FC Team B recorded the shock of the round in the Morrison on Matchday 28 of the MGBSFL season, while Hendon A steamrollered their way past Faithfold. Danny Caro reflects on all the action.
MATCHDAY 28 HEADLINES
PMT - Last leads Hammers through
Div 1 - Glorious Garfinkle smashes SPEC
Div 2 - Oaks send Faithfold down
Div 3 - NLR C are going up
HAT-TRICK HEROES
Div 1 - Daniel Garfinkle (Hendon B), Lee Greenfield (Southgate Harmen)
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EXCLUSIVE: WE HAD TO LET TUSSIE GO
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PETER MORRISON TROPHY SEMI-FINAL DRAW
PHOTOS: CHIGWELL vs SOUTH MANCHESTER
PHOTOS: L'EQUIPE vs LOUGHTON ORIENT
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JC TEAM OF THE WEEK: THE CONTENDERS
GK -
DEFENDERS - Sam Lewis (Faithfold A), Paul Hizer (Chigwell), Ari Nevies (Hendon A), Tomer Tricot (AC Whetstone), Gideon Barth (Hendon B), Jake Yudelowitz, Sam Cherkas (both NLR C), James Milman, Stuart Haring, Josh Kaye, Daniel Woolfe (all FC Team B)
MIDFIELDERS - Dan Castle (Chigwell), Ari Last (Hendon A), Alex Goodman (NLR C), Dan Alfreds, Ben Radstone, Paul Savitz, Lorian Madanes, Freddie Marks (all FC Team B)
STRIKERS - Daniel Garfinkle (Hendon B), Lee Greenfield (Southgate Harmen), Dan Cohen (AC Whetstone), Adam Lavin (South Manchester SC 1st), Mitch Lassman (FC Team B)
MANAGER - Richard Slater (Chigwell), David Gordon (FC Team B)
REFEREE -
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DANNY CARO'S GOAL OF THE WEEK
Adam Lavin (South Manchester) - taking on three players before burying the ball into the bottom corner
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DANNY CARO'S SAVE OF THE WEEK
Ben Pollins (AC Whetstone) - stunning one-handed point-blank save in the last minute against Boca
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DANNY CARO'S QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Ric Blank (Oakwood A) - "I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Kinny mazel on birth of baby girl. I've no doubt the argument about him playing on Sunday has started already"
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LATEST NEWS - NEW COMPETITION UNVEILED
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP FINAL
Norstar London Raiders A vs Hendon United Sports Club A
May 4, Wingate & Finchley
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YOUR WEEKEND REVIEW STARTS HERE:
PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND FOUR
LAST LEADS HAMMERS THROUGH
FAITHFOLD A 0 HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A 3
Ari Last was the two-goal hero for Hendon as David Garbacz's troops boosted their treble hopes with a comfortable win over Faithfold at Chase Lodge.
Mordi Weiler sealed the win for David Garbacz's boys.
Jubilant Hendon manager David Garbacz told JC Sport: "This was a totally dominant display from beginning to the end - our keeper hardly had a save to make all match and we were superb all over the pitch.
Dejected Faithfold boss Zuriel Solomon told JC Sport: "We have to be gutted as the season is all over trophy-wise. We just didn't turn up today and I'm not going to make any excuses."
DC Prediction: Faithfold 1 Hendon 2
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SOUTH STILL DREAMING OF WINGATE
CHIGWELL ATHLETIC 2 SOUTH MANCHESTER SPORTS CLUB 1st 3
South Manchester came from behind to make it 16 games unbeaten as they edged a five-goal thriller in the lunchtime kick-off in Walthamstow.
Chigs made a dream start when James Jaconelli lobbed the keeper. South levelled with a superb free-kick from Adam Lavin two minutes before the break. Chigs restored their advantage on 60 minutes when Ryan Cole who finished, but second-half strikes from Marc Yaffe and a brilliant solo effort from Lavin turned the tie on its head. Chigwell finished with 10 men after Craig Sandford was dismissed following two yellow cards.
South manager Jody Marks told JC Sport: "We made hard work of it, but we never expected an easy game and making the semi-finals for the third year in a row is a fantastic achievement for the club and with our full squad, we're going to take some beating."
Proud Chigs boss Richard Slater told JC Sport: "Today was tough to take - we were 1-0 and 2-1 up, without too much bother, but a five-minute loss of concentration means we've missed a semi-final place. Hats off to South Manchester - they battled well and just had the edge on us."
DC Prediction: Chigwell 0 South Manchester 1
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TEAM HIT BRADY FOR SIX
BRADY MACCABI B 3 FC TEAM B 6
Second division FC Team B claimed a sensational 6-3 win over Division One promotion hopefuls Brady B at Rowley Lane.
Doubles from Mitch Lassman and Freddie Marks plus one apiece from Josh Kaye and Lorian Madanes wrapped up a famous win for David Gordon's men.
