Non-League and Academy football writer

It was a historic day for former Middlesex County Football League side London Fennecs, on Saturday afternoon. As Zack Bettache’s side faced another recently promoted side in London Harts United (away) at Harlow Town FC, in what was their first ever Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. London Harts had won their first league fixture at step 6 (8-1) against NW London, and on Saturday they would continue their fine start to the season, with a 4-0 home win over London Fennecs.

London Fennecs started this game quite positively, but it was London Harts who would create the first real chance of the game. With a long forward ball being flicked on by centre-forward David Moyo, to Munashi Mwale, who would take the ball just inside of the London Fennecs box, before powering an effort on goal, which was well pushed behind by Saeed Pirmoradi. John Quissua’s resulting in-swinging corner-kick would hit Saeed Pirmoradi’s crossbar, before London Harts took the lead in the 17th minute of the game.

Tamas Retyi would receive a great forward pass down the left flank, before driving forward with the ball into the away team’s box, and then laying the ball off for Emmanuel Tehe, who finished powerfully beyond the goalkeeper, with a good and clinical finish, 1-0. London Fennecs did respond well to going 1-0 down early on. Following on from Ahmed Ayoub’s forward pass to Michael Babarinde, the London Fennecs player would take the ball down the right-hand side of the London Harts box, before seeing his powerful low effort be turned behind by Ishwor Gurung, at his near post. And London Fennecs did create three further good openings in quick succession, with Mouadh Kermani putting an effort over from relatively close range, before the home side finished the first half in superb fashion. Centre-forward Abelaziz Khefacha would also get in to some good positions inside of the London Harts box.

Tamas Retyi would skilfully take the ball inside from the left flank, to the edge of the London Harts penalty area, before laying the ball off for Munashe Mwale, down the right-hand side of the box. His powerful effort on goal would be well kept out by Saeed Pirmoradi, however. And then, one after the other during the latter stages of the first half and in quick succession, London Harts would add a further three goals to their tally. For their second goal of the afternoon John Quissua would take the ball down the left, before crossing the ball for Munashe Mwale, who finished with a good, low first time effort from inside the centre of the box, 2-0.

Then for their third goal of the game, London Harts United forward David Moyo would send a clever back-heeled pass towards the run of Michael Olatunji, down the right flank. The player’s resulting whipped cross into the box would be unfortunately headed into his own goal by London Fennecs defender Cameron Sinclair, who had tried to clear the ball, 3-0. And then right on the stroke of half-time and for the home side’s fourth goal of the game, David Moyo would turn home John Quissua’s well delivered cross in front of the goal, from close range, 4-0.

London Harts would go on to create a couple of good early openings during the early stages of the second half, but their first real chance of the second half came from a Tamas Retyi lay off, to Munashe Mwale on the edge of the London Fennecs box. The midfielder’s powerful, quickly taken effort was well parried away by Saeed Pirmoradi. Soon after that effort on goal, Munashe Mwale would create a good chance, courtesy of a good and well weighted forward pass into the run of John Quissua down the left-hand side of the London Fennecs box. The outrushing Saeed Pirmoradi would close down his angles quickly however, to make a good stop.

London Harts made it more difficult for London Fennecs to create good chances, apart from some decent openings in the final third. Very late on in a more uneventful second half, London Harts would lose possession of the ball to London Fennecs substitute Sofiane Hammouda on the edge of their penalty area. However, the striker’s low effort was placed just a fraction wide of the goal. London Harts United deserved their win today, going in to half-time 4-0 up, after a very clinical first half performance. But, London Fennecs did play their football well during that eventful first half, and had they taken their chances it could well have been a very different second half.

Credit must go to the very well organised home side though, with David Moyo, John Quissua, and left-back Tamas Retyi, who got forward and overlapped so well throughout, being some of their most influential players on the day. However, it was the performance of midfielder Munashe Mwale, which really impressed me today. A very clever player both with and without the ball, he got in to some really good positions and he scored a good goal. He was therefore my player of the match. Also, for London Fennecs, on the day I thought that their number ten, Zineddine Hadad and their goalkeeper, Saeed Pirmoradi, were their two best players.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

London Harts United:

(1) Ishwor Gurung

(2) Jerome Humes 

(3) Tamas Retyi

(4) Junior Mboglem 

(5) Tyler Lawson 

(6) Dee Okojie

(7) Michael Olatunji

(8) Munashe Mwale 

(9) David Moyo

(10) John Quissua

(11) Emmanuel Tehe

Substitutes:

(12) Desmond Yobouet 

(13) Fernandez Magba 

(15) Caleb Roberts

(16) Pt Djo Ndala

London Fennecs:

(1) Saeed Pirmoradi 

(4) Islem Guerniche 

(3) Ilias Tahraoui 

(2) Olumide Olagunju 

(5) Cameron Sinclair

(6) Youcef Mezaoui (captain)

(10) Zineddine Hadad 

(14) Abelaziz Khefacha

(13) Ahmed Ayoub

(11) Michael Babarinde 

(8) Mouadh Kermani 

Substitutes: 

(16) Adam Toubal 

(7) Sofiane Hammouda 

(12) Xavier Quintero 

(14) Obinna Nebuwa