Non-League and Academy football writer

In a big quarter-final tie of this season’s FA Sunday Cup, East London Ballers faced Shire United on Sunday afternoon, at Parsloes Park Hub. East London Ballers play their football in the Senior Division of the Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League. Shire United play their football in the North Surrey and Middlesex Border Sunday Football League. Two very good teams in their respective Sunday leagues, it was East London Ballers who won this cup tie, winning 2-0 against Shire United in east London, on the day, as they progressed into the semi-finals of this competition for a second successive season.

I thought that this cup tie was started at a good pace. With both sides competing well, early on, although I thought that the home side had started the game just that bit better. After Shire United had an effort from inside of the East London Ballers penalty area, which was saved by their goalkeeper, Raven Consta, an East London Ballers player would then hit a decent effort wide of the away team’s goal, from distance. Still early on in the game, and East London Ballers were awarded a penalty, after their centre-forward, Kieran James, had latched onto the ball following a short pass back to the Shire United goalkeeper (Gary Ross), who had then fouled Kieran James, inside of his penalty area.

Samir Bihmoutine would take the resulting East London Ballers penalty. However, his powerfully hit low effort was excellently matched by the outstretched Gary Ross, who managed to get a strong hand to the ball, to stop the ball from finding the bottom right-hand corner of his goal. Not too long after that penalty save from Gary Ross, and an ever improving East London Ballers side did manage to get the first goal of the game. A long throw-in into the Shire United penalty area, wasn’t cleared by the away team’s defence, as the ball fell for Kieran James just in front of the goalkeeper, as he adjusted well in order to finish low into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

For East London Ballers, the impressive Salim Nassor, would hit a clever low free-kick effort from over 20 yards out on goal, which was well turned behind at his right-hand post, by Gary Ross. And then just before half-time, Samir Bihmoutine would work the space well on the left-hand side of the Shire United penalty area, following some good skill with the ball, before hitting a decent, powerful effort over the goal.

Having started the second half of the tie well, East London Ballers would go on to make it 2-0, during the opening stages of the second half. Another good and long throw-in routine, would this time see the ball fall for Isa Abrahamu down the left-hand side of the Shire United penalty area. He would then quickly shift the ball onto his right foot, and with the ball on the bounce, Isa Abrahamu would do really well to just curl the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, under pressure, 2-0.

Shire United did respond well to conceding that second goal of the game, still early on in the second half. The impressive Connor Cullen would get to a well delivered cross towards the back post of the East London Ballers goal. His header on goal would result in Raven Consta making a fine save, to tip the ball over his crossbar. And then, around five minutes later, Connor Cullen would receive the ball on the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, before hitting a powerful low effort, with his right foot, against the bottom of Raven Consta’s right-hand post.

East London Ballers would manage the rest of this game really well and effectively, really frustrating a fine Shire United side, who were unable to really create any further notable goalscoring chances. Towards the end of the game, two players, one from either side, in Raven Consta and Charlie Samuel, were sin-binned, but the scores would finish 2-0 to East London Ballers. It was the home side who deservedly won this game, in order to progress into the semi-finals of the most prestigious Sunday cup competition in the country. And although they came up against a very good opponent, in Shire United, for so much of this competitive game, East London Ballers played their football very effectively, managing the game really well, also.

For Shire United, I thought that their best player on Sunday, was their commanding goalkeeper, Gary Ross. For my overall player of the match award, Clayton Afonso, in central-defence for East London Ballers, Kieran James and Isa Abrahamu were all contenders. However, personally, my player of the match was the home team’s classy captain, Salim Nassor, who had a very good game in the centre of the pitch for East London Ballers. The east London side will now look forward to seeing who they get in the semi-finals of this competition, a challenge which they will be relishing.