The Cyril Anekstein Cup takes centre stages on Matchday 20 of the season, with three fourth round ties featuring the big guns, as well as a busy programme of league action. Danny Caro brings you his preview and predictions.
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MATCH PHOTOS: FC TEAM B vs AC MILL HILL
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DANNY CARO'S DIVISION 2 TEAM OF THE WEEK
DANNY CARO'S DIVISION 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
DANNY CARO'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK - OLI HENRY
DANNY CARO'S MANAGER OF THE WEEK - SIMON LINDEN
DANNY CARO'S GOAL OF THE WEEK - ADAM WATERS
DANNY CARO'S SAVE OF THE WEEK - DAN COHEN
DANNY CARO'S QUOTE OF THE WEEK - DAVID GARBACZ
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PHOTOGALLERIES FROM THE SEASON
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SEASON
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PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND THREE DRAW
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
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YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP ROUND FOUR
HARMEN vs OAKWOOD A
Sunday is Oakwood’s cup final. There’s no two ways about it. Having been eliminated from the Morrison by the lottery that is penalties against Lions Spartans last week, they really must give it their all. And you can bet your bottom dollar they will.
Lee Warner and Simon Davies caught the eye last week, with Brad Wine adding another strike to his tally. But the bottom line is they are hurting right now.
Oaks joint-boss Ric Blank told JC Sport: “The run of games we've had since late October has been the toughest I've known. Raiders, Southgate, Raiders, Faithfold, Hendon, Hendon, Lions Spartans and now Southgate again.
It's been tough. We haven't done as well as we'd liked if we're honest, but the signs have been there since the new year we're getting ourselves back together.
“We must be doing something right as Lions tried to sign half our team after Sunday's game. I'm not even sure they waited until we were off the pitch to be honest. It's ridiculous really, not to mention disrespectful. I'd get angry if I thought any of my players would seriously consider going to play for them. You'd have thought Tony Gold would be bored of Brad or Wooly saying 'no' by now.
“Lions beat us on Sunday, but from what I saw we were the better team with a bright future. There are other Maccabi teams who could easily say the same thing. Southgate are one of them, and with Gershfield and Pearson up top, we know they're going to be a real handful.
“We drew 3-3 earlier in the season and I can't wait for another cracker this Sunday. I said from the outset that Southgate will be disappointed if they don't win a trophy this season. The same would be true of us. So it's a huge game for both clubs. May the best team win."
Indeed it was Gershfield who was Harmen’s saviour against Neasden last week. His double kept them firmly in the title race and he will be the man looking to end Oakwood’s season.
Harmen boss Joel Alterman told JC Sport: "We were all delighted to get 2015 off to a winning start against a determined Neasden side, but we face an altogether different test on Sunday against Oakwood who have given us one of our toughest tests of the season so far.
"We are looking forward to the game against a strong, physical team who are also very good at playing the ball around. Last time out, the game ended in a 3-3 draw and we know that we have to be at our best to beat them, but we have definitely got the players to progress through to the semi-finals of the cup."
There has to be a winner on Sunday. All eyes will be on the showdown between Gershfield and Woolman, who between them have hit more than 30 goals this season. In terms of a prediction, having experienced a Wingate final last season, I’m tipping Oakwood to keep their dream alive.
JC team news: Josh Rose faces a late fitness test for Oakwod, but Jonny Quinn is definitely away, “probably doing something brilliant somewhere on the back of a great haircut”. Dan Geey returns but Josh Bentley is away.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
HARMEN
MGBSFL – Hendon (h)
MGBSFL – NLR (h)
CAC – Oakwood (h)
OAKWOOD
CAC – Harmen (a)
MGBSFL – Neasden (a)
MGBSFL – Faithfold (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Harmen - James Gershfield 19
Oakwood - Dave Woolman 13
Venue - Nicholas Breakspear, Ref – Martin Lavender, KO - 9.30am
JC star man: Adam Levine (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Harmen 1 Oakwood 2
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NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS A vs MACCABI LONDON LIONS BLUE
NLR’s treble credentials will be put on the line when they host Premier Division rivals Lions Blue for a place in the semis.
David Dinkin was NLR’s match-winner when the teams met in the league earlier in the season. He just loves scoring against his former club. The good news for Raiders fans is that all their attacking options are available, so they should be at their free-flowing best, with options on the bench.
