There are two stand-out matches in the top two divisions on Matchday 16 of the MGBSFL, with leaders Redbridge A visiting defending champions Hendon A and Raiders B taking on Redbridge B. Danny Caro looks ahead to the last round of action of 2014.
MATCH PHOTOS: FC TEAM B vs HEATON PARK ROVERS
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DANNY CARO'S DIV 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
PLAYER OF THE WEEK - DAVID SEITLER
MANAGER OF THE WEEK - ALAN AARONSON
DANNY CARO'S GOAL OF THE WEEK - BEN WINTERS
DANNY QUOTE OF THE WEEK - JASON STEIN
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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 THREE
FC TEAM C vs NORTH WEST NEASDEN
Division Two high-flyers FC Team C go in search of a famous cup scalp on Sunday when former competition winners Neasden come to town.
David Gordon's men are still trying to get their second-half horror show against Neasden out of their systems as they go in search of the best result in their history.
Sunday promises to be an emotional day for two former Neasden stars in Dan Stanton and Adam Stolerman - who have graced the League Cup over the years, but there'll be no room for sentiment once that first whistle blows.
Team boss David Gordon told JC Sport: "We had a disappointing result last time out, but I hope we can show a bit of character and produce a good performance on Sunday.
"The pressure is off for this game, but we don’t want to lose a second game in a row, so we’ll be going all out to try and win the match.”
Neasden have been given some tough draws in the cup this season, but Stirling Kay's men have passed every test thus far. Last week, strikes from Craig Edwards and Dan Orgel steered them through, and they will be keen to finish a testing first half of the season on a positive note.
NWN boss Stirling Kay told JC Sport: "We know that this game is going to be vey difficult owing to the fact that FC Team have some very good players, most of them Premier standard, so there is no way we will under-estimate them.
"We go into this game after showing tremedous character and determination to over come the Raiders in the cup last week. We played the last 20 minutes with only six fit players left on the pitch - the other five could just about walk - yet refused to go off and saw the game out, allowing us to go in to the next round.
"We will use this team spirit to spur us on to overcome FC Team to take us in to the next round. We are determined to achieve our goal of reaching a cup final and with the experience and fantastic attitude of Rick Harris and Rob Caplin, we have two great examples to the rest of our younger squad.
It's hard to call a winner on Sunday. Team have lots of aces in their pack, but NWN are proving hard to beat in the cup. If only they could transfer that form to the league. I can see Team pushing the distance, but in the end Premier Division class should tell.
JC team news: Adam Arnold and Michael Field return "after taking the week off after visiting a friend in Mr Jack Daniels and Mr Shot".
Ref – Richard Jaye
JC star man: Michael Field (NWN)
DC Prediction: Team 2 NWN 3 AET
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MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
TOP-SCORERS
17 - James Gershfield (Harmen)
13 - Dave Woolman (Oakwood A)
HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A
Match of the day sees defending champions Hendon A host new leaders Redbridge A in Hatfield, and what a game we have in store.
Having won back-to-back JC Player of the Week awards, new fans' favourite David Seitler will be looking to show RJC what all the fuss is about. His hat-trick last week was simply sensational, and it left boss David Garbacz mightily relieved to still be in the cup.
Hendon and RJC have had some classic battles over the years, with the east Londoners being something of a bogey team for the Reds - they have the best recent record of any MGBSFL team against the champs.
Hendon boss David Garbacz knows his men faces a proper test on Sunday. He told JC Sport: "What an exciting game to end the year – Redbridge have emerged as serious contenders this season after a few years out in the wilderness and we know we could not have asked for a tougher way to end a magnificent 2014.
"They are on a very strong run and together with Raiders, and possibly Harmen, this year’s league will be a close-run thing and there will be little margin for error.
"This is a real six-pointer – a game neither team can afford to lose if they are to reach their goal, and we will be treating them with the utmost of respect. We like where are though at the moment – we have started to hit some seriously good form in the last few weeks and have twice come from behind in the last two weeks to score five goals against very decent teams.
