DANNY CARO'S MATCHDAY 2 AWARDS
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Louis Naughten (Faithfold A)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Sam Rank (Redbridge JC A)
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: MILL HILL DONS vs REDBRIDGE JC A
PHOTOGALLERY: MILL HILL DONS vs REDBRIDGE JC A
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: JEWDINESE vs FAIRLOP FC
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YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
(TOP 5)
1. HMH Pl. 1, W. 1, Pts. 3
2. Oakwood A Pl. 1, W. 1, Pts. 3
3. Faithfold A Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 3
4. ML Lions A Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 3
5. Hendon Utd Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 3
HMH vs BRADY MACCABI
HMH will be looking to build on their outstanding victory over defending champions Hendon when they welcome Brady Maccabi to the Hive.
Avi Goldberg’s troops would’ve had a fortnight to reflect on their stand-out win that certainly turned heads across Jewish football.
Goldberg’s young team played with great maturity, organisation and discipline – three qualities they must repeat against a Brady team determined to knock them off their stride.
Looking ahead to the game, Goldberg told JC Sport: "After a week’s rest for the festivities and no doubt plenty of eating, we return to action in the league against Brady. They are obviously a good team who have played in the top division for some years so we will be wary.
"We will be looking to build on our fantastic win over Hendon two weeks ago."
This is the beginning of a crucial period for Brady, with matches at home to Oakwood and Lions to follow. Manager Joel Nathan will be trying to right the wrongs of the Faithfold game.
Nathan told JC Sport: “After last Sunday’s disappointment, we are very keen to get back on the pitch and show what we are made of.
“Avi has put together a young but very good HMH team who have quality all over the pitch. I know a lot of the players and will be taking nothing for granted.
“I saw a little of their game against Hendon a couple of weeks ago so will hopefully have picked up a little bit more knowledge of their style of play.
“Until Wednesday we had a full squad to choose from but some did react well to fasting and therefore have lost a couple but we will still have strong squad out.
“I am sure we will be the underdogs, however I have always liked that tag as have the boys.”
Until Brady find a reliable goal-getter, I think they will find things tough against the division's big guns. So my money is on a home win.
JC team news: HMH are missing Max Bull and Leo Ackerman, who has gone off to take up his duties as 1st X1 captain of Oxford University, and Ben Winters who is injured. Tom Prais is also likely to be missing. However, Sam Monjack is back from injury ready to make his competitive debut for HMH. Aaron Nutman faces a late fitness test and there may be "another surprise debut" on Sunday. Dom Feldman, of course, will arrive again on his jet from Gibraltar where he "spends the week honing his footballing skills the Spanish way" and hoping to capitalise on his goal of the season candidate against Hendon.
Venue – The Hive, Ref – Andy Myerson, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Abadi (HMH)
DC Prediction: HMH 3 Brady 1
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HENDON UNITED SPORTS vs FAITHFOLD DOC MM A
Avi Markiewicz cannot wait to unleash the Superhoops on the league champions.
With an excellent win over Brady Maccabi under their belts – in which Louis Naghten and Ben Shirbini grabbed the goals and Avi Mocton and Eli Davila were among the stand-out performers, Faithfold will feel as though they have nothing to lose as they look to inflict a second defeat of the season on Hendon.
Faithfold went about their business in impressive style last weekend, with Markiewicz claiming they could’ve notched up 10 goals. No doubt, chances will be harder to create against a usually resolute defence, but they certainly have the players capable of unlocking the defence.
Normal service was resumed as far as Hendon were concerned on Matchday Two, although they were far from their fluent best against Los Camden. They were forced to dig deep and grind out a win, thanks to strikes from Zac Lewis and an own goal.
But with a number of household names missing (the team physio has been doing overtime), boss Jordan Sapler knows his players will be asked some big questions on Sunday.
Ahead of the game, Sapler told JC Sport: “We want to build on last week, back at Hadley on a good pitch we will try and get the free flowing football back.
“Faithfold will be looking to keep up their good start, but on our day and playing to our best then we should have too much for them.”