NLR boss Rob Richman told JC Sport: “Sunday looks a very interesting cup fixture - we’ve had a number of great battles over the years with Lions and I don’t see this Sunday being any different.
“Given we are now into the quarter-finals, I am sure Jamie will be bolstering his side with a few from the Saturday Lions contingent.
“By Sunday we would have had two weeks to reflect on our disappointing performance against Redbridge; we have trained hard since then and we aim to show that we have moved on and are ready to bounce back starting this week.”
Lions enjoyed an excellent result against Woodford last week. It was important they produced a positive reaction following the humiliation against Faithfold and it’s clear boss Jamie Kyte is giving the Anekstein the respect it deserves.
Ahead of the game, Kyte told JC Sport: “Sunday is huge for us. It's the only competition we can potentially win and we're two games away from Wingate.”
I don’t expect there to be too much between the teams. The recent defeat against Redbridge hit NLR hard, but I think they are ready to go again.
JC team news: Raiders are missing Jonny Kay, Josh Morris, Elliot Espinoza and Adam Joselyn, but otherwise everyone else is fit and available.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
NLR
PMT – South Manchester (h)
MGBSFL – Harmen (a)
MGBSFL – Woodford (h)
LIONS
MGBSFL – Faithfold (h)
MGBSFL – Woodford (a)
TOP-SCORER
NLR - Matt Stock, Josh Green 10
MLL - Connor Perl 8
Venue –Ark Academy , Ref – Laurie Benson, KO - am
JC star man: Jamie Wolfson (NLR)
DC Prediction: Raiders 2 Lions 1
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HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A vs FC TEAM A
An FC Team win would be the making of Ben Gilbey’s team, but I think Hendon will have too much for them on Sunday.
The holders go into the game on the back of an impressive victory against title rivals Redbridge. It was backs-to-the-wall stuff for spells, with their keeper earning rave reviews. But the bottom line is that they did not buckle and took their chances when they came.
Experience is key in cup football and that is something Hendon have in key positions – look no further than Russell Corin, Greg Corin, Ben Lauffer and Avidan Last.
Ahead of kick-off, Hendon boss David Garbacz told JC Sport: “With a very thin squad available this week, this tie is a huge potential banana skin. FC Team are more than capable of giving us a very good game, even when we are at full-strength, so we must absolutely guard against any kind of complacency despite the fact that we will go into the match full of confidence after recent performances.
“We were in big trouble against them a few weeks - finding ourselves 2-0 down at half time before running out good winners in the end - but that should serve as a warning as to what they are capable of.
“They are strong and competitive and we must match them. The weather could be a factor – if the pitch survives the rain it will be heavy and can act as a big leveller.
“Ultimately we know we are cup holders and there is a big semi-final place at stake – we can’t afford any slip-ups or excuses in our quest to remain in contention in all competitions.“
But Gilbey will be happy with the underdog tag – with players of the calibre of Rob Sanford, Yoav Lebens and David Joseph Cohen, he’ll be quietly confident his boys can spring a major surprise.
Gilbey told JC Spor: "Last weekend was our most dissapointing game of the season so far, and maybe even over the last few seasons. We played well first half and went in 1-0 up against a 10-man faithfold. In the second half we didn't show up - we took the foot off the gas and lost all shape. We looked like a bunch of strangers and Faithfold got what they deserved for their efforts.
"My frustrations were shared with the team and I hope the boys have learnt a valid lesson. It must be mentioned how great it was to have Adam Aminoff back for the first time this season, who was great despite the result.
"This weekend we come up against Hendon in the CA Cup. Last time against Hendon we were 2-0 up at half-time and threw it away. I have full faith in the team that we can get a result on sunday and progress to the next round of the cup.
"I've said it before, I do believe that we are capable of beating any team in this division on our day and I expect the boys to be raring to go in response to last week's poor result."
I think Team will huff and puff, but Hendon are known for their fast starts and strong finishes, with another moment of magic from Greg Corin possibly settling it.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
HENDON
MGBSFL – Harmen (a)
MGBSFL – NWN (h)
TEAM
MGBSFL - RJC (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Hendon - Greg Corin 7
Team - David Joseph Cohen 10
Venue – Mill Hill Sports Village, Ref – Keith Goodman
JC star man: Russell Corin (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Hendon 2 Team 1 AET
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ROUND TWO
BRIXTON OLD BOYS vs BRADY MACCABI
A trip to FC Team or North West Neasden awaits the winner of Sunday’s tie between first division rivals Brixton and Brady.
