Non-League and Academy football writer

Two of the inform sides in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South faced each other on Wednesday evening at New Lodge (Billericay Town FC), as Hutton took on unbeaten Lymore Gardens in the first round of the BBC Essex Senior Cup. Hutton have won five of their six league matches, losing one, from those six games, and they also won their FA Vase tie last weekend. Lymore Gardens have started their season ever so well, with five wins from five in the league, and two wins in cup competitions. This first round tie of the BBC Essex Senior Cup was won 4-3 by Lymore Gardens, as their incredible start to this season following promotion to step 6, continues.

Lymore Gardens would take the lead during the very early stages of this cup tie, in what proved to be a quite incredible first half of football. Papa Ndiaye would play a long ball forward towards the run of Dylan Roberts, who went down the left-hand side of the Hutton box, before seeing his low effort on goal from a tight angle be well saved and closed down by Hutton’s goalkeeper, Stefan Lamacq. The ball would then find Malik Donaldson, on the left-hand side of the penalty area, and Donaldson would power an unstoppable effort in to the roof of the Hutton goal, 0-1.

Straight after play had resumed following that opening goal of the game, and Lymore player James Smith would pass the ball forward from midfield, to Dylan Roberts on the edge of the Hutton box. Roberts’ resulting low effort was well gathered by Stefan Lamacq, however. The fast pace in which this game was being played at during its opening stages, was highly impressive. Hutton would soon get an equaliser, through Solomon Asomah. The Hutton forward would get to the ball on the edge of the Lymore penalty area, before quickly curling an effort off the underside of Sidhant Nayar’s crossbar, with the ball bouncing up away from the goal. The referee awarded the goal and Hutton found themselves level in this tie, 1-1.

Lymore tried to retake the lead straight after play had resumed again. Munnir Saad would play the ball across to Alex Coster on the edge of the Hutton penalty area, as Coster hit a decent powerful effort over the goal. A couple of minutes later, and Malik Donaldson had an effort from 20 yards out, which was gathered by Stefan Lamacq. Hutton were awarded a penalty very soon after that effort from Lymore. The skilful Solomon Asomah would work the ball inside to the left-hand side of the Lymore box, around Yinka Akinlabi, who fouled him, with the referee pointing straight to the penalty spot. Adam Vyse would step up to take the penalty, clinically and powerfully finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-1.

The goals kept on coming in this brilliant first half of football. Lymore Gardens would draw level, following a good forward pass down the left flank from Malik Donaldson, after he had won the ball. Donaldson’s pass forward would find the run of the alert Dylan Roberts, who went down the left-hand side of the Hutton box before finishing low and powerfully in to the goal, from an acute angle, 2-2. Almost immediately after play had resumed though, Hutton would retake the lead. It was a superb goal from George Vile, who after spotting the Lymore goalkeeper slightly off his goal-line, would send a delightful lofted effort from close to the halfway line, over the goalkeeper and in to the goal, 3-2.

This incredible first half of football wasn’t done quite yet, however. Once again, almost immediately after the resumption of play, there was another goal. This time Lymore would quickly go forward with the ball in to the Hutton penalty area. From the left-hand side of their box, Malik Donaldson would have a powerful effort on goal parried away by Stefan Lamacq. However, a couple of moments later, and from the edge of the Hutton penalty area, Alex Coster would step forward to the ball. Showing exquisite technique, his first time side-footed effort had both pace and accuracy, as it went unstoppably in to the goal off the underside of the goalkeeper’s crossbar, 3-3. And just before half-time, Malik Donaldson’s curling effort from the left-hand side of the pitch was cleared off the goal-line by a Hutton defender.

During the opening stages of the second half of this cup tie, and Hutton player Alfie Yeend would hit a powerful effort from distance, narrowly wide of Sidhant Nayar’s goal. At the opposite end of the pitch a couple of minutes later, Dylan Roberts would get to a lofted forward pass in behind the Hutton defence, and to the edge of their penalty area. On the stretch, Roberts’ effort was saved well by Stefan Lamacq, who was then able to gather the ball. Hutton continued to create some good goalscoring chances as the second half went on. A good diagonal pass from Hutton’s captain, Dean Hall, would find the run of Freddie Blackham, on the left-hand side of the Lymore penalty area. His effort on the half-volley was well saved by Sidhant Nayar, however. Soon after that chance for Hutton, and a free-kick was awarded to the home side, around 40 yards out from goal. The ball was delivered in to the Lymore box, before being flicked down to Elliot Scott, who chested the ball down before volleying an effort narrowly over.

Lymore would go on to score what turned out to be the winning goal of this cup tie, very soon after Elliot Scott had gone close to giving Hutton the lead. Sidhant Nayar’s long kick upfield would bounce on to Dylan Roberts, on the right-hand side of the pitch. The highly influential Lymore forward would take the ball in to the Hutton box, as his low effort on goal was blocked by a Hutton defender, before the ball came to Lymore substitute Gravlyn Kitondo in the centre of the box, and he would finish low in to the goal, prompting celebrations from the Lymore players, 3-4. 

Lymore Gardens would defend their lead well, during the latter stages of this cup tie. And although Hutton really pushed for a late leveller, apart from a low effort on goal from the left-hand side of the Lymore box, which was saved by Sidhant Nayar, Lymore would defend their lead ever so well, lead by the vastly experienced Papa Ndiaye. There is a tremendous team spirit and camaraderie at Lymore Gardens. And this showed once again, as they played their football as a team really well. And everyone from the starting 11 to the substitutes that came on, such as Gravlyn Kitondo, Richie Dorcas and Wisley Baltazar, all played their part, in this real team win, against a very good Hutton side.

For Hutton, who scored some really good goals against Lymore, I was impressed with the performances of Solomon Asomah, Dean Hall and Juan Araque. However, for my player of the match award, Malik Donaldson, Alex Coster and Ryo Brown were all contenders. However, with three goal involvements, including a really well taken goal, Dylan Roberts was my player of the match. His work both with and without the ball in the final third, was quality.