"Our squad has big strength in depth and we have coped without big players, with others stepping up to the plate and showing their quality. The two stand-out performers from last week’s victory over FC team were Dave Seitler and Ben Lauffer, but the team as a whole were excellent and this week we welcome back Yoav Kestenbaum as well so from an availability perspective we will have no excuses.
"We are thoroughly looking forward to this one – it is great to have Redbridge back challenging and we relish the opportunity to knock them off their current perch.
"This promises to be a high quality match between two great sides and as is always the case when Hendon play any Redbridge team it usually comes with a bit of added spice as well. We hope to finish off the year with another three points and then go on an all out assault in defending all our titles in 2015."
RJC go into the game in buoyant mood after finishing in seventh heaven against Woodford last week. David Garfinkle has scored back-to-back hat-tricks for RJC A, but he is expected to drop back down to the B team for their big game against NLR B.
However, Sam Rosenthal told me this week his squad is "almost at full strength". He told JC Sport: "With the points on the board, the pressure is on the home team for sure.
"Confidence couldn't be higher, I just can't believe they spent all last year crying about 3g and they have a 3g home pitch. I find that very odd."
Fans are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment. As for a prediction, it's just too close to call.
JC team news: Hendon are missing Ari Last, Avi Korman and Avishai Kestenbaum. Yoav Kestenbaum is available for only the second time this season and Ben Lauffer is in contention after his second half cameo last week. Greg and Russell Corin also return.
Venue – Hatfield Uni, Ref – Adam Lewis, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Hakimi (RJC)
DC Prediction: Hendon 1 RJC 1
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NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS A vs FC TEAM A
NLR will be looking to finish 2014 in top spot when they host FC Team A in Wembley.
Playing the yellow and blues for the first time this season, Rob Richman's men will challenge his players to up the ante after what has been a pretty outstanding 12 months. They have been the model of consistency results-wise, and have improved at the back over the last few months.
I expect L'Orange to fly out of the blocks and try to hit Team early doors. Richman told JC Sport: "After a week off last week, we are excited to get back playing and finish the year off in style.
"2014 has been a good one for the club, but having finished runners-up in the league and the Anekstein Cup, we know we must push on and try to obtain some silverware in 2015.
"Sunday won’t be easy, FC Team have shown through the first half of this season that they are a decent side and we are going to be at our very best to get the three points. It should be a really good game between two attacking teams and we can’t wait for Sunday to come round."
FC Team gave Hendon a major scare last week. Yoav Lebens scored against is former club as they flew into a 2-0 lead. But they were undone by the brilliance of David Seitler and will have to watch out for some similar heroics from a Raiders team packed with quality from back to front.
That said, Team boss Ben Gilbey knows his troops are capable of taking a big scalp, and they will be looking to make a statement of intent on 3G.
He told JC Sport: "The FC Team A squad is weak and we are missing a number of players. It Is going to be hard for us to come away with a result, however, the character of our team continues to surprise me and we go from strength to strength each week, so taking points away from the game is a strong possibility."
But when all is said and done, I think Raiders will have the G-force on Sunday.
JC team news: Jamie Wolfson and Liron Mannie are both away for NLR, and Josh Pistol is suspended. JJ Spiro and Jordan Marks return to the squad.
Venue - Ark Academy, Ref – Laurie Benson, KO - 10am
JC star man: Alex Bloch (NLR)
DC Prediction: NLR 3 Team 2
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DIVISION ONE
TOP-SCORERS
18 - Daniel Garfinkle (Redbridge JC B – including 3 for RJC A)
14 - Jake Gilbert (NL Raiders B)
BRIXTON OLD BOYS vs LOS BLANCOS
Brixton were just seconds away from recording a famous result at table-toppers NLR B last Sunday. It needed something quite special to stop them, with the entire XI watching open-mouthed as Nicky Woolf's late rocket denied them a first win under returning boss Alan Aaronson.