Brixton boss Alan Aaronson reports “lots of injuries this week” and squad depth will be tested in a game where attack could be the best form of defence.
But he will make no excuses if they come out second best. Aaronson told JC Sport: “We are going to give it a real go and throw the kitchen sink at them.
“We have had little joy this season with the standard formations, so we will field all our four strikers up front.”
With their promotion dreams over for another season, Sunday is essentially Brady’s cup final – Josh Dagul can really afford to put all his eggs in one basket.
Yet to meet in the league this season, both Brady and Brixton find themselves at the wrong end of the table, but Sunday is the perfect chance for both sets of players to put down their respective markers.
Brady start as slight favourites for me – man for man they have the edge, although with Alan Aaronson having recently returned to the dugout for Brixton, anything could happen.
I can see this being an open and entertaining affair, but Brady’s superior fitness will see them through.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
BRIXTON
MGBSFL – Blizzard (a)
MGBSFL – SPEC FC (h)
BRADY
MGBSFL – Raiders B (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Brixton - Lee Cutler 4
Brady - Josh Newman 5
Venue - Clowes, Ref – Laurie Benson
JC star man: James Joseph (Brady)
DC Prediction: Brixton 2 Brady 3 AET
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PREMIER DIVISION
TOP-SCORERS
19 - James Gershfield (Harmen)
13 - Dave Woolman (Oakwood A)
WOODFORD WANDERERS VS FAITHFOLD A
The thing about Faithfold is that they will always battle for every point, even if there’s little riding on it. Manager Zuriel Solomon wouldn’t have it any other way.
The dug out another impressive victory last week, with stand-in keeper Alex Taylor starring between the sticks on their way to a fourth league win.
Solomon will be the first to admit Faithfold have fallen way short of the standards expected this season, but they still have 21 points to play for.
He told JC Sport: “We make the lovely trip to Fairlop to play Woodford for the second time this season after being beaten the first time, and nothing will be taken for granted.
“We have found some form in our last two games and we will need to show the same desire and belief to come away with a decent result.
“Woodford, I am sure, will be confident from beating us, having done so earlier and given the fact they’re playing at home, but we will make sure we work hard and see where this takes us.
“We should have some bodies back from last week and hope to have a full squad.”
Woodford remain rooted to the foot of the table after last week’s disappointing result against the Lions. There was a big focus on Aviel Schwarz returning to his former home, but his teammates ultimately failed to deliver.
With a big cup clash against Leeds next week, player-manager Mitch Hahn will be looking for a big statement of intent from his players, with one or two places still open for their forthcoming Morrison showdown.
It’s vital Woodford start picking up points from somewhere, but I don’t think Faithfold will do them any favours on Sunday.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
WOODFORD
PMT – Leeds (h)
MGBSFL – Lions (h)
MGBSFL – Raiders (a)
FAITHFOLD
MGBSFL - Lions (a)
MGBSFL - Oakwood (a)
TOP-SCORER
Woodford - Harrison Midda 4
Faithfold - Johnny Haik 11
Venue – Fairlop, Ref – Mark Jacob
JC star man: James Taylor (Faithfold)
DC Prediction: Woodford 1 Faithfold 2
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DIVISION ONE
TOP-SCORERS
21 - Daniel Garfinkle (Redbridge JC B – including 3 for RJC A)
14 - Jake Gilbert (NL Raiders B), Simon Moses (Blancos – includes two for Brady)
ATHLETIC BILBAUM vs CAMDEN PARK
Camden are in last-chance saloon as far as their promotion dream is concerned. Defeat against fellow high-flyers NLR B left their hopes hanging by a thread and they simply cannot afford any more slip-ups from here on in.
The inability to beat their promotion rivals is what looks set to cost them at the minute, and it’s crucial they go into next week’s meeting with Redbridge on the front foot. Anything less than a win against Bilbaum and it’s hard to look past a Raiders-Redbridge 1-2.
