Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of this seasons’ London Saturday Junior Cup, previous winners of the prestigious competition, London Hibernian, faced the current holders, AMG Ballerz, at Foxbury Avenue (Chislehurst Glebe FC) on Friday evening. London Hibernian play their football in the Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Division 1 (step 8), with AMG Ballerz currently playing their football in the Kent County Football League Division One West (step 8). On Friday, it was London Hibernian who won this county cup final (2-1), despite having to play so much of the game with ten men.

After a good and highly competitive start to this cup final, it was London Hibernian who managed to create the first real chance of the game. With John Kennedy’s cross from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, bouncing towards Josh De Lacey in the centre of the AMG Ballerz box. De Lacey’s first time effort lacked the power to beat the goalkeeper, and it was gathered by Jack Ringrow. However, a couple of minutes later and London Hibernian had a player sent off, still very early on in the game. A flick on would see the ball be taken in his stride by Moises Ola down the right-hand side of the pitch, at pace. However, he was tripped by David Looby on the edge of the London Hibernian box. David Looby was the last man when he made the foul, and he was shown a straight red card by the referee.

Things became even more difficult for London Hibernian, after they conceded a penalty to AMG Ballerz, after John Kennedy had fouled an AMG Ballerz player inside the London Hibernian penalty area. Up stepped Luke Pollard, whose low effort on goal was excellently saved and then gathered to his right, by Conor Walsh. But, the Kent County League side would soon take the lead, and it was a fine opening goal, after an eventful start to this county cup final. A long, lofted forward pass would find Emmanuel Martins, just in behind the London Hibernian defence. Emmanuel Martins would take the ball down really well, before going forward with it, to the edge of the London Hibernian box, where his excellent lobbed effort would go over Walsh and into the goal, 0-1.

London Hibernian would react really well as a team, to going 1-0 down. And soon after a free-kick had been awarded to them, around 30 yards out from the AMG Ballerz goal, Ryan Varma would make it look as though he was going to take it. However, in the end and from a central position, Ryan Matthews powered a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the AMG Ballerz goal, 1-1. Towards the end of this very good first half of football, Jordan Grebe would receive a lofted pass to the left-hand side of the London Hibernian penalty area, before hitting a powerful effort off the outside of Conor Walsh’s near post.

AMG Ballerz would create a couple of early goalscoring chances during the opening stages of the second half, but it was London Hibernian who would get the next goal of the final. And it was a well worked move, which saw Callum Lansley play a one-two pass with a teammate down the left-hand side of the AMG Ballerz box. He would then show some good skill with the ball under pressure before finishing powerfully into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, across goal, 2-1. AMG Ballerz still had a great chance of not only getting back into this cup final, but also of winning it, given they had one extra player on the pitch than their opponents. 

Conor Walsh would make another really important save as the second half progressed. Doing really well to stop Joshua Osigbe’s effort one versus one inside of the London Hibernian penalty area, and following a good AMG Ballerz move. Then, and a couple of minutes after Ryan Matthews had seen his deflected free-kick effort on goal be saved by Jack Ringrow, London Hibernian would create a decent goalscoring chance, with David Dalton getting to a flick on, before taking the ball down the right-hand side of the AMG Ballerz box. The impressive London Hibernian forward would see his low effort on goal be gathered by Jack Ringrow, at his near post.

There was to be a frantic end to this cup final. AMG Ballerz came close to scoring an equaliser following another good move inside of the London Hibernian penalty area, before Joshua Osigbe had surged forwards with the ball down the right-hand side of the London Hibernian box, hitting a low effort a fraction wide of Conor Walsh’s goal, deep into second half additional time. But, Dylan Nicholaou’s London Hibernian side would hold on, and in an eventful ending to the game which resulted in two AMG Ballerz players being sent off, it was London Hibernian who were deserved winners, in my opinion. They defended so well collectively, at crucial moments in the game, but their whole squad played their part in this win, which was certainly against the odds, and against another very good side in AMG Ballerz.

Many congratulations to London Hibernian, on winning the London Saturday Junior Cup for a second time, and what a performance and game of football it was! Conor Walsh, Ryan Varma, Ola Moises, and Ryan Matthews were all contenders for my player of the match award, from this cup final. But, personally David Dalton, London Hibernian’s selfless and tireless centre-forward, who chased down every ball, but who also showed his quality with the ball in the final third, was my player of the match. David Dalton’s movement off the ball and ability to take the pressure off his team, by using the ball so well up top, was so important. This was a performance of real character from London Hibernian.