Non-League and Academy football writer

In an FA Cup preliminary round replay (the first game finished in a 2-2 draw), Frenford took on Haringey Borough at The Jack Carter Centre on Tuesday evening. Imrul Gazi and Steven Carvell’s Frenford’s side play their football in the Essex Senior League (step 5). Haringey Borough play their football in the Southern Football League Division One Central (step 4). This replay was won 3-2 by Frenford in extra-time. And I thought that the step 5 side deserved their win on Tuesday.

Frenford would go on to create the first real chance of this game. Steven Carvell’s lofted and accurate forward pass from midfield, would find the run of Christian Gyamfi to the edge of the Haringey Borough penalty area. Met by the outrushing Haringey goalkeeper, Cam Batt, Christian Gyamfi’s effort was gathered by the Haringey goalkeeper. Haringey Borough would soon begin to find their rhythm, but in a first half of not very many goalscoring chances, it was the away side who did create more chances. 

After Leonardo Pola Lopete had curled an effort from 25 yards out, which had gone just wide of the Frenford goal, a good Haringey Borough move would follow, soon afterwards. With the ball being worked out to Stefanos Georgiou down the right-hand side of the Frenford box. His powerful low effort would be well turned behind by Frenford’s goalkeeper, Dominic Alexandru, at his near post. Haringey Borough did create some additional chances before half-time, but Frenford would defend their penalty area strongly.

Going on to the second half, and Haringey Borough would score an early goal in the eighth minute of the second half. The Frenford players had appealed for a foul in the buildup to this goal, with Leonardo Pola Lopete playing the ball forward to Herson Alves’ run down the right-hand side of the home team’s box, from where he would finish powerfully and very clinically into the goal, low beyond Dominic Alexandru, 0-1. Dominic Alexandru would make a very important double save following a good Haringey Borough move into the Frenford box, soon afterwards. Then in the 68th minute of this tie, and Frenford would draw level.

For the goal to make it 1-1, deep-lying play-maker Steven Carvell would play a lofted ball out to Romeo Mudhar-Hedley down the left flank. The impressive Frenford winger would sprint forward with the ball, before crossing it low into the Haringey box. His cross into the penalty area was just helped on by a teammate, into the path of Jesse Mansaray. The Frenford player had a lot to do, but he worked the space really well under pressure, before powering an unstoppable effort into the roof of Cam Batt’s goal, 1-1.

Frenford were moving the ball around really well, and with the momentum now on their side, they seemed the more likely side to get the third goal of the game. However, an experienced Haringey Borough side could not be underestimated. And in the 81st minute of this replay they would retake the lead. After Jonathan Hippolyte had taken the ball forward down the left flank well, he would deliver a good low cross into the centre of the Frenford box, finding Ralston Gabriel in space. And the Haringey Borough substitute would finish clinically with a good first time effort beyond Dominic Alexandru, 1-2.

Frenford kept their calm and their composure right until the end of this game. And although they desperately needed a very late goal to take this game to penalties, the east London club would show the patience and the quality needed to win a late penalty. Steven Carvell’s good diagonal pass had found Yousuf Zulqurnain Hoque just in behind of a Haringey Borough defender, down the right-hand side of their box, from where he was brought to the ground, resulting in a penalty being awarded by the referee. The composed Steven Carvell would power the ball down the middle of the goal, with Cam Batt going to his left, to take the game to extra-time, 2-2.

In quite a cagey first half of extra-time, the one standout moment from the first half arrived early on. With Ralston Gabriel heading narrowly over from close range, following a good whipped cross across goal. Then on to the second half of extra-time, and Yousuf Zulqurnain Hoque would connect well with his effort from the edge of the Haringey box, making the outstretched Cam Batt have to do really well tip the ball around his right-hand post. Yet, in the 113th minute of this game Frenford would take the lead for the first time in the replay. As they ultimately booked their place into the first qualifying round of the FA Cup for the very first time in their history.

Steven Carvell’s well delivered floated corner-kick into the Haringey Borough box was met well by Thomas Scantlebury. He would head the ball down for Asad Ahmed, who finished from close range on the turn, 3-2. In additional time Haringey Borough player Cem Poyraz was shown his second yellow card of the game, as the north London club ended the game with ten men. But, this was a historic evening in the history of Frenford FC, who I thought overall, deserved to book their place in the next round of the FA Cup, over step 4 opposition. Next up for Frenford in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup, is a home time against step 3 side Enfield Town. As a team Frenford played so well for each other. Jesse Mansaray, Hocine Krouchi, Asad Ahmed and Declan Kama were just some of their players who put in excellent performances. In the end though, my player of the match goes to the Frenford team!

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Frenford:

(1) Dominic Alexandru

(2) Mame Balla Ndao

(5) Declan Kama 

(16) Samir Hussain

(6) Hocine Krouchi

(7) Jesse Mansaray

(9) Christian Gyamfi

(10) Steven Carvell (captain)

(8) Kevin Krans

(14) Yasser Maalin

(12) Romeo Mudhar-Hedley

Substitutes:

(3) Zion Mensah

(4) Theophilus Ola

(15) Thomas Scantlebury 

(11) Nicholas Solomon

(17) Yousuf Zulqurnain Hoque

(18) Kai Haysman

(19) Asad Ahmed 

Haringey Borough: 

(1) Cam Batt

(18) Keir Dickson 

(3) Michael O’Donoghue

(4) Sami Bassadi

(6) Jorge Sambu (captain)

(7) Isaac Newton 

(8) Herson Alves

(9) Leonardo Pola Lopete

(14) Adrian Clifton 

(2) Stefanos Georgiou

(19) Coby Rowe

Substitutes:

(5) Scott Mitchell 

(10) Matthew Young 

(11) Jonathan Hippolyte

(17) Ryan Hervel

(21) Ralston Gabriel 

(16) Cem Poyraz