I can see both teams scoring on Sunday in a game that will come down to which teams wants it most. I’m not brave enough to tip Hendon losing at home again so will back them to nick it.
JC team news: Hendon are missing a string of first-team regulars, including goalkeeper Russell Corin, Jonny Kay, Ari Nevies, Dovi Fehler and Simon Peterman.
Venue – Hadley FC, Ref – Phil Peters, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Harris (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Hendon 2 Faithfold 1
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OAKWOOD A vs LOS CAMDEN A
Los Camden received some encouraging reviews after taking defending champions Hendon United to the wire last weekend.
But it’s fair to say the fixture list hasn’t been particularly kind to them, with a trip to Morrison holders Lions following Sunday’s League Cup winners Oakwood. It’s similar to Arsenal’s start.
Their hopes for Sunday have been dealt a blow after it was confirmed Charles Braunstein faces two months on the sidelines and there are also major doubts over the fitness of Sacha Nusenbaum.
But any team with Johan Jordi and Mike Khalatschi will ensure a combination of grit and flair. You can be sure they will put in a real shift from one to 11 against the Oaks.
Oakwood looked strong in their opening win over Lions. Brad Wine, Josh Cuby and Kyle Bentwood fired them to a deserved victory, with joint-manager Dan Kristall coming away with several positives.
He told JC Sport: “We had lots of players returning, which is a huge positive and more to return. We know that we must improve our level but the main thing about Sunday was picking up the points.
“I am confident that our level of performance will improve as the season progresses. We now focus on a tough test against Los Camden where we will be hoping to win and get on a real winning run over the next few weeks.”
Looking ahead to the match in London Colney, Kristall told JC Sport: "We expect a tough game. We are sweating over the fitness of a few and won't know until kick-off.
"We know that they gave Hendon a very tough game last week taking them the distance and we will have to be at our best.
"Our aim is to build up some momentum in the coming weeks. That starts Sunday."
The addition of Josh Bharier is an excellent piece of business by Oakwood. The former Scrabble and Raiders star excels in a number of position and fits into the team’s work ethic perfectly. I can see him playing a key role as the hosts look to make a fast start and blow the visitors away.
Venue – Nicholas Breakspear, Ref – Neil Cooper, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Bharier (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Oakwood 3 Los Camden 0
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DIVISION ONE
(TOP 2)
1. Redbridge JC A Pl. 2, W. 2, Pts. 6
2. Fairlop FC A Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 4
BAYERN MINCHA vs SCRABBLE FC A
Daniel Holder and Alon Pinhas could not fault their Bayern Mincha team for effort after last week’s five-goal thriller against pace-setters Redbridge A.
Adam Ellis maintained his flying start to the season with a double, making it five goals in two games. And the rest of the side work hard and gave as good as they got.
With home advantage, Bayern fans will expect an easier ride against Scrabble. But the management are taking nothing for granted.
Pinhas told JC Sport: “Although we were narrowly beaten by Redbridge 3-2 last week, the boys were absolutely brilliant. We had about seven or eight clear-cut chances and let in three completely avoidable goals. We changed formation to go two up top and it worked a treat.
“I genuinely believe after last week, with our new players and the quality of football played, we have the ability to push for the league title.
“This Sunday we face a decent Scrabble side but we go in extremely confident. After last Sunday, the boys are absolutely gutted we came out with nothing and we want to avenge what has happened. I think the lads will make a statement come Sunday, whilst we will be taking seriously the opposition we face.
Scrabble gave starts to seven new boys in the 4-0 defeat at the hands of promotion-chasing Oakwood B. They conceded three times in the second half and had a player sin-binned, but manager Ray Abrahams has promised an “improvement” over the coming weeks.
However, until fitness levels improved, they will be on the back-foot, so it will take added commitment and dedication to the cause to help them climb the table.
As for Sunday, I think Bayern will have too much on the day.
JC team news: The majority of the Bayern squad is available, making it a very tough squad for Alon and myself to pick. The attacking threat of Ellis, Auret, Solomon, DJ, Dayan and Leader are all available. While debutant Tomer Tricot, who had an immense debut at right-back, will be in the side.
