At the West Ham Foundation Ground on Sunday morning East London Ballers Reserves faced Prospect Protege, in an Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League Division 2 fixture. East London Ballers Reserves started this match in sixth place in the Division 2 table, two points and one place above Prospect Protege. East London Ballers Reserves would win an entertaining and open game of football 6-4.
Despite Prospect Protege being the more creative side early on in this match, approximately 15 minutes into the game the home team would take the lead. Left winger Mahmoud Yagob would get to the ball down the left flank before surging forward really well. After taking the ball into the away team’s box he would play the ball across the penalty area to Mahamadou Camara, whose emphatic side-footed finish went into top right-hand corner of Ryan Lambourne’s goal, 1-0.
Not very long after East London Ballers Reserves had taken that early lead, Prospect Protege would draw level from a set-piece, after a free-kick had been awarded to them right on the edge of the home side’s penalty area. As Harry Glenister’s good whipped effort over the home team’s wall had nestled into the left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. With Prospect Protege now definitely on top in this league fixture they would quickly go on to make it 2-1 in their favour. With Patrick Harvey Kizito threading a nicely weighted forward pass into the run of Archie Kieran, who had managed to get in behind the East London Ballers defence, before curling a good effort beyond their goalkeeper and into the goal, 1-2.
Prospect Protege continued to go at the home side, playing some good football in the process. They then came close to making it 3-1, after Patrick Harvey Kizito had met a cross into the middle of the East London Ballers penalty area. His powerful effort on the half-volley would bounce off the crossbar, with his resulting effort on target on the follow-up being really well saved and kept out of the goal by Usman Khurshid. Yet, a good move from the hosts a couple of minutes later, saw them get their second goal of this lively and well contested game. Iyaad Bhatti’s pass to (captain) Husnain Ahmed would see him in turn curl a very good forward pass from midfield, to Mahmoud Yagob. And from inside on the left to the edge of the Prospect Protege box, the youngster showed good composure to calmly curl a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-2
With time still remaining in the first half and before Prospect Protege had gone on to create a couple of good additional chances before half-time, they would retake the lead. The impressive Archie Kieran would do well under pressure, to play the ball into the path of Patrick Harvey Kizito, whose run down the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, would result in him finishing powerfully into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-3.
Relatively early on in the second half of this game, and in a second half which was mainly all about a much improved East London Ballers Reserves side, they managed to draw level once again. Ojukwu Chibueze Lawrence would run onto the ball following a good curling pass from deep. Through on goal and inside the Prospect Protege penalty area, his low effort on goal looped up over Ryan Lambourne after he had attempted to save it, going into the back of the net, 3-3. A couple of minutes later, with the East London Ballers Reserves continuing to really improve and play their football impressively, they would make it 4-3. The excellent Mahmoud Yagob would receive a pass out on the left flank, before travelling inside with the ball and playing a good forward pass to Iyaad Bhatti, who from the left-hand side of the away team’s box would work the space well before hitting a good composed effort across to the bottom right-hand corner of Ryan Lambourne’s goal, 4-3.
Soon after Prospect Protege player Harry Glenister (from a cross) had seen his effort from close range and at the back post of the home team’s goal be excellently saved by the alert Usman Khurshid, the home team would then make it 5-3. This goal came courtesy of some great work by Mahmoud Yagob, who after receiving the ball from William Brobby’s short corner-kick, would go past an opposition player in excellent fashion. After skilfully entering the away team’s box, he would then finish clinically into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, with a very good, whipped effort across goal, 5-3.
For so much of the remainder of the game, East London Ballers Reserves would create a number of good additional chances. And after Emre Ozuaciksoz had played the ball forward to substitute Che Clarke, the forward found himself through on goal inside the away team’s penalty area. However, Che Clarke’s low effort was kept out by Ryan Lambourne. But, soon after that good chance for Che Clarke had gone close to making it 6-3, the home side did manage to establish a three goal lead. Che Clarke would provide the assist, turning with the ball and then playing a short pass into the run of Husnain Ahmed, who was having a really good game. From down the left-hand side of the Prospect Protege penalty area, Husnain Ahmed would take the ball around a defender before seeing his effort across goal be unfortunately turned into his own goal by a defender, 6-3.
Very late on in what had been a great game of football to cover, Prospect Protege were awarded a penalty. With Archie Kieran (in my opinion Prospect Protege’s player of the match) rolling the ball into the goal from the penalty spot, 6-4. Overall this was a really good and open game of football, and although I would say that a good and talented Prospect Protege side were the more creative side during the first half of this game, East London Ballers Reserves played really well as a team during the second half, as last season’s double winners showed why they are such a good team, to win this game in convincing fashion.
For my player of the match award on Sunday, Archie Kieran, Patrick Harvey Kizito, Husnain Ahmed and Mahmoud Yagob were all definite contenders. But, with two goals and two assists highly influential and creative winger Mahmoud Yagob was my player of the match.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
East London Ballers Reserves:
(1) Usman Khurshid
(12) Husnain Ahmed (captain)
(8) Iyaad Bhatti
(10) Mahamadou Camara
(7) Ojukwu Chibueze Lawrence
(13) Raiyyan Patel
(16) Teyon Weston
(5) Troy Osei-Bobie
(3) Zayd Moola
(4) Rameez Mahmoodp
(11) Mahmoud Yagob
(14) Emre Ozuaciksoz
(6) William Brobby
(9) Che Clarke
Prospect Protege:
(1) Ryan Lambourne
(6) Tommy Burke
(8) Joe Elsworth
(10) Emmanuel James Alo
(11) Archie Kieran
(12) Jayden Thiongo
(14) Joe Ellis
(17) Donovan Wright
(18) Alex Brennand (captain)
(21) Clinton Oduku
(29) Patrick Harvey Kizito
(30) Tawfiq Rahman
(32) Harry Glenister
(33) Reece Harriott
(34) Alan Butt
Leave a Reply