FC Team player-manager David Gordon told JC Sport: "It was an absolutely unbelievable performance from every single one of the outfield players today. To a man they were superb and the 6-3 scoreline did not flatter us."
DC Prediction: Brady 3 Team 1
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PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND THREE
VINTAGE WINE SINKS TEAM
FC TEAM C 1 OAKWOOD A 2
FC Team's excellent cup run came to an end after a double from Brad Wine took Premier Division Oakwood through.
An upset looked on early on as Team went ahead, but the Oaks rallied superbly and were "always in control," according to joint-manager Ric Blank.
A delighted Blank told JC Sport: "FC Team are a good side and it was very tough game as we expected. But we coped well losing two players overnight and the boys showed character to get the job done.
"Next week Raiders again, and it should be another great game.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Kinny mazel on birth of baby girl. I've no doubt the argument about him playing on Sunday has started already.
DC Prediction: Team 0 Oakwood 2
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MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
BRADY MACCABI A P REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A P
Match postponed - Brady defaulted due to a shortage of players
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DIVISION ONE
GLORIOUS GARFINKLE SMASHES SPEC
HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB B 3 SPEC FC 0
The "great escape is on" - that was Danny Steel's verdict after Hendon won the relegation six-pointer against SPEC FC.
DANIEL GARFINKLE helped Hendon complete a league double over Laurence Conway's men to join Brixton on 14 points.
Hendon boss Aryeh Goldring told JC Sport: "We still need other teams to slip up and make sure we beat Shirley, but we have given ourselves a chance."
SPEC's Ricky Lawrence told JC Sport: "We were rubbish!"
DC Prediction: Hendon 2 SPEC 3
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HARMEN BOW OUT ON A HIGH
SHIRLEY PARK 5 SOUTHGATE HARMEN 5
LEE GREENFIELD was Harmen's hat-trick hero, but the Southgate boys had to settle for a point in their final game of the season following an extraordinary 10-goal thriller against Shirley on the 3G at Rowley Lane.
There were also goals for Ben Adaki and Mitch Green as Harmen gave their fans an attacking performance to remember.
DC Prediction: Shirley 2 Harmen 3
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DIVISION TWO
WOOLMAN SENDS FAITHFOLD DOWN
FAITHFOLD B 1 OAKWOOD B 2
A deadly double from Dave Woolman helped Oakwood sent Faithfold down and in doing so, secure Division Two next season.
EXCLUSIVE: WE HAD TO LET TUSSIE GO
Stand-in Oaks boss Ben Polak told JC Sport: "It would have been a travesty if this team had been relegated following our title win last season. We'd drawn three on the bounce going into this game so it's a great feeling to finally turn one into a win."
DC Prediction: Faithfold 1 Oakwood 1
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DIVISION THREE
COHEN GETS STONES BACK ON TRACK
BOCA JEWNIORS 1 AC WHETSTONE 2
A Dan Cohen double saw Whetstone returned to winning ways at the magnificent 1,000-seater Hitchin Town ground.
Whetstone joint-manager Clive Nathan told JC Sport: "It was a lot better this week after two poor displays previously. The boys played with great team spirit and will to win.
"Dan took both goals very well and special mention for Ben Pollins who made a world-class save at the end."
DC Prediction: Boca 3 Whetstone 3
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L'EQUIPE GET PROMOTION JITTERS
L’EQUIPE 1 LOUGHTON ORIENT 1
L'Equipe's title hopes suffered a blow as they were forced to settle for a point against an in-form Loughton in west Hendon.
Nick Stern had put L'Equipe ahead.
L'Equipe joint-manager Dan Cordell told JC Sport: "We're gutted to not take the three points - we were woeful in the second half and, to be honest, deserved a draw.
DC Prediction: L’Equipe 3 Loughton 2
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NLR ARE GOING UP
NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS C 2 HENDON UNITED SPORTS C 1
Norstar C secured promotion following a hard-fought win over Hendon C at Brunel.
Strikes from Alex Goodman and Nick Haringman saw them fight back well after an opener from Hendon's Alex Elf.
DC Prediction: NLR 3 Hendon 1
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SUPERHOOPS EDGE BORE DRAW
TEMPLE FORTUNE 0 FAITHFOLD C 0
Defences came out on top as the bottom two teams shared the points after an uninspiring contest at Chase Lodge.
Faithfold had the better of the chances, with striker Ben Simons missing the best opportunity to win it 10 minutes from time.
Fortune boss Jonathan Cohen told JC Sport: "It certainly wasn't a classic - we didn’t get close to replicating anything like our form of last week and although we got a point, I would say we were fortunate. That being said we did also have good chances to win the game, but it would have been very unfair on Faithfold, who I thought were excellent in the first half."
Faithfold boss David Garbacz told JC Sport: "It was a proper basement battle with 0-0 written all over it!"
DC Prediction: Fortune 2 Faithfold 2