MGBSFL DIVISION ONE
OAKWOOD B 2 NL RAIDERS B 3

North London Raiders B put last season's poor form behind them to start the new campaign with a 3-2 away win at Jason Stein's Oakwood B.

On a bright sunny morning at Nicholas Breakspear school, the game began with a litany of misplaced passes on a bumpy surface with a very thick covering of grass.

The opening goal came in the 11th minute courtesy of an own goal after skipper Anthony Goodmaker put the Oakwood keeper and defenders under pressure from a Jamie Wolfson corner.

The goal did little to raise the quality of the game as both sides struggled to come to terms with the surface.

Raiders made a tactical adjustment at the break and started the second half well as they began to control the game.

L'Orange deservedly doubled the lead after 53 minutes with probably the only flowing move of the game. Josh Goldstein controlling and spinning the ball wide to Jacob Gold who skipped down the line and crossed for the onrushing Si Buchler and Will Ufland who were only denied on the line by the arm of an Oakwood defender who oddly received only a yellow. UFLAND confidently dispatched the resulting penalty.

Raiders dominated the following 15 minutes and should have wrapped up a comfortable win only to see short range chances squandered by Goldstein, Alex Goodman, Jake Gilbert and Gold.

Having failed to punish the Blues, it was always a risk that Oakwood's never-say-die attitude would give them hope and so it proved when a clipped ball to the back post was nodded home.

It promised to be a rousing end to the game but Raiders rode out 10 minutes of Oakwood pressure and then restored the two-goal lead courtesy of a clever 83rd minute short corner routine. Jamie Wolfson and Goldstein combined and the latter whipped in a glorious cross which was deftly headed in to the far corner by LEWIS BLITZ who celebrated in front of the watching Mrs and Junior Blitz!

Oakwood managed to pull back a second goal a minute from time but Raiders deservedly saw out time to take the three points. Their goals came via AARON SEARLE and SAM MODLIN.

Raiders manager Jonathan Adelman said: "Overall it was a scrappy game on a poor, bobbly pitch with both sides looking rusty.

"I'm delighted with the three points but as I've said all summer, it's going to take several weeks for us to gel and if we can pick up points whilst we do so, that's a real bonus."

Co-manager Zack Gothelf paid tribute to Goodman who "put in a super shift in central midfield to negate the talented Alex Koslover. It was great to see important contributions from boys who've stepped up from last year's C team."

Oakwood boss Jason Stein conceded: "We were on the backfoot the whole game really.

"Obviously losing on the opening day is a disappointment, but I'm relaxed about what happened. I got the team wrong first half using a false nine of sorts and I feel that led to the defeat today.

"The first half was a total non-affair and we could not get in the game at all before we came to life in the second half. The first half ultimately cost us defeat.

"Once again our lapses of concentration at set plays cost us with two corners proving our undoing. It’s a disappointing way to lose. I felt we played the better football and looked more likely to score from open play. But fair play to Raiders who defended very well and ruthlessly took their chances at the set piece."