SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
LONDON LIONS 2 CODICOTE 2
With the team welcoming debutant Lee Goldberg, as well as Jake Rinsler back from university and Ross Weinrabe in goal, Lions have a strong squad in place for the season.
Things started well for the home side - in their new season blue shirts - looking the sharper in an even first half; Austin Lipman twice fired shots over the bar before Ollie Craig forced the keeper into the first of some impressive saves.
Charlie Kasler was also denied before the interval as Lions slowly increased the pressure.
This told early in the second half when a quickfire double seemed to have given the Lions a strong foothold. Firstly, Austin Lipman played a wonderful pass for Adam Bolle to slot through the ‘keeper’s legs and open his account for the season just before the hour.
A few minutes later it was 2-0. Bolle this time tangled with the Cod ‘keeper and the ball fell to Austin Lipman 20 yards out, who slotted in the empty net, much to the frustration of the Codicote players who believed a foul had been committed.
Credit to the opposition, who pulled one back, finding fresh impetus, slotting in at the far post from an inswinging free kick.
Lions were under a little more pressure and this told with just over ten minutes left as Codicote found an equaliser.
The game could have gone either way in the final minutes, with substitute James Gershfield firing over in his first competitive outing in a year following a long-term injury. Charlie Rubin came on for his first game in almost six months, and Sam Hamerton replaced debutant Lee Goldberg and although Lions pushed very hard to get the three points, Codicote held out for the draw.
Lions visit Enfield Borough on Tuesday night before hosting Wembley in the first preliminary round of the FA Cup.
LIONS: Ross Weinrabe, Jake Rinsler, Ollie Craig, Adam Myeroff, Adam Lipman, Adam Harvey, Jake Furman, Charlie Kasler, Adam Bolle, Adam Lipman, Lee Goldberg. Sub: Charlie Rubin, James Gershfield, Sam Hamerton
