Both Civil Service FC (of the Southern Amateur Football League Senior Division 1) and Wembley FC (of the Combined Counties Football League Division One) met at Colliers Wood United FC, on Tuesday evening. In what was a second round tie of this season’s Middlesex FA Premier Cup, it was the famous SAL side who won this match 4-2, to book their place in the next round of the cup.
Civil Service started this county cup tie well. And soon after Elliot Chan’s good corner-kick delivery towards the Wembley goalkeeper’s near post was met by teammate Dom McCarthy, whose effort was well turned behind by Oliver Burger-Williams, Civil Service would take the lead. For the opening goal of the game and directly after a set-piece, Ben Jones would loft a good ball (from the left flank) into the busy Wembley penalty area. Up leapt Civil Service defender Dom McCarthy, who did really well to head the ball down for the outstretched Nathaniel Downes, who finished low into the goal from close range, 1-0.
Following on from that good start by the hosts, Wembley would, with their first real chance of the game, make it 1-1. Wembley forward Sam Langan would take the ball forward down the right flank, before delivering a low cross into the home team’s box, at the second time of asking. Meshack Aggrey-Quansah would receive the ball down the right-hand side of the penalty area, and after having turned really well with the ball he would power a low and unstoppable effort across goal, which went in off goalkeeper Reuben Bull’s right-hand post, 1-1.
After Wembley had scored that equalising goal, this game had played out in a more competitive manner, after that strong start by Civil Service. But, before half-time, and after Elliot Chan’s very good corner-kick delivery right in front of Oliver Burger-Williams, had to be pushed away by the Wembley goalkeeper. Civil Service defender Will Rennie would head the ball a fraction wide of the goal, from the edge of the box.
Going on to the second half action now, and in similar fashion to how they had started the first half, Civil Service would start the second half better than their opponents. In fact they would retake the lead early on in the second half, as Markus Dunn’s good corner-kick delivery to the back post of the Wembley goal would see a teammate’s header be blocked by a defender. However, the ball would drop for Dom McCarthy, who kept his volley low as it went into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-1. Then, soon after play had resumed, Civil Service’s impressive forward player Nathaniel Downes would get to a long ball and following a headed back pass from a Wembley defender which lacked pace, he found himself through on goal inside their box. However, Nathaniel Downes would loop the ball over Oliver Burger-Williams, but narrowly wide of his goal.
In a very eventful and fast paced second half of football, Wembley would go on to quickly respond, drawing level once again. This time their forward Sam Langan would chase a lofted ball down the line to the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. And after one of the Civil Service central-defender’s had just lost the ball, it allowed Langan to get on it and finish low across goal into the bottom left-hand corner, 2-2. Six minutes after that goal and in another twist to a really good cup tie, Civil Service would change the game in their favour once again.
For Civil Service’s third goal of the evening a lofted forward ball caused trouble for the Wembley defence as the ball rebounded in slightly fortunate fashion into the path of substitute Joe Martin, with the ball being left for him in the box by Nathaniel Downes. One versus one with the goalkeeper, Joe Martin would keep his composure to side-foot the ball into the goal, 3-2. And crucially, Civil Service would go on to establish a two goal cushion in this cup tie, soon afterwards. It was Joe Martin with the goal once again, as he glanced a nice header into the goal, following a good lifted free-kick delivery from deep, into the Wembley box, 4-2.
The latter stages of this game showed no signs of slowing down. Goalscoring chances kept on being created, and next in this lively game of cup football, Civil Service hit the Wembley woodwork, before Wembley, in quick succession, came very close on two occasions to scoring their third goal. This was before Wembley defender Juan Quejada’s header from Calvin Osborne’s free-kick delivery into the home team’s box had hit Reuben Bull’s crossbar. During the final minutes of the game, and with Civil Service having managed their two goal lead well, Markus Dunn’s whipped free-kick from out on the right flank on the Wembley goal, would have to be well tipped over by the recovering Oliver Burger-Williams.
In a very good game of football in which Civil Service took their chances in during crucial moments, it was I thought a deserved win overall for the amateur side, against a fine step 6 side in Wembley FC. Civil Service also defended well for good and sustained spells in the game, with them showing good game management throughout. With the very good Sam Langan being my Wembley player of the match this evening, my overall player of the match award despite competition from Dom McCarthy and Ben Jones, was Nathaniel Downes. He was very good in forward areas of the pitch particularly during the first half. And he really set Civil Service on their way in this game, and his running and pace off the ball was very good.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Civil Service:
(1) Reuben Bull
(2) Morgan Lant
(3) Elliot Chan
(4) Markus Dunn
(5) Dom McCarthy
(6) Will Rennie
(8) Harry Gregory
(20) Nathaniel Downes
(11) Ben Jones
(16) Max Onobanjo
(17) Lind Osmani (captain)
Substitutes:
(7) Joe Martin
(9) Euan Munday
(12) Lucas McAdam
(14) Josh Greiner
(15) Max Cranmer
Wembley:
(1) Oliver Burger-Williams
(2) Calvin Osborne
(3) Juan Quejada
(4) Abdul-Rasheed Alaka
(5) Venance Lupumba
(6) Benjamin Okon
(7) Frederick Stoner-Redfern
(8) Jack Baker (captain)
(9) Sam Langan
(10) Ned Jones
(11) Meshack Aggrey-Quansah
Substitutes:
(12) Michael Mukasa
(14) Daniel Killeen
(15) Luke Finnegan
(16) Jermaine Heron
(17) Jonathan Iley
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