Camden had their chances last week, with Raiders missing 11 players, but they were unable to get the job done, as their three-match winning run came to a grinding halt.
Things looks bleak for Bilbaum, who were crushed 5-1 by Camden earlier in the season. Jacob Brunner scored twice against Blancos last week but they were ultimately beaten by the better team.
They are in a four-horse race for relegation and, with the worst defensive record in the division it will take something special to avoid the drop.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
BILBAUM
MGBSFL – RJC (a)
MGBSFL – Brady (a)
CAMDEN
MGBSFL – Redbridge (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Bilbaum – Julius Judah 10
Camden - Rob Hershkorn 9
Ref – Mark Jacob
JC star man: Luke Brookner (Camden)
DC Prediction: Bilbaum 1 Camden 3
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BLIZZARD STORM vs SPEC FC
Simon Linden hopes the JC Manager of the Week curse doesn’t strike for the visit of SPEC FC.
His midfield trio of Oli Henry, Adam Levene and Sean Ladier laid the foundations for last week’s stunning victory over leaders Redbridge and they are highly-fancied to complete a league double over the strugglers.
Indeed it was Henry who scored the goal that defeat SPEC FC in November, and the former Raiders star, who is featured in the JC Player Profile section this week, is enjoying life at his new Borehamwood home.
A draw would be a decent result for SPEC FC, though managers Michael Rhodes and Ricky Lawrence will urge them to try and take all three. Parking the bus for the first hour could be an option, as it’s important they stifle the Blizzard supply line, and try and snatch something on the break.
Ahead of the game, Lawrence told JC Sport: “It's a huge game for us as we need to take some points from our last two games.
“It's great to have Ashley Burns back in the fold and he can pick up where he left off against Camden then he could be crucial on Sunday.
“Our game against Blizzard last time was extremely close so we're hoping to come out on top on Sunday."
The first goal is crucial on Sunday and, with football being a funny old game, it's not beyond the realms of possibility for Blizzard to drop points after such a strong showing on Matchday 19.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
BLIZZARD
MGBSFL – Raiders (a)
MGBSFL – SPEC (a)
MGBSFL – Brixton (a)
SPEC FC
MGBSFL – Brixton (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Blizzard - Dean Shaw 9
SPEC FC - Elliot Wallis 4
Venue – Hertswood, Ref – Andy Myerson, KO – 10am
JC star man: Michael Rhodes (SPEC FC)
DC Prediction: Blizzard 1 SPEC FC 1
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LOS BLANCOS vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B
Bouncebackability is the name of the game for Redbridge B following their shock defeat against Blizzard.
Manager Jon Jacobs needs all his experience right now, knowing their destiny still lies in their own hands. They may have slipped off top spot, but they are only a point adrift of Raiders B, with two games in hand. Oh, and L’Orange still have to visit Fairlop.
Daniel Garfinkle’s 21st goal of the season was about the only positive against Blizzard last week and Jacobs has challenge his troops to win their remaining games.
“Our run-in begins on Sunday,” he told JC Sport. “I was not happy at all with Sunday - a poor performance that we could have won were it not for a freak winning goal, but that would have masked our poor efforts.
“I am expecting everyone to be on their game for what we know to expect a tough game against one of the form teams. On our day, we are worthy of being in pole position, but when we don’t bring our A-game , we get beaten.
“We will let our feet do all the talking, and you will see a much more controlled performance from us and a return to winning ways to complete the hat-trick against Blancos this season.
“The boys are determined to put things right and get back to the brand of Football that we all enjoy being part of.”
But Blancos are about the toughest team RJC could be facing right now. Adam Waters is playing like Messi, while Adam Hersh is playing with a big smile on his face, and scoring goals. Throw a free-scoring Simon Moses into the mix and you have some team.
Boss Jonathon Ison could not be more proud of the way his team are playing. His only regret is that we’re in January. He told JC Sport: “We're eight games unbeaten and it's a shame we only have three games left.
“Redbridge will provide the toughest test we have had in a while, but I guarantee we will give them far more of a scare than when we played them earlier in the season.
“We are a far stronger team now and with Moses's goals up top, being supported by Hersh and others around him, we are going into this week's match without fear.”
Now is the time for RJC to stand up and be counted and show us what they are really made of. They must show calm heads, and the presence of Darren Brown will be key. It should be a thriller.