Venue – Capital City, Ref – Stephen Levy, KO – 10am
JC star man: Tomer Tricot (Bayern)
DC Prediction: Bayern 4 Scrabble 0
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FAIRLOP FC vs NORTH LONDON RAIDERS
Having struggled to put the ball in the net on Matchday One, Fairlop succeeded five times on Matchday Two. So it’s fair to say their tails are up.
Aaron Dias has packed his squad with Premier Division quality, and having flexed their muscles against Los Camden last Sunday, they will be looking for more rich pickings against Raiders.
“All the boys are looking forward to Sunday,” warned Fairlop boss Dias. “We know we're in for a tough game but I fancy us to collect the three points.”
Dias has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of glory and he revealed the following to JC Sport: “Our backroom staff has been analysing the oppositions performances this year, we have pinpointed their central defence as their real weakness and in particular, Max Wegoda, if we can get at him on Sunday, scoring goals won't be an issue.
“We also take comfort from the fact our noisy neighbours put four past them on the opening day of the seasoning. If they can score four goals in 90 minutes you really do have to question Wegoda's footballing ability.
“But we know it is going to be a tough test and all the boys are bang up for it.”
Raiders were on the losing end of a seven-goal thriller against Redbridge in their opener and the fact they conceded four times leads me to believe they will find things tough in Essex on Sunday.
They were clinical in front of goal but must come up with a game-plan about how to deny Fairlop’s attackers time and space on the ball.
Jake Yudelowitz told JC Sport: “This is must win for us. We’ve already seen how tight this division is going to be and we cannot afford to again play well without the result.
“It’s not often Josh Bloom doesn’t score, as was the case last time out, so Fairlop should be wary of the Bloom. With deliveries of the quality of Matt Warner’s we’ll always be a threat.
“Competition for places is fierce and we have a number of boys with points to prove.”
Yudelowitz won’t be there for the pilgrimage to Essex so David Isaacs and Gid Gale will be looking to guide Raiders to their first win.
A decent crowd is expected for a game I can see Fairlop winning by the odd goal as a result of a piece of individual brilliance.
JC team news: Raiders are missing both of their goal-scorers from the opening day. Liron Mannie is out injured while Jake Yudelowitz is overseas. Skipper Jake Doffman returns.
Venue – 7 Kings, Ref – Josh Smith, KO – 10am
JC star man: Matt Warner (NLR)
DC Prediction: Fairlop 2 NLR 1
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JEWDINESE vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A
Pace-setters Redbridge are preparing for the trip to a Jewdinese team who have yet to win since returning to the MGBSFL fold.
Sam Rank’s troops have made a flying start, with wins over Raiders and Bayern. Another tough test is on the cards against a team who has the ammunition to test their promotion credentials.
Rank told JC Sport: “This Sunday will be a tough game. I have heard good things about this Jewdinese team, and with Scott Oldstein they have a good player in there squad.
“However, the one thing RJC A have in abundance is character. Last week every one of the boys that played knew they could go an extra five or six gears, but to win playing poorly says it all.”
Alex Paraskeva became an instant hit with RJC fans are firing a deadly double in a 3-2 win. Rank is keen to see them tighten up at the back, but at the same time he’s confident he can outscore any opponent in the division.
He continued: “To win titles you will have games like this. The boys are pumped up this week to perform to levels they can do, and with this I am expecting a big performance from the boys. With these key factors I am expecting another RJC win.”
A full house is expected on Sunday, with ‘Nese chief Jake Erlich confident his squad can produce their Sunday best.
“This week we make our debut at The Home of Jewish Football - Queen’s School,” he told JC Sport.
“We are definitely looking for our first three points of the season, after two tough away trips we are confident of a victory in front of a home crowd.
“The boys know the difference between two or three points out of nine and five points out of nine and we know what needs to be done to ensure victory.”
It’s almost time for the talking to stop. The battle between two ambitious teams is about to unfold and it’s almost impossible to pick a winner.
