Non-League and Academy football writer

Frenford have been on a memorable run (the club’s best ever) in the early stages of this season’s FA Cup. However, they’ve also won both of their opening Essex Senior League matches of the 2026/27 season, going in to this Bank Holiday Monday home league fixture against Woodford Town, at The Jack Carter Centre. Shane Baptiste’s Woodford Town side had recorded five points from their first three league matches of this season, going in to this local derby with Frenford. It was another very good win and performance from Frenford, who made it three wins from three, courtesy of a 4-1 win.

Woodford Town created the first chance of a good first half of football to report on. As the visiting team had managed to create a good opening inside the Frenford penalty area. In the end though, and after having gone close a couple of moments before, Frenford goalkeeper Dominic Alexandru would make a top stop to keep out Solomon Ofori’s powerful side-footed effort on his goal. Then in the 12th minute of this game Frenford would take the lead. A great forward run from Frenford’s player or the month, Hocine Krouchi, would result in him playing a one-two pass with a teammate on the edge of the Woodford box. After receiving the ball inside the box, his low effort on goal would be turned home at the back post by Christian Gyamfi, 1-0.

Less than five minutes after taking the lead in this game, Frenford would concede an equaliser. Jibran Ahmed’s run to meet a forward pass down the left-hand side of the Frenford box, would result in Dominic Alexandru making a good low save. But, on the follow-up and from the edge of the penalty area, Marko Protic would finish clinically into the roof of the goal, 1-1. This game continued to be eventful and open. In the 23rd minute of this contest Frenford would retake the lead. With Yasser Maalin’s well weighted forward pass finding Christian Gyamfi’s run in behind the Woodford defence and down the right-hand side of their penalty area. From where the Frenford number nine would finish low into the goal beyond Sidi Haidara, 2-1.

Frenford would continue to play well as the first half progressed. As they played the ball around the pitch well, and with purpose. The next chance of the game however, came the way of Woodford. Solomon Ofori would receive the ball down the right-hand side of the Frenford penalty area, after the ball had been played across to him. However, the outrushing Dominic Alexandru would make another good save before gathering the ball. Just before half-time and things got even better for Imrul Gazi and Steven Carvell’s Frenford side, who would establish a two goal cushion at a great time in the game. Hocine Krouchi would leap up to powerfully head the ball (it took a bit of a deflection off a Woodford defender on the goal-line) into the Woodford goal after meeting Steven Carvell’s well delivered, floated corner-kick delivery to the centre of the Woodford box, 3-1.

Relatively early on in a much less eventful second half of football, Woodford Town would come close to making it 3-2. After a loose Frenford pass had resulted in Woodford substitute Ollie Sotoyinbo latching onto the ball in Frenford’s final third. Now one versus one with Dominic Alexandru inside his penalty area, Ollie Sotoyinbo’s low effort would be excellently kept out by the outrushing and commanding Frenford goalkeeper. Having managed the rest of the game well, Frenford would limit Woodford to not very many further goalscoring chances. There was to be one more goal in the match, in the 95th minute. That goal was scored in spectacular fashion by Frenford substitute Reside Coxi-Sebastiao.

For that fourth Frenford goal of the game, Reside Coxi-Sebastiao would have the ball played across to him by Jesse Mansaray on the right flank, and some 34 (plus) yards out from goal. Instead of playing the ball into the clever run of Jesse Mansaray, Reside Coxi-Sebastiao would loft a brilliant effort over Sidi Haidara and into the Woodford goal, 4-1. Once again Frenford played some really good and effective football today, to record an impressive win over a fine Woodford Town side. The excellent Asad Ahmed, Dominic Alexandru and the very consistent Hocine Krouchi could all easily have been named player of the match against Woodford. However, with two good goals and some very good centre-forward play, my player of the match from this fixture was Christian Gyamfi. 

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Frenford:

(1) Dominic Alexandru

(2) Balla Ndao

(3) Samuel Bayon 

(5) Declan Kama 

(6) Hocine Krouchi 

(10) Steven Carvell (captain)

(14) Yasser Maalin

(11) Mahdi Khan 

(7) Jesse Mansaray

(9) Christian Gyamfi 

(19) Asad Ahmed

Substitutes:

(8) Kevin Krans

(15) Thomas Scantlebury

(4) Theophilus Ola

(17) Arman Uzzaman

(16) Reside Coxi-Sebastiao

Woodford Town: 

(1) Sidi Haidara

(2) Kahlil Kirwan-Meade

(3) Manny Martins

(5) Adam Hastings

(6) James Jewers

(7) Jibran Ahmed 

(17) Andre Anderson 

(10) Marko Protic 

(11) Solomon Ofori 

(30) Miles Mitchell-Nelson

(8) Sam Owusu (captain)

Substitutes:

(4) James Runham

(9) Ollie Sotoyinbo

(15) Williams Danquah

(22) Michael Agboola 

(16) Tanel Ayvaz