JC team news: RJC welcome back captain Darren Brown , all the way from Leytonstone, Jimmy Castle and Adam Goldman from illness and Scott Oldstein from uni.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
BLANCOS
MGBSFL - Brady (a)
RJC
MGBSFL – Bilbaum (h)
MGBSFL – Camden (h)
MGBSFL – Raiders (a)
Venue – West Hendon, Ref – Laurence Thorne, KO – 10am
JC star man: Darren Brown (RJC)
DC Prediction: Blancos 2 RJC 2
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DIVISION TWO
DANNY CARO'S DIVISION 2 TEAM OF THE WEEK
TOP-SCORERS
11 - Adam Stolerman (FC Team C)
10 - Jacob Richler-Kleiman (Oakwood B)
CATFORD & BROMLEY vs L’EQUIPE
There is “a new-found confidence throughout the squad,” according to L’Equipe joint-manager Josh Lewis and they will travel to Edmonton confident of producing another result that will go some way to preserving their second division status.
The recent arrival of striker Andy Smith, along with brother Mark, has clearly added something. Goals. His double guided them to an impressive win at Jewdinese. Now they are looking to complete a double over basement battlers Catford.
Lewis told JC Sport: “We had a pretty much full turnout at training this week and nearly a full squad for Sunday, with only my co manager Dan Cordell out with injury.
“The last couple of games against AC Mill Hill and Jewdinese has seen the fight that got us promoted last year return to the team.
“With 10 men last week we showed the fight in defence and also quality up top with some brilliant finishing from Andy and Nick Stern. Dan [Prager] and I are not looking to change much this weekend as we want to continue the momentum away from the relegation scrap and secure our Division Two status.
“We had a narrow victory against Catford last time we played them, but I’m hoping with momentum and confidence on our side it will be more convincing on Sunday.”
The Cats face a real scrap to avoid the drop, but time is still on their side. They must forget about the last two games and only look forward – treating each of their last five games as cup finals.
Yes they have scored more goals than L’Equipe, but that hasn’t been the problem. Keeping them out has, despite the best efforts of keeper Guy Ben Aroya. So Sunday is the day for no-nonsense defending.
But when all is said and done, I think L’Equipe will too much artillery for them.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
CATFORD
MGBSFL – Raiders (a)
MGBSFL – Jewdinese (a)
L’EQUIPE
MGBSFL – Catford (a)
MGBSFL – Whetstone (h)
TOP-SCORERS
Catford - Joel Isaacs 3
L'Equipe - Andy Smith 5
Venue – Norseman FC, Ref – Barry David
JC star man: Nick Stern (L’Equipe)
DC Prediction: Catford 1 L’Equipe 3
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FC TEAM B vs NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS C
David Domb insists Norstar have nothing to fear ahead of the visit to table-toppers FC Team B.
Matches between Raiders and Team never disappoint, and this one will be no different – L’Orange would love nothing better than to put one in the works of the leaders.
Oli Nathan was at his magical best in last week’s win over Whetstone, with keeper Grant Waissel and the ever-dependable Jake Yudelowitz not far beind.
Third place is now a realistic target for a Raiders side who finished well beaten against Team last time, when Richard Salmon, Lorian Madanes and Shuey Mirwis left them on their backsides.
Ahead of kick-off, Domb told JC Sport: “We’re looking forward to this one - there’s nothing to fear. Yes they sit top of the table, but so did their C team when we met them earlier in the campaign.
“No-one expected anything from us in that game yet we walked away with three points. We're now in the middle of a great run that's lifted us into fourth spot, and there's no reason why we can't take anything from this game on Sunday.
“We we're well-organised and well-disciplined in the game with Whetstone last week. We'll need to do the same this Sunday, and there's a great spirit in the group at the moment.”
The leaders have opened up a five-point lead at the summit, but they are not out of sight yet. Mitch Young’s men have won nine out of 11 and they continue to go about their business in a very efficient manner. They score freely and don’t concede too often. Oh, and their keeper loves a penalty!
Three consecutive clean sheets has put them in a strong position and Young will see this as one of those winnable games.
