Non-League and Academy football writer

Lymore Gardens returned to The Techsoc Stadium on Friday night, for a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture with May & Baker ECFC. Lymore Gardens started this match in fourth place in the league table, after 21 matches played. May & Baker started this match in 17th place in the league standings, after 25 matches played. Lymore Gardens continued their good form on Friday, by winning 5-2 against May & Baker.

May & Baker would create a decent early chance. With Kevin Musimami getting to the ball on the right-hand side of the Lymore penalty area, following a throw-in, before hitting a powerful effort narrowly wide of Samuel Owusu’s near post. A couple of minutes later and May & Baker player Wesley Mbedzi would get to a forward pass down the left flank, before taking the ball into the Lymore box. From there his effort on goal was helped over by Samuel Owusu, who had somehow managed to turn the ball onto the top of his crossbar.

Lymore would soon start to find their rhythm, despite a decent start to the game from the visitors. Tyrique Peters’s perfectly weighted through-ball pass would find the run of Lymore centre-forward Papa Ndiaye, who from inside the May & Baker box, would round the goalkeeper before placing the ball just wide of the goal. Soon after that fine Lymore chance, and Dylan Roberts would meet Ryo Brown’s forward pass, in behind the away team’s defence. On the stretch and one versus one with the May & Baker goalkeeper, Roberts’s first time effort went narrowly wide of the goal.

A very inviting Lymore corner-kick, which had been curled towards the back post of the goal by Dylan Roberts, was connected with by James Smith, whose header hit the underside of the crossbar, before being gathered by May & Baker’s goalkeeper, Alfie Fitzearle. Then, less than a minute later, Tyrique Peters would work the space on the edge of the away team’s penalty area, before hitting a low effort narrowly wide of their goal. Despite this very good spell in the game for Lymore, it was still proving to be quite an open game of football. After May & Baker player Harry Carter had won the ball in midfield, he would play the ball forwards to Wesley Mbedzi’s run on the edge of the Lymore box. His resulting effort would go narrowly wide, beyond the outrushing Samuel Owusu.

Not long after Lymore’s captain Ryo Brown had hit an excellent effort on the May & Baker goal from distance, which was well tipped over by Fitzearle, May & Baker would take the lead in this contest. Zinell Royes would try to test the Lymore goalkeeper with a powerful effort on his goal, from distance. However, the May & Baker player’s effort would take a significant deflection off a Lymore defender. The ball would then loop up over Samuel Owusu, who despite his best efforts would see the ball fall into the goal, 0-1.

May & Baker’s lead did not last very long, as Lymore Gardens responded quickly, by scoring an equalising goal soon after play had resumed. Yinka Akinlabi would lift the ball over the May & Baker defence, from out on the left flank, as his pass dropped to Dylan Roberts, who one versus one with Fitzearle and inside his penalty area, would adjust well to finish into the goal, 1-1. And Lymore came very close to going into the break 2-1 ahead. With the very creative Tyrique Peters passing the ball to James Smith, down the right-hand side of the away side’s penalty area. Smith’s powerful effort was well parried by Fitzearle, who then somehow managed to keep out Papa Ndiaye’s effort from close range, on the follow-up.

Lymore Gardens started the second half in style, making it 2-1 early on. Dylan Roberts would receive Ryo Brown’s short pass to the left-hand side of the May & Baker box, and from just inside of the penalty area Roberts would hit a really good and powerful low effort across the goalkeeper, who had no chance of stopping the ball from finding the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-1. Over ten minutes later, and May & Baker found themselves level. They didn’t stop playing their football, and moments after their captain Anthony Cooke’s low effort (from the edge of the Lymore box) had been kept out by Samuel Owusu, alert centre-forward Kevin Musimami was on hand to finish into the goal from close range, 2-2.

It had been a lively start to the second half, and the goals certainly weren’t going to stop there. Lymore Gardens didn’t panic, having conceded that second goal of the game, and they showed good patience with the ball, as they have done so often this season. Their top goalscorer, Dylan Roberts, would, soon after play had resumed, get to the ball following a Lymore move on the edge of the visiting team’s box. And Roberts would get his hat-trick goal, hitting a wonderful and powerful first time effort beyond Fitzearle, and into his goal, 3-2.

Lymore Gardens knew that they had to try and get a fourth goal, to establish a two goal cushion over a May & Baker side who still believed that they could get back into this game. May & Baker would go close on two occasions in quick succession, to going level in the game. The first chance saw Kevin Musimami run onto a long forward pass, in behind the Lymore defence. But, one versus one with the Lymore goalkeeper, Samuel Owusu would make a big save to turn behind the forward’s effort on his goal. And then a couple of minutes later and as the result of a Lymore back-pass, Giovanni Ellis would get to the ball inside of their penalty area. The ball would then come to Kevin Musimami, but with the goal being almost an open one, the May & Baker player was just unable to find the back of the net.

Lymore Gardens had managed to avoid conceding that third May & Baker goal of the game, and in some style they would effectively seal the win. Substitute Malik Donaldson would receive a pass on the left flank, before going forward and then skilfully drifting inside with the ball, going across a couple of May & Baker defenders on the edge of their penalty area. Donaldson had perfectly created the space to then power a low effort in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 4-2.

Before the end of the game was up, Lymore Gardens would make it 5-2, with Malik Donaldson this time turning provider, as he set-up another substitute in Callum Fisher. Donaldson would play the ball forward down the right-hand side of the pitch, to Callum Fisher, who cut inside with the ball as he took it to the edge of the penalty area, before finishing emphatically beyond Fitzearle and into the goal, 5-2. It was a fitting final goal of the game, in a game in which all of Lymore’s goal were finished in style. 

Lymore Gardens certainly didn’t have it all their way in this game, and credit to May & Baker, who really made Lymore work hard for their win. May & Baker played some good and effective football, with Kevin Musimami being my May & Baker player of the match. However, it was always going to be a difficult ask to become only the second side this season to beat Lymore Gardens at their home ground, although there were positives to take from this game for May & Baker.

For Lymore Gardens I thought that they managed the game well in decisive moments, but in front of goal they were very confident and clinical in their finishing. Hat-trick hero Dylan Roberts was my player of the match, with Ryo Brown, Tyrique Peters (he deserved a goal!) and Yinka Akinlabi some of my other contenders for my player of the match award. A special mention also for Samuel Owusu, who made some big saves on his Lymore debut.