Non-League and Academy football writer

Lymore Gardens and Rayleigh Town met for the first time during the 2026/27 season in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South, on Wednesday evening at Parkside Stadium (Aveley FC). Lee Benjamin’s Lymore Gardens side started this game in seventh place in the league table, after six matches played. Rayleigh had played five league matches before Wednesday, starting this game in 14th place in the table. Rob Hodgson’s Rayleigh Town side would get all three points this evening, after winning the game 2-1.

An early low Rayleigh Town cross by Ben Baxter, would be helped on to Mitchell Ali inside the centre of the Lymore box. On the turn, Ali’s powerful effort would result in Martin Arnauchkov having to make a smart save to tip the ball over his crossbar. Despite that early chance for Rayleigh and in an open game of football, Lymore Gardens were starting to move the ball around really well, early on. However, after James Ikotun’s low effort (one versus one with the Rayleigh goalkeeper) from inside the Rayleigh Town penalty area was well saved and then gathered by Josh Hudson, there was quite a wait for the next chance of this game.

Not long before half-time Rob Hodgson’s Rayleigh Town side would take the lead. With the Lymore defence just unable to clear away Nathan Elgie’s (after he had received a pass from Louie Watkins) cross towards Matt Oaten at the back post of the Lymore goal. From where the Rayleigh player would finish emphatically and high into the goal, beyond Martin Arnauchkov, from close range. Then, and shortly after Rayleigh had a goal rule out, much to their disbelief for offside, Lymore then came very close to making it 1-1. James Smith’s lovely lofted forward pass from midfield was helped on by Dylan Roberts, to the run of Ben Joao inside the Rayleigh box. And the Lymore defender’s powerful low effort would connect with Josh Hudson’s left-hand post.

Still quite early on in the second half, Rayleigh Town would make it 2-0. From the first real effort on target of the second half, Mitchell Ali would cut inside with the ball onto his right foot, before powering a low effort away on goal from 23 yards out. The Lymore goalkeeper was unfortunately unable to gather the ball as it went beyond him and into the goal, 0-2. Up until a late sending off, a second yellow card for Rayleigh defender Oliver Quick, Lymore had been really frustrated by a Rayleigh side who had demonstrated really good game management. They had worked really well for each other, and their shape as a team had been consistently good as a team.

Following the dismissal of Oliver Quick, who had put in a strong and commanding defensive performance for the club from Essex. Lymore would start to really test their defence, soon going on to get a goal back in the game. Arguably Lymore’s player of the match, Tyrique Peters, would skip past the challenge of a Rayleigh defender in their final third. Tyrique Peters would then receive the ball again, inside the away team’s penalty area. From where he would finish low and clinically into the goal, 1-2. And then straight from the resumption of play, Lymore would go at Rayleigh again. This time the ball was played out to Lymore substitute Malik Donaldson on the left-hand side of the Rayleigh penalty area. Josh Hudson however, would make a top stop, to somehow turn behind the Lymore number 10’s low effort which had seemed destined to find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, very late on.

Rayleigh worked ever so hard as a team to get this important win and all three points. They dug deep as a team, frustrated Lymore in forward areas, and they were also clinical in front of goal scoring at key moments in the game. It was a strong team performance from Rayleigh, who managed to hold on right at the very end. My player of the match on Wednesday was Rayleigh Town central-defender Taylor Armstrong, who I thought worked really well alongside Oliver Quick, for so much of the game.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Lymore Gardens:

(1) Martin Arnauchkov

(5) Maksim Todoshchuk  

(2) Ben Joao 

(17) Gaston Mendy (captain)

(4) Zidane Bolessa 

(11) Tyrique Peters

(33) Sertan Kirman 

(32) Omar Dacas

(14) James Ikotun

(21) Dylan Roberts 

(7) James Smith

Substitutes:

(10) Malik Donaldson 

(30) Erol Hassan 

(25) Joseph Arnold 

(23) Kirk McPherson

(20) Munnir Saad

Rayleigh Town:

(1) Josh Hudson 

(2) Ben Baxter (captain)

(3) Ollie Williams

(4) Rob West 

(5) Oliver Quick

(6) Taylor Armstrong

(7) Matt Oaten

(8) Jack Hyslop

(9) Louie Watkins 

(10) Mitchell Ali

(11) Nathan Elgie

Substitutes:

(12) Dylan Jones

(14) Sam Blackholly

(15) Kye Munro

(16) Mason Grant 

(17) Rob Hodgson