Spartan South Midlands League Division One
London Lions 2 Amersham Town 2

London Lions and Amersham Town played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Amersham were virtually unrecognisable from the side Lions played last season and were arguably the best side Lions have faced so far this.

Lions lined up with a few changes to the side that beat Cranfield Utd the previous week. Danny Jacobs replaced the injured Mario Cenolli in goal and Ben Lauffer came in for the unavailable Paul Linger. David Soutar played in an unfamiliar position upfront after Dean Nyman withdrew with illness.

The game started at a frantic pace with Amersham making the early running and showing real intent ensuring Lions were on the back foot. A vastly improved side from last year, Amersham worked tirelessly throughout the 90 minutes playing a very disciplined pressing game.

Lions were unable to get a foothold in the game for the first 15 minutes as the home side continued to push them back. Jacobs in the Lions goal was called into action twice in the space of three minutes. Firstly, tipping over a dangerous cross come shot and then secondly, acrobatically diving to his left to divert a wicked shot wide.

Those Amersham chances seemed to spark Lions into life and they should have taken the lead minutes later when Soutar was sent clear one-on-one with the home side’s keeper. However he produced an excellent save to deny the Lions player his first of the season.

The game flowed back and forth as both sides continued to play very open attacking football. Lauffer then had Lions second chance of the game and the best of the match but once again the Amersham keeper was equal and made another crucial save.

Then on 28 minutes Lions deservedly took the lead. A great ball from Andy Glynne to Josh Kennet allowed the wide man to get at his full back. In one swift movement and a burst of pace Kennet drove to the by-line and delivered a delightful cross which fell invitingly for Soutar to head home.

On 36 minutes Lions went two in front. Amersham were penalised for a back pass and from the resulting free-kick Adam Myeroff blasted the ball home from 10 yards.

Bar that early 15 minutes of pressure from the home side Lions dominated the remainder of the half and fully deserved to be in front, in fact perhaps the match should have been over.

Credit needs to be given to Amersham for their approach to the second half but Lions didn’t help their cause by giving away endless free-kicks in and around there box which in the end were to prove costly.

Amersham pulled a goal back on 60 minutes thanks to a quickly taken free-kick which Lions switched off from, the ball ending up evading the outstretched hand of Jacobs and trickling into the goal.

Lions had one more opportunity to perhaps kill the game on 70 minutes following a terrific run from Matt Stock, but the pacey wide man was just nudged off balance as he was about to pull the trigger and the chance went begging.

Young Jordan Marks replaced Soutar who had run himself into the ground for the final 15 minutes to try and give Lions a little more pace up top in the hope they could spring the high Amersham back line one more time.

Amersham however continued to press and certainly looked the fitter side as the game ebbed towards its end.

With five minutes remaining and Lions virtually out on their feet having worked extremely hard they ultimately paid the price for conceding another needless free-kick. A great delivery was met by the head of Amersham’s No. 6 after he managed to lose Bentwood and he guided it forcefully into the goal.

Following the draw, Lions manager Tony Gold summed up: “We are now four games unbeaten which is very pleasing. There is no disappointment tonight, just frustration because we should have come away from here with three points and it would have been an excellent three points but in the end a little naivety and lack of fitness in the final 20 minutes proved costly.

“Amersham were well organised, drilled and incredibly fit and in the end, on reflection, although we created enough good chances to win the game, given the amount of possession we conceded especially in the second half and the needless free-kicks we kept giving away which put us under extreme pressure we leave happy with a point."