Non-League and Academy football writer

In what was my first Southern Amateur Football League match of the 2025/26 season, I attended this Senior Division 1 fixture between Civil Service and NUFC Oilers, on Saturday afternoon. Civil Service have drawn one and lost one from their opening two Senior Division 1 fixtures of this season. The visiting side to Chiswick on Saturday, NUFC Oilers, have won one and drawn one from their opening two Senior Division 1 matches of this season. It was NUFC Oilers who won this match, 4-0.

John Sewell’s Civil Service side would make a good start to this SAL match. A good early move from the home side would end with Euan Munday receiving a short pass (from the edge of the away team’s box), on the left-hand side of the NUFC Oilers penalty area. The Civil Service forward was however, met by the outrushing NUFC Oilers goalkeeper, Steve Moniz, who did well to close down his angles to make a good low save. Soon after that chance for Civil Service, Euan Munday would get to the ball in midfield before playing a really clever forward pass across the floor towards the run of Thomas Hizzett, in behind of the away side’s defence. With the NUFC Oilers goalkeeper having rushed out of his goal, Thomas Hizzett’s chipped effort from over 20 yards out would go narrowly wide of the goal.

The game continued to pick up pace, with NUFC Oilers creating the next chance of this contest. As following a free-kick for the away side, the ball would eventually come to Pieter Stein on the right-hand side of the Civil Service box, with his low effort on goal being well kept out by goalkeeper Reuben Bull. Civil Service would then go forward with the ball, as Eddie Polaine progressed it forward down the right-hand side of the pitch, before playing the ball across to Thomas Hizzett, but from just inside of the box, his quickly taken low effort would go narrowly wide.

Next, and some good work with the ball, under pressure, from Jamie Bywater on the right-hand side of the pitch, would result in the skilful NUFC Oilers winger whipping a good cross in to the home team’s penalty area. The ball was met by Eddie Lee, whose powerful headed effort from close range was really well tipped over his crossbar by Reuben Bull. A couple of minutes later and the Civil Service goalkeeper would make another good save, as he gathered a headed effort on his goal. 

NUFC Oilers were starting to really push for that opening goal of the game, as the first half went on. After Civil Service had been unable to clear the ball away from the edge of their penalty area, Jamie Bywater would power an effort over their goal. And then not long after at all, NUFC Oilers would take the lead. A brilliant whipped cross from George Hicks on the right-hand side of the pitch wasn’t quite connected properly with, by a teammate (he was under pressure from a defender) inside of the home side’s penalty area. However, Alex Cozens would get to the ball inside of the box, before quickly powering an effort past Reuben Bull and into his goal, 0-1.

Just before half-time NUFC Oilers would double their advantage in this match. Eddie Lee did well with the ball towards the byline and out on the right-hand side of the pitch, before playing the ball across goal inside of the penalty area. Following a deflection Reuben Bull would do well to keep the ball out of his goal, but once again on the follow-up Alex Cozens was alert to the ball, as he finished low into the goal, 0-2. NUFC Oilers would start the second half of this match in a similarly good fashion. After having started the second half well they would soon extend their lead further. Eddie Lee’s run off the ball inside of the Civil Service penalty area was picked out courtesy of a good lofted forward pass, in behind of the home team’s defence. Eddie Lee would then finish low and clinically into the goal, 0-3.

Civil Service were unable to really respond to going 3-0 down in this game, before NUFC Oilers had made it 4-0, almost immediately after the resumption of play. With the inventive Jamie Bywater’s cross from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, being met on the volley by Alex Cozens inside the centre of the Civil Service box, as the forward’s volleyed effort found the back of Reuben Bull’s goal as he got his hat-trick goal, 0-4. NUFC Oilers would manage the second half of this game really well, as they looked to also keep a clean-sheet, and they were making it difficult for Civil Service to create chances. Following a good cross from Eddie Lee towards the back post of Reuben Bull’s goal, he found Pieter Stein, whose volleyed effort on goal was excellently kept out by Reuben Bull, who made a fine reflex save.

With NUFC Oilers really frustrating Civil Service during the latter stages of the game, the home side were only able to create one more goalscoring chance, late on in the game. As following a long throw-in into the away team’s penalty area, Thomas Hizzett would volley an effort wide of their goal, on the turn. Civil Service could well have been 2-0 up during the early stages of this game. However, NUFC Oilers got stronger as the first half went on, playing their football really well as a team. Their two goal lead going in to the second half really did help them, but they did ever so well to score a further two early goals during the early stages of the second half, as they played superbly well, both going forward with the ball, and in defence.

For Civil Service, I personally thought that their hardworking number nine Euan Munday, was their player of the match. For my overall player of the match award in this great team performance from NUFC Oilers, I thought that the very creative Jamie Bywater, Eddie Lee, George Hicks and their defensively excellent captain Lawrence Bearman, were all contenders for my man of the match award on Saturday. However, with a well taken hat-trick of goals, as well as putting in a real shift out of possession, NUFC Oilers player Alex Cozens was my player of the match.