Following their eventful 6-4 win over Staines & Lammas (Middlesex) in the quarter-finals of the Middlesex FA Premier Cup on Tuesday, Civil Service’s first team returned to SAL Senior Division 1 action on Saturday afternoon. As John Sewell’s side (they started this game fourth place in the standings) welcomed a Wandsworth Borough side who started the afternoon in eighth place in the league table, to King’s House Sports Ground. Civil Service would return to winning ways in the league with a 3-1 win over Wandsworth Borough.
Despite Wandsworth Borough having started this match the better of the two sides on the ball, it was Civil Service who would take an early lead around ten minutes into proceedings. A long ball forward was cleverly helped back towards goal by Civil Service forward and captain Josh Valentin, who with his back to goal would loop the ball towards the run of Ben Jones, who raced in behind the Wandsworth defence. Having taken the ball forward through the final third, Ben Jones would take the ball just inside the Wandsworth penalty area before clinically finishing low into the bottom left-hand corner of Neil Baker’s goal, 1-0.
Although the visitors had conceded that early goal they continued to start the game quite well. A free-kick which had been awarded right on the edge of the Civil Service penalty area would be taken by Wandsworth’s captain Nitin Mishra, whose whipped effort would go narrowly wide of Reuben Bull’s goal. As the game progressed it continued to be a good and competitive contest.
Some time after that free-kick chance for Wandsworth and not too long before half-time, which Civil Service finished the more creative side, John Sewell’s team came desperately close to making it 2-0. A good move with the ball would end in the home side’s left wing-back Jacob Horne whipping a good cross from the left flank, into the Wandsworth Borough box. Having found Josh Valentin, his flicked header would connect with the inside of Neil Baker’s left-hand post, whose smart reflexes would then see him keep the ball out on the goal-line. With Nathaniel Downes’ effort on the follow-up being well blocked by a Wandsworth defender.
Early on in the second half (around 55 minutes into the game) Civil Service would double their advantage for the afternoon. Markus Dunn’s lofted free-kick into the Wandsworth penalty area from deep, was controlled well by Nathaniel Downes, who would then swivel and power an unstoppable effort (under pressure inside the box) into the bottom left-hand corner of Neil Baker’s goal, 2-0.
Soon after play had resumed following that second Civil Service goal, Wandsworth defender Luis Morton would head an effort narrowly over after meeting Reece Johal’s corner-kick delivery into Reuben Bull’s penalty area. But, soon afterwards the home team would add a third goal to their tally for the afternoon. Following an earlier set-piece Markus Dunn would loft the ball, from out on the right, to the left-hand side of the busy Wandsworth penalty area, where he found Harry Gregory who following on from his hat-trick in midweek, would finish well past Neil Baker, 3-0.
Wandsworth Borough did certainly start to look the more creative team again during the latter stages of this game. After pulling a goal back, when Harry Taylor had received a short corner-kick on the edge of the home side’s box, he would curl an inviting ball into the box, which Luis Morton would head home, 3-1. Then almost immediately after the game had resumed, Nitin Mishra would find himself through on Reuben Bull’s goal. However, on the edge of his penalty area the outrushing Civil Service goalkeeper would make a strong save. Even after Wandsworth Borough player James Basnett had been sin-binned late on, the away side would continue to really push Civil Service going forward. But, in the end Civil Service’s commanding back three would stand strong.
In what was a good game to report on it was a resilient Civil Service team who got the three points earlier today. Wandsworth Borough impressed me playing some fine football in parts of the match, but Civil Service were the much more clinical team. Starting on the right-hand side of a defensive Civil Service back three, the commanding Max Onabanjo was my player of the match today. He had an excellent game. Impressive with the ball, he was very assured in defence and his reading of the game was top quality.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Civil Service:
(1) Reuben Bull
(2) Elliot Chan
(3) Jacob Horne
(4) Markus Dunn
(5) Dom McCarthy
(6) Chris Wild
(7) Joe Martin
(8) Harry Gregory
(9) Josh Valentin (captain)
(10) Nathaniel Downes
(11) Ben Jones
(14) Max Cranmer
(15) Seb Hopkins
(16) Max Onabanjo
Wandsworth Borough:
(1) Neil Baker
(2) Travis Harrison-Gadsby
(3) Harry Taylor
(4) Luis Morton
(5) Max Ormesher
(6) Nitin Mishra (captain)
(7) Reece Johal
(8) Harry Wilson
(9) Joel Cutler
(10) Denzel Ndlovu
(11) Ayo Adebajo
(12) Dominic Reid
(13 James Basnett
(14) Christian Alleyne
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