In a Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League Premier Division fixture between FC Nyva and Hackney Borough on Sunday morning at Hackney Marshes, two fine sides met. Last season’s Premier Division champions FC Nyva, and Hackney Borough would play out a high quality 3-3 draw on Sunday, in what was a great game to cover on my blog.
After a pretty cagey start to this game, we had to wait a little while for the first real goalscoring chance of the game to be created. With Ashley Wackers playing a defence splitting through-ball into the path of Carlos Thomas, who from down the left-hand side of the FC Nyva box, would place his low effort wide of the goal. After that good opportunity for Hackney Borough to take the lead, the game continued to play out in a cagey manner, before FC Nyva came very close taking the lead around the midway stage of the first half. Their number 15 played the ball to their number 8 on the edge of the Hackney Borough penalty area, close to the left flank. His curling effort on goal would have to be really well tipped onto his crossbar by Charlie Thistlethwaite.
FC Nyva had definitely upped their intensity as a team, and they were playing their football better as a team. Right on the stroke of half-time FC Nyva would take the lead. A cross into the centre of the Hackney Borough box by the FC Nyva number 10 (on the right flank) was met by number 15, who jumped well before powering a very good header past Charlie Thistlethwaite and into the goal, 1-0. Approximately ten minutes into the second half however, and Hackney Borough would draw level. Abraham Monae’s good, long throw-in into the FC Nyva penalty area would bounce for defender Bryan Ntueba, whose good headed effort on goal would loop into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1.
Following on from a good pass into the run of Shameek Farrell down the left-hand side of the FC Nyva box, his effort was well kept out by the outrushing goalkeeper. And just as Hackney Borough were starting to really find their rhythm during the second half they would concede a penalty, soon afterwards. With the FC Nyva number 10 finishing low from the penalty spot, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-1. But, after recovering well from conceding that penalty goal Hackney Borough would (in the 70th minute of the game) manage to draw level once again.
For their second goal of the game, following their goalkeeper Charlie Thistlethwaite’s long ball upfield, the ball was flicked out to substitute Noah Adejokun down the right flank by forward Roddy Lemba. Noah Adejokun would take the ball forward a short distance before delivering a good cross into the middle of the box, where Shameek Farrell’s header which was destined for the top left-hand corner of the goal was well saved, with the alert Roddy Lemba on hand on the follow-up to finish from close range, 2-2. The second half of this league fixture continued to be eventful, and just a couple of minutes after play had resumed FC Nyva would be awarded another penalty, after their number 15 had been fouled inside the penalty area. Up stepped number 10 once again to finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 3-2.
Yet it was Hackney Borough who finished the game in my opinion the considerably more creative side, in a second half that they had played very well in against the league champions. Next, and the impressive J Okey would press and then win the ball off FC Nyva’s number 87 well, down the left flank and inside their half/ final third of the pitch, before taking the ball into the penalty area. It was there that he was fouled by FC Nyva defender Maksim Todoshchuk, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Roddy Lemba would calmly roll the ball past the goalkeeper and into the back of the goal, 3-3. If one team was going to win this game during the final ten or so minutes of the game, in my opinion it was going to be Hackney Borough, whose work off the ball and in FC Nyva’s final third during the second half had been very good. But, in the end the game would end in a very competitive 3-3 draw.
This was a good point for Hackney Borough against last season’s Premier Division champions, and there were a number of contenders for my player of the match yesterday. FC Nyva’s number 10 (he was their player of the match in my opinion), Roddy Lemba (he made a really good impression off the bench), and Abraham Monae. However, I’d agree with the Hackney Borough management teams decision to award left-back J Okey as the official player of the match award, as he had a very good game down the left flank throughout the game.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Hackney Borough:
(1) Charlie Thistlethwaite
(8) J Okey
(5) Bryan Ntueba
(18) David Koduah
(2) P Okey (captain)
(17) Abraham Monae
(16) Kofi Billy
(11) Akwasi Marfo
(9) Carlos Thomas
(20) Shameek Farrell
(10) Ashley Wackers
Substitutes:
(21) Roddy Lemba
(4) Garjay Thompson
(14) Noah Adejokun
(7) Alvin Nwogwugwu
(12) Wale Somuyiwa
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