JC team news: ‘Nese welcome back “one half of our very own Bould and Adams,” skipper Adam Gold. James Ross and Brandon Sassoon are still on their scouting mission and they are also missing last week’s star man Grant Reingold, “who we are wishing the best of luck in his cup final for Stanmore Cricket Club”. Also, after coming off inured last week, goalkeeper Ben Halmer has passed his fitness test and will return between the sticks. There is also a late fitness test for former Redbridge man Scott Oldstein. Chairman Jake Erlich returns from a scouting trip – “this one in Spain rather than Italy as we remain on the hunt to bring in Europe’s best”.
Nate Kashket and Adam Noble return for RJC.
Venue – Queens School, Bushey, Ref – Neal Cohen, KO – 10am
JC star man: Alex Paraskeva (RJC)
DC Prediction: ‘Nese 2 RJC 2
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NORTH LONDON GALAXY vs OAKWOOD B
Everyone loves a Galaxy, myself included! But Jason Stein has banned them from the Oakwood changing room as his team looks to make it two out of two.
The Oaks were in imperious form against Scrabble and could and should have won by more. The challenge now is to maintain that level of performance and pick up as many points as they can on their travels.
Louie Libbert, Sam Modlin, Ben Feingold and Dan King were the goal men in a performance that ticked all the boxes. Goalkeeper Ben Lewis, Dani Dennison and Elliot Espinoza also caught the eye in a free-flowing performance. But gaffer Stein knows bigger tests lie ahead.
The Galaxy boys are ready to go again after their drawing on Matchday One. Joint-manager Luke Lewis told JC Sport: “Nothing but a win will do on Sunday - we were annoyed to draw to Nese and wanted the three points … after the 90 minutes we also felt we deserved the three points.
“We want to adjourn for Sunday with a masterclass this Sunday. That being said, Oakwood did well with a 4-0 win on Sunday so we aren't going to be complacent or underestimate anyone - this is just another cup final.”
Although my initial suspicion was that Galaxy could take a few weeks to settle, any line-up boasting Jack Mattey and Josh Shack will give asking questions of their opponents. They try to play front-foot football, but that could be easier said than done against a team like Oakwood, who you can be sure will contest every ball.
The midfield battle between Shack and Espinoza will be worth the admission fee alone. Miss it, miss out.
JC team news: Jonny Daitz, Dan Brennan, Jack Mattey, Jake Rinsler and Tyler Smith are out for Galaxy. Nonetheless, they still have “incredible quality in our 16-man squad on Sunday - being able to have selection dilemmas is a dream for managers, all of the boys involved are fighting for their place”. Joint-manager Luke Lewis “hase the utmost of trust in all of our squad members”.
Venue – Ark Academy, Ref – Martin De La Fuente, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Shack (Galaxy)
DC Prediction: Galaxy 1 Oakwood 1
More to follow ...
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DIVISION TWO
(TOP 2)
1. Hertswood Vale A Pl. 2, W. 2, Pts. 6
2. Faithfold Doc MM B Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 4
3. SPEC FC Pl. 2, W. 1, Pts. 4
FAITHFOLD DOC MM B vs MILL HILL DONS
You could almost feel the passion running through Brandon Hamme at this week’s press conference ahead of Mill Hill Dons’ meeting with Faithfold B.
The Dons don’t lose often these days, but it’s all about how they bounce back after the 2-1 loss against Redbridge B last Sunday.
Sam Singer is one of the top stoppers in the league but he won’t need me to tell him the first goal could’ve been avoided. The second goal – a wonder strike from Seth Walmer – he could do nothing about.
One can only be impressed by the character and never-say-die attitude of the Dons, for whom Zach Cohen pulled one back. And had it not been for an inspired goalkeeping performance from Ryan Silkman, they’d have come away from the game with at least a point.
Attention now turns to Faithfold B, another tricky opponent. “We are desperate to bounce back after last week’s disappointing result,” a determined sounding Hamme told JC Sport.
“We had a lot of the possession last week but weren’t ruthless enough in front of goal. We also need to eradicate sloppy mistakes, every goal we have conceded so far this season has been gift wrapped by us. As a whole we have defended well but we have been punished for miscommunication and lack of concentration at the back.”