JC team news: NLR report no fresh injury worries this week.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
TEAM
MGBSFL – Oakwood B (h)
MGBSFL – Whetstone (h)
RAIDERS
MGBSFL – Catford (h)
TOP-SCORERS
Team - Richard Salmon 8
NLR - Oli Nathan 5
Venue – Gosling Sports Centre FC, Ref – Robert Benardout, KO – 10am
JC star man: Shuey Mirwis (Team)
DC Prediction: Team 3 Raiders 2
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FC TEAM C vs AC MILL HILL
Realistically, Mill Hill are the only side that can prevent an FC Team 1-2. But you can be sure David Gordon would’ve been in the ear of Mitch Young at training this week, to get a SWOT analysis about Dan Beresford’s boys who lie in third-place.
Beresford admitted his side were second best last week and he’ll be looking for a massive performance from his troops, who appear to have gone off the boil at just the wrong time.
Team have their tails up after coming back from the dead at Oakwood last week. At 2-0 down, player-manager David Gordon kept them in the game with a string of fine saves, before Freddie Marks, Dan Alfreds and James Milman, with only his second goal in four seasons, turned the game on its head.
Gordon described Team as “Dead and buried at half time” but their second-half display was arguably season-defining.
Ahead of the visit of Mill Hill, Gordon told JC Sport: “It a huge game for us this weekend and one that we need to win to keep in touch with the B-team.
“After a great result, if not a great performance, last weekend I am hoping we can build on that win to pick up a bit of momentum again going into the business end of the season.
“It’s not going to be easy as AC Mill Hill are a very good side, so we will have to be fully focused from the start to take the three points.”
Mill Hill have attackers like Ben Zloof and Jamie Kent who have lots of pace, as well as the firepower of Elliot Bloom, but it'll be a tough ask to get anything in Mill Hill.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
TEAM
MGBSFL – Mill Hill (h)
MGBSFL – Oakwood (h)
MILL HILL
MGBSFL – Jewdinese (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Team - Adam Stolerman 11
Mill Hill – Ben Zloof 8
Venue – Old Camdenians, Ref – Tony McEvoy
JC star man: Freddie Marks (Team)
DC Prediction: Team 4 Mill Hill 2
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OAKWOOD B vs AC WHETSTONE
Oakwood were involved in the perennial game of two halves last week. Jason Stein was happy as Larry at half-time, but lost for words, almost, at the full-time whistle.
His boys produced arguably their best 45 of the season in the first half against FC Team. But he’s been having nightmares about what happened thereafter.
However, it appears that a couple of days away from the training ground has helped him refocus and realise the cup is still half-full. I received a warm welcome at the club’s training ground this week, before Stein offered some more wise words.
Stein told JC Sport: "Ah, DC, help yourself to a rich tea. Only two though, we're on a limited budget and I have a few journos to feed!
"Listen, I'm not going to sit here and play games today. Last week was painful. Watching those FC Team C players celebrate was awful. Forget bitter pills, this was footballing cyanide.
"Most importantly, I expect us to pitch up this weekend against Whetstone and play to the same level again and this time win. We should be playing as well as we did against FC Team C every single week, not just raising our game when the so-called big boys and the TV cameras come to Breakspear.
"We must maintain our level of performance, be sharper with our shots and cut out some of the bad attitudes that can undermine us. Whetstone beat us 2-1 in stoppage time in November, I want to avenge that.
"Lastly, I know there have been a few rumors about who we might look to bring in during the transfer window, but there is no truth in some of what has been said.
"I've been chatting to Makkabi Helsinki about a possible loan and I'm still working on one free agent, but nothing more."
Whetstone gave a decent account of themselves in the 3-1 defeat against Raiders last Sunday. Their ability and attitude will be tested against Oakwood, but it’s in the physical department I fear for them as Oakwood will play like men on a mission. Stein demands it.
JC team news: Oakwood are “more or less unchanged from last week”. Ben Polak, Haydon Davidson and Matt Geey are all likely to still be missing. Nicky Harris comes back into the fold following the birth of his son.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
OAKWOOD
MGBSFL – Team C (a)
MGBSFL – Team B (h)
WHETSTONE
MGBSFL – Oakwood (a)
MGBSFL – L’Equipe (h)
MGBSFL – Jewdinese (h)
TOP-SCORERS
Oak – Jacob Richler-Kleiman 10
Whet – Dan Cohen, Rob Cohen, Philippe Auret 4
Venue – Brunel, Ref – Neal Cohen, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Blin (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Oakwood 2 Whetstone 0
More to follow ...
