MGBSFL DIVISION ONE
OAKWOOD B 1 WOODFORD WANDERERS 2
Daryl Kay believes only time will tell whether or not Woodford Wanderers are the best team in the division following a hard-fought victory over promotion rivals Oakwood B.
Super-sub Andy Levy was the match-winner in a game where Oakwood were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Daniel Selwyn after 30 minutes. Alex Aviram then put Woodford ahead with a screamer before Daniel Seligman levelled things up. But Levy had the final word to send the east Londoners clear at the top.
Woodford Wanderers took a major step towards the title with victory over promotion rivals Oakwood in St. Albans thanks to strikes from Alex Aviram and super-sub Andy Levy.
The dismissal of Oakwood's Daniel Selwyn after half an hour was a key moment and although they levelled through Daniel Seligman, it was Woodford who found the decisive strike.
Woodford joint-manager Daryl Kay told JC Sport: "We didn't dominate the game as much as we would have liked to, but just about did enough to deserve the victory.
"To get pegged back to 1-1 with 10 minutes to go and then go on to win the game showed once again how hungry this team is to win the league. Which their keeper didn’t take too well ;)
"All 14 boys played their part today and we want to give a special mention to Andy Levy who came off the bench to score the winning goal. He has always had that killer instinct in front of goal!
"It's never easy playing against 10 men but In fairness to Oakwood they battled well making it hard for us to take advantage of the situation.
"Alex's strike was certainly one of the best goals we have scored this season and that gave us the lift we needed on a difficult 4g pitch.
"I'm fully confident the we are good enough to win this division, but only time will tell whether we are the best team or not. We have put ourselves in a fantastic position to achieve what we set out to do at the beginning of the season."
Oakwood boss Jason Stein told JC Sport: "I thought we played well. I thought we showed a lot of courage and fight. Playing with 10 men for that long is very, very hard. The way we dug in, first to get to half time at 0-0, and then to drag ourselves back into it from 1-0 down was fantastic to see. My disappointment stems from us then losing the game, because we'd done the hard part by equalising.
"We had a great chance to make it 2-1 which was a shame. I imagine if you honestly asked Woodford management, they'd count themselves fortunate to have come away with two wins from our two evenly matched games.
"The red card? It is what it is. I can understand why Martin has given it, but it was a devastating blow. I feel to send someone off in a title decider after 30 minutes, it's got to be absolutely cut and dried and for me it wasn't. Martin is a good man who clearly loves his football, but I think he will perhaps regret the hastiness of that red card.
"As for Woodford, fair play to them. I know how highly they rate us because every time we play one another Mitch Hahn rocks up. In both games, Daryl and Jerome will have thought they have had the game won and twice we've come back. But twice we have been taught a harsh lesson.
"Good luck to them in the Premier Division next year, they're worthy champions of the division having only lost one game and beaten us when it mattered twice.
"We're going to keep our heads down and aim to finish as high up the division as we can."
