In a fourth round tie of this season’s Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup, Thurlow Nunn League First Division South (step 6) side Lymore Gardens, faced Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side (step 5) Cornard United on Wednesday evening at Parkside Stadium (Aveley FC). Lymore are doing well in their division this season, and they came up against a Cornard United side who are so far having a difficult season in the Premier Division. This League Cup tie was won 4-2 by Lymore Gardens.
Lymore Gardens took the lead very early on in this cup tie. Captain Ryo Brown’s lofted ball from deep, over the top of the Cornard defence would bounce into the path and run of Sertan Kirman. After having looped the ball up over the outrushing goalkeeper (Joshua Woodrow) on the edge of the Cornard box, Sertan Kirman would then head the ball into the goal from inside the penalty area, 1-0. However, soon after that early goal for the home team Cornard United would draw level. As Ollie Bond’s threaded forward pass into the run of Bobby Williams down the right-hand side of the Lymore box, would result in Williams powering an effort beyond Michael Doyle and into his goal, 1-1.
Cornard United were starting to play a lot better now. And a couple of minutes after their number 8 and midfielder Kelson McFarlane had hit a low effort (from the edge of the Lymore box) just across the face of Doyle’s goal, the visitors would then take the lead from a set-piece. With Ollie Bond’s lofted free-kick (from out on the right flank) to the back post of the Lymore goal finding Joshua Ricca, whose initial effort was well kept out by Doyle. But, on the follow-up Joshua Ricca’s resulting effort on goal was helped home from close range by Theo Clayson, 1-2. Following on from Lymore forward Munnir Saad going close soon afterwards, Lee Benjamin’s team definitely improved again before half-time, but they were just unable to really test Joshua Woodrow.
Going into the action from the second half and an improved Lymore Gardens performance and tempo would see them draw level early on in the second half. Ryo Brown would play the ball forward to Munnir Saad down the right, and the Lymore player would then in turn play the ball into the feet of forward Johneli Lungikisa. From inside the away team’s penalty area and at the second time of asking, Johneli Lungikisa would slot the ball low into the goal under pressure, 2-2. Certainly the more creative team throughout the second half, Lymore debutant Raymond Poku was very much on the lookout for a debut goal. After the left winger had received Tarome Hemmings’ pass down the left-hand side of the Cornard United box, he would eventually lay the ball off for Johneli Lungikisa, whose low effort would deflect narrowly wide off a defender.
Around a minute later, following on from that earlier Lymore chance for Raymond Poku, the debutant would get his goal to put Lymore ahead once again. Having travelled forward a short distance through the middle before just entering the Cornard United penalty area, he would then curl a low effort past Joshua Woodrow and into the bottom right-hand corner of his goal, 3-2. Although this hadn’t been Lymore’s very best performance of the season, they would continue to get the job done effectively. With some good pressing and pressure on the Cornard United goalkeeper inside his penalty area (late on) by Johneli Lungikisa, resulting in the forward getting the ball and finishing from close range, 4-2. Michael Doyle would make a good late save from Will Thorp’s low effort inside the centre of the Lymore box, but the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South side would comfortably hold on.
With two goals from talented Lymore forward Johneli Lungikisa and some good work off the ball, the player who last Sunday was my player of the match here for Baddoo FC (in the FA Sunday Cup), was once again my player of the match this evening, this time for his Saturday team Lymore Gardens. I can really see Lymore going far in this season’s league cup competition.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Lymore Gardens:
(1) Michael Doyle
(5) Jeremiah Francis
(6) Ryo Brown (captain)
(3) Yinka Akinlabi
(4) Zidane Bolessa
(7) James Smith
(33) Sertan Kirman
(20) Munnir Saad
(44) Tarome Hemmings
(32) Johneli Lungikisa
(23) Raymond Poku
Substitutes:
(22) Omar Dacas
(30) Erol Hassan
(26) Wisley Baltazar
(16) Patrick Clarke
(11) Tyrique Peters
Cornard United:
(1) Joshua Woodrow
(2) Jeremiah Kastner
(3) Connor Walsh
(4) Samuel Parry
(5) Sean Liggett (captain)
(6) Ellexsys Bokole
(7) Joshua Ricca
(8) Kelson McFarlane
(9) Theo Clayson
(10) Ollie Bond
(11) Bobby Williams
Substitutes:
(12) Jibril Akinade
(14) Will Thorp
(16) Archie Walsh
(17) Zayed Elzubeir
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