Non-League and Academy football writer

AFC Welwyn faced Kempston Rovers on Monday night, in a first round tie of this seasons edition of the Gladwish Challenge Trophy, at the Lantern Stadium. Both sides play in the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands Football League. AFC Welwyn are currently in first place in the Premier Division of the Spartan League, with Kempston Rovers currently in 17th place in the league standings. This cup tie was won 5-3 by AFC Welwyn, who progressed in to the next round of this competition.

This cup match would start off at a good pace. After Israel Ajana had managed to get on the ball on the right-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box, the Kempston player would hit a powerful and early low effort which was well saved by the home team’s goalkeeper Ashton Broome, with the ball then looping behind for a corner-kick. A couple of minutes later and a long goal-kick from Ashton Broome would result in the ball being shifted out by a teammate to Reece Cameron on the edge of the Kempston box. Cameron’s powerful resulting effort would go low and wide of Kacper Kurylowicz’s goal. 

After a positive start to this game from Leon Cashman’s Kempston Rovers side, they would take the lead still early on in the match. Brandon Jessop would get to a good pass across to the right-hand side of the pitch. The Kempston winger would show some impressive pace to progress the ball to the right-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box, going beyond a defender in the process. And Brandon Jessop would finish powerfully and low in to the goal, off of Ashton Broome’s right-hand post, 0-1. AFC Welwyn did go close to making an immediate response. Scott Bridges curling free-kick effort on goal (from 20 yards out) would hit Kacper Kurylowicz’s crossbar, before the Kempston goalkeeper made a fine reflex save to stop a good effort on the follow-up from inside of his box.

Kempston Rovers would double their lead soon after that fine stop from their goalkeeper and captain. Following a throw-in Sakeel Balfour-Brown would sprint forward with the ball down the left flank. The Kempston winger would take the ball down the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. His resulting effort on goal would hit the woodwork, but Brandon Jessop was on hand from a couple of yards out, to power the ball in to the roof of the goal, 0-2. The visitors were keeping a good defensive shape however, AFC Welwyn’s excellent quality on the ball would see them score two goals in relatively quick succession, before the end of the first half.

For AFC Welwyn’s first goal a good and inviting whipped cross from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, would fall for Coree Wilson in the centre of the Kempston box, as the clinical centre-forward finished well and low beyond the goalkeeper, 1-2. For the home side’s second goal, soon after, a lofted free-kick delivery from deep, would fall for Coree Wilson inside of the crowded Kempston box. It wasn’t an easy chance at all for Wilson who was under pressure, but who finished powerfully beyond Kurylowicz and in to his goal, 2-2. And then just before half-time a good AFC Welwyn move would result in Keir Dickson hitting a first time effort from inside of the Kempston box, narrowly over their goal.

AFC Welwyn would start the second half in a similar fashion to how they had finished the first half. However, soon after a good move from the home side had resulted in Matt Harriott seeing his powerful first time effort on goal being really well pushed behind by Kurylowicz, Kempston would regain the lead against the run of play. A free-kick which had been awarded to Kempston out on the left flank, would see a good low whipped free-kick delivery go in to the home team’s box, as the ball then came out to Brandon Jessop, on the edge of the penalty area. The Kempston winger would cleverly loop the ball in to the goal, beyond Ashton Broome, getting his hat-trick in the process, 2-3.

A couple of minutes after Kempston had regained the lead in this cup tie, they would go close to making it 4-2. Kacper Kurylowicz’s long kick up field was cleverly back-heeled by Plamedi Bomolo, to the run of Israel Ajana, who went forward with the ball to the right-hand side of the AFC Welwyn box. One versus one with the goalkeeper, his low effort on goal was well saved by the outrushing Ashton Broome, in what was a crucial save in the context of this game. The home side would go on to react really well. Another good passing move from AFC Welwyn would end with Keir Dickson skilfully evading a defender on the edge of the Kempston box, before hitting a low effort just wide of their goal.

In the 66th minute of this very entertaining cup tie AFC Welwyn would draw level again. Started courtesy of some nice buildup play, the ball was worked forward to Courtney Massay down the right-hand side of the pitch. He would then deliver a fine cross in to the centre of the Kempston penalty area, finding Coree Wilson, whose unstoppable header would go in to the top left-hand corner of the goal, as the striker got his hat-trick goal, 3-3. Kempston Rovers would show good resilience against the league leaders. A good Kempston counter forward following an AFC Welwyn corner-kick, would end with Ayo Akinbobola hitting a good effort on goal from around 25 yards out, in which Ashton Broome did well to push behind. 

In the 79th minute of the game AFC Welwyn were awarded a penalty kick, with a short back pass from a Kempston player putting Kacper Kurylowicz under pressure, as Coree Wilson managed to get on the ball, before being fouled as he went around the goalkeeper. Coree Wilson would power the resulting penalty in to the goal, 4-3. Then in the 84th minute of the game AFC Welwyn would make it 5-3, after Coree Wilson had managed to get on to the ball following a header, and he would drive forwards with the ball. After taking it in to the Kempston box he found himself one versus one with Kacper Kurylowicz. Kurylowicz would save Wilson’s first effort, but the excellent AFC Welwyn player would finish well in to the goal on the follow-up, to get his fifth goal of the game, 5-3.

This was a really good cup tie, and although overall it was AFC Welwyn who deserved to progress in to the next round of the competition, I was also impressed with Kempston Rovers. After their important league win on Saturday, Leon Cashman’s side showed some real quality as a team, against an AFC Welwyn side who I definitely consider to be one of the real favourites for the league title this season, despite it still being at a very early stage. Kempston were clinical in front of goal, impressing with and also using the ball well, with Brandon Jessop (he was my Kempston player of the match) doing very well on Monday night, as he scored a hat-trick of goals.

AFC Welwyn’s centre-forward Coree Wilson was outstanding against Kempston Rovers, scoring five well taken goals, as he lead the line exceptionally well. He was my overall player of the match. AFC Welwyn played some superb football during this game, and in key moments in the game they made it very difficult for Kempston to stop them. Finally, I’d just like to say that it was great, after a number of years, to meet-up with Kacper Kurylowicz (Kempston’s goalkeeper and captain) after the game. He is a really good goalkeeper and a great person, who I remember really well from his time as a goalkeeper in Spurs’ academy.