Aaronson always sets the bar high and he'll be challenging his squad to repeat the level of performance, and with a little more composure in front of goal, he will go into this game wanting three points as they look to get out of the relegation dogfight.
Reflecting on last week's draw, Aaronson told JC Sport: "We made a very good and accomplished team look very ordinary. We outwitted them and every one of our players was a leader out there. Each one of them gave me a 9/10 performance. All individual performances were immense and the team unit was excellent too."
Blancos go into the game on the back of a hard-fought draw against Blizzard. Adam Hersh put them ahead but in the end they had to settle for a point.
The Whites start the game in fifth position and manager Jonathan Ison and co will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games.
The visitors know that Brixton have been shipping goals this season, but with Paul Shamplina now concentrating on playing again, and Aaronson fine-tuning their shape and organisation, they may not have things all their own way on Sunday.
Stefan Benfredj registered for Brixton last week.
Venue - Clowes , Ref – Mark Jacob
JC star man: Joe Davies (Blancos)
DC Prediction: Brixton 1 Blancos 2
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REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B vs NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS B
Jon Jacobs is relishing Sunday's visit of league leaders Raiders B, as he welcomes star striker Dan Garfinkle back into his squad.
The young hotshot has grabbed the headlines for the last two weeks. While most of his teammates have been tucked up in bed or doing some Chanukah shopping, Garfinkle was given a chance by the club's A-team and he took it with both hands - scoring back-to-back hat-tricks.
It's far to say Jacobs and co have been waiting for this game for some time now as they look to set the record straight after finishing second best to NLR in Division Two last season. They enter the game in top shape and are now only four points behind L'Orange with three games in hand.
NLR have not been at their fluent best of late, but they remain unbeaten. Only just. They were starring defeat in the face against Brixton last week only for a late moment of magic from Nicky Woolf to get them out of jail.
A home win would take RJC to within a point of NLR and they will approach the game as though their lives depend on it. However, it's crucial they maintain their discipline for 90 minutes as if they want it too much, NLR have the quality to bite them on the bum.
Venue - Townmead Park, Ref – David Lazarus, KO – 10am
JC star man: Jordan Sapler (RJC)
DC Prediction: RJC 3 NLR 2
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DIVISION TWO
TOP-SCORERS
10 - Adam Stolerman (FC Team C)
9 - Jacob Richler-Kleiman (Oakwood B)
AC WHETSTONE vs FC TEAM B
Having regained top spot, I can't see FC Team B failing on Sunday when they take on a youthful Whetstone side.
Mitch Young's men roared into the next round of the Morrison Trophy after tearing MJSL high-flyers Heaton Park Rovers to shreds, with Ben Binder (2) leading the way.
Young was delighted to see four players get on the scoresheet, with Lorian Madanes leading by example once again. He already appears to have one hand on the Division Two Player of the Year trophy.
Team are packed with pace and power, as well as goals from all over the park. With Andy Sheena, Adam Rones and Richard Salmon also chipping in on a regular basis, it could be a case of men against boys on Sunday.
Ahead of kick-off, Team boss Mitch Young told JC Sport: "We have had a great couple of weeks and our last three performances have been excellent - scoring 15 goals in the process.
"It is important we finish the year with a win, however I know this young Whetstone team are a threat, especially if they are allowed to play football.
"We can move eight points clear at the top with a win so that is all the motivation we need."
Ben Pollins has been on top form in nets for Whetstone this season, the side have yet to keep a clean sheet and I can only see them finishing second best against the my pre-season tips for the title.
JC team news: Team welcome back Jon Toby and Andy Sheena, but Jules Noti is injured and Ben Binder is unavailable.
Venue - Hertswood, Ref – Tony McEvoy, KO - 10am
JC star man: Jon Toby (Team)
DC Prediction: Whetstone 1 Team 4
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CATFORD & BROMLEY MACCABI vs NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS C
There's an intruiging relegation six-pointer in store in Edmonton as the Cats and NLR C do battle.
