Non-League and Academy football writer

It was an historic evening for APSA FC on Friday, as made their return to senior football when they faced Romford Town Flyers at Noak Hill Sports Complex. This Essex Alliance Football League Premier Division East (step 8) fixture and season opener was won 3-2 by Romford Town Flyers, courtesy of a very good late winning goal.

Romford Town Flyers would start this game really well. After going on to create some fine early goalscoring opportunities, the home side would go close to making it 1-0 after a powerful effort from the left-hand side of the APSA box, had been well parried by goalkeeper Yaseen Ali. And on the follow-up a Romford Town Flyers player would, under pressure and inside the centre of the box, put the ball over. Soon afterwards, and the Romford Town Flyers number nine would see his cross into the APSA box be cleared away as far as number 10 on the edge of the penalty area. His well hit and powerful effort on goal was well saved by Yaseen Ali.

Romford Town Flyers were definitely in control of the game at this stage. Having continued to create chances, they would eventually take the lead, before then making it 2-0 before half-time. For their opening goal of the evening, a long throw-in from the home side, into the APSA penalty area, would result in their number 17 being fouled by an APSA defender, as the referee pointed to the penalty spot. The Romford Town Flyers number 10 would then calmly find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 1-0. And before half-time and for Romford Town Flyers’ second goal of the game, after APSA had lost the ball, the home side’s number 17 would show some impressive pace to run onto a through-ball pass. And he would keep his composure from inside the APSA penalty area, by placing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Yaseen Ali’s goal, 2-0.

Ten minutes into the second half and after having shown some good signs of improvement, APSA would get a goal back in the game. Aaron Ndu-Seaba would skilfully progress the ball forward through the middle, before then playing the ball forward to Brandon Johnson, on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. One versus one with the goalkeeper, the APSA forward would do well to lift the ball over the goalkeeper and into the goal, 1-2. It was now proving to be a much more competitive game, during the second half. Some time later, and a very good individual effort would see APSA draw level. Following some good work from captain Tanvir Syed Ahmed to keep and then progress the ball forward in midfield, he would pass the ball to Aaron Ndu-Seaba, who after taking the ball forward for a while, would power an unstoppable effort (from 27 yards out) high into the goal and beyond the goalkeeper, 2-2.

As the game had reached its latter stages, it had become more stretched. And although it was Romford Town Flyers who were creating more goalscoring chances than APSA at this stage of the second half, it was an open game of football. Shortly after Brandon Johnson had played the ball across to Kishawn James on the edge of the Romford Town Flyers box, Kishawn James would see his powerful low, deflected effort go narrowly wide of the goal. Then during the final minutes of the game, and shortly after Yaseen Ali had done well to tip the ball over his goal following a speculative but good free-kick effort on his goal from the half-way line. The home side would then manage to find a very late winner. 

It must have been very difficult for APSA, who had done well to come from behind to make it 2-2, to concede such a late winning goal. However, an excellent and well connected with powerful effort from the Romford Town Flyers’ right-sided central-defender (from 23 yards out) would find the top right-hand corner of Yaseen Ali’s goal, 3-2. In what will be a long and interesting season, it was a good start to the season for Romford Town Flyers on Friday, as they started off with a win. For my player of the match from this game, and although there was a lot of competition, Romford Town Flyers’ number 17 was my player of the match. For APSA, I thought that their centre-forward Brandon Johnson was their player of the match.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

APSA:

(1) Yaseen Ali

(2) Mohammed Khan

(15) Amrit Gill

(3) Shayne Bohan

(14) Prince Obenfo

(19) David Vaughan

(18) Tanvir Syed Ahmed (captain)

(10) Tanzim Jamal

(11) Kishawn James

(5) Nile Appian

(17) Brandon Johnson

(8) Akram Mujuzi

(9) Aaron Ndu-Seaba

(7) Dylan Nunes