Hamme is looking for an extra 10 per cent from one to 11 on Sunday. He added: “We need to be switched on for the whole 90 minutes if we want to get a result this week.
“Faithfold B won 7-0 last week so we know it won’t be an easy game. This is a new-look Faithfold side to last year and I believe they will be one of the contenders for the title.
“It’s very important for us to pick up the three points here, otherwise we will distance ourselves further from the chasing pack.
“We have played some good football this season but have at times been guilty of overplaying it in front of goal. We will need to get the balance right on Sunday.
“I have faith in the boys to put in another good performance and hopefully this time we will come away with the three points.”
Faithfold B go into the game in second place and it would be fair to describe them as a team pack with goals.
However, their first couple of performances have come as something of a pleasant surprise to Motty Korman. He told JC Sport: “We have had a good start to the season (especially without much of a pre-season) and the new players are settling in well.
“However, Sunday will be our first real test against Mill Hill who many predict will win the division. They are always a tough team to play against but we are hoping our mix of youth and experience will help us against a very young and fit side.
“No doubt they will be looking to bounce back after the shock defeat last week so we will be in for a tough game.”
The battle between Faithfold player-manager Martin Smulovitch and danger man Cohen will be key.
JC team news: Benny Goldberg our hat-trick hero is away but we welcome back Adam Hersh (who scored 2 on the opening day against Spec) and Chaim Gothold is also unavailable. Matthew Gold pick up an injury last week so also missed out.
Faithfold hope to have Gav Noe available, “who on his day is one of the best players in the division and a handful for any team”. Lolu Hibbert, “who has the ability to change a game if he can be bothered running (but is looking much fitter apparently!)” also returns. And according to social media, Joe Metliss, Real Hendon’s player of 2017/18, has been added to the squad.
Josh Moses and Jamie Nagioff are both doubts for the Dons after picking up knocks during last Sunday’s game. There are no other injury concerns.
Venue – West Hendon, KO – 10am
JC star man: Joe Metliss (Faithfold)
DC Prediction: Faithfold 1 Dons 2
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FAITHFOLD DOC MM C vs HERTSWOOD VALE
A top four finish with the target for Vale going into the season. But the early signs are they can go even better.
Back-to-back wins over Temple Fortune and Scrabble have put them in a great position to kick on. Next up is Faithfold C – a side they are more than capable of beating.
James Millet has grabbed the headlines with his Milner-esque penalty prowess, but they look a really decent outfit this year, plus they have strength in depth.
But manager Jacob Emanuel and Danny Hirschberger know they should not look too far ahead and take it one game at a time.
Ahead of kick-off, Emanuel told JC Sport: “Although this is down as an away fixture, we find ourselves back at our old stomping ground of Tempsford Green - a welcome surprise for the squad, although not met with the best of memories.
“Faithfold's shuffle around with three teams across the leagues this season is a bit of a confusing one so we don't really know much about the team we're set to face on Sunday!
“One thing I'm very confident about, is that Faithfold C will be up for a fight after their opening game thrashing, and unfortunately for us, we're the first team that they're playing since.
“Although we've started the season with two wins, as I mentioned following our game against Scrabble B, we have yet to kick into second gear this season, and Danny and I, along with the players, haven't left the pitch completely satisfied.
“There's no denying that we have a talented squad at our disposal, and we'll looking to push on sooner rather than later with no easy games in this division.”
Faithfold were soundly beaten by their C team and they now have a tough run of games coming up, with Redbridge B to follow the visit of Vale before the derby rematch.
Managers Ben Kfir and Rob Shooman know it could take time for the squad to gel and I can see them setting up to counter-attack on Sunday against a confident Vale team.
“We’ve got some important players back this week including captain Jonathan Marrache,” Kfir told JC Sport. “We are hoping to start getting the kind of team performance we know we are capable off this week, the team needs to get used to playing together.”
Vale are in a good place right now and a third consecutive win would certainly up the ante.
JC team news: Vale have a large squad available this week, “which creates a great selection headache” for messus Emanuel and Hirschberger. Harry Graham and Jordan Harris have shaken off knocks from last week's game to compete for a starting place. Captain James Neidle and Adrian Leibovitch miss out with “apparently more important holidays...”
