Non-League and Academy football writer

In one of the openings matches of the 2026/27 Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League Premier Division season, Boundary Estate faced City East at Hackney Marshes on Sunday morning. Both well respected teams within the Premier Division of this world famous old Sunday football league, it was City East who won this match 2-0 on Sunday.

City East would take the lead quite early on in this contest. As Jordan Lewis got up well at the back post of the Boundary Estate goal, to head home a good floated corner-kick delivery in the ninth minute of the game, despite goalkeeper Greg Double trying to punch the ball clear, 1-0. However, for much of the remainder of the first half, it was Boundary Estate who were the more creative side with the ball at their feet. And after Tom Carter had played a well weighted pass into the path of the highly skilful Joe Mann on the edge of the City East penalty area. Joe Mann’s powerful resulting effort on goal was really well saved by the outstretched hand of Osbourne Brunt, who did well to turn the ball behind for a corner-kick.

On at least three more occasions before half-time, Boundary Estate came close to scoring an equaliser. Having moved the ball around well and created some good openings, Boundary Estate were being frustrated by a good City East defence, who were standing strong and managing their lead well. During the early stages of the second half of this competitive game City East were continuing to manage their lead and the game well, against a Boundary Estate side whose final ball was just letting them down on occasions inside the final third.

After Boundary Estate substitute Joe Wheeler had put a quickly taken effort just wide of Osbourne Brunt’s goal from 24 yards out on the left-hand side of the pitch, City East would secure all three points in the 84th minute of the game. Returning substitute, the impressive Mikie Robinson would run onto the ball following an excellent and accurate long lofted pass from defence by Omar Rouane. Mikie Robinson would get to the ball down the right-hand side of the Boundary Estate box, before lobbing an effort over Greg Double who had rushed off his goal-line, 0-2. It was a good finish from Mikie Robinson, to pretty much secure the win for a City East side who would comfortably see out the remaining minutes of the game.

For Boundary Estate I thought that their defender Max Swan was their player of the match, after putting in a good defensive performance. For my overall player of the match though, I’m going to name Omar Rouane as the player of the match. He helped to organise the City East defence really well, playing his part in them keeping a clean-sheet. The central-defender also provided the assist for Mikie Robinson’s goal, as City East got off to a good start to the season.

Match-day squads:

Boundary Estate:

(1) Greg Double

(5) Stuart Hindley

(66) Max Swan

(24) Brad Tanton

(12) Ryan Tierney

(18) John Bold

(25) Luke Brown

(16) Tom Carter

(10) Joe Mann

(20) Jack Gater

(14) Tom Braybrooke 

Substitutes:

(3) Stefan Swift

(7) Joe Wheeler 

City East:

(1) Osbourne Brunt 

(2) John Abela

(28) Omar Rouane

(20) Gary Truman 

(38) Ilyas Sheikh

(30) Santino Huggins 

(9) Michael Lennon

(14) Amos Xira

(17) Trevor Harding

(12) Mikie Robinson 

(6) Jordan Lewis 

Substitutes:

(18) Teddy Rogers

(8) Harry Wright

(28) Femi Jekennu 

(3) Leon Aymes