Non-League and Academy football writer

Lymore Gardens were looking to return to winning ways on Friday evening, when they hosted London Fennecs at Parkside Stadium (Aveley FC) in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. Lymore Gardens started this league fixture in 10th place in the table, after seven league matches played. Recently promoted side London Fennecs started this game in 19th place in the league standings, after six league matches played. Lymore Gardens would win a high scoring match 5-3.

London Fennecs came close to taking a very early lead in this game. With Yasser Boughrira getting to a loose pass on the edge of the Lymore box, before taking the ball forward into the centre of their penalty area and placing a low effort just wide of the goal. At the other end soon afterwards, Dylan Roberts would hit a powerful, moving effort (from distance) on Saeed Pirmoradi’s goal, which was well pushed away by the London Fennecs goalkeeper. That first Lymore effort on target of the game, was shortly followed by them getting the opening goal of proceedings. Sertan Kirman’s good forward pass from midfield would find the run of Dylan Roberts inside the away team’s box. His deflected effort on goal was parried by Saeed Pirmoradi, with Malik Donaldson tapping the ball home from close range on the follow-up, 1-0.

London Fennecs would react well to going 1-0 down, and after a short space of time they would draw level. Defender Hocine Krouchi’s skilful forward run through the middle and inside of Lymore’s half of the pitch, resulted in him passing the ball out to Michael Babarinde down the right. After progressing the ball forward a short distance to the byline, Michael Babarinde would play the ball across to Adam Toubal inside the centre of the Lymore box, from where the midfielder would slot the ball low past the goalkeeper, 1-1.

Lymore Gardens would then go on to score three goals, one after the after before half-time, to establish a three goal lead going into the break. A pass across defence from a London Fennecs player would allow James Ikotun to win the ball in their final third of the pitch before taking the ball past a defender and going through on goal inside of the away team’s box. From there James Ikotun would skilfully and calmly lift the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper and into the goal, 2-1. Then for their third goal of the evening, an intricate Lymore move saw Dylan Roberts lay the ball off for James Ikotun down the left-hand side of the London Fennecs penalty area. James Ikotun’s early whipped effort would hit Saeed Pirmoradi’s left-hand post, with the alert Tyrique Peters finishing from close range on the follow-up, 3-1.

Shortly before half-time a lovely lofted pass from Malik Donaldson out on the left, would expertly find Ryo Brown by the byline and down the right-hand side of the London Fennecs box. Ryo Brown would pick out Dylan Roberts, with a ball across goal to the Lymore number 21, who finished into the goal with a first time finish, 4-1. London Fennecs had improved overall during the early stages of the second half. And they would soon create a good goalscoring opportunity, before Lymore Gardens went on to create a couple of good chances/openings of their own. However, for that London Fennecs chance, Islem Guerniche would float a good cross into the Lymore box, for substitute Abdelaziz Khefacha, who headed the ball down for Youcef Mezaoui, whose volleyed effort on goal from close range was really well kept out and saved by Michael Doyle.

Having continued to move the ball around at a good pace, London Fennecs would go on to get their second goal of the game. Nacer Nait Sidi Ahmed’s nice lofted ball onto the run of Xavier Quintero down the right-hand side of the Lymore box, would result in Xavier Quintero lobbing the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper and into the goal, 4-2. Yet, Lymore Gardens would once again react well as a team to conceding a goal, with them scoring another goal of their own soon after. For their fifth goal of this game, Lymore substitute Stanley Green did well to keep in play Dylan Roberts’ good and inviting cross into the London Fennecs box, eventually just laying the ball off for Malik Donaldson, who would curl the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 5-2.

Late on in what continued to be an eventful game of football between two footballing sides, Lymore Gardens midfielder Sertan Kirman came close to getting on the scoresheet. Having received a low and quickly taken Dylan Roberts free-kick from out on the right flank, to the edge of the London Fennecs box. Sertan Kirman connected really well with his powerfully hit effort, which was heading for the top left-hand corner of the goal but for a great two handed save by the outstretched Saeed Pirmoradi. In the final moments of the game Zack Bettache’s London Fennecs side managed to score their third goal of the evening. With Abdelaziz Khefacha doing well to hold off a Lymore defender inside of their penalty area, following a cross from the left. The tall centre-forward would then just lay the ball off for Youcef Mezaoui who finished into the goal from close range to score his second goal in as many games, 2-2.

This was a good response from Lymore Gardens, to losing against Rayleigh Town in their most recent league fixture. They were very clinical in front of goal this evening. And in a game where both sides played their passing game well, there would also have been positives to take from this game for London Fennecs, who I’m sure will get their first win of this season very soon. For Lymore Gardens however, they can be pleased with their reaction as a team to that recent home defeat to Rayleigh, with them playing some fine football in the final third once again, on Friday.

Despite competition from the influential James Ikotun and Dylan Roberts, my player of the match from Friday’s league fixture was central-midfielder Sertan Kirman, who put in a really well balanced performance in midfield. The youngster made some great forward passes, but his pressing, hard work and closing down was in my opinion top quality throughout this game.

Team-sheets/match-day squads:

Lymore Gardens:

(1) Michael Doyle 

(6) Ryo Brown (captain)

(2) Ben Joao 

(17) Gaston Mendy

(25) Papa Ndiaye 

(7) James Smith

(33) Sertan Kirman 

(10) Malik Donaldson 

(14) James Ikotun

(21) Dylan Roberts

(11) Tyrique Peters

Substitutes:

(26) Wisley Baltazar 

(22) Erol Hassan 

(20) Ashaan Siddik

(23) Kirk McPherson 

(32) Stanley Green

London Fennecs :

(1) Saeed Pirmoradi

(6) Youcef Mezaoui 

(3) Camille Tani

(4) Islem Guerniche 

(5) Hocine Krouchi

(8) Mouadh Kermani 

(7) Ramy Rouighi (captain)

(17) Nacer Nait Sidi Ahmed 

(10) Adam Toubal

(13) Ahmed Ayoub

(11) Michael Babarinde

(12) Xavier Quintero 

(16) Raouf Laib

(9) Abdelaziz Khefacha

(18) Yasser Boughrira

(14) Obinna Nebuwa