CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP QUARTER-FINAL
HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A 6 REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A 6 AET (Hendon won 4-3 on penalties)
David Garbacz described Russell Corin as a "Hendon hero" after he came away as the match-winner after an epic cup tie against fellow former winners Redbridge, in front of the JC cameras.
The dramatic match ended 4-4 after 90 minutes, and 6-6 after 120 minutes, before Corin helped Hendon win the resultant penalty shoot-out 4-3.
Garbacz told JC Sport: "I simply don't know where to start with this one - this was without doubt the most amazing game of football I've ever been witness to - not just because of the goals and the drama but the quality from both sides was incredible.
"It was the game no-one wanted to win but when we eventually did led to the most exhilarating feeling we have ever felt over the years and believe me we've had some good times down the years. If we all retired tomorrow we would retire happy."
Hendon forged into a 2-0 lead courtesy of brilliant strikes from GREG CORIN and the outstanding ZAC LEWIS only to see Redbridge score three before half-time "with the help of a rare mistake from Russ Corin and good finishing" from STEVE SUMMERS (2) and DANIEL GARFINKLE.
Hendon really took the game to Redbridge in the second half and deservedly equalised through a brilliant LEWIS free-kick.
The Reds went ahead with 20 to go after another great move and finish by LEWIS and "at that stage looked to have the game in the bag".
With a minute on the clock Russ Corin brilliantly parried a Redbridge blockbuster onto the post only for the alert SAM SOLLOSI to follow it in.
"As if that wasn't mad enough extra time was truly crazy," according to Garbacz. Hendon conceded a soft goal immediately and then in a "hugely controversial moment they scored again when the referee missed a deft Steve Summers touch to put the man through who was at least four yards offside.
Hendon looked finished and the game did threaten to boil over as Garbacz was sent to the stands and then Yoav Kestenbaum was sent off for "something he said to the ref".
Amazingly, despite having 10 men and at least a couple more hardly able to move Hendon managed to claw their way back again, with two goals in the final nine minutes of extra-time, through DOVI FEHLER and then a momentous AVI KORMAN finish with three minutes to go.
"It was truly amazing Roy of the Rovers stuff,"but still there was more drama to follow. RJC led the shoot-out 3-1 yet incredibly they missed their last two and Hendon scored their . Then Ari Nevies spurned another chance for Hendon to win it before Russell Corin pulled off a remarkable save again to set them up once more . This time FEHLER made no mistake and his backflip celebration was followed by an amazing bundle of joy never seen before.
Garbacz told JC Sport: "The JC held a podcast this week about the future of Jewish football - there could never be a better advert than this match as to why we love it it so much and why it simply has to stay.
"This genuinely was, in my opinion, one of the greatest Sunday league matches of all time and it was an honour and a pleasure to be a part of it even if I was sent off!
"Redbridge were superb - a fantastic credit to the league who played great attacking football throughout and were very magnanimous in defeat when they must have been absolutely gutted.
"I think everyone will take quite a while to recover from this one but whatever else happens this year this is a match that will live gloriously forever in the memory."
RJC boss Jon Jacobs told JC Sport: "Sometimes, you have to just say the Football gods aren’t with you.This was the craziest game of football I have ever been involved with. Neither team wanted to win until the very last kick of the shoot-out.
"I am sure Alan Hansen would be having a sleepless night with the defending but it was great entertainment.
"Both teams had chances to kill the game off but on reflection, I am gutted we have lost this cup tie but we didn’t go out wondering, we gave it our all. It was our first game for 6 weeks and both teams looked shattered so it really could have been any score.
"6-6 and lose on penalties, five-star entertainment but we had three chances to kill the game off and didn’t take it. Good luck to Hendon in the semi-final."
PENALTY SHOOT-OUT
Danny Berg - SCORED 1-0
Ari Last - SCORED 1-1
Ryan Cole - SCORED 2-1
Ethan Zone - saved 2-1
Sam Sollosi - SCORED 3-1
Avi Korman - Miss 3-1
Dan Garfinkle - Miss 3-1
Alex Rosenthal - SCORED 3-2
Steve Summers - saved 3-2
Gav Krieger - SCORED 3-3
Nathan Sollosi - Miss 3-3
Ari Nevies - Miss 3-3
Ben Sollosi - Miss 3-3
Dovi Fehler - SCORED 4-3
