexander made a fine stop from Adrian Clifton’s powerful effort from close range.

Haringey Borough would continue to play their football effectively. A long lofted pass towards the run of Derek Asamoah on the edge of the home team’s box, would result in the legendary forward lobbing the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper, with the ball bouncing narrowly wide of the goal. From a Haringey Borough corner-kick (five minutes later) Jorge Djassi Sambu would head wide, in a bit of space, from Bilal Sayoud’s ball in to the centre of the AFC Welwyn box. Soon after that good opportunity for Haringey to take the lead from, it was Brett Donnelly’s AFC Welwyn side, who came desperately close to scoring the opener. Following a free-kick for the home side, the ball came out to Dan Sears, who from 25 yards out from goal, would turn quickly on the ball, before curling a brilliant effort which seemed destined for the top right-hand corner of the Haringey goal. However, Dillon Barnes, who had been slightly off his goal-line when Sears’ effort had been struck, would recover really well to tip the ball over his crossbar.

Derek Asamoah had been making a really good impression on the first half of the match, for the away side. After the 44 year old had skilfully gone forwards with the ball, down the right-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box, he would hit a low effort on goal which was well parried away from goal by Ashton Broome-Alexander. And in similar fashion, less than a minute later, Derek Asamoah would this time receive the ball down the right-hand side of the home team’s box. However, this time he would square the ball to the on running Cem Poyraz, whose low first time effort went narrowly wide of the AFC Welwyn goal. Shortly before half-time and AFC Welwyn’s captain, Matty Harriott would curl a free-kick effort, from over 30 yards out from goal and on the left flank, on to the top of Dillon Barnes’ crossbar.

The home side would continue to improve as this game progressed, and during the early stages of the second half they were looking the more likely side to take the lead in this game. After an AFC Welwyn free-kick had been taken short and quickly towards Usman Lalustani on the left-hand side of the Haringey box, the number 10 would have an effort from a tight angle and from the byline, parried by Dillon Barnes. Then on the follow-up and also inside of the penalty area, Keir Dickson would curl the ball narrowly over the goal, with the goalkeeper still trying to get back in to position. Not long after that double chance for AFC Welwyn, the home side did manage to take the lead in this game. After Keir Dickson had played a one-two pass with Matty Harriott on the edge of the Haringey box, the left-back would receive the ball on the left-hand side of the penalty area. He would then play the ball across to Coree Wilson, who from around eight yards out from goal, would finish powerfully beyond the goalkeeper, 1-0.

Haringey Borough needed to respond. But, after the creative Derek Asamoah had passed the ball the short distance to Ryan Hervel on the edge of the home team’s box, the Haringey Borough substitute would hit a powerful low effort wide of the goal. AFC Welwyn were really pushing for that all important next goal of the game. After a good through-ball pass from Markel Cousins had found the run of Coree Wilson in behind the Haringey defence, the centre-forward showed some good pace as he entered the penalty area, through on goal. Wilson tried to take the ball around Dillon Barnes, but the Haringey goalkeeper did well to gather the ball from his feet, at the decisive moment.

After that good chance for AFC Welwyn to effectively confirm the win, Haringey Borough then went forward with the ball down the opposite end of the pitch, as they went in search of an equaliser. After Bilal Sayoud had taken the ball across to the edge of the home side’s box, he would whip a good effort towards goal which as really well headed away from the penalty area by Dan Sears. A late red card was shown to Haringey Borough player Adrian Clifton, for a sliding challenge. And with it being 11 versus 10 on the pitch, AFC Welwyn would go forward with the ball and score a second goal, during the final stages of this game. Some good work from Usman Lalustani, would see him take the ball forward at pace down the right-hand side of the pitch, before entering the Haringey penalty area. From there he would square the ball to Coree Wilson, who finished powerfully in to the goal, off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, 2-0.

This was a really good and competitive game of football. Both sides had really good spells in this game, and Haringey Borough could well have been 2-0 up during the first half. However, real credit must go to AFC Welwyn, who dug deep as a team during some difficult moments in the first half, when Haringey Borough were creating a lot of good goalscoring chances. They improved and got better and better as the game went on though, and this was a big win for AFC Welwyn, who went on to manage the game really well, during the second half, to get the win. The important saves in which AFC Welwyn’s goalkeeper (Ashton Broome-Alexander) made during the first half can’t be underestimated, nor can the performance of the home team’s defence throughout this contest.

For Haringey Borough, I thought that the highly creative Derek Asamoah, who is so good at creating space for himself and at linking the play, was their player of the match. Mentions must also go to Coby Rowe, Dillon Barnes and Scott Mitchell, in my opinion, for their performances. For my overall player of the match award, and although Coree Wilson (he got both goals), Matty Harriott and Usman Lalustani were very good, my player of the match was Dan Sears. The commanding AFC Welwyn central-defender was very assertive in his defending, and he read the game ever so well.