With "a threadbare squad," Catford captain Adam Luria is predicting "a battle" due to sheer lack of number, which he describes as "very disappointing after last Sunday's poor showing".
The Cats were second best in all departments against Oakwood B, and it's important they keep things simple at the back to give themselves a chance against a Raiders team packed with goal-scoring options.
It's been an encouraging couple of weeks for Raiders C. A stunning comeback against then leaders FC Team C was followed by a brave performance against Premier Division Neasden.
A point would keep them above the Cats, but assistant-boss David Domb has challenged the squad to take all three. He told JC Sport: "It's a chance to end a tough first half of the season on a high.
"With the return of a number of key players in recent weeks, we've started to remind a few people of the good team we are.
"We ran a Premier Division side very close last weekend, and as far as Zack and I are concerned, the standard has been set.
"Defeat at Catford last season nearly cost us the title, so it's a good chance to erase any bad memories from that experience this week.
"I know they've got some good players, and like always it will be a difficult test. But if we play anything close to how we did last weekend, we should come away with three points and head into the winter break in a stable position in the league."
JC team news: Jonny Lee returns for Catford, and Sean Preston should be back also.
There are no fresh injury worries for NLR this week, with Jonny Blain still the only long-term absentee. Dan Tannenbaum and Will Ufland hope to return after missing the Neasden game through illness.
Venue – Norseman FC, Ref – Neal Cohen, KO – 10am
JC star man: Will Ufland (NLR)
DC Prediction: Catford & Bromley 1 NLR 3
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L’EQUIPE vs AC MILL HILL
Mill Hill look like the only side capable of stopping an FC Team 1-2 at the minute. Ben Zloof's double steered them past Whetstone last time out and he could be in for a field day against one of the division weakest defences.
But Mill Hill have struggled to find consistency of performances this season. Manager Dan Beresford knows they are capable of much better and he will want his players to make their intentions clear from the very first whistle.
L'Equipe are in desperate need of a proven goal-scorer right now and joint-manager Josh Lewis is keeping a close eye on the transfer window, looking to pick up a bargain.
They are also conceding too many cheap goals and it could be a long 90 minutes for their defence on Sunday.
Ref – Laurence Thorne
JC star man: Jonny Kaye (Mill Hill)
DC Prediction: L'Equipe 1 Mill Hill 4
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DIVISION THREE
DANNY CARO'S DIV 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
TOP-SCORERS
17 - Avi Markiweicz (London Rovers)
12 - Phil Braham (King Crown)
HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB B vs KS REUNITED
Revenge is the name of the game for KS who are looking to build on last week's excellent win over Boca.
Mitchel Ross and Ethan Deal were the goal men in a hard-fought win and boss James Lewis is confident his boys can pull off a repeat performance in north-west London.
He told JC Sport; "After getting a long awaited and well deserved win, we are looking to build on this and avenge our cup defeat to Hendon.
"We spun the dreidel by giving Zac Skry his debut last week and landed on a Gimel We are confident that we can secure back-to-back wins and the atmosphere in the camp is as sweet as a Chanukah jam doughnut."
Hendon bounced back superbly from the heavy defeat at King Crown, with Saul Cohen, Benni Sluckis and James Neidle finding the net in the 3-2 win over Temple Fortune.
Boss Adam Glekin was delighted with their first-half showing, but he knows they must produce the good for the full 90 minutes.
It has been a mixed year for the Hustlers, with mid-table seemingly the most likely finishing position despite their early season hopes of a promotion push. However, Glekin insists his side will be playing as if their lives depend on it for the remainder of the season.
He told JC Sport: "It's starting to look like the top four have pulled too far away, but we have a string of winnable games coming up and you never know.
"If we can get three or four wins on the trot we might give ourselves a chance, and it's certainly something we're capable of."