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DIVISION THREE
DANNY CARO'S DIVISION 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
REAL SOSOBAD vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
A period of inactivity has resulted in the Sosobad boys slipping down the table, but their promotion ambitions remain stronger than ever and you have to fancy them picking up maximum points against lowly Temple Fortune.
Richard Rosenthal and Barry Green had a field day the last time the teams met, when Fortune were hit for six and although I expect a tighter ‘second leg’, ultimately I expect a similar outcome.
Sosobad boss Dan Shafron told JC Sport: “We are excited at the prospect of playing our first competitive game of 2015 on Sunday after a couple of recent postponements due to the bad weather.
“We are now playing catch up on our rivals, but we must focus on each individual game rather than look at the table. It is very simple though. We must win.
“Fortune are a team who we must be wary of. They are a strong group with plenty of experience and they made parts of our previous game very difficult for us. I am sure they will do the same this weekend so we have to be up for it from the off.”
Fortune boss Jonathan Cohen was pleased to see the back of 2014 for footballing reasons. He hopes that a change of year can bring a change of luck as they look to close the gap on fellow strugglers Boca and KS.
Ahead of the game, Cohen told JC Sport: “We have a really good squad available this weekend. Like last season, we think a winter break will be the rejuvenation the team needs.”
I’m not so sure ...
JC team news: TFFC welcome back Darren Zitren, Gideon Wetrin, Zack Rich, Ollie Squires and Dominic Hallett.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
SOSOBAD
MGBSL - Faithfold B (h)
MGBSL - Boca (h)
FORTUNE
MGBSL - KS (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Sosobad - Richard Rosenthal, Barry Green, Josh Jacobs 4
Fortune - Darren Zitren Zach Rich, Matt Leader 3
Venue – Peter May, Ref – Adam Lewis, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Goodman (Sosobad)
DC Prediction: Sosobad 4 Fortune 1
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LONDON ROVERS vs KING CROWN
It’s been a horrible few weeks for the boys of King Crown who have seen their title aspirations pulled from beneath them.
The long-time leaders have now drifted six points off London Rovers after last week’s defeat at Shacharit Donetsk and manager Jacob Kadoch is struggling to put his finger on exactly what has gone wrong.
A third consecutive defeat would leave them with too much to do and Kadoch won’t need to tell his players that defeat against Rovers isn’t an option. They must play as though their lives depend on it.
The Rovers boys have had a fair few weeks to reflect on their impressive first half of the season. A 6-0 win was the perfect way to go into the Winter Break. Now they are ready to go again.
Boss Jeremy Brown told me it’s all systems go, with one or two having had time to shake off niggles. He told JC Sport: said "It’s been a few weeks since we last had a competitive game, but if there was ever a tie that can get us back in the mood, it’s this one.
“I think this is the game that the players and probably everyone else in Division Three have been looking forward to. Crown obviously started the season really well and everyone had them down as the team to beat. I think both teams are quite similar in terms of playing attractive football and getting goals from anywhere in the team.
“I think Crown have the upper hand on us though as they have been together for longer. They had a decent season
last year and Jacob has obviously done a great job with strengthening certain areas.
“People shouldn't forget that we are a new team and some of our players are playing senior 11-a-side football for the very first time and others are playing together for the first time.
“Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, I'm immensely proud of my players for their conduct, effort, work-rate and most of all their response to each game.
“This is going to be a huge challenge for us and a very difficult game, but I'm confident that if we work hard, do the right things and play to our strengths, we will win.”
Much of the focus of late has been on the Rovers attack, but I can see Crown asking questions of them defensively. Then and only then will they earn the right to maximum points.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
CROWN
MGBSFL – Rovers (a)
MGBSFL – Boca (a)
MGBSFL – Shacharit (h)
ROVERS
MGBSFL - Faithfold B (a)
MGBSFL – KS (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Rovers - Avi Markiweicz 18
Crown - Phil Braham 12
Venue – West Hendon, Ref – John Nitka
JC star man:
DC Prediction: Rovers 3 Crown 1
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BOCA JEWNIORS vs SHACHARIT DONETSK
The Shacharit boys produced an outstanding performance against King Crown last week – with talisman Adam Ellis leading the way with a treble.