Venue – Tempsford Green, Ref – Stuart Ansher, KO – 10am
JC star man: Ben Mandell (Vale)
DC Prediction: Faithfold 1 Vale 4
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FC TEAM vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
Opportunity knocks for both FC Team and Temple Fortune on Sunday, with a first win of the season for the victor up for grabs.
Mitch Young’s warriors have conceded nine times in their first two matches and it looks like they will find things tougher than expected.
Team led three times against SPEC FC last weekend but they were unable to cope with the brilliance of Zac Neiman, who outgunned Team talisman Richard Salmon.
Simon Linden believes it’s only a matter of time until Temple Fortune start picking up points. You could sense frustration in his voice after the 1-1 draw against Raiders Masters last Sunday, they were within minutes of securing maximum points until a late penalty shout went against them. The absence of skipper Adam Speck and recent arrival Nick Stern was clearly felt as they were unable to see out the game.
Fortune will face a very different kind of challenge against a direct FC Team, who have threats across the park. But it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if it finishes honours even.
Venue - Hertswood, Ref – Bob Caplin, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Klepper (Fortune)
DC Prediction: FC Team 1 Fortune 1
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NORTH LONDON RAIDERS MASTERS vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B
Redbridge made a winning start as they took the scalp of Mill Hill Dons in Hertfordshire and they could be inspired in the shadow of Wembley Stadium as they look to finish the weekend on six points.
Ryan Silkman, Ben Aston, Ronnie Firmin, Adam Shafron and Seth Walmer were the stand-out men for Redbridge last week, with Silkman displaying great bravery and agility in goal.
But gaffer Richard Bronzite predicts “completely different game” at Raiders. “This game will probably feature the two oldest teams in the league and will be a great game for any dog walkers!” he told JC Sport.
“Raiders, no matter their age, have class all over the park and we expect another tough game but at a slower pace.”
Raiders have bagged two draws thus far but they face a step up in standard against a Redbridge who will be hell-bent on returning around the M25 with maximum points.
JC team news: RJC are missing Ben Sollosi, Sam McCarthy (broken nose) and Dan Gordon, but the squad they have “is powerful and the boys are up for it. They need to be if we want to come away with three points,” reported Bronzite. The team will be led by Adam Hakimi, Craig Sandford and Danny Berg as Richard Bronzite will be away.
Venue – Ark Academy, Ref – Robert Benardout, KO – 10am
JC star man: Seth Walmer (RJC)
DC Prediction: Raiders 1 Redbridge 2
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SCRABBLE FC B vs SPEC FC
The Scrabble changing rooms looks like a re-run of Dad’s Army on Sunday mornings. I’ve never seen so much deep heat, cycling shorts, Voltarol and ankle/knee supports in one place!
Experience and heart is something they have in abundance but they will need to haul their resources together and sing from the same hymnsheet on Sunday when SPEC FC come to town.
Not even the presence of Adam Solomons and Tony Gold has been enough to inspire them in their first two games, although player-manager Jon Yantin is threatening to unleash yet another “MGBSFL legend” on Sunday.
Ricky Lawrence singled out Zac Neiman for praise after the thrilling 5-3 win over FC Team. However, Lawrence wasn’t thrilled about his side’s defending, as they were forced to rally from a goal down no less than three times.
Adam Joselyn, Ryan Fox and Ashley Burns impressed in the second half, but Lawrence will look for a 90-minute performance from the trio, and there could be a place in the starting XI for Josh Green, who added some impetus from the bench.
Lawrence told JC Sport: “We'll be looking to build on last week's victory but know we need to keep it tighter at the back.
“We've had to games the neutral would have enjoyed so far this season so we're obviously the team to watch.
“We'll be hoping things are a bit more straight forward on Sunday but we have no idea what to expect from Scrabble B."
JC team news: Daniel Amram and David Kendall look set to make their first appearances of the season for SPEC FC.
Venue – The Hive, Ref – Paul Dobkin, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Green (SPEC)
DC Prediction: Scrabble 1 SPEC 2
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