Non-League and Academy football writer

In a second qualifying round FA Vase tie on Friday night at The Techsoc Stadium, Lymore Gardens faced local side Frenford. Lymore Gardens (step 6) are currently in second place in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South standings, after ten matches played. Frenford (step 5) are currently in 18th place in the Essex Senior League table, after seven matches played. This important FA Vase tie was won 2-1 by Lymore Gardens.

Lymore Gardens would start this game at a really good intensity. Following a forward run down the left flank with the ball, from Malik Donaldson, the Lymore player’s whipped cross in to the Frenford box was headed against the underside of the crossbar by a Frenford defender. The ball would then bounce off the goal-line before being cleared away in time. Then, soon after, Lymore were awarded a penalty. Tyrique Peters would get to a short pass inside of the Frenford penalty area, and after some nice skill with the ball he was fouled by the outrushing Frenford goalkeeper, with the referee pointing immediately to the penalty spot. 

Dylan Roberts’ powerful effort from the penalty spot was excellently matched to his bottom left, by Razvan Marcu, who then did really well to save Roberts’ effort on the follow-up. Frenford would respond quite well to Lymore’s fine start to the game. Around five minutes after seeing his penalty saved by the Frenford goalkeeper, Dylan Roberts would get to a low cross inside of the Frenford box, before hitting a low first time effort narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. Lymore did take the lead soon after, however. It came courtesy of a really fine passing move which started from defence. 

For the opening goal of the game, the ball was worked out to Malik Donaldson on the left-hand side of the pitch, and Donaldson would then progress the ball forward before passing the ball across to Dylan Roberts. Roberts would then pass the ball to Tyrique Peters, who from the edge of the Frenford box, would whip an exquisite effort, which had both swerve and accuracy on it, in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Alfie Geeves’ powerful effort from distance would go narrowly over the Lymore goal, soon after the resumption of play, before Lymore then went forward with the ball down the opposite end of the pitch. In the end and after receiving Dylan Roberts’ pass to the left-hand side of the Frenford box, the ball would find Malik Donaldson, whose powerful effort was tipped on to the woodwork by Razvan Marcu.

During the latter stages of the first half and David Forbes’ Frenford side would draw level. Their equalising goal came from the penalty spot, after a Lymore defender had handled the ball inside of the penalty area, following a Frenford effort. Alfie Geeves would step up to slot the ball in to the bottom right-hand corner of the Lymore goal, from the penalty spot, 1-1. However, straight after the restart and following a good forward move from Lymore, James Smith would power an effort against the Frenford goalkeepers’s crossbar, from the edge of the penalty area. That what was the final chance of the first half.

Lymore would start the second half well. A great forward pass from deep from Munnir Saad, would find the run of Dylan Roberts in behind of the Frenford defence. He would show good pace to take the ball down the right-hand side of the Frenford box, and through on goal his low side-footed effort was well saved by the outrushing Razvan Marcu. Around five minutes later and with Frenford defending strongly, Tyrique Peters would see his low effort from the edge of the Frenford box, be gathered by Razvan Marcu. Lee Benjamin and Javel Green’s Lymore side would continue to put pressure on Frenford, as the second half progressed.

Following on from a lofted pass out to Munnir Saad on the right-hand side of the pitch, the Lymore forward would pass the ball across to Dylan Roberts, inside of the Frenford box. Roberts’ powerful low effort was parried by Razvan Marcu, before the ball was then cleared away. Soon after and late on in the tie, Lymore Gardens would regain their lead in this game. Dylan Roberts would pass the ball across to Lymore substitute Gravlyn Kitondo, who from the edge of the Frenford box would skilfully work the space with a nice step over, before then curling a sublime and deftly accurate effort in to the top right-hand corner of the Frenford goal, 2-1.

Because of stoppages there would be quite a lot of time added on in this FA Vase tie. A fine defence splitting through-ball pass from vastly experienced Frenford player Correy Davidson would fire the run of Brendan Ocran, in behind of the Lymore defence. The Frenford substitute would take the ball to the right-hand side of the Lymore box, and through on goal Brendan Ocran would take the ball around Sidhant Nayar in the Lymore goal, before (there were some recovering Lymore defenders who had made up the ground) hitting an effort narrowly wide of the goal. In the final moments of the game and before the referee had sounded his whistle for full-time, Munnir Saad would get to a low cross inside the Frenford box, with his low curling effort on goal being gathered by Razvan Marcu.

I thought that Lymore Gardens deserved their win tonight, in what was a very good performance from them, both in and out of possession of the ball. Frenford defended strongly, lead well by their captain, Tom Troubridge, with Razvan Marcu making some fine stops in the Frenford goal. For Frenford I was also impressed with the performances of Alfie Geeves and Jahziah Blackford. Also, it was great to meet Frenford’s legendary manager at this game – David Forbes. For my overall player of the match, Tyrique Peters, Munnir Saad and Dylan Roberts were all contenders. However, personally I thought that the best player on the pitch was Lymore midfielder James Smith. He started the game in central midfield, where he had a really good game, making some fine passes, as he kept the ball moving well. After Maksim Todoschuk had went off injured, James Smith would fill in really well from central-defence, making some important defensive contributions late on.