Their fans believe they are head and shoulders better than Boca, but a defeat on Sunday would see Gabriel John’s men join them level on 12 points.
Consistency has been a problem for both teams, but Shacharit has a real opportunity to string back-to-back wins together for the first time this season.
Boca have played well in their last two matches, with Dale Bradman and Lioz Tov registering in the draw against Lions last week.
The return of goalkeeper Ryan Monk has given everyone at the club a real lift, but I fear he will have his hands full as the boy Ellis makes the headlines again.
I only see one outcome - a win for Shacharit.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
BOCA
MGBSFL – Shacharit (a)
MGBSFL – MLL (a)
MGBSFL - Sosobad
SHACHARIT
MGBSFL – Boca (h)
MGBSFL - King Crown (a)
TOP-SCORERS
Boca - Lioz Tov 4
Shacharit - Adam Ellis 16
Venue – Norseman FC, Ref – Quentin Fox
JC star man: Adam Ellis (Shacharit)
DC Prediction: Boca 1 Shacharit 3
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KS REUNITED vs FAITHFOLD B
Faithfold are in danger of losing touch with the top two. Games in hand are one thing, but they appear to have hit a blip at just the wrong time.
Defeats either side of the win promotion rivals over King Crown have left manager Rob Shooman scratching his head, but he isn’t hitting the panic button yet. His experience is crucial now and he’ll be urging his big players to stand up and be counted.
Shooman told JC Sport: “We’re looking to bounce back from a very poor performance against an organised Hendon B team , on the worst pitch I have ever seen in the MSFL. That said, it was the same for both sides. They just adapted better.
“We’re looking forward to meeting a very good KS Reunited side - hopefully the London Marathon Playing Fields will allow us to play some football.
“We were missing some key players last week, of which some will be returning this week. We have a lot of
injuries at the moment, but they are making steady recoveries.”
Josh Barnett and Leor Harel were the scorers when Faithfold edged past KS 2-1 on the opening weekend of the season and with the east Londoners not playing in over a month, this game could come at just the right time for the Superhoops.
KS boss James Lewis told JC Sport: “We are looking forward to getting the new year up-and-running after several fixture delays.
“We ran Faithfold very close last time we faced them and feel confident we can get the three points in front of the fans.”
I’m predicting an ugly Faithfold win.
JC team news: KS are reporting a “fully fit squad to choose from.”
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
KS
MGBSFL - Hendon B (a)
MGBSFL - Fortune (h)
MGBSFL - Rovers (h)
FAITHFOLD
MGBSFL – London Rovers (h)
MGBSFL – Sosobad (a)
MGBSFL - King Crown (h)
TOP-SCORERS
KS - James Ryan, Zack Gordon 5
Faithfold - Dan Gordon 7
Venue – London Marathon Playing Fields, Ref – Keith Gold, KO – 10am
JC star man: Leor Harel (Faithfold)
DC Prediction: KS 1 Faithfold 2
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MACCABI LONDON LIONS GREEN vs HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB B
Hendon go in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory when they travel to Rowley Lane to take on the Lions.
Gideon Barth was their two-goal hero against Faithfold last week in a game where they adapted the better on a terrible surface. Boss Adam Glekin heaped praise on Ezekiel Jacob and Gab Saul as well, in a game where the foundations were laid early on.
Saul Cohen, who possesses one of the best deliveries of a dead-ball in the division, and Jaimie Grossman also played their part in a memorable win.
The Lions have got a bit of belief about them now. Jerome Colmans has added some much-needed creativity to the Lions team. He registered his second of the season in the draw at Boca last week.
Grant Bates will be keen to impress following his red card last week, while Aaron Spalter and Steven Black will be looking to ask questions of the Hendon back-line.
Some Hendon fans will look at MLL's record and think this is an away game that the Reds should win easily, but there is no such thing.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
MLL
MGBSFL – Boca (h)
MGBSFL – Hendon (a)
HENDON
MGBSFL – KS Reunited (h)
MGBSFL – Lions (h)
TOP-SCORERS
MLL – Phil Peters, Jerome Colmans 2
Hendon - Benni Sluckis 5
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Stuart Ansher
JC star man: Jaimie Grossman (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Lions 2 Hendon 3
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