Glekin will be able to call on the services of Saul Cohen once more, and he will be hoping Cohen can add to his tally of three goals in his only two games this season. Benni Sluckis has been a regular goal-scorer, and he has epitomised the commitment in the Hendon squad by pledging to play on Sunday despite the fact he'll be rushing to catch a flight to Israel.
Goals are guaranteed on Sunday and I'm tipping Hendon to take the points.
JC team news: Ben Glekin returns to the Hendon squad after missing the last couple of games and speedster Gideon Barth will also be available. Avi Mocton misses out for the first time this season and Glen Turner is also missing, but it will be a strong Hendon side who will take to the field on Sunday.
James Ryan returns from the Theatre of Dreams, but Joe Sumray is out along with long-term absentee Jason Goldstein.
Venue – West Hendon, KO - 10am
JC star man: Benni Sluckis (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Hendon 4 KS 2
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KING CROWN vs FAITHFOLD B
Faithfold make an emotional return to their spiritual home for a rumble in the jungle against former leaders King Crown.
It's so tight at the top, that even though Crown remain the division's only unbeaten team, they slipped off top spot after drawing against promotion rivals Sosobad last Sunday. A double from player-manager Jacob Kadoch earned them a point in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
But only a win will do on Sunday, according to the gaffer. He told JC Sport: "The lads are chomping at the bit and ready to deliver the goods for the last game of 2014.
"If we play at our level we will get three points and this is not optional."
Faithfold tasted defeat for the first time against an improving Lions Green last week. It was only the second time they have failed to score this season and manager Rob Shooman will be looking for a big reaction from his players. Indeed this could be the perfect game for them.
Local residents have been warned about the potential for some bone-crunching tackles on Sunday in a game that neither side will want to lose. The battle between Phil Braham and Josh Barnett will be key.
Venue – Chase Lodge, Ref – Robert Benardout, KO - 10am
JC star man: Josh Aziz (Crown)
DC Prediction: King Crown 2 Faithfold 1
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LONDON ROVERS vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
There can only be one winner in this top-versus-bottom tussle, surely. The bookies are offering 50-1 on a Fortune win, while some Rovers fans have told me they expect their heroes to finish close to double figures on Sunday.
Rovers smashed home another eight goals against Shacharit last weekend, making it 49 in 11 games. Avi Markiewicz drew his first blank in several week, which could be bad news for Fortune no. 1 Tony Hirschstein, who could be the busiest man on the pitch.
Instead, it was left to Adam Kay, Nigel Someck, Dovi Vogel, Yisroel Lewis and Zalmy Cohen to fill their boots and Rovers fans will be looking for more of the same on Matchday 16.
Boss Jeremy Brown told JC Sport: "It's turned out to be a good week for us. We had another good win and both Crown and Faithfold slipping up, we're at the top of the table, which is exactly where we want to be.
"However, I know only too well that getting to the top is the easy part, staying there is going to be a real challenge and test of character for us.
"I have to credit my players because they really have been putting in so much effort to improve every week. As a new team where many players are playing together for the first time, it's always going to take time gel properly and for me to get my message across.
"At the start of the season I admit we were winning games through sheer hard work and determination, but now the team are really confident and playing sensational football. The balance of the team is just right and the spirit is first class.
"I will keep telling the team the same thing every week. We must stay focused and not get carried away. At this level it is very easy to slip up so we have to make sure that we don't make any mistakes and let ourselves down.
"We will treat every game the same way regardless of who we play and remember that only 100 per cent effort will help us achieve our objective."
Fortune gave a decent account of themselves against Hendon last week, but manager Jonathan Cohen must be considering double parking the bus on Sunday.
He told JC Sport: "For our final game of this calendar year, we have a good squad available to us. We know it will be a difficult game and Rovers have some tricky players, but if we can turn in a good performance I am confident we can get something from the game.”
The first 20 minutes will be crucial. If Rovers score early doors the floodgates could open.
Venue – West Hendon, Ref – Alex Smith
JC star man: Zalmy Cohen (Rovers)
DC Prediction: Rovers 5 Fortune 0
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