Non-League and Academy football writer

Needing a win to mathematically clinch the title for a second season running, Club Assyria faced fourth place Ivy Leaf WD, at Cranford Community College on Sunday morning, in a Middlesex County Football Sunday League Premier Division fixture. Club Assyria would come back from 3-0 down to win this game 4-3, and in doing so they became league champions for the second season in a row.

The first chance of this game, on a very warm day in Cranford, was created by Club Assyria. With Shaun Aram taking the ball forward for a while, to the edge of the Ivy Leaf box, before passing the ball forward to Bilal Butt, who from the left-hand side of the penalty area would shift the ball onto his right foot, before powering a low effort on goal. However, Ivy Leaf’s goalkeeper, Jamie Cooper, would make a save with his feet, to clear the ball. Relatively soon after and in difficult conditions, it was Ivy Leaf who would take an early lead.

For their opening goal of the game, Ivy leaf captain Daniel Gibbs-Greenidge would take a free-kick, which had been awarded on the edge of the Club Assyria box, to the left. His resulting whipped effort would go into the top right-hand corner of the goal in brilliant fashion, off the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, 0-1. Club Assyria did come close to making it 1-1 soon after, however. As Milo Whittaker took on a defender down the right flank, progressing the ball forward well and then delivering a powerful cross to the back post. Where Ajay Dass’ powerful low header on goal was well kept out by Jamie Cooper, with Bilal Butt’s header on the follow-up was headed clear off the goal-line by a defender.

Before half-time, Ivy Leaf WD would double their lead. Paul Murphy’s lofted forward pass from midfield, would find the run of Marcus Gibbs-Greenidge (the former top goalscorer of the Saturday league, with LPOSSA), who in behind of the Club Assyria defence would get onto the ball. Through on goal and one versus one with the goalkeeper inside of the Club Assyria box, Marcus Gibbs-Greenidge would skilfully lift the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper, before helping the ball over the goal-line, past a recovering defender, 0-2.

An impressive Ivy Leaf move, during the opening stages of the second half, would  result in the away team making it 3-0. Jake Edmunds’ passed the ball out to Joseph Longman on the right flank, who would in turn play the ball across to Marcus Gibbs-Greenidge on the edge of the Club Assyria box. And from a difficult angle, he would cleverly curl the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of Joseph Khoshaba’s goal, 0-3.

Club Assyria had it all do now, but they would go on to show great character as a team throughout so much of the second half. They would soon manage to get a goal back in the game, courtesy of a good team move. Which saw Shaun Aram play a short forward pass to Club Assyria substitute Denzel Bonilla-Hurtado, who played the ball across the floor to Ahmad Bawar, inside of the Ivy Leaf box. From where he cleverly flicked the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-3.

After Daniel Gibbs-Greenidge had curled a free-kick (from the edge of the home team’s box) narrowly over the Club Assyria goal, the home team would be awarded a penalty soon after. With Shaun Aram being fouled by an Ivy Leaf defender inside of their penalty area, as the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Bilal Butt’s resulting low effort from the penalty spot, would clinically find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-3. Then very soon afterwards, Club Assyria would make it 3-3! As Ahmad Bawar’s unstoppable free-kick effort, from 23 yards out, would find the top right-hand corner of Jamie Cooper’s goal, 3-3.

Club Assyria continued to work really hard as a team, and they were now really pushing for a winning goal. With the momentum now very much with Club Assyria, they would go on to find a fourth goal in quick succession, with Bilal Butt providing the assist on this occasion. The Club Assyria forward would receive the ball around 25 yards out from goal. His through-ball pass to find the run of Shaun Aram, would see the Club Assyria number 10 take the ball into the Ivy Leaf penalty area, where one on one with the goalkeeper, he would keep his composure in front of goal to find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 4-3.

Club Assyria continued to create some good further chances, as the game progressed. After Denzel Bonilla-Hurtado’s through-ball pass had found the run of Shaun Aram down the left-hand side of the Ivy Leaf box, his low, curling effort was really well saved by Jamie Cooper, who got down really well to make the save, and turn the ball behind. Jamie Cooper would then make another good stop soon after, to save and keep out Milo Whittaker’s powerful low effort at his near post, from inside of the box.

Late on in this really good game of football, Ivy Leaf’s Joseph Longman’s curling effort which was bound for the top left-hand corner of the Club Assyria goal, was brilliantly met and headed over on the goal-line by Ali Alalioui. What a brilliant game of football this was, and one in which Club Assyria clinched the league title in, in style, and against a good Ivy Leaf WD side, who another day could well have won this game. But, Club Assyria would show some fantastic character as a team during the second half, and tactically they were very, very good. Many congratulations to this very good Club Assyria side on winning the Middlesex County Football Sunday League Premier Division title, once again.

On the day I thought that Marcus Gibbs-Greenidge and Jamie Cooper were Ivy Leaf’s players of the match. But, for my player of the match award, I’m going to award it to Ahmad Bawar, who made a big impression on this game in the second half. But, special mentions must also go to Shaun Aram, Denzel Bonilla-Hurtado, and Yaniek Monrose, on their performances, on a great day for Club Assyria.